i was just wondering if any of you play any musical instrument(s)?

me, i started learning (by myself) to play guitar when i was about 13 years old.
i'm not very good at all, but i like it *a lot*!
:)

i also tried learning to play saxophone, but somehow i couldn't manage to learn the breathing technique - it seems i'm unable to perform any more complicated fine-motoric (???) movements while breathing...
:D

i'd really like to learn to play piano and cello...

just started learning to play the great highland bagpipes.
tried guitar but i got sticky fingers...don't have much in the way of rythm either.

Let's see, in school I played French Horn and Flute.....picked up some piano along the way, and learned more in college, but I can't really play....

I'm too wacko to be disciplined enough to practice an instrument...

but I sing....it comes naturally. :p

I play guitar daily and have done since the fall of 1985. I first picked it up in 1971. I don't put much time into it during the summer just because my fingers are so soft! I play acoustic and I like things better when it's cool and dry.

Sadly I've played alone for my entire musical apprenticeship so am lacking many of the skills it might take to be of some use to others. Get out there and join some others who know how to have fun!

I'm considering giving it up entirely now. I too have a limited sense of rhythm. The worst part is that I love to sing and for the life of my I can't remember lyrics. There are songs I've played thousands of times and yet when there is a little pressure with an audience there is no way I can make it through a song without forgetting the words.

When I got my diagnosis confirmed the first thing I thought about was whether the meds were going to be enough to help me with my music.

I flirted with job as a music programmer on my beloved CBC but turned them down because they wouldn't give me my own show! Oh the ego!!! I laugh in gratitude when I look back and see what a disaster that would have been if they would have bit the hook.

I'm a huge music fan and vowed that my kids would know that music came from people and not from playing a radio/stereo/mp3 player or whatever.

I own a beautiful guitar and I'm gifted with ears to distinguish subtle tonal variation but a musicion I'm not and never will be.

I play a few bluegrass tunes and have taken some jazz theory but what comes out of me naturally is blues oriented.

Gratefully my kids all love to sing. When our middle child got the lead to play Dorthy in the school musical we all cringed collectively but the drama teacher knew something we didn't. Bonnie stepped up to the plate and learnt what she needed to pull off a very good job of all that singing.

At the kids choir recital the music teacher asked if I would perfom something at next years event. Most of my stuff is pretty bawdy but maybe I'll try and do something with the girls.

The two older girls have discovered the Stan Rogers ballads. There is nothing quite like family in harmony.

There are some great on-line resources for guitar. Good luck with your practise.

Irish - The pipes.. oh the pipes! My wife hates them :rolleyes: but I love them. I'm Scot pure as the driven snow as far as the records will tell on both sides. Of course I count myself as Canadian but the heritage is all Highlander. Married a mutt.. heh.. Oh settle down Futs! ;) Gads! How I love to tease! :D
ian

I play bass and guitar - in my more carefree days I earned some pretty good money playing in clubs in the area but having kids tends to make your spare time disappear.

I started playing alto saxophone when I was 11 and continued to play all throughout H.S. I fell in love with music, performing and all that. When I was a sophmore in H.S. I taught myself to play flute as well. Back in the day, I was a fairly good musician. Although now I am horribly out of practice and only pick it up every once in a while.

I used to play electric bass though I never had a good sense of rythm but it was fun... Always wanted to learn stand up bass.

~ BarneyMillerThemeSong.wav ~

Don't play anything never tried to and I can't sing......

I've always had an interest in drums but never had the chance to give playing them a try.That shy stuff kept me back

A weird thing happened tonight. I got asked to join a drumming group meeting Saturday night. I'll take my eldest and a local Quebec francophone exchange student and see if I can have some fun with others and music.
ian

Well that weird thing continued to be weird.

We got to the gathering late but they hadn't waited for us. ;) There was all kinds of drums and a couple other guitars playing.

My daughter settled in to yak with the folks she knew. Given that I had only met the organiser before, but could hardly claim to know her there was nothing to do but get my guitar out.

Now for the lengthy digression. For the short version-- It's all good!

I had attended the gathering against my better judgement. There is no precedent for a positive experience for me in situations like that. There are just too many distractions and too little confidence to make it work.

I went irrespective of my gut instincts to prove once and for all that my playing was completely self indulgent and irrelevant to anyone but myself. I aimed to sell my guitar and quit playing. I've wasted so much of my life, time and money spinning my wheels and I'm sick of it. Pruning wouldn't be to far off the mark to describe my attitude these days regarding my many interests. I'm putting a stop to a lot of things I was procrastinating on and similar stumbling blocks. I've had the telescope out for several days running and that's staying! :D

For instance my abilities in wiring domestic construction come with the great pain of not being able to hold all the variables well enough in my head to trouble shoot problems or verify questions. I bought an electrician's time and dumped my ego in the garbage. The electrical is done and I'm happier that it is. Playing guitar was next. I'm just not liniar enough. I had decided the time would be better spent seeing more live music made by people that could actually do it!

There must be something about this letting go stuff. I found my wife after years of searching, as soon as I let go of the dream. In my heart I had given up the search and then poof there she was. The same thing happened Saturday night. I had accepted that I would give up music and go on to something I could participate with in the community around me. I have such community surrounding my machining skills so I know what it feels like. It's a great feeling.

There were about 15 or so of us, mostly women playing and singing. I knew none of the stuff they played and they knew none of mine. Can you imagine not knowing John Prine! ;) But a woman on steel drum was a wiz at melody in simple keys so I just chimed in where I thought I might not make a mess. One thing lead to another. What was weird was that right from the get go I had no expectations and no anxiety. I was resloved to watch the death of a dream I'd had since 1971 in grade six when I got my first guitar. I didn't start playing daily until 1985 when I threw out my old song book and went looking for improvisational jazz.

Those sound like lofty goals and I guess they are for a guy like me. My wife remembers painfully the blue notes that seemed to go on through a phase that lasted for too many years.

I have played my whole musical experience alone with as little distraction as possible. I do play with a metronome periodically and it's a good thing I had done so because it came in very handy Saturday night.

Relaxed and without expectation I had a ball. I played until the wee hours of the morning never setting my guitar down once. I got lots of kind comments for my limited solo and rhythm contributions. It was simply life changing. I'm still as high as a kite knowing that my mind is not beyond offering up a break once in a while. I've had a few of these types of experiences in the last several months.

The last one was in relation to my workout efforts. I'd been working very hard for a long time and thought I was going nowhere. It was suggested or I gleaned in the exercise forum that I should find out where my limits were and it turned out that I was a way further along in my progress than I thought. I just hadn't thought to check how far I could go.

I guess it must be a combination of things contributing to this shift in me, but no doubt the meds are playing a role. Years of working on life skills have likely prepared me well to take advantage of the windows of opportunity being offered.

I was among peers. A musician among musicians. A dream 19 years in the making came to fruition. I cried with relief that the most fun I can have without my wife :p was now available.

By the end of the evening the aurora were blazing and the fire flies were like pixie dust below us. Too far from the maddening crowd to even hear a car we were perched on top of a 60' hill surrounded by some of the last tall grass prairie in this area. Brilliant.

Thank-you all for your part in helping me along the way.

ian

Very cool Ian!

Sorry I never got back to you about that music stuff, some weird little mental block on my part. I don't hardly know any of those musicians. I love John Prine though!

...should find out where my limits were and it turned out that I was a way further along in my progress than I thought. I just hadn't thought to check how far I could go.

I guess it must be a combination of things contributing to this shift in me, but no doubt the meds are playing a role. Years of working on life skills have likely prepared me well to take advantage of the windows of opportunity being offered.

I was among peers.
By the end of the evening the aurora were blazing and the fire flies were like pixie dust below us. Too far from the maddening crowd to even hear a car we were perched on top of a 60' hill surrounded by some of the last tall grass prairie in this area. Brilliant.

Thank-you all for your part in helping me along the way.

ianwow - your post brought me to tears, ian!
:)

i kinda feel like that about life, opportunity and meds too!
for the first time in my life, i'm actually seeing things for what they *are* - not for what i *fear* they might be, not for what i *want* them to be - and it's *sooo* good!

in the four months since i've been on concerta i've done *a lot* of "growing up", and i've discovered something *really* "weird":

before (i e before concerta), i used to think that "i don't want to grow up - people who're grown up - be they 20 or 70 years old - seem so preoccupied with worries about the future, how they're perceived by other people, making a good impression and so on. do they ever just *relax*???"...

*now*, however, i've realised that *i* was the one who worried about the future, how i'm perceived by other people and making a good impression and so on!!!
not on a conscious level, mind you, but i honestly don't think i *ever* relaxed - not for *one* minute...
i was constantly "on guard", ready to fight or fly as a response to real or (mostly) imagined "threats"...

i'm slowly but surely learning to allow myself to *relax*, and just *enjoy* life...

i've had rare moments of "flow" (at least i *think* that's what you're describing) at certain points in my life, but i'm finding myself experiencing them more frequently *now* (thanks to concerta???), or maybe it's simply a case of my being "open" to them now that's making me aware of them???

paul, i think this is where *you* come in!
;)

ian: reading about your experience makes me feel *good*, and i'm very "happy" for you!
*hugging ian*

take care!
/gabriela

Cool is right Paul.

It was surreal. No worries about the music thread. There's plenty of time to get into that later some time. I've been thinking that it might be fun to burn up a compilation disc or a series of discs.

I did a pile of them for my bid with CBC radio but that was in the days before discs existed in my life. I'll see if I have a play list still around just for fun.

Since the early eighties I have travelled a less beaten path with my musical taste. Do you enjoy Tom Waits? Ferron is another that yanks my heart strings but less painfully than Waits. He was one of my first forays into the underworld that avoids radio.

Living beyond the commercial.
ian

Gabriela, what do you mean about me coming in?

Ian, I like Tom Waits
"Innocent When You Dream" etc.
I really have to be in the mood though.

Sorry but I really hate burning CDs. I just emailed you a list of what I've got though.

paul,

i guess i kinda figured that - and here i go jumping into conclusions again, maybe, but this is the "picture" i've gotten of you: someone who's interested and well-read on subjects like "flow" and things like that... - you'd be familiar with the concept of "flow"...
:o

Well, I've not been flowing well recently and would really like to change that. Thanks for the mention though, it's certainly good to hear about you guys getting in the flow.

yup.. the flow. Right in the groove. Uncharted territory for that milieu. I suspect it's pretty addictive. < g >

Paul I hope you can find the scent of the trail back to that stream soon. It would be good to hear some hope in your voice. When it's bleak it's some kind of dark out there. I'm not anxious to be back there any time soon. Strength to you.

Tonight I finished working up the chorus to a song I've been fiddling with for a few weeks. Managed to sing along with most of it, now I need to work on the timing and clean it up. It's a humorous bit. I can't find the lyric sheet on-line so maybe later some time.

I used to play only serious toned stuff. I got hurt in the winter of 94/95 and lost ten weeks of my life and that's when I learnt a bunch of John Prine tunes and lightened up some. Now I really like making people smile. Consequently I don't take myself so seriously and that's been some assistance in helping to get over myself.

Be good to yourselves. You all have been kind.
ian

Its been a long time since this message has been posted, but I just joined, and just read it, so here's my reply. :)

I was just diagnosed 2 weeks ago with ADD, (I'm 22) and i'm currently experimenting with meds (currently Dextroamphetamine). Here's my history of musical instruments. :)
Age 6 - Started playing keyboard/piano
Age 9 - played viola (related to the violin for those that don't know)
Age 12 - started clarinet
Age 13 - learned saxophone
Age 14 - Learned tuba
Age 15 - Learned trombone
Age 16 - learned euphonium/baritone
Age 19 - learned french horn

Most of these instruments I taught to myself. Luckily I was born with a gift for music, so everything just comes easy. I would just get bored with one instrument, and switch to another, etc. I can still play all of them pretty well at this point, so I'm the person the music director looks to if we need a certain instrument in a section. :)

Along the way I also taught myself guitar. Never got very good at it though. A string broke, and i just never replaced it, so I haven't played that in about 5 years.

Music has been a lifesaver for me. It gives me something I'm good at and excel at. Also, its a great way to meet people! Its something I hope to continue throughout my lifetime.

For those of you that have instruments collecting dust in your attic, I strongly encourage you to take that instrument out,a nd find a community band in your area. I was in a community band for a while, and many adults in teh band were actually relearning their instruments. Just a suggestion. :)

~KGro

Good to have you aboard.

Anything you can contribute on music related topic about how it's helped will be welcomed with open arms!



I'm never going to be a real musician but I play daily and love it. I don't have the attention span to play well or with much success with others but that is ok. It helps bring me joy and periodically brings something good for someone else too.



I swore I would not raise kids in a house where music came exclusively from Cd's, TV and the like. Music comes from people and every now and again it comes from me too now. :)



Tell us all about yourself and how music has helped things along for you.



I'm just back after a week away from my guitar. www.perryguitars.com is a close friend now. His site has some cool info on extreme acoustic interests.



He makes almost all classical 12 fret instruments but every now and again he catches up his steel string guitars and that's where I run into money trouble! ehehh I've owned two and am glad to be home to it and playing. I can't remember the last time I went a week without playing. Actually I don't play nearly as much in the summer but who cares.. ehh



Enjoy your time here.

Ian.

I love playing music. I started on keyboard in third grade and French Horn in fifth. Somewhere in there I picked up guitar on my own and got pretty good at the campfire/church youth group variety of songs. Music kept me out of trouble and connected to others -- it was one of the biggest influeces of my growing up years. I even got he John Phillip Sousa Band Award in Highschool. I've marched in parades at Disney and through Dallas, TX. Traveled to eight countries in the orient and later to Russia and Romania as friendship ambassors with our college orchestra before the iron curtain came down (dating myself here). I didn't play my guitar for years, because a string broke, but my husband recently fixed it, so I've picked that up again some recently. Am playing the piano again some too. My 7 year old is learning to play the chimes and lap harp. She really seems to love it. Funny thing is as much as I love to play in an orchestra, it drives me nuts to sit and listen to one! Ah the ADD paradoxes!:)

Scattered

Scattered,

I got that John Philip Sousa Award also! Thats kind of funny. :)
Also, I'm the same way when it comes to actually comes to listening to music. I love playing, and could do so for hours (as long as we're not practicing the same piece for that long), but when I go to a concert I get bored, and wish I was the one playing. Kind of funny isn't it??

I was also in a Drum and Bugle Corps for a couple years. We travelled around the country on 4 coach busses, slept on gym floors (or the buses if we had to travel), and practiced outside in the summer heat up to 15 hours a day. Talk about structure! Every hour of the day was planned, with little/no free time. I would get frustrated very often because it was just extremely tedious, but the end result was amazing, and it was a great experience.

Ok, so like i said earlier, music has just made me who I am. I think its a great thing for everyone. Because of my impatience, I do get frustrated a lot in rehearsals, but its a small price to pay for all the benefits. I met most of my friends in all the bands i've been in. I think the most positive thing it has done for me is it leaves me with less free time to waste. Currently, i take 19 credit hours in college (i'm not even a music major), work 16 hours a week, and am in music rehearsals about 8 hours a week. I find that the less free time I have, the less likely I am going to procrastinate. Of course procrastination still happens, but with such little free time, you really have no choice when something needs to get done.

Have a good day everyone!

~KGro

I'm starting to learn D.J.ing. I do believe it is a music form, some people don't, but I've not really started. I hope this won't be one of those things I start, but never finish.


Could I use you guys as support?

Like have a "buddy system" thing maybe?

If you see me ask if I've practiced for the day and if I haven't... I have to go home.

I don't know... it's just a thought.

I know I'm in the minority here in the US but bagpipe music makes the hairs on my neck stand up, in a good way. I guess they trigger my ancestral memories. ;)



just started learning to play the great highland bagpipes.
tried guitar but i got sticky fingers...don't have much in the way of rythm either.

Gee I never got that far in music as you all have. I was in first or second grade when I took piano at the convent and first learned to play some songs by the nuns. Then dad bought us a cool antique piano and we took lessons after school from this lady ....above the movie theatre. I know the names of the keys and but never learned to the left hand. We did practice alot as we go older so dad chopped the piano up with an axe.

I would love to learn to play the piano but living in an apartment an no piano not going to work... auntchris

Hi Gabriela
..what you described is exactly where I am at , after 4 month of Retalin, I sort of realize now that there is a life to live. I just could see myself in you story
xo Otto (Australia)

I know I'm in the minority here in the US but bagpipe music makes the hairs on my neck stand up, in a good way. I guess they trigger my ancestral memories. ;)
I was in the car the other day and heard a piece by the Simon Frazer University Pipe Band and had to sit still and crank it up. Man what a band! My 15 year old daughter "got it" too and we were both better off for the experience. Love that stuff. My ancestry is Scot on both sides all the way back.
Cheers! Ian the Canadian... :D

hello, fellow musicians!
This is a cool thread! I minored in music in college - specifically vocal. However, I play piano (almost 20 years) and guitar (6 years, but I don't spend enough time playing) and i used to play flute (5 years). I have always wanted to play drums, but I live in an apartment that has thin walls :(

I taught myself guitar and made a lot of progress with piano when I quit lessons. I've been really lucky, music comes so easily to me.

Music is a passion of mine ever since I can remember. It is a huge stress reducer for me. It's been one of the few things I can concentrate on without meds.

I play the piano, sing, and am a songwriter. I played the violin as a child but got over that quickly. Tried the mandolin also....no go. I have a love/hate relationship with the guitar and always gravitate back to my beloved ebony and ivories....I truly would love to play acoustic guitar just because it would be cool to throw it in the jeep and head down to the beach with it. But I don't know that it will ever happen. I am happy to boast however, that my kids are all musical!!! The twins are nearing 12...one plays bass and one electric guitar. My 7 year old plays drums. My daughter is a monster with a tamborine!!! She sings at the top of her lungs and dances with utter abandon....

We have no dining room. We have a JAM ROOM instead!!!!!! PRIORITIES!!!!!!!

Music.....gosh....Couldn't live without it. No exaggeration. Would absolutely lose my way...

Hey Livinginchaos,

I always wanted to play drums, too....I've been known to bang on my son's and MAN IS THAT A TOTAL BLAST!!!!!:D

LOL - Playing drums would be great for releasing frustration, free2bme!
I'm envious that you're a songwriter. I can learn instruments easily, but can't write anything original to play.

I've always wanted to learn to play the bass guitar.

I need to win the lottery (if i could just remember to buy a ticket :), then I could afford to buy all these instruments!

I know exactly what you mean. I never remember to buy lottery tickets either....but that would definitely be a cool way to better equip ourselves instrumentally speaking....

I wish I were like Prince and could pick up any instrument created, making beautiful music with it. Some people have a gift that is utterly amazing to me. Oh well, the good thing about piano is that everyone wants you at their weddings and christmas parties!!:eek: They don't realize I'd rather be playing Chopin, John Ondrazik, Don Henley or some Tina Turner, but hey....it's all good!

Songwriting isn't as difficult as you might think. With your music background I'm certain you could do it. Give it a shot!! :)

Prince is insane! I'm with you free2bme, to have his talent would be amazing!
thanks for your encouragement with songwriting.

I tried songwriting while i was tackling all those music classes for my minor . . . . LOL . . .. I sucked. Definitely not for lack of trying, though. I never liked nor understood the formulas we had to follow for writing in music theory!

Perhaps it's because my school's music program was for classical music only.

me, i'm more rock n' roll.. . . .

Prince is insane! I'm with you free2bme, to have his talent would be amazing!
thanks for your encouragement with songwriting.

I tried songwriting while i was tackling all those music classes for my minor . . . . LOL . . .. I sucked. Definitely not for lack of trying, though. I never liked nor understood the formulas we had to follow for writing in music theory!

Perhaps it's because my school's music program was for classical music only.

me, i'm more rock n' roll.. . . .
Chaos, you're welcome for the encouragement.:) I'm into good ole Rock n' Roll, too! I have a great appreciation for classical music, mind you...Chopin is my fav in that genre. But I don't pay any mind to the formulas studied in theory classes when I'm songwriting. At first I couldn't get that out of my brain, which was stifling and drove me nuts!! I've discovered songwriting's one of those things you shouldn't overanalyze or try to hard at, difficult when you have formal music education and a tendency to overanalyze EVERYTHING!!:eek: I've learned with time to just sorta let it rip!

i started drum lessons my sheet music 1year ago, but stopped, hope to pick up again.




p

Piano. I'm SO glad I studied piano lessons as a child...I think my ADD symptoms would have been much worse. Back then, no one knew about ADD. And being a quiet, well-behaved, little girl, there was no indication of "hyperactivity". Piano was a great tool to develop dscipline, hand-eye coordination and a sense of accomplishment.

Whenever I'm feeling a little rattled and unfocused now, I go to my piano!

""I'm considering giving it up entirely now. I too have a limited sense of rhythm.""


i saw your post and i gotta say man, WHAT THE HECK YOU GONNA STOP FOR....i bet you couldnt stop even if you wanted to , i say that because i know i cant, i play everyday at least 3 hours, my fingers are like cement tipped lol

up until the fall of last year i wasnt really interested in playing my solo songs for people it was more of personal gratification type of thing, but luck fell into my lap in january and now im in band who has weekly gigs in boston and about to record an album !

im just so happy i get to play music and have it be taken seriously by the people around me, im sorry to attack you here but that post made me sad my friend.

Age 5-7 violin
Age 7-9 piano
Age 9 guitar (electric, by my mandate)
Age 12 sax
Age 16 classical guitar
Age 17 sitar

Everyone in my family is proficient with at least two instruments. As a child I was exposed to about 8-12 hours of classical music and oldies a day by virtue of my environment. Generally speaking I found learning music to be almost effortless, although having learned to read music at the same age I was learning to read english certainly gave me an advantage. I am more than proficient in all major styles of guitar with the exception of country (oddly, I have nothing against it but I never got around to learning it). Sax (classical) was very natural to learn, and I reached college-level literature as I entered high school. By the time I graduated I had played through all of the standard works, and reached the skill level of a 2nd or 3rd year conservatory student.

Classical guitar was an amusing story. Early on in high school I ran into a dead end in terms of the technical skills my teachers could provide. After researching my next step for about a year I reached the conclusion that mastering classical guitar would land me more technical skill than I could ever need and it would carry over to other styles directly. In retrospect I don't know how I pulled it off (aside from hard work and dumb luck), but within 18 months I succeeded in being accepted by two major conservatories on the east cost and two in Ohio (my home state). As a classical guitar performance major my arm survived about one academic year until injuries became apparent. Five years after the fact I have undergone treatment (surgery and physical therapy) for nerve compression and entrapment at all four possible sites where such an injury can occur.

Learning to live without playing music a few hours a day was one of the most difficult adjustments I have ever faced (imagine the frustration of a sculptor losing his hands), and it was a hugely pivotal period in my life. I got a chance to reinvent myself, my goals, and my self concept. My other strong suit had always been science, so I dove into engineering for a couple of years until I discovered medicine as my true path and went into biochemistry as a pre-med. I've since learned how to channel my creativity into science and my new artistic hobbies of photography and botany.

That's the short version, and I'm sorry if I rambled off a bit. I know that ADHDers are notoriously creative, and learning to harness this beastly gift seems to be the big objective most of us face. I will be very interested to hear if anyone else has had a similar experience.

-Hugh

i Learned to play the piano and still can, I also play flute.

you all sound so talented in the music field. I love music just dont play anything now and living in an apt dont think my neighbors would appreciate it. Someday soon I hope to get back to the piano. I would love to learn the violin. I did childcare and Anna who was 4 at the time was teaching me how to play. I was using her moms violin. I miss those lessons. The one think she taught me is you have to be able to play the song without the instrument before you can use an instument. All the finger cords and positionings. That was fun learning from Anna. Wow what a memory. I want MUSIC back in my life.

I am the only one in my family without a shred of musical talent. I have the ADD with the H. My sons- trombone, tuba, voice, guitar, bass, cello, drums, keyboard. Two of them are inatentive ADD as is my husband.

Husband voice and keyboards, a little drums and guitar. He sings and plays regularly in a band. And the teen boys have a band 60's,70's and new rock. Something about ADD! Wish I had the talent..I'm visual and right brained.

I'm an ADD kid (though likely not as attention-deficit as some) who learned some piano as a young child, then learned some saxophone from 5th grade to 9th grade. I also sang from 3rd grade to 5th grade. I sure did enjoy the ability to make music.

I don't have time for any of that now, because...


In high school I'm busy with a system of other courses (no room for the elective).
After school I'm spending a load of time on my homework. Surely many can relate.
I still have a nice appreciation for music in general, with a slight preference for Jazz. I regularly find myself making up tunes, too. For a while I once tried writing them out in MIDI files (but now might need more motivation than just to 'see if I can').

Hello everyone, I just joined!
I found this topic very interesting.

This last year, August '04, I started taking paino lessons again. I was not yet diagnosed with ADD.
I loved taking lessons, I felt highly motivated and excited with a wonderful teacher.

She was constantly telling me, that my main problem was that I didn't know how to practice proerply, that I lacked self-dsicipline.

Now this is something people have been telling me my whole life--and I concur! But I did manage to get a Phd, do manage to run an attractive an failry organised household--thank God my husband handles the responsiblity for paying bills--because I would not manage that as efficiently as he does.
Then a about early March of this year, I caught a teelvision interview with Dr. Hallowell on Oprah. I tuned in the middle of the show and without knowing the topic, I intuitively guessed it was about ADD in adults, something I suspected I might have.

I went out snd bought the book, and couldn't believe that this might explain some of what I expereinced as my "normal" life.

I made some appoitnments, got an assessment, cried out of releief that there was an explanation and cried that something was "wrong" with me too.
When I started the Ritalin, I felt an immediate difference. Last week, my piano teacher noticed a difference in the way I tackled things.

hallowell's book recommedns a number of approaches--all of which I seem to have stumbled on on my own after a lifetime--he recommends music because of the corodination it calls for between left/right brain. He allso suggests execrcise--I love doing Pilates, again because it requires coordination of both mind/body.
Both of these activities have given me focus and discipline the ritalin has made me less susceptible to distraction.

Two weeks plus into the ritalin and I am practicing at the piano more than ever. I still need to discipline how I allocate my time.
That is still catch as catch can.

I am also somewhat panicy that the ritalin won't be enough--I feel poised on a threshold of taking great strides forward but I am still holding myself back.

The psychologist told me that taking the medication is like getting glasses, they will help you to see the printed words on a page, but you still have to learn to read.
I am impatient, I want the glasses to do the work!

Montana

Wow, thanks for the reminder, and the assurance that my instincts told me right. What they had told me, in this case, is that (1) I don't want activities that are just plain left-brained, and not ones devoid of logic either, but a balance between left and right. (How I loved geometry.) Also, (2) as much as I like using my head, I don't prefer to do my work by just sitting around in one place all day.

Those are both reasons I can't stop admiring the career of an architect. They use both their left and right brain skillfully to design, then regularly go out and physically visit the building as its being built (allowing them to do something on their feet instead of on their seat).

Anyways, considering what you said, I've gotta find room for a bit of music in my life again. Maybe playing it, or maybe writing it.... Is there anything left-brained about writing it?

I took drums/keyboard lessons in middle school...lost interest. Took piano in highschool. My teacher said I just didnt get it. My fingers would never flow, they would always "plunk" the keys. It used to make the teahcer cringe.

Part of my problem is a sustained beat. Its like I concentrate to hard then lose the beat. Much like my typing, it is just horribly inconsistant.

Maybe in the future I will be able to revisit one or more. I would so love to be able to play the piano!!!!


Ok, I can sing. Not tone def, but I aint no Ella Fitzgerald either. (I ran a karaoke show in our bar for 2 years. They loved me! :D What a great ego boost!)

And Ian, reading your firsts posts on here, about the night you went to jam, had me in tears! How inspirational and wonderful. Thank you for sharing.

I was wondering how most ADHD'ers handle the "practice properly" problem. My counselor says we sense time differently. I may think I've been practicing for a half an hour but only 10 minutes have gone by!

I took guitar lessons when I was 7 then again in Jr. High at 12. Since then, I've mainly taught myself. I pick it up for a couple of years then don't touch the bloody thing for 5-6 years.

I taught myself the tenor sax using my brothers old sax. Wish I had kept it up.

Someone mentioned "sticky fingers". I find that sometimes my fingers don't follow what my brain is telling them to do. I guess that's why when I learned to play the piano at age 10, I basically memorized entire pieces. It's not that I can't read music, there seems to be a disconnect between seeing the notes on the paper, translating them and getting my fingers into the correct position.

I have to agree with Ian...music is made by people. We try to take our kids to concerts as much as possible and introduce them to various styles of music. While I may not care for some of their music, I try not to stifle their interest. Both kids have taken violin, recorder and guitar. I'm hoping my son will continue with guitar in his new school...either that or I'm taking his Fender acoustic away from him and using it myself!!

Eric

I played the trumpet throughout my grammar and junior high years. I was darn good too. Got kicked out of band at grade 8. The reason being that I did not listen. I would love to learn the sax but my lungs would not permit it.

ha...lol...this is part of my ADD...when I was in elementry, jr. high school, and high school I played...deep breath...

piano- 7 years
flute- 2yrs
violin- 2yrs
sang- my whole life
guitar- 1 yr
clarinet-1 yr


:D

I play Mandolin and Banjo.. in my school days I played trumpet

Trumpet and im teaching my self alto saxophone

Hello, I started piano lessons when I was 9 and learned the basics about reading music, rythm, basic theory, etc. But I was soon bored with it so I stoped. Then when I was 14 I liked this girl who kept telling me how great her piano teacher was (an old lady she is great I like her a lot too now) so I decided it would be a good idea to start studying piano with her teacher too, because i wanted to get to see this girl more often hahaha. Anyway I discovered I am great at playing the piano!! I have been studying since then daily. For me piano is something I am very good at because despite me being a lousy student i.e. I can only practice for like 30 minutes before i get bored, my brain works while Im not playing the piano so the next time I sit down at the piano I can easily play the two or three measures I was studying before!!. I saw a documental once on T.V. that explained how your brain learns how to coordinate movements that you perform repeatedly (like gymnastics or piano) while you are in deep sleep. So well I guess that is what happens to me. And I have great muscular memory, and aural memory too so that helps. Besides it is the only thing I may find myself hyperfocusing on sometimes.
I think ADD people may be good at playing piano because it requires you to do a lot of repetitive movements, so for me it replaces fidgeting and moving my feet when i am normally sitting down. And well the repetitive part it is great I dont know if it is just me but i find it relaxing to do repetitive things like saying a word a lot of times for a long time or just uhm playing a note on the piano for a lot of time, etc, It calms me down hahah. And it is even funier to do it ryhtmically!!
Yes so I love piano, and piano music, Chopin and Bach are my favorite
Ahh and another thing is that I was left handed when I was a child but my mother insisted on me being right handed so well now i write with the right hand, but my left hand coordination is great, so that helps me when playing bach for example, bach inventions or fuges, yes... And well i am latino so I have a great sense of rythm!! ;) I love dancing reggaeton too hahah

Bye

trumpet since I was 6 or 7. Was good, very good (top three in state), till I went to Uni and learned how boring people could make music, took the life right out of it.. Cant complain though, got to enjoy the road through life.

ive played guitar since like forever but thats common in my culture..

tenor, soprano, alto, and bari saxophone, piano, guitar, and mandolin

I'm trying to learn guitar but I'm so impatient it's painful. Not to mention - I never know where to begin... I really love music but I can't translate my thoughts to the instrument. I'm also taking a piano class right now - a terribly slow and boring class.

I've had a bad history with meds... but my problems with learning music is really driving me to try meds again - drrr jlldjfljslfjldsjfdfwefns :)

P.S. I'm awful at reading notes and putting them to my playing too :P

I've drummed for years now. At the same time I'm not very good yet very good. I couldn't stand practising so I really don't have any of the basics. I can't even excuted a decent roll. But I feel I have my own sound. I tend to follow the singer and the lead instrument in my playing, which I think is out of the norm.

My hihat goes everywhere, I do tons of ghosting on the snare. My fills can be a bit weird.

I still play often with my best mates, doing everything from jazz to rock and we gig reasonably often.

From at least the age of 5 I've tried to learn the piano several times, guitar several times and the drums a few times before. And also music theory. I just couldn't sit down and learn scales, etc etc. I just couldn't practise.

i played piano in middle school was boring so quit it

Violin and Piano

I played the viola for years and became very good. I was the principal chair for the youth symphony in my area and was in my college's string quartet (before I transferred schools).

I could have been a lot better if I practiced more! I think my ADD killed my will to practice. I have a hard time picking up the instrument now. I think I needed the structure of regular lessons to push me. I don't think I could just motivate myself to do it...maybe if I established some sort of schedule...

Singing has never been a problem.

I attempted the trombone and the piano but I can't get my brain around that two hands each doing something different thing.

I played violin for 4 years. I picked it up pretty fast but practicing was my down fall, never got that great at it. I still own a violin but I never play.