Throwback Thursday: musical instrument(s) #TBT

[#1]

It's Thursday!

Throwback to the first song I could halfway play on drums—in my basement, 2014. I bought a no‑name kit on Amazon for $250, had never played before, and I’ll admit: I’m impatient. Rudiments? Meh. I just wanted to play a song. (And especially a song from my teenage years in the 80's).

It was AC/DC’s “Back in Black.” I found the score, downloaded the track onto my 1st‑gen iPad, put on headphones, and went to work. I was so frustrated not getting the groove—but the more I practiced, the closer it clicked. Late October, maybe mid‑November, I finally played it half decently all the way through. Felt like unlocking a secret language.

Here is a picture of my first kit.

 

For those who don’t know: a basic groove is just kick (foot), snare (hand), and hi-hat (hand) working together. When they line up, it’s pure joy—even if your drum kit is cheap and sounds like the drumming in Tarzan.

Sooooo, what’s the first instrument you tried (drums, piano, recorder, something homemade) and what did your first “in the pocket” moment feel like?

Let’s make it a great Thursday!
KGM

[Dave Mathijs]

@Kristján Geir Mathiesen  Just waiting for that Loom video with you playing AC/DC's "Back In Black" 🥁🤘🏻

[Stephen_Lugton]

Nearly 2 years ago, my daughter's school did a try an instrument day, she decided to try the cello, not knowing what a cello was or how to play one. 

After the first try out she came home and said "Daddy, can you buy me a cello?", needless to say the answer was "No, but we can hire one that's the right size for now, and replace it with bigger ones as you grow up!"

She has been playing cello ever since then and recently passed her Grade 1 cello exams with a Merit (proud Dad moment!)

So that we could do something together I bought myself a violin out of my next yearly bonus; I'd never played one before, but I though 'Meh, it can't be too hard', I was wrong!

Unlike my daughter, I haven't had lessons, but I have YouTube and a beginner's violin book with sheet music (Fiddle Time Starters)

One day when I was practising while she was out, and she came home earlier than I expected.  I didn't hear the front door open over the sounds of a violin by my ear, but the next thing I knew was a small voice saying "Daddy, are you playing Popcorn?", I was, it was one of the ones that was also in her Cello Time Starters book, and the fact that she recognised it was that "in the pocket" moment.

[Ariel Mantovani]

Two years ago, when I turned 51, I started taking bass lessons.
I bought a 4-string Ibanez GIO. An entry-level bass, but with reviews that showed it to be a good option for beginners. My first amplifier was a VOX Pathfinder 10, a practice amp, but with a very nice sound.
Two years have passed, and now I have the same bass, but with some upgrades: EMG pickups, and a GOTOH bridge and tuners.
In mid-October, my bass teacher offered me a Mark Bass Nano 300 amplifier that he had but wasn't using, which encouraged me to build my own cabinet. A 2x10 with 200W Celestion Pulse speakers, built with phenolic plywood made from a local wood called Guatambú. It was a wonderful experience calculating volumes, speaker placement, and the size and position of the tuning tube. I'm very happy with the result and the sound it produces. My teacher tells me that the box "kicks like a buffalo" when he hears it.

[Huwen Arnone [Deiser]]

That's a cool, decent looking drumkit, it's cool to know you're into music, @Kristján Geir Mathiesen.

I’ve always been into music, and drums were one of my very first loves, even though I actually started on the flute, then moved to piano, and later took drum lessons. I quit in the second month because the teacher was a very traditional jazz drummer with the whole humiliation-based teaching style (yes… Whiplash vibes).

After that, I taught myself and started playing in different punk rock bands until these days. I still jam with friends from time to time, or I’ll just play solo in a studio with backtracking.

I also play a bit of self-taught guitar and bass guitar (nothing too serious), the cuatro (Venezuela’s national instrument, which is similar to a ukulele but with a different scale), and in general, I’m very curious about musical instruments; I try to learn at least the mechanics, then creativity shows the way.

What do you think about electronic drumkits? I can see how useful they are nowadays for the “don’t bother the neighbors” thing, but it’s never the same feeling as an acoustic one.

Btw, lovely history @Stephen_Lugton 

[Andy Gladstone]

My first musical instrument experience was when my older brother (older by 3 years) started playing clarinet as part of his school's music program in the 4th grade. I remember being supremely jealous of him, and as a good younger brother would always sneak the instrument out of his case when he was not around. Well, woodwinds use a reed mouthpiece and it was not long before my brother knew whenever I had been using the clarinet - I was not so good about cleaning up after myself or replacing the reed! 

I never learned how to play an instrument, which is one of the reasons I support my children whenever they show an interest in learning. I do have a great appreciation for orchestral music, and have tried to expose my children to the beauty of music. They have heard Leonard Bernstein's Young People Concerts, The Carnival of the Animals and Benjamin Britten's The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra in the car more times than either I or they can remember.

Bonus: One of the websites I have found to be helpful in explaining the orchestra is https://www.sfskids.org/.  

[Barbara Szczesniak]

I'm fairly certain that my first instrument was either a recorder in 2nd grade (6 years old) or a plastic kazoo from the "prize" box at the dentist. 

[John Funk]

I have zero musical talent. The only thing I have ever played was the recorder back in elementary school. 

[Anne Saunders]

I have a musical theater degree that required me to play and sing juries in college and I've performed in a number of musicals and plays, but those rigorously prepped performances had nothing to do with my most magical moment with an instrument.

Like every American public-school kid of a certain age, my first musical instrument was a recorder, which we almost uniformly played *really* badly. Squeaky, squawky, reedy (without a reed!), and generally awful.

In 5th grade, I joined band and picked clarinet. I was not great at clarinet either, but a few intervening years of half-hearted piano lessons and school music class had given me a little more general musical skill. I got okay (at best) at it. I dumped the clarinet in 7th grade and didn't look back. 

When my kids reached that delightful elementary school milestone, bringing home Yamaha soprano recorders in blue plastic pouches and Hot Cross Buns sheet music, they made the same awful screeches we all had. When I chuckled, they asked me if I knew how to play one. 

Magically, the few years of working out embouchure as an awkward pre-teen licorice stick-er returned in a flash, and translated to the bulbous recorder mouthpiece. It turns out, when you literally 'hold your mouth right' a recorder can make a really pleasant, warm sound.

It didn't get me applause or money or a college credit, but it did make my children's jaws drop, and that was the most satisfying musical performance of my life.  

[Amanda Barber]

My first instrument was violin in Kindergarten. Then, we all learned to play recorder in 5th grade. I played the clarinet from 6th grade through high school. I don't play anything now, but I've passed the torch to my children who are avid instrument collectors. We have a fancy keyboard, a drum kit, 2 electric guitars, 2 ukuleles, an acoustic guitar, and a violin in our house currently....oh, and my clarinet in a closet. 🤪 We're ready to start a family band!  

[Mirek]

I think when I was young it was keyboard on my side. I even was able to play many popular songs, but then I realize that sport is better for me thank music :) .. but I continue to love listening to music all the time.. on good audio of course :) 

[Tomislav Tobijas]

Hell yeah 🤘I've got the love for AC/DC from my dad (although that's the furthest he got when it comes to heavy metal).
Just a month or two ago, I actually saw their Rivel Plate concert from 2009, and it's sick!

As for my instrument, I'm more like a piano/keyboard guy 🎹
Also, as an EDM fan, most of the music is made with keyboards and electronic chords. I was even planning to buy a keyboard (I had one while I was little), but I just don't think I have a room in my place for it 😅

Btw @Kristján Geir Mathiesen I hope you don't have neighbours that close to you (for their own sake :P)

[Andrew Zimmerman]

I think I had to learn the recorder in 2nd or 3rd grade or something in school. But outside of school, there was always a keyboard or a piano in my home growing up which I enjoyed playing, and eventually I took some formal piano lessons. Once I got older, I learned the bass guitar and joined a band.

[Kristján Geir Mathiesen]

Thank you all for fun comments and memories!