Musical Instruments

[Edwin]

The piano we had while I was growing up was in an old grange hall. Mom and Dad bought it because they didn't want to keep it in the unheated building any longer. It was a beautiful old upright Story and Clark piano. I had a few lessons when I was in lower elementary, but I didn't practice enough to make my parents happy, so my lessons ended.

I took, my Dad's old violin to school to play with the orchestra in the elementary, but it was a free for all, and I don't think anyone knew what they were playing, and it sounded horrible, but we all had fun!

My younger brother got a trumpet, and I leaned on it to play "Faith of Our Fathers" and then I learned scales and fingering, so that I could play most anything else that was simple.

I loved the trombone since even before I was in the first grade in school, so in my Freshman, 9th grade, year of high school the band teacher loaned me a school trombone, and I had lots of fun with it, as well as playing in the marching band, and beginning to learn to read some music. I bought my own trombone from money that I made bucking alfalfa hay bales in the field. I played that trombone until I was about 40 years old. I damaged it so many times, and I had to have dents taken out, and the slide repaired I don't know how many times. I finally got so that I didn't damage it anymore, but now the plating is wearing off the end of the slide. It was one of those eight sided slides that the outer slide glided on the 8 ribs of the inner slide.

I bought a bass trombone that I played for many years, but I haven't played it now for about 13 years except for picking it up and playing it for just a few minutes. The dog knocked it over a couple of times, and I had to have the slide repaired, but it is still in pretty good shape, and I have played it a lot. I bought a large bore tenor trombone that looks almost like my bass trombone, and I'm not sure why I bought it, because I have played it very little, and it is still in brand new condition. It might play it one of these days.

I bought 2 spinnet pianos, sold the first before I learned to play it, and learned to play the 2nd one, and still have it. I decided I wanted a large upright piano like I grew up with, so I started looking at them. While looking I saw an old Steinway grand upright,and the price was right, so I bought it. I had it shipped half way across the USA, and found it to be badly out of tune with a number of notes not working, or not even making a sound when I would strike the keys. I was never so disappointed in my life. I had the piano tuner/tech. come out to repair and tune it. He told me that it was so old and fragile he would not recommend me trying to keep it and play it. Well, after he worked on it I played it for 2 years, and now night before last the 3rd key quit playing. A natural below middle C will not play, E flat below middle C will not play, and I kept playing it without those 2 keys working, but when A natural above middle C stopped playing, I could not stand to play it any more. There were too many notes in those 2 octaves that would not play. It was build in 1872, and you cannot even belive its wonderful sound unless you hear it. I moved back to the Cable spinnet piano that I was playing before I got it, and I can just barely stand to listen to it, but all the keys work, so I am playing it, and getting used to it again. If I can I will repair the old piano, and then I will be listening to beautiful sounds again!

[crisipicada]

Since I finished my class at TESDA last November 16, 2011, I decided to learn musical instruments. Starting yesterday, I already practice piano and guitar. My hands get hurt a lot. And still adjusting how to play guitar, since it is difficult for me to clip the string.

Attached photos of my first lesson on guitar, and my continued playing piano. Want to learn more musical instruments. If in case there will be violin, i would be glad to learn to it.

[crisipicada]

It is so much fun to play musical instruments and so much feeling good to self and soul. Hope I would be good to it.

[jadegil6]

I wish you the best of luck in learning to play. I know it isn't easy to do. But you have a sharp mind and determination, so you will have more success than someone who lacks your qualities. Hope you have a music teacher to guide you, and don't have to rely upon learning it all on your own.

[crisipicada]

Yes, I have a music teacher in piano. I spend an hour to two hours a day to practice at 100 pesos per hour. It is a little sacrifice and by the grace of God I believe I can sustain this. My guitar lesson is being done by me using and learn from a book. Just simple chords I learn and still need patience. I guess, It is simpler to learn piano than guitar. Thanks, Hope that I can make it through.

[Edwin]

Yes, I have a music teacher in piano. I spend an hour to two hours a day to practice at 100 pesos per hour. It is a little sacrifice and by the grace of God I believe I can sustain this. My guitar lesson is being done by me using and learn from a book. Just simple chords I learn and still need patience. I guess, It is simpler to learn piano than guitar. Thanks, Hope that I can make it through.

Thank you for your pictures of playing your very nice instruments. My sister and I just bought a guitar for her filipina granddaughter this morning. I played a little on the guitar years ago, but today I couldn't even place my fingers correctly for the chords. It has been too long since I played. My Dad played the violin, but I am one of the younger children so I only heard him play it one time. He could really play it well, but his fingers got arthritis in them from milking too many cows, so it hurt him too much to play, so he never played again after I was growing up which was sad. But he had the joy of it when he was younger.

I played the trombone lots of years and in various kinds of orchestra, but I have been neglecting it in favor of the piano. I can still play anytime, but my lips now are out of shape, so I can only play well for a little while, then I start missing notes, because my lips wear out too soon to keep playing. It wouldn't take long to get back into playing my trombones, but our house is small and my trombones are loud, but maybe when summer comes I will take my trombone outside and play it for the animals to listen too. We have a neighbor who is part of the orchestra and chorus, and she wants me to play with them, but we live a long way from town, and I don't know that I want to drive that far for the rehearsals. There might come a time when I will decided to play with them again, but not yet anyway.

I hope your musical endeavors go very well for you, Crisi. Music is a real joy, and for me playing the church songs/hymns is a ministry to my soul, and a worship from me to the Lord.

[Edwin]

Crisi, I can see by the expression on your face that you really love music! My parents were very disappointed with me because they paid for lessons for me when I was in the lower elementary grades, and I did not realize the value of that, and they couldn't get me to keep practicing as much as they wanted me to. My Mom and Dad are both dead now, but I wish they could hear me play the piano now, and they wouldn't be quite so disappointed with me. My Dad did tell me once when I was grown up that he loved to hear me play my trombone, so I guess I wasn't a complete failure anyways in their eyes, and my Mom loved to hear me play my trombone also.

Music gets in your bones. Playing music, or singing songs of Jesus and His love gives me great pleasure. My playing is somewhat percussive, so I drive people crazy, except that I enjoy it. Carol is after me all the time saying, "Use the soft peddle!" I don't want to use the soft peddle; I like it loud, and I play with a beat. I feel the music while I am playing it. My daughter where we were visiting ask me if I would give her a break from the piano, and I agreed, then she told me that if I would not play so loudly she would not need a break. So I agreed to play a little more softly, and she said that she loved it that way.

[crisipicada]

Crisi, I can see by the expression on your face that you really love music! My parents were very disappointed with me because they paid for lessons for me when I was in the lower elementary grades, and I did not realize the value of that, and they couldn't get me to keep practicing as much as they wanted me to. My Mom and Dad are both dead now, but I wish they could hear me play the piano now, and they wouldn't be quite so disappointed with me. My Dad did tell me once when I was grown up that he loved to hear me play my trombone, so I guess I wasn't a complete failure anyways in their eyes, and my Mom loved to hear me play my trombone also.

Music gets in your bones. Playing music, or singing songs of Jesus and His love gives me great pleasure. My playing is somewhat percussive, so I drive people crazy, except that I enjoy it. Carol is after me all the time saying, "Use the soft peddle!" I don't want to use the soft peddle; I like it loud, and I play with a beat. I feel the music while I am playing it. My daughter where we were visiting ask me if I would give her a break from the piano, and I agreed, then she told me that if I would not play so loudly she would not need a break. So I agreed to play a little more softly, and she said that she loved it that way.

Music is good for the soul. It is very relaxing specially when you hear the christian music that is classical in nature. Yes, I truly love music even I was in gradeschool too, I was use to sing and join some singing contest. I was in regional level just to contest some other schools. But now, I focus more on christian music.

[Edwin]

Yes, Crisi, I will agree, and I focus more on the Christian music. Sometimes I come across children's songs and I play them, but mostly I just play the hymns/church songs. They do minister to our souls. I started out playing my trombone in the high school marching band. I enjoyed it. We played for our local basket ball and football events. We also went to the parades, like the Apple Blossom Parade, and we went to one at a university near our when they were having open house or something like that. I had a lot of fun with that. Then at the same time I played in church orchestras and then in the orchestra where I went to Bible College. I played at church for many years. Then I played all various kinds of music with our Okanogan Valley Orchestra and Chorus. We played Jazz, Swing, Opera, Classical, Country and Western, Pop; you name it, we played it, and I had a lot of fun with that. I stopped playing with them when we moved away for 10 years.

I will share that I had guilt feeling about some of the playing that I did. I was the associate pastor of a church, and I taught the adult Bible class, as well as playing in the church orchestra for the church service. I was also with a group called the Village Green Marching Band. After church we went out, marched a played up and down the main street in our town. Most of the music was not good or not bad. In other words there was nothing sinful in most of the music. I felt embarrassed playing "Roll out the Barrel" because it went against everything that I stood for, and here I was marching down main street playing that song. Part of my guilt feelings were that I had just gotten out of church, on a Sunday, and here I was marching down main street in town playing music that was something different. If I had it to do over again, maybe I wouldn't do that. I never felt condemned for playing in high school marching band. I never felt condemned playing with the orchestra in our community, but it was almost like I was violating my conscience to be out there playing on the street, non religious music after just coming out of church. I wouldn't do that again. Now the music I play is almost entirely church music, and I love it! I want to play music that is uplifting and honoring to God.

Strange as it may seem I know one person who does not like music, and that is very difficult for me to understand. I love music, and most everyone I know enjoys music to some degree.

[Edwin]

I learned something the weekend I was going with my sister to find a guitar for her granddaughter. I played a guitar a little when I was about 14 years old, and I knew a few chords, but I have forgotten most of it by now. We saw a guy who was looking at 8 stringed guitars. So a few day later after the church service I went up and questioned the worship leader about guitars. He told me that you play an 8 stringed guitar the same as a 4 stringed guitar, but each string is tuned an octave apart. So when you play an 8 stringed guitar you are actually hearing 8 octaves. My granddaughter plays a guitar, the one with my birthday, and she told me that you need large fingers to cover all the strings with an 8 stringed guitar. That is very interesting. I don't know if they have been making 8 stringed guitars for ever and I just became aware of them, or if the 8 stringed guitar is fairly recent. I think probably they have been making them forever, and I just became aware of it. Everyone I know plays 4 stringed guitars, so I don't know how much the 8 stringed guitars are used.