Instruments You Struggle With

[TheGreek]

Drums - what are you supposed to hit when??

All hail those who beat the skins!!

[el borracho]

I can play bass, drums and ok on guitar.

Keyboards I keep trying and can play some things fine but can't play properly. Violin, tried but fingers are too close together. Saxophone could play a bit but wasn't really interested.

Vocals - I know the technique of how to sing but my voice just doesn't sound nice - was told once it was the shape of my head!

[MoonBassAlpha]

[quote name='el borracho' timestamp='1486759850' post='3234463']


Vocals - I know the technique of how to sing but my voice just doesn't sound nice - was told once it was the shape of my head!
[/quote]
Sounds like someone was trying to be nice to you.....

[Rocker]

Another instrument I struggle with is slide guitar. Tune it to open G. Check. Major chords. Check. Nothing else seems to work or sound kinda right, like I know what I am doing. And I have a lap slide instrument. As for trying it on an ordinary guitar......

[GarethFlatlands]

Trumpet. Never managed to make it as effortless as you're supposed to. I actually got OK (grade 3 on a good day) and had a decent range on it until years of overcompensating for my less than ideal technique caught up with me. Over the course of a week I lost about 70% of my playing range and never recovered. Still, it was fun while it lasted.

[randythoades]

I have tried (to a limited degree) lots of instruments but can't seem to get over the bit between total novice and becoming more accomplished. I can do a basic drum beat but can't get it more than that; struggling a little with ukulele (can play all the chords but struggling to play any proper songs); saxophone, couldn't even get a proper note out; can't seem to get to grips with acoustic guitar at all, particularly fingerpicking or open chords; pretty good on the recorder and xylophone due to kids playing them at school; keyboard I can use the white keys only so have to transpose everything into C major; slide guitar I REALLY can't do and just don't understand.

[Earbrass]

I've played piano since I was, well, not sure really but I started proper lessons when I was 6. Started guitar when I was 12, but have never come close to mastering it - still can't do barre chords! Ironically, I really wanted to play bass, but was talked into starting on guitar - got a bass in my late teens and found it suited me so much better. More recently I briefly tried and abandoned piano accordion (too unwieldy and heavy and never got fluent on the stradella bass) and moved onto D/G melodeon. Been playing that for about eight years, and have reached the point where I can belt out morris tunes ok, but I've never really gelled with it - I still can't improvise fluently on it, the fact that it's not chromatic frequently frustrates me and I've realized I'll never have the strength or control in the upper left arm muscles to be a really good player. My latest love is nyckelharpa, which I've been playing for 2 years now - love it!!!! Wish I'd discovered this fabulous instrument a few decades earlier.

[charic]

Drums!

[Barking Spiders]

I'm more than handy with drums & percussion and several types of fretted instrument but the mandolin's a bugger as my podgy digits make a mess of the fingering. Did try the flute for a bit but had issues with the breathing technique. Biggest disappointment is my singing voice which isn't even good enough for backing vocals. It's flatter than the Norfolk Broads. I'd swap what I can do on instruments any day for a cracking set of pipes. Wish i could sing like Mike Patton from Faith No More

[Angel]

Chapman stick. I gave it a really good go and could play stuff (video evidence!), but I couldn't get to where I wanted to be. Still have it, but barely touched it in about 9 years.

[pmjos]

Banjo.............bloody reverse rolls.....

[benroch]

Oboe...

I play violin to diploma standard, so thought oboe would be easy to pick up... I was very wrong.

To those who struggle with violin i'm not surprised, its unlike many other instruments...

Edited February 18, 2018 by benroch

[Marc S]

On 7/26/2017 at 10:30, Barking Spiders said:

I'm more than handy with drums & percussion and several types of fretted instrument but the mandolin's a bugger as my podgy digits make a mess of the fingering.......

Although I have several instruments around the house - I never really get time to spend playing anything much, other than bass and DB
I do like the sound of the mandolin though, and always fancied playing one....
I have one, and spent quite a bit of time on it, and got so far.... however, I found the same as Barking Spiders - tiny strings and tiny distances between frets
My podgy fingers just wouldn't allow me to play even some of the basic chords

Then I discovered Bouzouki -  it can be tuned the same way as a Mandolin (though on Bouzouki, D & G string "pairs" are 2 octaves)
and there's much more space for my awkward, bass players fingers.... I just need more time to spend on it though! lol

If you like Mandolin Barking Spiders - either give Mandola or Bouzouki a try....

Edited February 23, 2018 by Marc S

[HazBeen]

Anything with strings, pretty okay

Percussion, mixed succes

Wind instruments, TOTALLY USELESS

[Gottastopbuyinggear]

Saxophone - hence the Yamaha alto I have up for sale on here at the moment!

I'm proficient enough on guitar and enjoy playing it, but don’t seem to have the imagination to improvise over anything more outlandish than a basic blues. 

I have a mandolin gathering dust and probably mould in the loft, which I used to be able to play okay although never really got to grips with tremolo picking. My peak on that was the jig from the Stonehenge scene in Spinal Tap!

Next on the list to try is drums (electronic kit only) though lack of space means I’ll need to wait for one of my kids to leave home before that becomes a reality.  My master plan is to justify learning drums partly as an exercise in keeping my brain nimble - don’t know whether I’ll get away with it yet though!

[Guest adi77]

The trumpet, you cannot stop practising regularly, even if you stop for a week you kind of go back a bit and have to start all over, kind of. 

[ahpook]

Verniers - I just don't have the eyesight any more.

[nige1968]

3 hours ago, ahpook said:

Verniers - I just don't have the eyesight any more.

Scalpels. Same reason.

[ahpook]

52 minutes ago, nige1968 said:

Scalpels. Same reason.

I heard the Royal College of Surgeons agreed with you on that count

[Yank]

It's a wonderful thing how we can become accomplished on an instrument but are willing to try other instruments.  Some we take to and some we don't.  Some make us feel like total idiots,  but if we're motivated enough we don't give up.  It might just keep altsheimers at bay.  If not,  at least it was fun trying.  I'm amazed at the variety of instruments tried here.

[therealting]

I’m one of those annoying people who generally pick instruments up very quickly. Give me a couple days with almost any instrument and I’ll get a decent tune out of it. Taught myself clarinet in a few hours with the aid of a fingering chart, worked out harp in half an hour, sax, cello, drums etc. I’ve gigged on guitar, bass, drums, keys, percussion, and lead and backing vocals professionally.

The embouchure of brass instruments totally doesn’t work for me though. 

[oldbass]

Cello. Cant sit with it..cant bow it..and as for the fingers..forget it...and I'd wanted to play one for years..there just so kinda right on...

[StickyDBRmf]

Guitar. I can't play chords on guitar. Grubby little paws. Why all my guitars are "Joni Mitchell" tunings. One of the reasons I play the Chapman Stick. Left-hand chords in inverted 5ths I can play. Right-hand chords from above I can play. OH. You said instruments you struggle with. THE CHAPMAN STICK. I love the struggle though. And keyboard. And Roland HandSonic. Life is not lived without struggle. Or strudel.

[NickA]

Double bass =it's too big and makes my hand hurt playing in tune

Bass guitar = the neck is so long and lacking in tactile clues it's impossible to shift positions accurately

5-string bass guitar = as above but add an extra string for more confusion and a lot more possible hand positions ..and mine has frets (!!) which buzz if you don't exactly hit the spot.

Cello = the music is so hard

Alto recorder = the order you put your fingers down belies logic and intonation is hard as blowing harder makes it louder as well as sharper.

Harmonica = as above, but which holes you blow or suck at

Viola da Gamba  = six strings, (moveable) frets, weird tuning, written in the ALTO clef rendering the music unreadable even without all the double stopping.  Don't even go there.

Conclusion: there is no easy instrument, especially if you want to play hard stuff and do it well.

 

Edited April 5, 2020 by NickA

[Newfoundfreedom]

All of them. 

(Except the recorder. I can absolutely nail "Little Donkey" on the recorder)

Edited April 5, 2020 by Newfoundfreedom