Using this logic i've reasoned that the trumpet is easier to play than the bass because it only has three valves.  Singing is the easiest of all because you only have one mouth.  Drumming is the hardest because i've seen some drummers who play upwards of a hundred pieces.  John Bonham must not be a very good drummer because he only used about 6. 

As a pianist, a trumpeter, a bassist, and a (bathroom, but sometimes with my band) singer I have to say: a tiny imaginary can for you, paul. i'm not allowed to give them out yet, but once i am, you will get one.

the trumpet, when played correctly, is both incredibly sexy and horribly difficult. (listen to dizzy gillespie or miles davis if you don't believe me.) the best players can make it wail like a... (to be truthful) donkey. a very attractive donkey, mind you.

the piano is much easier, once you master the ability to relate those little scribbles on a page or sounds into finger movements. it takes most people about 3 or 4 years of practice. after that, it's pretty easy to play 'most everything with minimal effort (judging from the people in my music class in high school.)

The drummer and the bassist both suffer from the fact that.. as the rhythm section... in most cases, they're supposed to be in the background sonically. You only notice them if they're incompetent or if the song was specifically written to show off their skills.

...or if you have a tendency to listen to super-audio CDs and listen closely like a nerd.

another imaginary tiny can for you, sir. 'most everyone i know thinks the bass is guitar for people who were dropped on their heads when they were children. the rest wonder how exactly one plays a giraffe.

anyway. you can play the bass for yonks, and never get the groove one needs to play jazz, swing, or funk (the latter is the one reason why i play the bass. funk is the seximus prime of music.) of course most pop and "emo" nowadays is dead easy to play on the bass. but that's not it's fault! blame the long-haired, greasy-faced wristslitters that churn out derivative crap. hello, teenage wrist-slitters and indie rock nerds! have you perchance heard of talking heads, the buzzcocks, nirvana, the smiths, sunny day real estate, or joy division, or done more than just name-check them? god.


ahem. all apologies for nerding out about music. but i love me my music.

*retreats back into her tiny lurker cave*

side_show, there's simply no way i can beat Breasts-on-a-Platter (TM). I am a one-hit wonder.

I predict a few more mediocrely-funny posts, then a downward spiral into heroin addiction accompanied by increasingly-incoherent posts, and finally a flamingly-spectacular exit from TOUAMB.

in 2010 jough and ADawg will run another thread titled "where are these assholes now?" where i will feature in passing.

delicious-munge-sauce --> breasts-on-a-platter --> soul-crushingly-emo-self-flagellation. viva la threadjack.