What instrument do you play? How did you learn and why? What is your favorite piece of music to play?

Music is another language. I pick up my guitar and can say things that no words could ever say. A universal language. The emotions I have felt when playing are unique. A wash of emotion just sending shivers down my spine playing a group of notes. Suddenly transformed by the music. Turned into nothing by it's waves. Music means so much to me!

I picked up playing guitar when I was 30. I thought I needed a new hobby and always wanted to learn. I taught myself watching youtube videos and just playing around. I am now 38 and have improved immensely. Now playing all the things I never dreamed I could before. A dream come true. I created music in my life. What a gift!!

My favorite thing to play on guitar is Breathe by Pink Floyd. I very much feel that song. I get washed away in the notes. It's a simple song and I think I enjoy that. Simple and yet says so much.

My favorite thing to do with my guitar is improvisation blues. I just get lost in it. I love the blues! I love all music. It is something I truly hold dear. Passionately feeling every note. Appreciation of the use of the language by others. Like listening to someone else's being or something. Music is transformational.

I play piano, accordion, guitar, and flute. I'd have a hard time choosing a favorite thing to play. I'm most comfortable on piano, but each instrument has something different to offer. I enjoy playing, composing, and improvising.

I agree with you on the universal, maybe even trans-universal language.

Piano
Guitar
Ukelele
Mandolin
Harmonica



I also went through a period where I played everything Pink Floyd. I'd get my all my effects right to sound just like the track and then play along with it...it's a little sad I suppose that these days I hardly remember any of the 1000s of songs I've learned in my life...

but the upside is that now when I play I mostly always prefer to just play my own song. My own improvisational smorgasbord of sounds I have come to love and techniques I have come to master.

I currently play the bass guitar. I tried to learn how to play guitar first, but was not coordinated with a pick and how close the strings were. So I went to bass, playing with finger picking and slap instead of a pick. I have been playing for probably 5-6 years, but still have a lot of improvement to do. I never took lessons, but instead taught myself everything I know.

I once tried to learn how to play the flute, but I was never able to get down how your supposed to blow into the mouth piece. It just seems unnatural to me.

The next thing I want to learn would be one of those wooden Native American flute type things, I can not remember what they are called. However, they have a very strong spiritual touch to the music they produce, and I can feel the music deeper within me with these instruments compared to our modern day instruments made from unnatural sources.

One of the coolest things though with playing instruments, is how deeply connected you can become with your instrument. One day when I was on an eighth of mushrooms, I decided to pick up my bass and play. I had never played slap style before, but in this state of mind I was able to just do it, without hesitation, because of the connection to the instrument and music I was feeling. It just flowed thorough me, and it stuck ever since.

Drums mainly.. I learned to create music through learning them both simultaneously.. or playing along to some music with headphones, or playing at shows, parties and bars, but also practicing and jamming with friends. I enjoy playing all kinds of sounds such as funk, downtempo, dub, metal, electric, reggae, D&B, jazz, hip-hop and some rock oriented material. I don't have a favorite you see.

Also, I have some keyboard back-round.. love playing on synths and bongos, too! One time I had an awesome experience with a xylophone, and another with a bali steel pan.. or otherwise known as a gong diao. Just as a new instrument to spend time with, I have one in the works.. should have it soon!

I kind of ran into a creative void in my life recently and decided to learn how to play an instrument. So after a lot of thought I picked up the mandolin and I love it. I can't play too much now (I've only had it for a couple weeks), but I can play a few nifty country tunes and sing a little bit while strumming.

It's a lot of fun!

I play classical guitar. I initially got into the discipline of classical music to get a jump start on fingerpicking. I figured that most things would be easy after learning classical and in many ways there is a lot of truth in this statement. Little did I know I would come to enjoy classical music so much that I can't find the time to learn anything else. Ahhh oh well, my rock and roll days are almost over anyways.

guitar, tamboa, drums, rattles, honestly I enjoy any thing I can make sound with. Now what instrument am i skilled with.. .thats a different story.

its about expression. so fun

I'm curious how many nexians are self-taught.

I play guitar. I also have mad kazoo skillz and am building an analog synthesizer.

Mainly guitar and piano, about 25yrs on both and self taught. But I tinker with them all and master none.

Sometimes I get more enjoyment from just manipulating sound whether it be from programs, effects processors, or manually. It's one of my favorite things to do. Love sounds

There are some really talented Nexians around! If only there was a Nexus band. What would the name be I wonder?

I started playing music at a young age. I took piano lessons for 8 years starting from about 6 years old. One of my piano teachers, after moving to a new country, started giving me homework and would grade it at every lesson. This was supposed to be a fun after school activity, which turned from an enjoyable hobby, into an annoying class at school.

I dropped it and a few years later I started learning how to play the drums. i played in a few bands over a 4 year period. I also played the trumpet for a couple years, but eventually decided to throw in the towel once i became more serious with playing the drums.

Once I left for university, I sold my drum kit and focused more on becoming a graphic designer. Years go by and a over a year ago I decided to buy an acoustic guitar, as I all ways wanted to try it. I was surprised at how quick I picked it up. I spent hours every day following tutorials on youtube and became completely obsessed with playing. I absolutely loved playing on mushrooms too! It was such a satisfying feeling when improvising a tune whilst in that lovely floaty state.

My favourite song to play at the moment is Get. Cape. Wear. Cape. Fly. - War of the Worlds

I'm self- taught on the guitar, and I tried to self teach the violin, but man that's a hard one. Maybe one day, I'm not done!

I also play the otamatone. It's legit.

I started playing the guitar 15 years old and back then spend a lot of time learning songs I liked. Later I got a bit into classical guitar because of a great music teacher in school. The hardest piecee I was working on until now is Asturias.
However I get easily distraced by other things to do and I'm still not able to play this one fluently all the way through... Really have to pick up the guitar again and make some serious practicing. I made breaks of several years not practicing anything new and not getting better
Mostly I enjoy jamming with friends. It's a great energy that develops when you get in tune with other musicians and have something develope by itself over time.
For improvisation I enjoy Bass guitar the most. It's for me more intuitive and the easiest to get carried away with the flow.
Any kind of percussion is great too though. Drum circles at a camfire with rainbow songs
In Peru, I picked up a Charango. It's a string instrument the size of a mondoline or ukulele with 5 pairs of strings in a really unusuall tuning ee-aa-Ee-cc-gg. You can usually see (or hear) them in these stereotipical pan flute bands. Originally they are made of armadillos. I insisted on a wooden instrument...
From time to time I pick up a few other instrument that lie around. piano, didge, harmonica, flutes... But I wouldn't say that I am able to really play any of these.
Oh, and rattles are of cause important for ceremonial use

As for "real" intruments...sometimes I (try to) play some guitar.

But most of the time I play synthesizers. Over the time I build up a nice setup with everything one needs. Hardware-sequenzer, drumsynth, two Keyboards synths, two analog bassline-synths. I can play arround for hours with this stuff.

I have had some classical piano training as a child. In my teens I was very blessed to have a legendary jazz teacher for piano and guitar. I'm self taught on accordion and flute, as far as flute, there is a great masterclass taught by the virtuoso Sir James Galway available for free on Youtube.

ELIZA spectrophotometers. in school, to pay bills and fund other interests. analytical music.

for fun, midi synthesizers, digital and analog (micromoog). learned to play keyboard in high school. I prefer rhythmcentric music...week beat cypher sets, nu-soul, nonsuperficial trap, and experimental.

Sweet!

Djembe
Piano
Didgeridoo (self taught)
The universe
Other people

I can noodle out some jigs and reels on the Mandolin and strum some cowboy chords on the guitar and play a few tunes on the tin whistle. I also make some electronic music on the computer.