

Ask HN: If you play an instrument, which is it? - mpk

Most of the coders I've met either play an instrument or wish they could play one.<p>I play the violin, but not at concert solo level. So I just play for my own enjoyment (digging into classical, modern and folk).<p>On the coder side I've run into people who do drums, piano, flute, etc over the last several years. Playing music or just wishing to play music is a consistent thread here.<p>I'm just wondering - what are you guys/girls playing?
======
brk
I don't play any instrument, but wish I could/intend to try to learn
something.

I do however do custom guitar pedal effects and mods, and have done some
various bits of studio hacking/engineering work (when I still lived in Detroit
I helped a well known artist get his first PC-based/digital mixing board up
and running).

------
vabmit
I taught myself acoustic guitar. First, I learned from books and websites.
Then when YouTube came out, I found a lot of very good "How to Play Song X"
videos on it. I really enjoyed learning to play. Spending 5-10 hours a week
away from my computer, and not looking at a screen for most of that time,
significantly boosted my productivity and improved my morale. I was pretty
burned out and looking for something to do besides computer work, and reading
about computers, when I started picking it up. I haven't played in a few
years, though. As I got older, I kinda lost interest in music (both listening
to and playing).

------
mixmax
I used to play saxophone - but I sucked. I also play a teeny little bit of
piano.

------
cperciva
Violin. I could have gone professional, but decided that I'd enjoy it more if
I kept music as a hobby, and that computing/mathematics paid better for less
work anyway.

------
actually
The AXiS49. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9-OSCl7kOc>

It's like cheating at music.

------
TallGuyShort
Piano - I really like how versatile and consistent it is. If I were to learn
another instrument, it'd definitely be guitar.

------
icey
I play guitar very poorly. When I'm stuck on a problem I'll run scales for
awhile until the answer hits me.

------
ScottWhigham
Guitar - jazz and blues. I used to play pro and then "found" computers :)

~~~
simplify
Awesome. If you don't mind, do you have any music links of you playing I can
listen to?

~~~
ScottWhigham
I don't have but 1 or 2 songs today online and those are not ones I'm too
proud of lol. I did just buy a new Eric Johnson Fender Strat and have started
getting back into practicing though :)

------
nuweborder
I dont play music, but I love to listen to it. HipHop, R&B, Pop, Jazz,
Classical, Blues, Rock, everything. I too have noticed that playing music is a
consistent trend for many.

------
humbledrone
Electronic drums, banjo, guitar, piano, trumpet -- in order of increasing
skill (not that it increases to any significant level).

------
stonemetal
piano and saxophone(not at the same time :) ) Though recently I have been
thinking of taking up bass guitar.

------
paul9290
Play piano and guitar; try to sing too as I write music and someone needs to
sing it.

------
bdmac97
Expert Rockband drums... that counts right?

~~~
wooby
Me too. And absolutely it counts; VB programmers are still programmers aren't
they?

------
weaksauce
I play the guitar.

------
alanthonyc
piano, guitar...not well

------
apu
Clarinet

------
cmos
guitar hero!

