# Can you play a musical instrument ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 24, 2011, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-play-a-musical-instrument/600679 "2011-10-24T21:19:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![studmuffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@studmuffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/studmuffin)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-play-a-musical-instrument/600679/1 "2011-10-24T21:19:17Z")
It is said 11% of the population can claim to play a musical instrument, this seems very low. Not counting the Kazoo or playing the drums šŸ˜› can you squeeze a decent tune out of anything ? After 30 years of trying, I can say Iā€™m not bad on the Bass, the guitar and harmonica.šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![maggenpye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@maggenpye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maggenpye)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-play-a-musical-instrument/600679/2 "2011-10-24T21:27:27Z")
I can play guitar and recorder. I wouldnā€™t claim to be a musician of any calibre, but I can get a recognisable tune out of them. ---
**Author:** ![otternell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecc23a/32.png) [@otternell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/otternell)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-play-a-musical-instrument/600679/3 "2011-10-24T21:36:38Z")
I can play guitar, but canā€™t do any ā€œrecognizableā€ tunes. All Iā€™ve got is classical music, and Iā€™m not particularly good. Its mostly muscle memory, as Iā€™m pretty sure Iā€™m tone deaf. ---
**Author:** ![picker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/picker/32/13969_2.png) [@picker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picker)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-play-a-musical-instrument/600679/4 "2011-10-24T21:38:17Z")
I perform professionally and teach: guitar (acoustic & electric) upright bass (my main instrument) electric bass piano banjo and can also play at a pretty competent amateur level: accordion organ mandolin dobro lap steel drums most hand percussion I can play recognizeable tunes on the: pedal steel ukulele cittern fiddle hammered dulcimer absolutely no facility with any reed or brass instruments however. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-play-a-musical-instrument/600679/5 "2011-10-24T21:40:42Z")
I donā€™t get a chance to play much any more, but I play the piano/keyboards, guitar (electric and acoustic), bass, drums, and trombone. I used to be able to play the trumpet and tuba a bit but Iā€™ve completely forgotten the fingering. I had 8 years of classical piano training and played the trombone in school. Everything else is self taught. Mrs. Geek and all three Geeklings play at least one instrument. Mrs. Geek - Piano Geek Child #1 - Guitar Geek Child #2 - Violin, Guitar, Piano, Clarinet Geek Child #3 - Violin, Guitar So in my random sample size of five we are slightly above 11%. šŸ˜› ---
**Author:** ![Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prelude_to_Fascination)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-play-a-musical-instrument/600679/6 "2011-10-24T21:43:41Z")
I appreciate music and musicians, but Iā€™m part of the 89%. As far back as elementary school, when we were given recorders and things like wood blocks, I realized I was useless when it comes to any sort of rhythm or timekeeping, and musical theory was more baffling to me than physics. Since then, Iā€™ve kept my musical participation to listening only. ---
**Author:** ![redtail23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3e96dc/32.png) [@redtail23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/redtail23)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-play-a-musical-instrument/600679/7 "2011-10-24T21:47:15Z")
A little piano, a little guitar, a little bass, a little drumming. I got into banjo for a bit, but Iā€™ve forgotten it all. Youā€™re welcome. šŸ˜‰ Theoretically I can play violin and clarinet, but itā€™s been a _long_ time. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-play-a-musical-instrument/600679/8 "2011-10-24T22:28:00Z")
Guitar and bass. ---
**Author:** ![carlb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carlb/32/5930_2.png) [@carlb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carlb)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-play-a-musical-instrument/600679/9 "2011-10-24T22:29:22Z")
I suppose I can claim to be able to play the trumpet. I started in 5th grade, and played throughout college, but havenā€™t really done so since then (20-odd years ago). I have since donated my horns to a Katrina-displaced musician from New Orleans. I have no real embouchure to speak of any more, but I can still read music, and when faced with a piece of sheet music I will find my right hand banging out the trumpet fingering. So, I suppose with some practice, I could get to the point where I could blat out a tune on a trumpet or trumpet-like instrument. With some determination, I can pick out a melody line on a piano, or a bass line with a little more concentration. I cannot, however, do both at the same time. I took piano lessons for a few months in my early 30s, and was never able to integrate both hands. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-play-a-musical-instrument/600679/10 "2011-10-24T22:30:31Z")
nope, not at all. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-play-a-musical-instrument/600679/11 "2011-10-24T23:05:26Z")
Classical piano, harpsichord. . ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-play-a-musical-instrument/600679/12 "2011-10-24T23:08:47Z")
Years out of practice, but I used to play trumpet, baritone horn, recorder and bash about on keyboards. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-play-a-musical-instrument/600679/13 "2011-10-24T23:14:28Z")
Iā€™m not sure there is such a thing as a recognizable tune on a tuba, but I can play the bass harmony part for a lot of songs. Iā€™m horribly out of practice on it by now, though. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-play-a-musical-instrument/600679/14 "2011-10-24T23:20:45Z")
Keyboards and others, but my primary professional instrument in Hollywood was the music pen. ---
**Author:** ![Trom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@Trom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trom)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-play-a-musical-instrument/600679/15 "2011-10-24T23:33:17Z")
I was first chair trombone in all-state orchestra in high school. Once I got to college I dropped the trombone and picked up guitar. Much easier to impress the ladies at parties with a guitar. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-play-a-musical-instrument/600679/16 "2011-10-24T23:33:21Z")
I am a horrible, horrible guitar player. I love it and have a couple really nice ones but Iā€™m just not very good at playing them. ---
**Author:** ![PaulParkhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PaulParkhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulParkhead)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-play-a-musical-instrument/600679/17 "2011-10-24T23:37:21Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Iā€™m not sure there is such a thing as a recognizable tune on a tuba, but I can play the bass harmony part for a lot of songs. Iā€™m horribly out of practice on it by now, though. Well, thereā€™s [this guy](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nskemzTpCgU) (NB: youtube). šŸ˜ƒ The answer to the OP is that I can bang out some tunes on the guitar, but I wonā€™t be earning money as a musician any day soon. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-play-a-musical-instrument/600679/18 "2011-10-24T23:45:08Z")
Iā€™m a mediocre guitar player and I like to mess around on the piano. I think itā€™s a little short sighted to exclude drums as non-musical just because you canā€™t pick out a tune on a kit, though. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-play-a-musical-instrument/600679/19 "2011-10-25T00:30:16Z")
I can play a little piano and used to know the recorder. ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-play-a-musical-instrument/600679/20 "2011-10-25T01:01:39Z")
Iā€™m an average-on-a-good-day bass player. I can play the guitar for simple tunes/chords. For my main gig, i.e. playing at church, Iā€™m perfect. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-play-a-musical-instrument/600679.md?page=2)