Instruments - do you specialize?

As a would-be performer and composer myself, I'm always slightly shocked and suspicious when someone claims they play "French horn, piano, guitar, violin, cello, saxophone and flute", or an extremely lengthy list to that effect.

In summarized terms, my instruments are guitar and piano, but that could always be expanded to "classical guitar, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass guitar, piano and keyboards". Of course, I'm not a master at all of these; the only instruments I formally learn are classical guitar and piano, and I'm hardly a specialist at either. This leads me to wonder whether this is an advantageous way to go.

For me, I feel that it's quite helpful to play a family of instruments (guitar). As I play two instruments (let us count guitar as one for now), I'm not as proficient at piano as, say, performers who have been playing it since the age of 4 without focusing on anything else. However, I'd have to admit that I'm above average at both, so while I'm not excellent, I'm probably somewhere hazy between mediocre and superb. With time, that standard will hopefully be raised.

However, I can see the advantages of specializing in a single instrument. For example, virtuosos often seem to be excellent composers as well. I refer to names in the electric guitar world, such as Joe Satriani and Neil Zaza.

On the other hand, some would argue that performance ability has nothing to do with composition, and that's probably true for a percentage of musicians. Ironically, it must take quite a bit of talent to visualize and compose when performance ability is supposedly "lacking".

Which style describes you best? Which do you feel is the most effective?

I'm specialized...performing solely on the trombone, even then, solely in jazz/improv settings.

However, I'd never compose with a trombone. The piano is the only compositional tool I need, with experience/knowledge/understanding pieces should come together easily, even without intimate (performance) knowledge of many instruments.

That said, a working knowledge of how instruments work and performance practices will prevent composers using impossible or undesirable instrumental techniques.

...

It doesn't help me much that I'm a percussionist (my specialized instrument), but I typically compose with a piano.

I specialize on Vibes and Latin/Afro-Cuban percussion, but I definitely don't compose on vibes or congas, I use piano. The only exception is when I'm writing a line for mallets, I'll usually play it first.

I think that playing many isntruments would help write for them a heck of a lot better, and like Spectrum, it doesn't help being a percussionist...

~Kal

I specialize in guitar (or, rather, used to specialize for more than a dozen years). I also used the guitar to compose until recently.

Now I compose almost entirely on the piano (guitar is only good for composing for...the guitar, sometimes trying to harmonize simple melodies) and (try to) specialize in the violoncello. But I also (try to) play the piano (composing is one thing, playing is another), the harmonica and baglamas (a traditional greek stringed instrument - kind of like a small, high-pitched mandolin). :) Each instrument provides its own unique sound which can be an inspiration in itself.

Apart from that, I believe one should have solid knowledge of musical instruments for which to compose, even if he/she doesn't specialize in them. Guitarists, for example, tend to write almost exclusively for the guitar, but that can be a very one-sided choice of timber. ;) But most serious composers prefer to utilize a variety of instruments (and they certainly don't have the time to specialize in each and every one of them).

Apart from knowing a lot about instrumentation, one should hang out with musicians specializing in different instruments. Their feedback can sometimes be invaluable, even for the well-versed in instrumentation.

So, I guess I try to use the best in both approaches. ;)

I play classical guitar primarily, I've just started formal piano lessons and I'm going to start playing tenor recorder. However, I compose atno instrument, I compose on paper to avoid accidently composing something I can play.

I'm a trumpet player, but I also have experience with Piano, as well as Horn and other members of the brass family.

I have trouble specializing.

I love both the bassoon and alto saxophone to much. I'd love to pick one or the other to play exclusively, but I just love both too much.

I specialize in both violin and piano. Practice schedules are crazy, but I haven't quit one, or even focused on one. Though I do most of my composing in my head, while looking at the manuscript.

I play piano, violin, and viola (pretty much just violin in a different clef), so at this point, I really just write for different combinations of strings and piano. Eventually, I think I'll broden my range, but until I start feeling confident about how my string pieces sound.

Mostly just piano and saxes. But i am taking up the organ and the flute. :toothygrin:

Formally, I'd say I specialise in viola, but I'm just as good with violin and I almost always compose with the piano. Occasionally I'll hum improvisations that sound good and I'll go from there XD

I've only ever composed for piano, voice and strings, except earlier this year a tiny part for french horn... which was interesting. I'd have to research instruments or study them for a while before I'd be confident to compose for them, simply because I don't know what sounds good and limitations etc.

I specialise in Wind, although I only consider myself a performer on Clarinet.

I've been kinda brought up to try out lots of different instruments (my first clarinet teacher played clarinet, flute, saxaphone, oboe, bassoon, viola and piano to grade 8+)

Because I want to be a teacher, I want to be able to (technically) understand as many instruments as possible, just so I can help out people who need technical advice. However I don't pretend to be able to produce feeling or musicality on any instrument I learn, just the clarinet. :ninja:

It also helps when I'm composing, since I know how difficult certain parts will be.

That's a good point; it depends on what you want out of life. As a composer, I would want to be able to noodle around on every instrument I would compose for. Obviously I compose without that, especially since I have a class for it, but I picked up the recorder for that reason; I wanted to broaden my perspectives.

As a teacher as well.

As a virtuoso... it's difficult to be a violin virtuoso while also playing french horn, tuba, cello and timpani at professional levels.

Depends on what you want.

I play piano, violin, and viola (pretty much just violin in a different clef), so at this point, I really just write for different combinations of strings and piano. Eventually, I think I'll broden my range, but until I start feeling confident about how my string pieces sound.

I wouldn't say viola is like violin in a different clef. The larger instrument size and proportions of the body to neck make for different left hand and left arm positioning. It's from the violin family, but it's not just a big violin. Read Primrose's writings on viola.

I play viola and I'd like to think I specialize in it. I do also play other instruments, but I do so because I plan to be an educator, so I need an understanding of pretty much all instruments.

Anyone who has the chance to take techniques courses should; trust me, it's worth the extra time.

I wouldn't say viola is like violin in a different clef.

Nor would I - it's got a considerably different sound...

They're both very distinct instruments. But both bowing and fingering techniques are the same. So, they resemble each other in some ways. But they differ in others.

My primary instrument is flute, but I'm also a violinist and pianist when need be... My level with each is- Flute-Advanced, Piano-Intermediate, and Violin-complete beginner... I'd love to be able to do well with all three, but there's something hard about getting practice time on all three things, so I suppose I really just have to keep at the flute primarily until summer comes...

Specialising in a specific instrument can have many disadvantages. For example in the guitar world, all guitarist have pretty much the same ideas (Satriany etc), with some baroque obsessions for example. Many piano players tend to go to romantic music too much... I've never seen a violin player composer really :D:D

I, personally, (used to be) am a piano master. I mean I've mastered the instrument. Have a diploma in piano, played damn difficult pieces (like for example Prokofiev op.11 the toccata), have done concerts around the world (Syria, Greece and UK actually, so far from around the world :horrified: ahem). and so on...

That 3-4 years ago. Since then I moved to London and stoped having keyboard in my house. So I can pretty much understand that I've lost my touch! I guess I could get it back with practice, but still I will never be the guy who did concerts once ago...

As far as composing goes. In the end composing comes from the head! Of course in the beginigng it is useful to know an instrument, and further it is highly useful to know the technicalities of ALL instruments (instrumentation in other words, for orchestration). But while I've touched the harp and know what the harp can and can't do, certainly does not promote my CV to include "harp" in the instruments I play. ;)

I only play euphonium to a somewhat accomplished degree, but I really want to switch. Euphonium is nice and all that, but seriously, the only doors that will be open for me in the real world are brass/military bands. FUN. I'll keep going on euphonium until I am at a good, accomplished state. Then I will look to new horizons. I really don't mind what intrument I would play, minus percussion. Strings would be difficult, but I dig the cello, and I would be completely fine with any wind instrument, even basoon.

With all of that said, I'm trying to learn piano again. In composing, I feel that you don't have to know the intruments your using inside and out. I've been around wind intruments long enough to know where their reasonable limits are. If not, Wikipedia's intrument ariticles have small pictures on the side which show the limits of the instrument. Of course, my opinion may be a little discouragable since I still linger in the sheltered atmosphere of high school music.

Nor would I - it's got a considerably different sound...

Count me in on your side.

They might be in the same family, but they are rather different.

Yup. Anyways...

I only play the cello and most of the time, I only compose on the cello.

I've began self-teaching myself the piano at age 12, then I began lessons on piano and violin. Those two are what I specialize in now. In middle school I was introduced to a whole spectrum of instruments - I chose mallet percussion. Now I'm 17 and I play flute, clarinet, horn, trumpet, and soprano recorder quite well (better than most kids in my high school band who only specialize in their single instrument, it's quite sad, really, when I'm sitting there with a Sousaphone around my neck giving fingering advice to the flute and clarinet sections and trying to help the baritone horn section with their notes). I'm only just learning tuba and I plan to learn euphonium within the next year.

It was wierd at first, somebody would have an instrument that they are giving away for free, so I would just collect them. The two that I would say were most difficult to learn at first were violin and flute, but once I got started with the clarinet I found that learning "extra" instruments becomes easier and easier. It also helps to have a very sharp learning curve I guess, in addtion to having no other life outside music.

The reason I've learned to play so many instruments is for the benefit of writing music for them. Once you're familiar enough with an instrument (i.e. you get to the point where you know what you're doing) you can utilize it in you composition as effectively as can be, really bringing out its technical capabilities without overtaxing whoever may be playing the finished music.

My favorites, though? I would HAVE to say horn, marimba, and cor anglais

EDIT:

Yeah, I pretty much suck at guitar, I don't know how you're supposed to keep track of so many strings! Same with harp, and them some!

I specialize on flute but I am learning oboe. I just mess around with the guitar and attemps the piano. I used to play the violin and still remember 1 song on it....