who made you pick up that instrument

I picked up drums/percussion at 11.  I didn't have an influence, until I discovered Neil Peart in 1994.  I then started writing songs in 1995, influenced by Richard Marx, Rush, Journey and Melissa Etheridge.  I'm taking guitar lessons at the moment, inspired by Alex Lifeson, John Petrucci and Eddie Van Halen.  I gotta add; Mikael Akerfeldt and Steve Wilson are influencing me, both for their great songs and emotionality.

Angus Young.

'nuff said

My ultimate favorite band, who turns me from Guns and Roses, who turns me to a guitar geek, who turns me to a boy who keep spend his mom money just to buy a cd...

fungusucantkill wrote: what band gives you chills what musician made you realize I definetly have to start getting into this my first prog listen was YYZ by Rush, i wasn't influenced much by it. I enjoyed it. But then i picked up Yes "Fragile" and I listened to roundabout i had to pick up prog bass wahts yours?

Rush - 2112 - Neil Peart
Heavily influenced by Peart and then Collins just a bit. Drums were part of my youth, before hearing any Prog. Always wanted to play and I wasn't able to until I could buy my own at the age of 17. My parents wouldn't encourage any budding rock star. It was not an appropriate career. LOL!!!!

It was 1980--- and I picked up guitar to play Uriah Heep, The Eagles and The Beatles. things changed later on.

I started paying piano when I was 4, because my mother made me, and started playing bass somewhat more recently after I heard Jannik Top's bass playing for the first time. It was really inspiring for me to see a bass in the forefront of a band's sound instead of a guitar. Still haven't even tried to learn to play any Magma yet, because no-one tabs it and it's insane!

I love each and every instrument but you can't do much if you play a violin, flute or trumpet alone. That's why I picked a polyphonic instrument. When I heard ELP or Wakeman I thought that it would be great to play those solos and those extended complex pieces. Sadly I found that these guys were real monsters and although I managed to replicate some of the solos I was far from playing like them so I took it easy and started all over with easier mainstream songs. Then I found that it was fun to play keys or guitar while you're singing because you can make a song alone. When I played flute or violin I needed someone else to accompany me. In conclusion, the keyboard is what I like the most, you can do all the chords, play fast and sing along. Furthermore it has other sounds sampled so you can do lots of things. In fact, many of the newer prog bands like Ars Nova and Minimun Vital (if I dont mistake) use sampled keyboards to mimic other instruments with good effect. However I'd like to get my hands into a real piano or harpsichord, it has a magic of its own.

I started to play guitar because I was so amazed by Steve Howe and I still am.

Certif1ed wrote: Angus Young. 'nuff said

At least you only need the one string then, Cert

Prog-man wrote: STEVE HACKETT'S "FIRTH OF FIFTH" GUITAR SOLO (GENESIS - "SECONDS OUT") WAS MY REASON TO PLAY GUITAR.

Good call - if you're going to be inspired, be inspired by the best!

Personally, it was a combination of Ken Hensley, Thjis Van Leer & Tony Banks who made me crave a Hammond Organ; over the years (bear in mind, this is since about 1971), other players such as Greg Rolie, Keith Emerson, Rick Wakeman, Jon Lord, Hugh Banton and a host of others came at me from the prog/rock scene, plus players like Charles Earland, Joey DiFrancesco (probably spelt wrong) & Jimmy Smith from the jazz side...

In the end, I gave in & bought a 1971 Hammond L122 & Leslie 145; slowly (oh, so slowly!), I am learning to play (not easy to begin a completely new discipline at the age of 43 ) - I'll never be on the stage, but hey, who cares? I got me a Hammond!

Edited by Jim Garten - June 28 2006 at 03:36

When I was six my father came to me and said: "You have to learn piano". So I went and did. Very bad. Classical stuff. My female teacher was an opera singer with huge lungs. For 10 years I followed her lessons. With 16 I gave up. Then I started fingering on the piano trying to play SANTANA. - Then I lost my interest. - 6 years later after study I bought out of the blue a Roland 100 Synthie System with patch cables and all that accessories for a very big chunk of money. It was a mono instrument. - From that moment on I was into music - thinking of Rick Wakeman and players like him. I learned drums, a bit guitar, bass, trumpet, flute, harmonica. Now I find myself composing in my freetime on MIDI just for fun. - Needles to say that I appreciate very much that my daddy once came and said: "You have to learn piano". I was not keen at all those days. And he was severe man.