Was just curious to see who all plays a musical instrument. I have taken an informal poll with my country friends and seems that just about most of them play something! Everyone's reasoning is that, "you have to have SOMETHING to entertain ourselves with !" I play guitar, and now am learning to play the Hammered Dulcimer. My husband is learning the banjo. What about you? Sissy

-- Sissy Sylvester-Barth (jerreleene@hotmail.com), April 10, 2001

Answers

Well I am trying to learn to play the 20 button Anglo Concertina. So far still sounds like noise rather than music but will keep at it.

-- Gary in NS (ggiles@north.nsis.com), April 10, 2001.

Hey Sis! I play the 5 sting banjer and the radio. The radio is much easier but the banjer is much more fun! Lil Dumplin plays the piano, dulcimer, hammer dulcimer, zither and fiddle! ole hoot, banjer pik'n hillbilly from IL. Matt.24:44

-- hoot (hoot@pcinetwork.com), April 10, 2001.

I play Guitar, Bass guitar, Keyboards, Saxaphone, I use to do it for a living for about 14 years...Too many late nights and to much time away from the homestead for this old man to keep it up (playing music that is) any more

-- grant (organicgrange@yahoo.com), April 10, 2001.

I play piano and some percussion.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), April 10, 2001.

I have played a 12 string acoustal guitar for 25 years. I play Gospel, the fast kind, and Country Western, all kinds. I like Blue Grass Gospel like Jeff and Sherri Easter plays. When we have fun, we put clothespins on our noses and sing Western old songs with a "twang" and just laugh and laugh. I don't have anybody to play with now, but I still have my guitar. Got new strings on it too. I have stood up in Church and played allot in the past, like on Sunday nites, not Sunday morning. I can play dueling banjos (not in Church!) I sing too, nothin to write home about, but I will sing, I'm not too shy.

-- Cindy in Ky (solidrockranch@hotmail.com), April 10, 2001.

I play Clarinet, French Horn, a little piano and a little flute. Am currently trying to learn six string acoustical guitar. Started the Clarinet in 4th grade. Sing a bit too. Enjoy your life. Deborah

-- Deborah (bearwaoman@Yahoo.com), April 10, 2001.

Hi, Sissy, sounds like a neat thread, here... My DW plays the flute well, the bass guitar, some, and a mean tamborine. I needed her to fill some of the low end sounds in the spectrum because I play the hammered dulcimer. It fills the room with beautiful noise, but its mostly high end stuff. I learned a lot of jigs and reels etc, from teaching cassette tapes, and a tablature book. Also teaching videos, which I had thought I might make myself someday. Its a fun instrument, but takes a good deal of practice. Its a lot easier playing my 12 string guitar, (mostly uptempo church stuff...) I also dabble with the bass guitar. My thirteen year old plays the HD fair, as well and has about 4 months of fiddle instruction, under his belt, now. Its much better than the screeching we endured back in January. AARRGGHH ...!!!!

-- The Action Dude (theactiondude@yahoo.com), April 10, 2001.

Gary, what is that you are trying to learn? Don't think I have ever heard of it!! Really neat all the instruments that is being played or learned to be played here! If we ever do a Countryside get together, everyone has to bring his instrument for a sing-a-long! Sis

-- Sissy (jerreleene@hotmail.com), April 10, 2001.

Ann plays piano.I play violin and mountain dulcimer.Mostly Gospel for us.Ann's pretty good.I am not.

-- JT (gone2seed@hotmail.com), April 10, 2001.

I play guitar, both kinds of music: Country and Western, used to play drums but the old wrists gave it up for me. I also can flail out a few tunes on the mandolin. Linda Woman plays trumpet and is re-discovering the piano.

Willy Allen

-- Willy Allen (willyallen2@yahoo.com), April 10, 2001.

Though it has been years, I used to play the trumpet and tickle the ol 88s or ivories, i.e. piano.

In some ways I had a tough time with piano. I could never memorize music and had to have it in front of me. This from a guy who can remember a lot of things that happened before I was five years old. I still remember names and addresses of many of the postal customers on different mail routes that I've had, yet when it comes to music, forget it. On the other hand my music teacher used to say that I could take new music, read and play it almost as well the first time as I could after a hundred. Geez, that just makes it sound like I never progressed. That's not what I meant. (grin)

Would have to tune up my lips a bit before playing the ol' trumpet again. Any single ladies volunteering to help with that? lol. Sorry, just in a good mood after a nice fun evening at work.

-- Notforprint (Not@thekeyboard.com), April 10, 2001.

I play the piano, guitar, and harmonica. dale

-- dale (dgarr@fidnet.com), April 10, 2001.

Hello Sissy, I play the harmonica and the banjo! Sincerely, Ernest http://communities.msn.com/livingoffthelandintheozarks

-- Ernest in the Ozarks (espresso42@hotmail.com), April 11, 2001.

Hi Sissy It is an Anglo Concertina that I am learning to play. [ I hope] It is a sqeeze box kind of instrument with buttons on both end that are pushed to produce the notes. A Countryside Musical Celebration, now that would be fun

-- Gary in NS (ggiles@north.nsis.com), April 11, 2001.

Music does not flow smoothly through the Rohan blood, but I'd love to learn to play the Uilleann pipes. Uillean pipes are the Irish version of the Scottish bagpipes. Very haunting and lovely to hear. Both darling daughters played instruments in school, flue and clarinet-- briefly. Everytime they would practice, very infrequently I may add, I thought someone was torturing a cat. Dear hubby would like to learn to play the guitar. I'm with Hoot I play the radio, and CD player, very well.

Stacy Rohan in Windsor, NY

-- Stacy Rohan (KincoraFarm@aol.com), April 11, 2001.

Hubbby and I were both in the highschool marhing band and the wind ensemble. I loved music then. Haven't done much with it in many a year though but we both still have our instruments. I played the flute and piccolo (Boy that "Stars & Stripes Forever" piccolo solo dern near killed me back then but I still get pleasure everytime I hear it played and hearing McArthur's Park still takes me back). Hubby played the trumpet. He started learning the guitar in highschool too and he used to serenade me with Gordon Lightfoot songs....ahhhhh the good ole days! Thanks for the walk down memory lane.

-- Greenthumbelina (sck8107@aol.com), April 11, 2001.

I've played percussion from 7th grade to beyond college. I currently have a snare drum (the kids like to beat on it), glockenspiel that I've played in church, and marimba my dh bought me at an auction. The glock we bought at a pawn shop. The drum we bought used too (ad in paper). I wish I had kept the other perc. instruments I had in college, but I sold them when I needed money.

-- Laura (WI) (buksnort@mwt.net), April 11, 2001.

I play the saxophone, alto & soprano recorders. Though I haven't picked any of 'em up in years!

-- Betsy in NY (sassyweitzel@yahoo.com), April 11, 2001.

I have played piano for at least 25 years. Since 4th grade.

Recently started playing the Mountain Dulcimer.

-- Heather in MD (heathergorden@hotmail.com), April 11, 2001.

Hi Sissy, I play piano and keyboard. I taught for many many many years and that was a great way to make extra money but I don't have the PATIENCE to do that now! I have NO natural talent. I have cousins that play "by ear" (just about anything they pick up) and they all sing so beautifully....but that gene didn't make it to my body!!! Suzy in Bama

-- Suzy in Bama (slgt@yahoo.com), April 11, 2001.

Piano, flute and guitar here... have a buddy that plays bagpipes... not too good, though! lol! Wow... so many folks here play such interesting things!!! Want to learn to play the harp, but haven't got the money for one... Looking for a Celtic lap harp... Anyone know where I could find one - shall I say - INexpensive???

-- Sue Diederich (willow666@rocketmail.com), April 11, 2001.

I'm impressed with the diversity of talent here! I've played keyboards off and on since age 14 and studied piano for a semester in college. Played percussion for 8 years and was part of the state champion drum corps in 78. I've been trying to learn the bagpipes recently.(I'm Scots four ways!!)

-- Randle Gay (rangay@hotmail.com), April 13, 2001.

I play fiddle, Irish pennywhistle, and bodhran - an Irish drum, and my DH plays guitar and bass guitar. My two year old daughter has lately taken to trying to tuck her little paperboard guitar under her chin and bow it with a wooden spoon (which doesn't sound so great with those nylon fishing line strings!). Guess we'll have to break down and get her a fiddle soon.

Are all you dulcimer players familiar with Kendra Ward? She is a traditional musician who lives somewhat near me that I interviewed for a magazine article. I guess she is sort of the "Chet Atkins" of the dulcimer world and makes instruments and instructional how-to- play materials. An unsolicited recommendation - she seemed like a really nice person, third generation on the family farm, who has really lived life in the hills and knows traditional music. I think her email addr is upcreek@dulcimertimes.com.

-- Lori in SE Ohio (klnprice@yahoo.com), April 13, 2001.

Well, besides playing guitar, bass, keyboards...I also build guitars,glockenspiels, and have in the past built pipe organs for churches around the country. Now, goats an chickens are taking over my time. Duane

-- Duane Kriebel (spheramid@aol.com), April 15, 2001.

I play mainly guitar, and dabble at hammered dulcimer, fiddle, and keyboards.

-- Rick K (rick_122@hotmail.com), April 15, 2001.

Sorry guys, even though I lived in the hills outside of Knoxville, Tn for~20 years, and now live in NE Kentucky, my claim to fame never included a "mountain" instrument, however, I do have a pretty fair trumpet lip! Jim

-- Jim Deweese (jedeweese@juno.com), April 16, 2001.

I used to pluck a guitar and ole mandolin, but sold them both for some extra cash when my lil' one was born. Biggest mistake of my life....if anyone out there is looking to get rid of a mandolin or guitar in playing condition, please let me know. I need my sanity back. Stuck in Upstate NY Erik

-- Erik (erikmiller1@yahoo.com), April 17, 2001.

Sissy, I used to pluck a guitar and an ole mandolin, but sold them both for some extra cash when my lil' one was born. Biggest mistake of my life.... if anyone out there is looking to get rid of a mandolin or guitar in playing condition, please let me know. I need my sanity back. Stuck in Upstate NY Erik

-- Erik (erikmiller1@yahoo.com), April 17, 2001.