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Why Doesn't Everybody Play a Musical Instrument ?

protectionist

Governor
What an awesome thing music is. Its 3 basic elements Rhythm, Melody, and Harmony combine together to really stir our inner emotions. It is played in a wide variety of genres. People can pick which musical genre they like the most, and listen to it endlessly.

Some people have developed a keen awareness about their favorite type of music. They know a lot about it and can talk about it. But why limit yourselves to that ? Why not choose a musical instrument that is to your liking, buy yourself one, and learn how to play it ? I'm a music teacher, and I get a lot if satisfaction out of transforming my students from non-players to players.

I get an absolute thrill when I see my students eyes light up, when they suddenly realize they have gotten to learn their instrument, and can play at least one song or tune on it. After learning that first song, they then have the confidence that they can learn to play just about ANY song/tune, And they're then well on the way to becoming a musician.

As human beings, we have the gift of being able to play music. Had we all been born a dog, a cat, an ape, a horse, etc, we would not have this capability. It seems a shame to go through a whole life never taking advantage of this ability. I think people who don't play an instrument, have no idea what they are missing.

Instruments are cheap at the starter level, and easy to obtain. They also make a marvelous Christmas gift. I bought my sister a mandolin for her birthday a couple of months ago. Hopefully, she'll learn to play it. If not, it'll become the most beautiful wall decoration she ever had. Yes, it does take some effort to learn to play (any instrument), but it is actually a fun type of work, and it becomes easier and easier with the more you learn, and the better you get at playing your instrument.

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4/15

Mayor
What an awesome thing music is. Its 3 basic elements Rhythm, Melody, and Harmony combine together to really stir our inner emotions. It is played in a wide variety of genres. People can pick which musical genre they like the most, and listen to it endlessly.

Some people have developed a keen awareness about their favorite type of music. They know a lot about it and can talk about it. But why limit yourselves to that ? Why not choose a musical instrument that is to your liking, buy yourself one, and learn how to play it ? I'm a music teacher, and I get a lot if satisfaction out of transforming my students from non-players to players.

I get an absolute thrill when I see my students eyes light up, when they suddenly realize they have gotten to learn their instrument, and can play at least one song or tune on it. After learning that first song, they then have the confidence that they can learn to play just about ANY song/tune, And they're then well on the way to becoming a musician.

As human beings, we have the gift of being able to play music. Had we all been born a dog, a cat, an ape, a horse, etc, we would not have this capability. It seems a shame to go through a whole life never taking advantage of this ability. I think people who don't play an instrument, have no idea what they are missing.

Instruments are cheap at the starter level, and easy to obtain. They also make a marvelous Christmas gift. I bought my sister a mandolin for her birthday a couple of months ago. Hopefully, she'll learn to play it. If not, it'll become the most beautiful wall decoration she ever had. Yes, it does take some effort to learn to play (any instrument), but it is actually a fun type of work, and it becomes easier and easier with the more you learn, and the better you get at playing your instrument.

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View attachment 58969
Manual dexterity and boredom kept me from wanting to learn. My hands were more in tune with automobiles and wrenching.
 

Jack4freedom

Governor
What an awesome thing music is. Its 3 basic elements Rhythm, Melody, and Harmony combine together to really stir our inner emotions. It is played in a wide variety of genres. People can pick which musical genre they like the most, and listen to it endlessly.

Some people have developed a keen awareness about their favorite type of music. They know a lot about it and can talk about it. But why limit yourselves to that ? Why not choose a musical instrument that is to your liking, buy yourself one, and learn how to play it ? I'm a music teacher, and I get a lot if satisfaction out of transforming my students from non-players to players.

I get an absolute thrill when I see my students eyes light up, when they suddenly realize they have gotten to learn their instrument, and can play at least one song or tune on it. After learning that first song, they then have the confidence that they can learn to play just about ANY song/tune, And they're then well on the way to becoming a musician.

As human beings, we have the gift of being able to play music. Had we all been born a dog, a cat, an ape, a horse, etc, we would not have this capability. It seems a shame to go through a whole life never taking advantage of this ability. I think people who don't play an instrument, have no idea what they are missing.

Instruments are cheap at the starter level, and easy to obtain. They also make a marvelous Christmas gift. I bought my sister a mandolin for her birthday a couple of months ago. Hopefully, she'll learn to play it. If not, it'll become the most beautiful wall decoration she ever had. Yes, it does take some effort to learn to play (any instrument), but it is actually a fun type of work, and it becomes easier and easier with the more you learn, and the better you get at playing your instrument.

1607242500893.png
View attachment 58969
As a lover of music I certainly wish I had learned to play an instrument as a child or even later in .life. I grew up in a family with 9 children and we had a piano. In our neighborhood outside of Pittsburgh Pa. there was a lady who gave music lessons at her house or would come over to our house to teach piano. Three of my sisters learned to play when they were very young and only one of them really took to it and later played violin in Junior High school. i attempted to learn to play guitar in my teens but never really picked it up. However I thank God for the music teachers who have helped produce such an abundance of great musicians here in America. Without them this would be afar dreamier place. Good for you sir.
 

protectionist

Governor
Besides the marvelous sounds they produce, many musical instrument are also pleasing to the eye, as well as the ear. My personal favorite with regard to looks, is the Florentine style mandolin. Shown here are a couple with Abalone inlay in the headstock, and individual designs in the frets on the fingerboard. The abalone is beautiful, as it changes its brilliant colors, depending on what angle you look at it, and how the light is hitting it. If you right click to open the image in a new tab, and zoom the pictures to 200%, you can see the fretboard designs better.


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I bought my daughter a mandolin for Christmas last year. This year, I bought her a piccolo. She has been taking private piano lessons and guitar lessons for a few years. She also plays the flute in the school band and the violin in the school orchestra...or maybe it's the other way around. I would like her to go to Interlochen for high school.
 

protectionist

Governor
I bought my daughter a mandolin for Christmas last year. This year, I bought her a piccolo. She has been taking private piano lessons and guitar lessons for a few years. She also plays the flute in the school band and the violin in the school orchestra...or maybe it's the other way around. I would like her to go to Interlochen for high school.
Some people think the violin is only a classical music instrument. Not at all. Right now I'm teaching my mandolin and violin students a group of Christmas songs and Auld Lang Syne (the New year's eve song.

In addition, violins are used in Country music and Bluegrass (fiddle) as well as a wide variety of popular songs, and as background music for movies and TV shows. Today I watched a rerun show of "Gunsmoke", and the violins in the background were nicely played.

Mandolin is a great stepping stone instrument for advancing to violin playing. Same tuning. Same finger patterns.
 
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