multi-instrumentalists on LearnJazzPiano.com

Jazz Piano Book Reviews • Piano Teacher Search • Jazz Piano Links • Jazz Piano Lessons

multi-instrumentalists

i'm curious how many of you out there call yourselves this?
i am capable on the piano, and guitar and passable on the bass.
does that qualify me to call myself a multi-intrumentalist?
what is the general expectation here i guess is my question?

by jmkarns on 05/28/2009, 19:50

There are 13 comments, leave a comment.

playing piano, guitar and bass qualifies you in my opinion.

i play quite a lot of things. piano and bass are the only things i perform on regularly, but for my compositions and recording i play other things like flute, bass clarinet, recorders, bagpipes, guitar, and other things you can see here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jimmurray/3364631228/in/set-72157612521182514/

i'm an instrument geek and am always trying to expand my collection. my next big goal is to get ahold of an indian sitar.

some saxophone players will occassionally pick up a clarinet or flute and they are called multi-instrumentalists, but to me that doesn't qualify since most woodwinds are not that different. nor do i consider the trumpet player who doubles on a valve trombone or tuba a multi-instrumentalist.

LJP Like

by JMurray on 05/28/2009, 20:21

to me the general expectation would be that you can play a gig on those instruments. i play a few other instruments for fun, but i do not practice them much, so i do not feel qualified to play a gig on anything other than piano. as a result i do not consider myself a multi-instrumentalist

LJP Like

by Dr. Whack on 05/29/2009, 07:56

o.k. what if someone is a synthesizer virtuosos in many voices,
does that make them a multi-instrumentalist?

LJP Like

by jmkarns on 05/29/2009, 11:03

no. that makes them a keyboardist.

LJP Like

by CynBad on 05/29/2009, 13:20

i sometimes play piano and drink a beer at the same time...?

LJP Like

by Mike on 05/29/2009, 14:10

i play guitar, bass, drums, piano. guitar was my first instrument.

i have also i have dabbled at the sax though not very well, lol!!

LJP Like

by jazzvirtuoso on 05/29/2009, 17:26

piano, rhodes, hammond?

LJP Like

by GS_Jon on 05/29/2009, 17:55

guitar and bass from heavy metal to blues,folk,classic rock,never made it to jazz though. drums ,blues,rock past couple of years been into jazz,dub,funk,reggae,latin,drum&bass real fun,now on piano over ten years last three with jazz ,hard to keep up with all the instruments.harmonica too
and i got a habit to go to fleamarkets and buy trumpets,violins,accordeons,precussions...

LJP Like

by ado on 05/30/2009, 09:28

i think it's fair to call hammond and piano separate instruments, providing the hammond player is at least capable of playing lh bass at a basic professional standard (to keep it going on a job). of course a lot of theater organ ner...types wouldn't call what jimmy smith does on pedals a lot of the time real organ playing either, so who knows.

a rhodes is just an acoustic piano that doesn't sound all strident and blocky in 99% of real-world acoustical environments and looks cool on stage to boot. same instrument, though.

LJP Like

by on 05/30/2009, 20:01

i started as a clarinettist and only got involved with piano as a tool to learn enough harmony to help me try to improvise on the yelping twig in a modern rather than dixieland/goodmanesque style. then one day a band needed a piano player at short notice and in desperation turned to me because i could grind out some changes that would do the job if you didn't listen too close. i seem to have been stuck on the piano chair ever since, especially as a sax-dominated world isn't particularly interested in clarinet, even performed in the contemporary style. i've also played your basic jimmy lally-reading alto, baritone and soprano sax buried in a dance band, and now and then i bring out the yamaha wind controller. but i wouldn't say i'm a multi-instrumentalist. i usually describe myself as 'incompetent on a wide range of instruments'.

sid

LJP Like

by sid on 05/31/2009, 10:10

jack of all trades - master of some

LJP Like

by 7 on 05/31/2009, 11:38

ha! thanks 'jack'. that puts it all in perspective for me.

LJP Like

by jmkarns on 05/31/2009, 16:59

my primary instrument is piano for over forty years. i can play clarinet and recorder and harmonica, but not at all gig-level.

a year and a half ago i started learning baritone ukulele. less is definitely more in this case. four strings only, four notes only, yet my jazz is almost better on ukulele. transposition is a piece of cake compared to piano. similarly, the "sameness" of a given interval seems to make soloing easier also. a straight accross bar chord is iim7 (b7-b3-5-1), i can play a wider interval than with one hand on piano. within that limit, i can play just about any 4-note voicing. and it's totally cool to have 3 or 4 variants for any given pitch so much for staying on-forum regarding jazz piano, except that learning the buke has improved my piano also!

LJP Like

by Santeven on 06/11/2009, 17:17

Reply to Thread

Please sign in to post.

Jazz Piano Notebook Series

Scot Ranney's Jazz Piano Notebook, Volume 1 - jazz piano tricks of the trade

Volume 1 of this educational jazz piano book contains 15 jazz piano exercises, tricks, and other interesting jazz piano techniques, voicings, grooves, and ideas Scot Ranney enjoys playing.

buy pdf version - buy coil binding version - videos

Scot Ranney's Jazz Piano Notebook, Volume 2 - jazz piano tricks of the trade you can use today

"Latinesque"

Volume 2 has 14 jazz piano exercises and tricks of the trade, and quite a bit of it is Calypso jazz piano related material, including some Monty Alexander and Michel Camilo style grooves. Jazz piano education is through the ears, but books like this can help.

buy pdf version - buy coil binding version

Tim Richards' Jazz Piano Notebook - jazz piano tricks of the trade

Volume 3 contains 12 jazz piano exercises and explorations by the acclaimed jazz piano educator, pianist, author, and recording artist Tim Richards.

Tim wrote the well known "Exploring Jazz Piano" and "Improvising Blues Piano" books and has several others to his name.

buy pdf version - buy coil binding version

Jeff Brent's Jazz Piano Notebook - jazz piano tricks of the trade

Volume 4 is by Jeff Brent, a jazz pianist, composer, teacher, and author of "Modalogy" and other acclaimed jazz theory and education books. In this book Jeff shares detailed analysis of transcriptions of live performances. He covers everything from the shape of the songs to the tricks and licks he uses in improvised lines to the ideas behind his lush chord voicings.

buy pdf version - buy coil binding version

Jazz piano education is cool.

be the main character in your own story

multi-instrumentalists

There are 13 comments, leave a comment.

by JMurray on 05/28/2009, 20:21

by Dr. Whack on 05/29/2009, 07:56

by jmkarns on 05/29/2009, 11:03

by CynBad on 05/29/2009, 13:20

by Mike on 05/29/2009, 14:10

by jazzvirtuoso on 05/29/2009, 17:26

by GS_Jon on 05/29/2009, 17:55

by ado on 05/30/2009, 09:28

by on 05/30/2009, 20:01

by sid on 05/31/2009, 10:10

by 7 on 05/31/2009, 11:38

by jmkarns on 05/31/2009, 16:59

by Santeven on 06/11/2009, 17:17

Reply to Thread

Jazz Piano Notebook Series

"Latinesque"

LJP Jazz Piano Blogs

Most Recent Discussions

Articles

Top Sheetmusic Picks

Jazz piano education is cool.

Rock on. Follow your passion.

Sign In

Sign In to LearnJazzPiano.com

multi-instrumentalists

There are 13 comments, leave a comment.

by JMurray on 05/28/2009, 20:21

by Dr. Whack on 05/29/2009, 07:56

by jmkarns on 05/29/2009, 11:03

by CynBad on 05/29/2009, 13:20

by Mike on 05/29/2009, 14:10

by jazzvirtuoso on 05/29/2009, 17:26

by GS_Jon on 05/29/2009, 17:55

by ado on 05/30/2009, 09:28

by on 05/30/2009, 20:01

by sid on 05/31/2009, 10:10

by 7 on 05/31/2009, 11:38

by jmkarns on 05/31/2009, 16:59

by Santeven on 06/11/2009, 17:17

Reply to Thread

Jazz Piano Notebook Series

"Latinesque"

LJP Jazz Piano Blogs

Most Recent Discussions

Articles

Top Sheetmusic Picks

Jazz piano education is cool.

Rock on. Follow your passion.

Sign In