I’m in the midst of a recording project and I am realizing, once again, that I do not have the time to be REALLY good at the euphonium, the whistle, the bodhran, and the guitar. Competent at all of them, but not consistantly, REALLY good.
When I was in college, I just played the euphonium. Put in around two to three hours a day on it. I was (if I may say so) REALLY good. But since taking up all these other instruments (not to mention a wife, a farm, a full time job, a serious composing habit, and a grad program) I have had to downgrade to mere competence. Of course, the instruments I added are all completely different. If one sticks to whistle and flute, or euphonium and tuba, or guitar and mando…if you stay in the same family, the switch is relatively easy. But the point, to me, isn’t just playing lots of instruments. The point is getting out the music that’s in my head, which usually means some whistle, some singing, some rhythmic accompaniment, and some symphonic sounding low end. So I get all these completely different things.
The trouble is that, having once been REALLY good, I can’t seem to content myself with merely competent. But I don’t have the resources to get beyond that stage. At least an hour or two per day per instrument would be required. Ain’t gonna happen. So the music in my head gets produced, but it is never quite good enough…sigh…
Yes… well… sort of… I used to be fairly competent on a few, now I’m fairly competent on two and fercrap on the others. I’m shooting for slightly more than fairly competent on the whistle. Slow work, but much faster if I let the others sit.
Geez, just concentrate on the euphonium. You know, take it to your local session, practice reels on it, all that. You’ll never be REALLY good on it till you take it to a session and play with other Irish Euphonium players.
I don’t know about all that. Stevie Wonder was able to manage. I don’t see why your wife isn’t supporting you so you can work on your music full time. Isn’t it good enough? Aren’t you worth it?
Yeah, I know. Practice every day as long as you want- them was the good old days.
I use to be much better on lots of the instruments I play. A combination of age and less time to practice , combined with the access to more and more instruments to learn… it takes it’s toll, I suppose.
I’m better on timpani than I ever was-since there is no “was” to compare to
But, I am better on oboe than I use to be. Not good yet, but better…
I’ll take that as progress.
This is a post which I enjoyed reading, thank you, one which reminded me of my own adventures, both in practice, and in fantasy.
For instance, I got started on a wind instrument, and then, while staying with the wind instrument, a few years later I also took up guitar, for several years. On guitar I eventually became reasonably good, maybe not rock star good, but at least competent. Then, however, along came other interesting things in life, which took away from my time to play music, and I then was obliged to compromise. So, I looked at the wind instrument, and I looked at the guitar. At the bottom line, my heart was with the wind instrument, and so I let go of the guitar.
Let me add, that over the years there have been quite a few other instruments which have caught my attention, and have given some serious thought to, but ultimately I simply knew that I couldn’t afford the time to actually study, practice, and play them, and so I didn’t.
I’m never going to be good at the guitar. If I can adequately “chord along” that will do. And perform one or two challenging (to me) classical pieces.
Boy, has my whistle-playing suffered since the day I picked up that Willowflute! On the other hand, my Willowflute playing has improved. Good thing it has…
But now I can half-hole a middle-C sharp.
And when was the last time I picked up the harmonica? A month ago?
But I still plug away at the whistle tunes that once upon a time were difficult: The Cup of Tea, The Kid on the Mountain, Break the Windows. They are not so difficult now.
There are other things in my life that are even more important that I be good at so not being good at an instrument is something that I gladly live with. The people in my life want it that way too.
Not good yet, but better…