<p>I've decided that the only instruments I'll be following (most likely) through with in my life are the guitar, violin, and piano. Problem is, I don't have time to do all three (at least, I don't think I do). I can't decide, and I'm taking lessons in all three right now. Please help. Any suggestions or comments about the instruments and music regarding them in general are welcome.</p>
<p>why do you have to take lessons in all of them? I've never taken a lesson and I have had ample time to learn many different instruments. try your hand at becoming self taught (unless you are using it as some College EC thing, I don't know if people actually do that). it is more gratifying to discover new chords, play with your own style, and progress without knowing it's someone else's thoughts and personalities</p>
<p>Eh being self taught can allow one to develop errors and bad habits that can become very difficult to correct later on. So choose the instrument you are most serious about; I would say violin or piano would be better to get lessons for and guitar can be self taught a little easier.</p>
<p>For the most part, I taught myself guitar. I do have an excellent teacher, but I spend quite a lot of my time looking up tabs and new chords to songs.</p>
<p>I think lessons are almost always necessary for learning violin and piano, however. I've been playing violin for eight years now; I feel that I'm fairly competent on it. </p>
<p>However, I quit the piano a long time ago and am trying to start again. But I just feel so pressured about time and how I'm always trying to make time to play all my instruments. I feel like music should be a natural, fun, and passionate thing to do. Forcing something like music seems counterintuitive. </p>
<p>I guess it comes down to what I want, but I want all three.</p>
<p>8 years in violin and you feel you're competent? I highly doubt you are (not trying to imply anything negative on you, just emphasizing how difficult it is to play the violin). Then again, I do have high standards for music (high enough to admit that even though I've been playing piano for 14 years, I still think I am barely competent).</p>
<p>But if I had to pick one, I'd choose either piano or violin. The only reason you should even think of choosing guitar to continue lessons is if you really really want to pick up girls easier :p</p>
<p>Violin is a bit more hardcore than piano, but piano offers a much much wider range of styles, pieces, and piano by itself is more... independent. You go to any classical recital/concert. Do solo pianists exist and do they play piano without accompanyment? Yes. Do solo violinists exist and do they play violin without accompanyment? Well, very rarely. Most violinists need more string accompanyment, a piano accompanyment, orchestra, etc. etc.</p>
<p>So... flip a coin! </p>
<p>Or... ignore all of us CCers like you should do and make up your own damn mind</p>
<p>"Eh being self taught can allow one to develop errors and bad habits that can become very difficult to correct later on."
I agree. After the first mandatory "Get to Know Your Clarinet!!!" lessons that my school offered, I taught myelf the clarinet. I finally started taking lessons again last fall, and learned that while I'm managing to hit all the notes, my technique itself is terrible.</p>
<p>I would suggest teaching yourself the guitar. All of the "amazing" guitarists in my grade got there simply from learning songs themselves and working on technique.</p>
<p>Develop errors and bad habits? it's called personality. So what, you can play stairway to heven and two eric clapton songs...so can a million kids who took lessons. Maybe I don't see eye to eye with alot of the CC community, but I think personality is what makes playing an instrument like guitar, piano, violin and what ever else incredible. Like I said, anyone can be really good, only a few aspire to great. you don't get there from someone else.</p>
<p>^so writing a novel filled with ortographic and grammatical mistakes is having personality? I agree that one's personal touch is obviously important when plaing an instrument, but this doesn't mean overriding certain rules that are simply there to make things easier. Teachers are there to share those rules with you. After a time you can decide to quit lessons and continue on your own, but lessons , at least for the first years ( in my case 8 years and running, in both classical and electric guitar) are essential. There's nothing worse than trying to correct hand posture, so that you can actually play that awesome lick you hear in your head, after years of mistaken positions.</p>