piano or violin?

[kasia]

you're asian, so which one did you play?

i played the piano - for about 15 years. started at the age of 3 at the s.f. conservatory of music. was too young to play. only played music games. e.g., teacher would play a major chord - i'd stand up. teacher would play a minor chord, i'd sit down. that's all i remember - standing up and sitting down.

then took lessons from a chinese lady in s.f. for a few years, then my real teacher - mrs. nancy rude - from san ramon for almost 10 years. did certificate of merit and national guild every year. saw many asians at both events each year. did honors recitals and national convention. those of you who play piano probably know what i'm talking about.

finished all levels of certificate of merit. should be able to teach.

with so many years of playing, you would think that i'm the best piano player - i suck. i have probably practiced less than 40 hours in my entire life (how sad!). i dreaded practicing. dreaded performing even more. spent hours in my room crying before recitals. have been hit with the feather duster for not practicing. have been put in a box with piano books and placed outside of the house - at the age of 5 - for not practicing.

i'm still glad that my mom forced me to play. now i actually enjoy playing absent the pressure of lessons, recitals, and competitions. =)

what did you play?

[lethal]

both.

Until I graduated from HS.

[kasia]

both.

Until I graduated from HS.

are you good? i'm always in awe of people who can play well.

[TTChino]

I played violin from like the age of 5 till the age of 18. I play pretty decently, (All-State), but I quit after high school. Glad I learned how to play tho(high IPR value with white women), and it used to be a good way to relieve some stress I guess, especially during testing times, where I'd practice like 2 hours a day.

[SunWuKong]

i play the violin.
and also self-taught myself guitar.
also played various percussion while i was in highschool. percussion is pretty easy if you've played an instrument.
playing an entire drum set, however, takes a lot of coordination.

[MellowDrama]

Piano, but I suck at it. Piano is kind of cool. There may be one in a lounge or in a bar and you can just get busy or mess around on it. You really can't do that on a violin.

[teaz0r]

piano. guitar. couple
traditional thai instruments-
kim, ja-kae and khlui.

[ChinaLama]

nothing. thanks for making us musically unaccomplished people feel less asian and human, kasie. hope you feel guilty now and live w/ that guilt for eternity. :mad:

[coagulated fat]

I took piano lessons for 12 years.

I, too, suck.

[kasia]

nothing. thanks for making us musically unaccomplished people feel less asian and human, kasie. hope you feel guilty now and live w/ that guilt for eternity. :mad:

you're not asian.

[kasia]

I took piano lessons for 12 years.

I, too, suck.

don't you ever wonder whatever happened during those 12 years. over 600 hours of piano lessons. how is it that we've managed to avoid learning how to play spectacularly?


i lied earlier - i guess i have practiced more than 40 hours.

[SunWuKong]

sometimes when i have to learn a song i really like, i'd spend hours and hours practicing it. but if i have to learn a song i don't like that much, i lose interest quickly.

[coagulated fat]

don't you ever wonder whatever happened during those 12 years. over 600 hours of piano lessons. how is it that we've managed to avoid learning how to play spectacularly?
I don't know. But it must have taken an admirable amount of dedication.

I regret taking it for granted because now I want drum and/or saxophone lessons and my parents won't pay for them because I never practiced piano. Lessons are so expensive. :(

[ChinaLama]

you're not asian.

i'm more asian than you, 1/16 whitey. :happy:

[SunWuKong]

i played the flute. and this weird piano/accordian thing you hold in your hands while you blow thru the tube.

love,
prof. frink

p.s. pianists suck imo, but violinists are damn sexay...even better are celloists (sp?)


oh yeah, they taught that weird instrument at my elementary school in HK.

people who play the cello are, i think, called cellists.

[coagulated fat]

I agree that pianists suck. I have no idea why I wanted to play such a boring instrument, but I think it had something to do with the way my kindergarten teacher's bangle bracelets made noise as she played.

[nonamerasian]

I played the organ.

(Other instruments, too)

I want to learn how to play the violin, but I'm waiting for a period when I can dedicate a lot of time to it.

[YuheiCarreau]

I played the drums for a while, but I never practiced so I never got very good. My twin sister is an awesome flute player, my younger sister can play the piano (but like me she doesn't really care for it). My youngest sister is a musical virtuoso, and plays the piano drums very well and is learning to play the guitar (plus she wants to learn bass).

[AliBabaIncorporated]

p.s. pianists suck imo, but violinists are damn sexay...even better are celloists (sp?)
cellist. I'm one. Joined the orchestra in high school. But you probably still don't like me anyway. :cry:

[kasia]

off topic, but do ppl actually take lessons for playing the triangle?

[deez nuts]

I played violin from like the age of 5 till the age of 18. I play pretty decently, (All-State), but I quit after high school. Glad I learned how to play tho(high IPR value with white women), and it used to be a good way to relieve some stress I guess, especially during testing times, where I'd practice like 2 hours a day.


me and TT were gangsta on the violin

[SunWuKong]

off topic, but do ppl actually take lessons for playing the triangle?


is that a rhetorical question? most percussion instruments don't really require tutelage, in my opinion. but a little tutoring on playing an entire drum set would help.

[kimpossible]

wow. looks like i'm the only one that took guitar. maybe i'm just redneck like that.

[AngryABCGirl]

Played flute since I was little, still playing it down. My skills have seriously degraded in the last few months though since I stopped lessons.

[nonamerasian]

wow. looks like i'm the only one that took guitar. maybe i'm just redneck like that.

I was teaching myself guitar last year.

Upon getting into it I then realized how really badly I want to learn the violin instead, so I don't play around much with it anymore.

[SunWuKong]

wow. looks like i'm the only one that took guitar. maybe i'm just redneck like that.


oh so you play classical guitar? with the neck tilted at like 45 degrees when you play?

[coagulated fat]

wow. looks like i'm the only one that took guitar. maybe i'm just redneck like that.
Playing guitar hurts like a bitch.

[amietron]

i played piano from age 5-13. i hated practicing but i loved playing. also played violin and clarinet each for 1 year.

[Lianne_Lin]

i played violin from age 12-13. then i played alto sax in high school. later i learned drum set, which is the coolest thing ever.

[VV o n g B a]

played piano from 4-14. played guitar from 15-18.

[punkdrummer56]

i've played both since i was six. here's a spin question:

what's more attractive in the opposite sex? i think every girl i've ever dated was ridiculously talented at piano...

[YuheiCarreau]

i've played both since i was six. here's a spin question:

what's more attractive in the opposite sex? i think every girl i've ever dated was ridiculously talented at piano...

Pianists have nimble fingers. Violinists have... What, calluses?

[SunWuKong]

Pianists have nimble fingers. Violinists have... What, calluses?

nimble fingers on their left hands, and slightly longer left pinkies if they've played for years since they were little.

[coagulated fat]

i've played both since i was six. here's a spin question:

what's more attractive in the opposite sex? i think every girl i've ever dated was ridiculously talented at piano...
Drummers and guitarists so sexy.

[coagulated fat]

nimble fingers on their left hands, and slightly longer left pinkies if they've played for years since they were little.
My right pinky is longer.

[kasia]

nimble fingers on their left hands, and slightly longer left pinkies if they've played for years since they were little.

did you just make that up? my left pinkie is longer. wth??? :blink:

[SunWuKong]

did you just make that up? my left pinkie is longer. wth??? :blink:

no i didn't make that up. it's a common thing amongst violinists who started playing when they were little kids. all my teachers had longer left pinkies. my own left pinky is also slightly longer than my right pinky.

[applehead]

i don't have a longer left pinkie.
i didn't play long enough. i suppose.

i used to beg and cry to be allowed
to quit piano.
i hated it as a child.
then my mom promised that i can
quit when i reach the 9th grade.
i gave my piano away, i didn't
even want it in my room.

i want it back now...

[ellsworth81]

i play with my organ too :D
and the ever popular meat flute
not much skill or practice needed

I played the organ.

(Other instruments, too)

I want to learn how to play the violin, but I'm waiting for a period when I can dedicate a lot of time to it.

[kboy75]

- piano, 7-11
- trombone, 12-18
- guitar, 13 to present (only a year of lessons tho)

[nonamerasian]

I played trombone, too.

I started when my school band needed more brass instruments for its marching band. That was before my arms were long enough to hit sixth postion, and then I continued it for years, on and off (more on than off).

The last time I played was my junior year of high school.

I hated that instrument with a passion, but I kind of miss it. I think I'm going to break it out tonight.

[Napoleon Chynamite]

forced piano lessons for 10 years and violin lessons for 5

self-taught drummer til I was 16

[kboy75]

I played trombone, too.

I started when my school band needed more brass instruments for its marching band. That was before my arms were long enough to hit sixth postion, and then I continued it for years, on and off (more on than off).

The last time I played was my junior year of high school.

I hated that instrument with a passion, but I kind of miss it. I think I'm going to break it out tonight.

i still have mine. it was great for annoying people when u couldn't reach them. :P

[nonamerasian]

i still have mine. it was great for annoying people when u couldn't reach them. :P

Oh, so true!

It beats all orchestral instruments in that regard. ;)

Did you ever have to travel with it? The trombone case was a great means of pushing people away when they stood too close. Try to nudge people away with your elbow or say excuse me and some people don't get the idea, slightly knee them with a case and it's all clear.

I never had trouble getting out of a subway car with that thing.

. . .I guess there are more good things about the instrument than I give it credit for. ;)

[Emperor_Mike]

I play the piano and tried to play the violin, but that didn't work out.