What are the best instruments a song writer should know how to play??

[MYRMW]

I am a songwriter and I am going to a academy in Australia and I have electives of instruments we can learn throught out the 3 year course. My major will be vocal.

I was thinking the other instruments I would like are to increase my guitar skills i know a little on classical guitar but maybe look at bass guitar.

I was also looking at drums as another, keyboard is basic, I was even looking at a few wood sind instruments such as a sax. I have had many say to learn the clarinet before the sax as it is easeir. How true is this. Any advise?

Are there any good books I could buy to give me a head up on these instruments. I was even thinking of learning again a violin or flute to add definition or would I beable to create those sounds using a midi found in Cubase and Pro tools??

[RiffRaff]

You have pretty high ambitions though you could be another Leonard Bernstein for all I know.
I would try to become proficient with the guitar and piano. JMO.
This way you can play and sing.
Hard to sing and play the sax at the same time ;or any kind of wind instrument.
Can't think of two many vocalists who played a wind instrument. I'm sure there have been , but I think you know what I mean. I guess Louis Armstrong played a coronet or something.
If your ambition is to write scores and ensembles then I guess you need to learn as many musical instruments as you can.
Good Luck !

[MYRMW]

I have found that you use the same breathing technique to sing as to play a sax or clarinet. I mean if I could beat box it would help but not quite yet. How ever I want to beable to have an idea of writing and do demos with instruments to take and improve on with in a studio.

[DT Chris]

Originally Posted by MYRMW

What are the best instruments a song writer should know how to play??

Why is it that when someone says an artist 'should' anything, my eyes glaze over?

There are no 'best' instruments. You can write a song with a broomhandle, string and washtub.

Play an instrument that you want to play, what makes you happy, and go from there.

There are no rules to creating music. The sooner you realize that, the farther ahead you will be. :-D

[drago]

Very simply, the best instrument to learn PERIOD is piano. If you know how to play piano, you have the foundation to learn any other instrument.

[mikromort]

Originally Posted by drago

Very simply, the best instrument to learn PERIOD is piano. If you know how to play piano, you have the foundation to learn any other instrument.

I don't think MYRMW want's to learn other instruments, I think she want's to learn an instrument that will help write songs. If you're looking for an instrument to do melodies with well then choose an instrument that accompanies a melody, meaning something that you can play chords on. That can be either a guitar or piano. A guitar is just easier to learn because once you learn bar chords you can accompany yourself and it's kinda handy. Keys are fine too and you will learn notation a lot better than a piano because you have to learn key signatures (or fumble your way around like I do)

That all being said, I have to agree with DT, use a kazoo if you want, but if you're really serious about writing songs it would be a good idea to learn about chord structure and how to read and write music (notice I put "a good idea" and not should).

[MatsonMusicBox]

piano - IMHO of course

[P.P.T.]

Piano.
It's the best tool for composition. You can just do so much with it.

I have played guitar my whole life and consider it a distant second for composition.
I would consider a monophonic instrument almost useless for songwriting.

[RHCNYC]

Guitar and Piano.

You can buy a guitar cheap, to get started. Plus it's portable, and you'll tend to run into them at a friend's house. There is very little music you can't provide musical accompaniment with a guitar.

Pianos, naturally, are a great foundation for musical composition, and learning theory. They obviously have a beautiful sound and richness matched by few other instruments.
Sadly, they're not as portable as a guitar (if that's a characteristic you'd like to have).

I originally a guitar player, but am now teaching myself piano. Best of both worlds.

[Chad_Rushing]

I've written over 30 songs accompanying myself on guitar, and only about 2 on the piano. That's because I can carry my guitar around with me.

But, as Mikromart (sp?) said, anything that makes chords is the way to go. That could be anything from a lute to a ukulele to a harp. /shrug it's whatever you like playing. I write on the guitar (mainly acoustic) because I love playing the guitar. 'Nuf sed.