I used to love the harmonica. However after one of my best friends Enzo died a couple of years after high school, 'Amazing Grace' and 'Sad Hours' was played by several members of a motorcycle club at his funeral/while he was being buried, and now whenever I hear the instrument I feel like weeping.

Self-teaching is a rewarding way of learning and pretty easy if you can find a good book, plus you don't have to pay anybody. I only got formal teaching for violin, and I got pretty bored of that after a couple of years. I think I just don't like being told what to do.

I recently modded my accordion with a new paintjob and alterations to the buttons and panels. It'll go into a blog at some point, I'm sure.

Learning from a book doesn't even come close to learning from even a half-decent teacher. If you just want to play an instrument a bit then by all means teach yourself, but if you want to really learn it a teacher is the only way to go.

Unless it's a tinwhistle. They're fucking easy to learn as long as you listen to Irish music.

I agree with Phylum, learning theory from the internet/book will only get you so far. Also, learning from a teacher could even be more fun, and you'll be able to truly gauge how far you're coming along whenever you play to someone else.

Teachers can be expensive but are well worth it (at least when your parents are paying). I do need my piano teacher to continuously remind me the key of the piece - so I know what notes to raise/lower. Also to correct my terrible choice of fingering.

My friend Mordecai, who is an 85 year-old, retired, first-chair clarinetist for Carnegie Hall is offering me two five hour lessons for free. He says all he needs is two lessons to teach me all the basics and that from there I can efficiently teach myself.

I just hope he doesn't die mid-lesson.

At least you still would have got half-a-lesson for free. It's better than nothing so stop complaining.

I don't recall complaining.

short-term memory loss.

The old duffer's going senile already.

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I know I'm supposed to get that, but I don't.

IT WAS IN THE SAME THREAD

GAWD

I just bought a new flute from Top Wind. It's the best shop I've ever been in. It's where the good flautists in London go to hang out and drink coffee. I've been invited back there if I'm ever in London again.

The owner casually said something along the lines of "whenever James Galway's in the store and someone asks him which flute to buy he says buy a Marmatsu, but when William Bennet's in he says to buy an Altus". The fact that their visits seems to common is fucking amazing.

Also, yesterday I was at the Hornerman museum and I saw 3 of the 122 Claude Laurant crystal glass flutes.

England is so fucking cool.

Do they actually sound good? I vaguely remember reading somewhere (possibly you on here) saying that glass flutes generally have a crappy sound.

I'm assuming that because Claude Laurent, a highly regarded flutemaker in the 1890s, made 122 fo them they must be good. I've never heard one myself, though.

I can play guitars, I am currently taking a classical course for my classical guitar because I've had it for a year now but was playing like an acoustic/electric because I was too cheap to buy one.

And I can also play keyboards a little.