Korgscrew
Group: Super Admins
Posts: 3511
Joined: Dec. 1999 |
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Posted: Jan. 29 2003, 08:05 |
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Well...he mimes the violin in the Wonderful Land video, certainly...
He's played violins in a few places though, one of the easiest to hear being in the Sailor's Hornpipe in Tubular Bells. It's not much more than the sound of a bow being dragged across the strings, which isn't terribly difficult. Like with a lot of instruments, one of the hardest things about playing the violin is getting it to sound nice (getting the bowing technique right). I think that Mike said he could never learn the violin because he hates the screechy sound of a learner playing it (maybe he should try the cello, I've found they're a little easier on the ears in that respect).
There are a lot of instruments that Mike doesn't play - brass instruments for example, and reed instruments. I would say that if he could play them, he would have used them on an album - Tres Lunas wouldn't have had the sax guitar had Mike been able to play a real saxophone, for example.
I feel that the key thing at work with musicians like Mike that they've learnt not to play an instrument but how to make music. That feel for how to play something and make it sound musical is something which transfers to any instrument the player cares to turn his/her hand to, something which wouldn't be possible had (s)he learnt to play one particular instrument in a more mechanical fashion.
A willingness to experiment is also always very helpful...
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i like it. 
