# What musical instrument do you wish you could play? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 3, 2003, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-instrument-do-you-wish-you-could-play/146491 "2003-01-03T21:04:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2003, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-instrument-do-you-wish-you-could-play/146491/1 "2003-01-03T21:04:30Z")
I’ve always thought about how fun it would have been to learn how to play the drums. If nothing else, it would be a good way to let off some steam at the end of a bad day. I’m sure I could still take lessons and learn if I really wanted to, but I wouldn’t have the time for it now. I also thought the saxophone would be a cool instrument to play. I considered playing it in school but it looked too complicated, so I opted to play the trumpet instead. I’ve played the piano and the guitar as well. ---
**Author:** ![XJETGIRLX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9fc29f/32.png) [@XJETGIRLX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XJETGIRLX)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2003, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-instrument-do-you-wish-you-could-play/146491/2 "2003-01-03T21:08:23Z")
Since I can recall, I’ve always dreamed of playing the harp. I’ve taken lessons in classical guitar, piano, and violin, but the harp has always been sort of my inspiration for wanting to learn music. I actually inherited this from my mom. This past year for her birthday, my dad bought her a lap harp. Joy! Joy! However, I’m going to have to order a new set of strings, as the ones it was shipped with popped, and none of our music stores carry any. ::sigh:: Hopefully in a few more months I’ll be making some lovely sounds, right now it’s enough to just strum my fingers across the strings. It’s just about the most comforting, soothing sound I can imagine. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2003, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-instrument-do-you-wish-you-could-play/146491/3 "2003-01-03T21:08:55Z")
Guitar. I have a bunch of songs I’d like to sing at camping events that need a guitar accompaniment. Drums are not as good for letting off steam as you think. You don’t get to hit them as hard as you can (it’s hard on the sticks & heads, which gets expensive), and you have to keep strictly in tempo. ---
**Author:** ![Archergal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Archergal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Archergal)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2003, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-instrument-do-you-wish-you-could-play/146491/4 "2003-01-03T21:18:31Z")
Trumpet. I’ve always wanted to play trumpet. But I’m really a strings player at heart (piano, guitar, harp, fiddle.) XJETGIRLX, I don’t know what kind of harp you have – is it one of the carved rosewood Pakistani harps\*? If so, you can get a better set of strings for them from Robinson’s Harp Shop in California at (619) 473-8556. I don’t know this from personal experience, but folks on the Harplist say this is A Good Thing To Do with these harps. \*These seem to be the easiest brand of harps for many people to find. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2003, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-instrument-do-you-wish-you-could-play/146491/5 "2003-01-03T21:39:33Z")
I tried guitar and screwed around on my dad’s drums, but I sure do like the piano. It lends itself to every kind of music. ---
**Author:** ![XJETGIRLX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9fc29f/32.png) [@XJETGIRLX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XJETGIRLX)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2003, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-instrument-do-you-wish-you-could-play/146491/6 "2003-01-03T22:08:21Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Archergal \* > \*\* > XJETGIRLX, I don’t know what kind of harp you have – is it one of the carved rosewood Pakistani harps_? If so, you can get a better set of strings for them from Robinson’s Harp Shop in California at (619) 473-8556. I don’t know this from personal experience, but folks on the Harplist say this is A Good Thing To Do with these harps. > > \*These seem to be the easiest brand of harps for many people to find. \*\* Thanks so much **Archergal**! Yes, it is. It’s a non-levered Celtic lap harp. My dad was fairly clueless about picking something out, and didn’t ask for my advice. Silly man. Still, it’s a beautiful intstrument, and the sound is very rich. I’ll definitely have to give that store a call. I’ve been looking online and have found a few sites, but nothing specifically for this type of harp. By the by, do you know if there is a way to install levers on a non-levered harp? I’d like to think it should be as easy as changing tuning pegs on my guitar, but somehow I think it would be a bit more complex. ---
**Author:** ![Orange\_Skinner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3be4f8/32.png) [@Orange\_Skinner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orange_Skinner)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2003, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-instrument-do-you-wish-you-could-play/146491/7 "2003-01-03T22:11:26Z")
The marimba. Oh yes, the marimba. ---
**Author:** ![Novus\_Opiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/858c86/32.png) [@Novus\_Opiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novus_Opiate)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2003, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-instrument-do-you-wish-you-could-play/146491/8 "2003-01-03T22:59:30Z")
Definately the bass, Les Claypool style. A cello would also be pretty cool. Also, **dwc1970** , I played alto sax for a long time. It’s really not that hard. Certainly no worse for the trumpet. Look at it this way: with the trumpet, your lips control your notes almost as much as your fingering, right? Well, with a sax, if you have the right keys pressed, you’re probably playing the right note. 🙂 Novus ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2003, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-instrument-do-you-wish-you-could-play/146491/9 "2003-01-03T23:12:33Z")
Piano. I’m sorta, kinda self-taught, but I’d love to be able to sit down and have my hands dance over the keys effortlessly. I’d like to be able to accompany other musicians or singers. And I’d like this to happen without lessons or practice. I’ve always wanted to play trumpet, too, but the one time I tried, the sound I made was reminiscent of a wounded moose in heat, and it tickled my lip. So that ended that. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2003, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-instrument-do-you-wish-you-could-play/146491/10 "2003-01-03T23:17:11Z")
Drums and harp. I’d like to be able to play my guitar (it’s on the list of resolutions for the year, so far, I’ve practiced 20 minutes every night of 2003). But those are the two that seem slightly out of reach. I don’t want to be a trumpet great, or even a trumpet “ok,” but I’d like to be physically capable of making that buzzing noise that you need to make to play a trumpet. I just can’t do it. ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2003, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-instrument-do-you-wish-you-could-play/146491/11 "2003-01-03T23:18:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ethilrist \* > \*\* > > Drums are not as good for letting off steam as you think. You don’t get to hit them as hard as you can (it’s hard on the sticks & heads, which gets expensive), and you have to keep strictly in tempo. \*\* If anything, having to pay attention to dynamics and meter can _build_ up steam, so to speak, rather than release it. Don’t let that discourage you though, it’s still very fun to do! 🙂 Pick up a pair of sticks and a practice pad for maybe $40 U.S. (or less) if you wanna start. Myself, I’d like to learn to play the flugelhorn. There’s just something about its tone that I like. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2003, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-instrument-do-you-wish-you-could-play/146491/12 "2003-01-03T23:25:03Z")
Another celllo vote here. Actually, it’s my NY resolution (for the 12th time) to buy a decent one and take lessons. I already play classical guitar (reasonably well) and flute (extremely badly) but I never learned to read music…so I need to go back to basics on an instrument I have absolutely no knowledge of (ala, cello). It’s a lot harder to play cello by ear, so I will be forced to learn. Can’t stand the brass instruments, violins (especially when you’re just learning) sound like cats having their tails pulled, and while I still smoke, I figure it’s pretty pointless to try out more woodwinds. Anyway, I love solo cello music…mmmmmmm ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2003, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-instrument-do-you-wish-you-could-play/146491/13 "2003-01-03T23:27:55Z")
I’d love to learn the piano. I played clarinet, baritone and trumpet in jr. high and high school, but never piano. ---
**Author:** ![snac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90db22/32.png) [@snac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snac)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2003, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-instrument-do-you-wish-you-could-play/146491/14 "2003-01-04T00:14:58Z")
The banjo…on or off of my knee. ---
**Author:** ![Kilt-wearin\_man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/82dd89/32.png) [@Kilt-wearin\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilt-wearin_man)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2003, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-instrument-do-you-wish-you-could-play/146491/15 "2003-01-04T00:15:40Z")
The Great Highland Bagpipes Violin (more specifically, fiddle. I’m more interested in cranking out old Celtic folk songs than Mozart sonatas.) Bodhran I’ve taken a weak stab at the Pipes (I can play up and down the scale on my chanter, but that’s all), and have had the opportunity to play around with a violin and discovered that I can produce musical notes rather than “tortured cat” shrieks. I’m helpless with a bodhran, although my brain completely comprehends the theory of how they’re played. My arms just can’t match the motions I know have to happen. ---
**Author:** ![JessEnigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/cdc98d/32.png) [@JessEnigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JessEnigma)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2003, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-instrument-do-you-wish-you-could-play/146491/16 "2003-01-04T00:16:26Z")
I want to learn to play the piano. I took lessons for a year back in elementary school, but I don’t remember anything, except for some basic knowledge of music and treble clef. As I play the baritone now and read music in bass clef, it’s not as helpful as it could be. I also would like to try the clarinet, bassoon, cello, and bass. I almost opted for the clarinet back in middle school before I chose my current instrument (because I thought it looked cute :rolleyes: ), and I almost regret not doing that sometimes…if only because it would be infinitely more portable. ---
**Author:** ![Spudo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@Spudo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spudo)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2003, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-instrument-do-you-wish-you-could-play/146491/17 "2003-01-04T00:17:27Z")
Piano, and it would be cool if I could get back into playing saxophone, but I haven’t even held one in 4 years. ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2003, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-instrument-do-you-wish-you-could-play/146491/18 "2003-01-04T00:32:02Z")
I’ve always wanted to buy a marimba and learn how to play it. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2003, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-instrument-do-you-wish-you-could-play/146491/19 "2003-01-04T00:33:06Z")
Another piano here. I really wish I’d learned when I was a little kid and would have been more succeptible to it. I even have long skinny fingers, so I’d be good! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Spudo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@Spudo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spudo)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2003, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-instrument-do-you-wish-you-could-play/146491/20 "2003-01-04T00:37:57Z")
Piano, and it would be cool if I could get back into playing saxophone, but I haven’t even held one in 4 years. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-musical-instrument-do-you-wish-you-could-play/146491.md?page=2)