Multiple instruments and diminishing returns.

[LukeGilmour]

We have all been trough this.

Sooner or later you need 2x or 3x the time of practice to advance to the next level of the instrument, and the differences get more and more subtle.

So you pick up a new one.

Its all joy and laughter again, and you get that rush you get when you start nailing those songs you heard on records for years. you also learn different ways of approaching music, and composing becomes more and more like orchestrating than just play a riff or some chords.

however you stay mediocre at everything.


now my question is:

what do you guys think its for the best? just keep drilling with a single instrument for good, or keep expanding the musical horizon, going trough the path of less resistance with 2 or more instruments?



ive always been stalked by the "jack of all trades, master of none" trait!!

 

[stevie_bees]

Re: Multiple instruments and diminishing returns.

I hear ya, although I'm far from Jack of all trades!!!

I have found that I have kind of accepted my shortfalls, and so don't worry myself about it. I am still able to play and entertain with my current skills and am happy with that. I also don't have the opportunity to own lots of different instruments (as much as I'd like to) so I can extract additional enjoyment from playing the guitars I have.

A bit of a wishy-washy compromise, but I still really enjoy being able to play the guitar, and am pretty content with my mediocrity.

 

[JacobTM]

Re: Multiple instruments and diminishing returns.

I can never get rid of the urge to want to try new instruments, but financially I can't afford to be buying keyboards and drums and saxes, so I have my guitars and a bass and compose using software sometimes. It's probably best to go where your heart is, don't force yourself into something you don't like. If you really want to master the guitar, you will. If it's not fun anymore, then do what is fun. There's no other reason to play music, unless you're a professional and getting paid for it.

 

[Virtual Kevorkian]

Re: Multiple instruments and diminishing returns.

I have always striven to have, at the very least, a proficient understanding of every instrument involved in the music I create/listen to, be it guitar, bass, drums, vocals, keyboards, what have you.

That said, I've seen no point in channeling my efforts into all of them, because I know at the end of the day I can only do one of them at a time. In a band setting, being an alright guitarist but also an alright bassist and drummer is useless compared to an excellent guitarist who also understands bass and drums.

The other argument is that you can write and record all of your own parts and be a 'one-man-band' of sorts... which is cool, and which I do, but let's be realistic - the product will turn out better if you get musicians who play those instruments well to play them on your recordings, even if that means you're just laying down scratch tracks/guide tracks before hand that'll get thrown away.

I really like that when I come to the table, I present a skill that I am thoroughly proud of and have invested enough time in to fully understand, comprehend, and utilize to everyone's benefit. I'd be much less confident coming to the table with a few skills that are limited in nature and not well rehearsed.

 

[SlyFoxx]

Re: Multiple instruments and diminishing returns.

I can highly recommend learning to play keys at least a bit. Music theory ...at least the chord construction aspect of it...is so much easier to grasp on the piano. All the notes laid out left to right. Once you learn the basic major and minor chords in all keys it not much of a reach to visualize and play any other chord.

Plus an electronic keyboard sounds good at low volumes, never needs to be tuned, never needs new strings or a set-up. Just fire it up and go.

 

[Petrovsk Mizinski]

Re: Multiple instruments and diminishing returns.

I've realized there isn't really enough time in my day to sit there and learn how to be proficient at many instruments.
I think Jeff really has a good point that you should strive to be quite good on one instrument, rather than a jack of all trades and master of none.
That being said I do play bass and I am fairly proficient at it, but I limit my instruments to just electric guitar and bass.
I don't see it as any different than guys that keep up both the chops on electric and acoustic guitar, as those are two different instruments.
I can't play acoustic guitar well, nor do I plan to start trying to get good at it, I'll stick to guitar and bass

 

[dr. ad]

Re: Multiple instruments and diminishing returns.

depends on what you want from the different instrument, ie is it for your own enjoyment, a compositional aid, or do you want to become a gigging drummer?

 

[Bludave]

Re: Multiple instruments and diminishing returns.

We have all been trough this.

Sooner or later you need 2x or 3x the time of practice to advance to the next level of the instrument, and the differences get more and more subtle.

So you pick up a new one.

Its all joy and laughter again, and you get that rush you get when you start nailing those songs you heard on records for years. you also learn different ways of approaching music, and composing becomes more and more like orchestrating than just play a riff or some chords.

however you stay mediocre at everything.


now my question is:

what do you guys think its for the best? just keep drilling with a single instrument for good, or keep expanding the musical horizon, going trough the path of less resistance with 2 or more instruments?



ive always been stalked by the "jack of all trades, master of none" trait!!

Take lessons. Drills are great to work on speed, timing etc. But the best way to improve is to study with a teacher. It does not have to be one teacher either. When you want to learn something new find a teacher that can guide you through it. I took lessons from a great blues player and he taught me a lot more than I thought he did initially. After a few months of playing what he taught me I realized I had gotten a lot better.

I also took 4 lessons from a great slide player. He taught me exactly what I needed to learn on how to use my right hand. I have never regretted taking lessons. In the long run it has made me a much better player, but you have to practice what you learn. I suggest take a lesson every other week. Practice your lesson for 30 to 45 minutes every day, then play whatever you want as often as you can.

 

[everdrone]

Re: Multiple instruments and diminishing returns.

I just started playing the bass, and its teh shiz! you can be sloppy and get away with some

I say stick with one or two

I play bass, guitar, was singer in a few bands, and am rusty at drumz, play trumpet, violin...

so ya dont ask me

 

[uOpt]

Re: Multiple instruments and diminishing returns.

I completely sucked even on just the second instrument. In general my brain strongly binds to things that I first pursue seriously and then that's that.

 

[Frantic_Rock]

Re: Multiple instruments and diminishing returns.

just follow your heart and play whatever you want. If something sounds good to you, follow it.

For me - it's funky fusion jam over disco grooves lately with lots of chord changes. I also totally love synthesizers, so I'm trying to learn how to play modes in all keys on the piano, so I can jam on the synth against fusion backing tracks. Not an easy task.

 

[wahwah]

Re: Multiple instruments and diminishing returns.

what do you guys think its for the best? just keep drilling with a single instrument for good, or keep expanding the musical horizon, going trough the path of less resistance with 2 or more instruments?

I don't think these two things are mutually exclusive. I think we can stick to one instrument and continue to expand our musical horizons on that instrument for an entire lifetime, and there will still be an emerging horizon. Switching to another instrument may be a kind of distraction, depending on our personality and purpose. There's no doubt that having an understanding of the musical components you regularly work with will improve your musicality, but that doesn't necessarily have to extend to being able to play them yourself. It may just mean that you are able to communicate with others who have specialised in their instrument in a language they can relate to, in order to strive for the best possible combination of talents.

If you are drawn to another instrument naturally and you have an aptitude for it, then it can be additive and will even feed back into your main instrument, but if you are doing it to avoid knuckling down and pushing through the various cyclic plateaus that come with the territory of developing your skills on your primary instrument, then you may be left forever spinning your wheels. There's a ratio that suggests "10% talent, 90% persistence" as a formula for 'success,' whatever that word may mean to you. I think there's a lot to be said for that. Talent is absolutely everywhere. There is nothing unusual about talent, whatsoever. But when that talent is met with persistence in developing and evolving our affinity with an instrument, genuine progress can be made.

Without persistence, talent can wither and die like any gift left unattended. I remember reading stories about Hendrix from the people around him. The one common element that they all mentioned was that Jimi was almost constantly playing the guitar. Falling asleep with it. Waking up with it. That's not always practical when life's realities demand our attention, but the point is still clear. We can only surmise what the result would have been if he had spent half that time playing drums, or the flute.





Cheers............................................ wahwah