Where my musicians at?
What do you play?
How long you been playing?
Optional: share your shit with us and we'll cyberbully you.
I play the viola.
Been playing since I was 8, I'm in my early 30s now.
Might share something a little later if this thread picks up.
I can read treble clef
The clef that 90% of viola music is written with is the Alto clef.
As far as I know, the viola is the only instrument that uses the alto clef.
Brb, going to check wikipedia on that one...
One that I can't read at all is the bass clef.
This hinders me somewhat as piano music is written in treble and bass clef and I therefore cannot follow piano music even though I can otherwise read music.
Any tips on how to learn bass clef?
>>25398935
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clef#Alto_clef
for anyone who is interested...
guitar for 10 years
...guys?
I thought there might be someone...
...anyone... who plays an instrument?
>>25399039
cool!
What sort of stuff do you play?
Who are your influences?
>>25398935
I had to learn Alto and Tenor clef in high school. I don't know why, it was useless.
Anyway, I've played guitar for 2 years.
And I played sax in school, but I can't afford one now.
>>25399138
I don't know anything about reed instruments such as sax.
Why are they expensive?
Is it because of maintenance?
Viola is a bit expensive (ie. new strings every 15-20 months = $200 US for a set) and then you've got the cost of getting a new bow, which I have been meaning to buy for years now...
Played guitar for 4 years now, not too good though. Might post some stiff if I feel like it.
>>25398765
Play the violin for 10 years. I really need to practice more though... just don't have motivation cause nobody around me plays music.
>>25398765
http://vocaroo.com/i/s0u1mTu5z2nh
>>25399179
Wind instruments in general just cost a lot of money. Not sure why, exactly.
Maintenance shouldn't be hard, and reeds are cheap. I just need to find something cheap.
>>25398979
>Any tips on how to learn bass clef?
Good Boys Do Fine Always
I'm a drummer. I've played in a lot of bands and I've toured a few times. Right now I'm only active in one band (an alternative punk band from Atlanta) and we got off a tour of the midwest a few weeks ago.
>>25399095
this is what i can do after 10 years. just electric guitar without plug. main influence is frank zappa. no one has really heard me play.
http://vocaroo.com/i/s1yrqK1Fus3y
>>25398979
Bass is treble pushed down a step. That's how I remember it.
I can't read it on the fly though.
I have played the oboe for the past 25 years, still not very good at it, but at least I can make my own reeds
I make electronic music can I hang out here.
https://soundcloud.com/great-white-gravity/untitled-still
Latest track.
I've been playing piano casually for a few years if that counts but focusing heavily on electronic music for the past year or so
>>25399498
Sounds more like a microtonal instrument
>>25399212
I don't know anything about guitars but that one looks nice. I like the whammy bar, they always look fun to play with.
>>25399259
I hear you on practice. When I tell people I've been playing for 20 years they expect me to be a virtuoso when in reality I haven't improved much in the last 15. I've really just been able to maintain that level without any significant improvement.
>>25399309
That was a really nice, relaxing piece. I just hit replay.
>>25399343
That's weird, I'll keep it in mind. I was thinking of picking up a bass instrument next so I avoid bass reed instruments!
>>25399367
Thanks. Every Good Boy Deserves Fruit.
>>25399399
Tell us about being on the road. Is it romantic or do you just end up with scurvy from eating fast food for too long?
>>25399590
that's because i like listening to ustad vilayat khan
>>25399596
>fun to play with
I thought that too, but it just makes it go out of tune. Wanna get a floating set up so this doesn't happen.
>>25399670
floating set up is the kind that goes out of tune. unless im a retard, mine is floating on strat. you're thinking of a floyd rose
>>25398765
instrument
>electric guitar
how long
>a week
>burning
>fingers
>>25399498
I like it.
Very different from how I've heard anyone else play the instrument.
Initially I had the same thought as what >>25399590 said.
>>25399694
Yea, you're right.
I've been playing Saxophone since 6th grade, but ever since I dropped out of highschool I haven't really ever played anything though.
>>25399596
>>25399399 here. It isn't terrible, but the shows you'll play are really hit-or-miss. Every city has a different indie/DIY culture. Some cities you'll play to an empty room (Asheville, NC for us - but because we picked a terrible date to play), other cities you'll play to the biggest crowd you've ever played (Chicago for us - but because we played with some really solid locals).
The drives are terrible. You end up driving 3, 5, 9 hours to your next city and you've got nothing but time to kill. God help you if you or your bandmates don't have anything decent to listen to, and the really rural, remote parts are even worse because you'll get no cell service and can't even use the internet.
Food-wise, it varies. I made a point to try the "indigenous cuisine" of each place we went, even if it meant local fast food chains. For example, we all went to Skyline Chili after our show in Cincinnati. The best advice I got before we hit the road was to try to stick to vegetarian meals when you can, which I tried to follow as closely as possible. When you're on the road and you have to subsist on $7/day, it's easy to just get a burger and fries every night, but good luck not feeling like shit or taking a shit two days after your first night.
Any specific questions? I wouldn't say I'm a "DIY pro" by any means but I can answer a lot of questions.
there are good iphone apps for learning clefs. the best way to learn them in my experience is set reference points. so know where the C is, and G, and whatever else, then just count to find one. eventually you'll just memorize it.
>>25398765
i play guitar, classic and electric (and others like the dulcimer)
been playing for 4 years
i also played the tuba for a year in middle school
here's a song i recorded while i was drunk and alone on new years eve
> :^)
https://soundcloud.com/avindu/constant-knot
>>25399551
Making your own reeds, for some reason I didn't think that was possible but I guess back in the day everyone would have had to have made their own reeds.
>>25399564
Can I guess what you are using for this track?
>some kind of hardware sampler, maybe an electribe sampler
>samples have been processed in some way so I'm guessing you used either an effects pedal or software
How did I do?
>>25399791
how much money do you make? it doesn't really make sense to me how musicians make money. what are you expenses
>>25399212
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6qlSvLLzyg8
Sorry for low quality
>>25399869
No hardware involved. Everything is stock ableton. Here's a picture of the ALS.
The red tracks are synth, yellow is non percussive samples and samples of other beats in the song but manipulated to sound differently, blue is percussive sounds.
>>25399874
We make enough. We're not full-time, so we have our normal people jobs to help us cover everything we can't from tour alone.
Here's where our money comes from:
1. Door. That is, ticket sales.
2. The bar. Most places give you a cut of bar sales the night you play either in lieu of or to supplement door sales.
3. Merch. We sell CDs and stickers. Most other bands also sell shirts.
Here's where our money goes to:
1. Gas.
2. Food.
3. Lodging.
Depending on your tour van, gas may or may not be expensive. I believe we spent a total of $120 on gas to cover close to 3000 miles on the road.
Food is the next most expensive, depending on where you eat. If you're lucky enough to stay with relatives or friends who will cook for you or let you eat their food, you'll obviously save money. But realistically, you won't be doing that every night.
Lodging should always be the least expensive, because staying in even the shittiest motel you can find will be more expensive than a tank or two of gas. I was lucky enough to have relatives or friends or friends of friends in nearly every city we stopped at, bringing our lodging costs on our tour down to only $0.
To get an idea of how we afforded gas and food, every single place you'll play at outside your hometown will pay you. Venues understand that touring bands need to cover all their expenses. This amount can range from $7 (the total we got for playing in Asheville, NC because we picked a terrible date to play) to over $80 (the total we got for playing in Louisville, KY). If you're a decently big band with a big draw, or if you're playing with locals who will bring a big draw, that amount will be even bigger.
Of course, this doesn't include wear and tear on your tour van or previous expenses you may have incurred from putting out records (to sell yourself to venues and locals) or putting out merch (to sell at your shows). For those, we have our day jobs.
>>25400151
thanks for all the info. i have plans to form a band and start touring but i have no idea how to do it. do you have any advice on how to go about doing that? it'd be much appreciated. btw i don't know any musicians ... not really sure where to find them either. craigslist is com[plete shit obviously
do you have a link to your band btw?
I play guitar, piano, percussion, accordion, harmonica (roughly), banjo, and skinflute. I've been playing guitar since I was 9 (I don't remember when I started anything else).
Here's my dead project:
https://soundcloud.com/hunter-button/sets/demo
Gear (left to right):
Tekamine Jasmine
Fender American Special Strat
Gibson Les Paul of some kind (too lazy to research models)
Epiphone ES-335
Not Pictured:
Random ass resonator I'm buying tomorrow
Casio Keyboard
Remo Drum kit
Dean Edge bass
Remo banjo
Violin
Hohner Blues Harp
Danelectro Shorthorn 12-String
>>25400809
I have the ES 339 and that is one weird ass pick guard
>>25400613
(1/2)
Booking a tour with no manager or label support is hard. You shouldn't even think about it until your band has been together for a year.
Here's how booking your first tour will go: you'll send a dozen emails to different venues in each city, and maybe one or two will reply within a week if you're lucky. If you're not, you'll email each one back a week later and you'll probably get a response along the lines of "that date is already booked" (or, if you're booking many months out in advance like you should, "we don't book that far out").
You'll send out hundreds of emails and messages, trying to get this whole thing coordinated. Maybe Date X you want for City A isn't available, but Date Y is. So you move City B, which you were supposed to play on Date Y, to a different date, or cut it out altogether, or maybe even cut City A out altogether. The point is, it gets hard coordinating all these dates exactly the way you want them.
With enough persistence, you'll get about half a dozen shows lined up, maybe a few more if you're lucky. In between emailing all of these venues, you'll be asked if you'll be able to bring a draw, or if you have any locals to put on the bill with you. So you'll start reaching out to locals through Facebook, email, or even over the phone to try to get them to play with you. But you don't want any ordinary locals. You want locals with 800+ likes on Facebook - those are the ones who will bring a lot of people. And that'll not only be good for you, who want people to see you in all these cities you've never been to - that'll be good for the venue, because they won't book you knowing they'll lose money. After all, the sound guy needs to get paid, and how can he get paid if no one pays to see any of the bands?
>>25399596
>>25399596
>When I tell people I've been playing for 20 years they expect me to be a virtuoso when in reality I haven't improved much in the last 15. I've really just been able to maintain that level without any significant improvement.
I feel you here. Piano for 9-10 years and I don't feel like I've improved at all in like the past 6. I don't really know how to practice, honestly. I can read sheet music and sightread fairly well, but I can't play by ear, I can't improvise, I can't compose, and I don't know anything about music theory.
I have shit technique and poor form because my piano teachers didn't do exercises, instead insisting that learning songs is better.
Any advice?
>>25401065
It's Epiphone's way of saying "we're actually different that Gibson in a way different that lower quality."
>>25401121
(2/2)
I forgot to mention in the first post, don't even bother reaching out to venues until you've put out at least one EP or album and have played a shitton in your hometown. Give the venues you're reaching out to some confidence that you're not a bunch of talentless hacks who can't play for shit.
Anyway, if you've gotten this far, you should have about half a dozen shows confirmed a few weeks before your kickoff date. At least one show will be dropped, either due to all the locals leaving or a venue fuckup. Now you'll need to figure out where you're going to stay. At this point, I can't say for sure how it will go for you, because it depends on your connections in each city you're playing in. Trust me, you don't want to pay for a motel every night. That'll get expensive fast.
Here's my band: https://antarcticats.bandcamp.com/
We started booking our tour one month before the blue-covered EP came out, so all we had to show venues was our first EP, which was mixed poorly. We theoretically shouldn't have gotten the tour booked, but my guitarist and I each basically made booking this tour a full-time job. We were each putting in at least 40 hours a week getting everything set up during the first two weeks of initial contacting, and that's not an exaggeration.
Also, research venues a lot. Look on DIY sites, not just Yelp, for venues. House shows are the best, but they're harder to find and people actually live at the venue so they won't necessarily want to put on a show just because you asked. And keep in contact with any touring bands you open for in your hometown - they'll be able to help you in the long run.
>>25398765
I play the piano but I had a fucking injury in my left hand from a fight with my best friend.
My smallest finger got cut off and I couldn't play ever since.
>>25401142
when i first started playing guitar i wanted to learn one of the hardest songs to play on guitar. i worked on it for a couple years and could still barely play it. but just attempting made me improve greatly. i think that's the trick to improving is pushing beyond your limits
>>25399697
>ustad vilayat khan
I know that feel anon. Just keep at it, you'll be glad you did.
I play Euphonium. Now in college and just do exclusively marching/pep band stuff. Have marched one season of open class drum corps, currently getting ready for a second, hoping for world class next year.
I am learning the bass guitar. Pretty fun though I am not too good at it. I want to try to sight read along with it as well.
Maybe someday I will become competent.
I play the piano. Been playing it since mid 2012, and I think I'm gonna dedicate myself to it even though people tell me I'm gonna be a poorfag and shit.
Played the tenor for 6 years, i don't know how good i would be now.
>>25398765
Instruments I play:
>piano: 12 years
>flute: 6 years
>cello: 10 years
>guitar: 2 years
I've always wanted to play the harp, but I can't afford to buy one.
>>25401682
ayyy im auditioning for Spirit of Atlanta this year, i play percussion btw mainly marimba, since 6th grade
Started on guitar, picked up the sitar later on, currently learning the veena. Indian instruments are a lot of fun to play, though learning their music system after being brought up with western music can be a little difficult at first.
I've been playing guitar for 6 years now.
Guitarist here, about 6 years.
I make ambient/post rock/shoegaze/whatever on my own and am in a Doom metal band as well. I also love playing jazz, American Football influenced math rock/Midwest emo, and Drone/drone metal.
Also mess around with the bass guitar, mandolin, and piano (which I took lessons in for 4 years)
