What is your second instrument?

[dahmin]

What is your second instrument?
My daughter just did her grade 3 piano exam and wants to study a guitar.  She's also interested in saxophone and others.
I'm thinking an orchestral instrument would be good.  So she can play with other musicians.

Any advice?
And what is your second instrument?
How good are you at it?  As good or better than the piano?

[healdie]

I play guitar and Piano I can't say to what standard because I play very differently on the two I am primarily a Jazz/fusion player on Guitar, but I play more classical on Piano (I'm a passable jazz pianist but not great) and I'm technically better on the Piano but I'm more unique on the guitar

Although I would say that whatever instrument she learns she will be able to play with other instrumentalists simply because that how music works, it doesn't have to be an orchestral one, but as advice I would say  let her pick, as if she picks she is more likely to work hard and play better if it's an instrument she truly wants to learn, but my other piece of advice would be to wait until she is grade 5 on piano and playing at an intermediate standard at the minute she is still fairly early on in her piano training and starting two instruments here could be a bit much

[naaga]

the idea of an orchestral instrument may be good, especially if the instrument is different from the piano: in this way she would receive a more complete musical education.
maybe an instrument like cello or violin is the best because tuning it you develop your "ear", but it can be too difficult to study 2 at the same time

[teenytitans]

Contrabass 

I like playing in orchestras so that I will also be exposed to symphonies, orchestral music etc. and not just piano music. It is also challenging to develop the ear in lower pitches

[tb230]

My second instrument is the flute. It used to be my first and I used to be quite good at it, but when I stopped playing in chamber groups and orchestras I sort of lost the will to practice regularly. The tiny muscles around your mouth really need regular exercise to function properly, so I swapped to piano instead. My piano playing can take a few days off better than my flute playing, and I think piano is more rewarding as a solo instrument. That said, I miss playing with others and had lots of fun playing in different chamber groups when I was young(er). A second instrument could give you more opportunities to learn how to relate to other musicians, how to follow a conductor etc. than the piano alone.     
 

[dahmin]

I play guitar and Piano I can't say to what standard because I play very differently on the two I am primarily a Jazz/fusion player on Guitar, but I play more classical on Piano (I'm a passable jazz pianist but not great) and I'm technically better on the Piano but I'm more unique on the guitar

Although I would say that whatever instrument she learns she will be able to play with other instrumentalists simply because that how music works, it doesn't have to be an orchestral one, but as advice I would say  let her pick, as if she picks she is more likely to work hard and play better if it's an instrument she truly wants to learn, but my other piece of advice would be to wait until she is grade 5 on piano and playing at an intermediate standard at the minute she is still fairly early on in her piano training and starting two instruments here could be a bit much

Thanks for your advice.  Her preference on the guitar was pretty much influenced.  For trumpet, she concerns it'd shape her lips differently with the buzzing (will it?).

[dahmin]

the idea of an orchestral instrument may be good, especially if the instrument is different from the piano: in this way she would receive a more complete musical education.
maybe an instrument like cello or violin is the best because tuning it you develop your "ear", but it can be too difficult to study 2 at the same time

I agree an orchestral instrument would be great for advancing own musicianship.
She held a friend's violin, fiddled a little and liked it. 
There are just so many choices.  She wouldn't know which she'd enjoy until trial...

[dahmin]

Contrabass 

I like playing in orchestras so that I will also be exposed to symphonies, orchestral music etc. and not just piano music. It is also challenging to develop the ear in lower pitches

Contrabass is double bass isn't it?
As an adult, I still would like to learn the cello.  How difficult it is to learn a string instrument as a pianist?

[dahmin]

My second instrument is the flute. It used to be my first and I used to be quite good at it, but when I stopped playing in chamber groups and orchestras I sort of lost the will to practice regularly. The tiny muscles around your mouth really need regular exercise to function properly, so I swapped to piano instead. My piano playing can take a few days off better than my flute playing, and I think piano is more rewarding as a solo instrument. That said, I miss playing with others and had lots of fun playing in different chamber groups when I was young(er). A second instrument could give you more opportunities to learn how to relate to other musicians, how to follow a conductor etc. than the piano alone.     
 

That's nice to know regarding the mouth muscles and flute.

I play the piano in a big band.  It's a lot of fun and has definitely been improving my listening skill.

[dahmin]

I play guitar and Piano I can't say to what standard because I play very differently on the two I am primarily a Jazz/fusion player on Guitar, but I play more classical on Piano (I'm a passable jazz pianist but not great) and I'm technically better on the Piano but I'm more unique on the guitar

Although I would say that whatever instrument she learns she will be able to play with other instrumentalists simply because that how music works, it doesn't have to be an orchestral one, but as advice I would say  let her pick, as if she picks she is more likely to work hard and play better if it's an instrument she truly wants to learn, but my other piece of advice would be to wait until she is grade 5 on piano and playing at an intermediate standard at the minute she is still fairly early on in her piano training and starting two instruments here could be a bit much

Oh I have questions on playing the guitar as I know nothing about it 

Do you grow your right hand fingernails (if right-handed) long for plucking the strings?  Does that affect your piano playing as we pianists keep our nails short.

And do the tips of your left hand fingers (if right-handed) suffer any pain or hardening from holding down the strings?  And does that affect your piano playing?

[healdie]

It depends on the style of guitar playing that you are going to study, it is usual for Classical guitarists to grow their right hand nails longer than the left, although I tend only to grow the thumb nail to provide separation between the Bass line and melody, although I should point out that my solo stuff is Jazz and not classical oriented, but I do have the other nails longer than my right just not as long as most classical players. I do find if I let them grow too long that does interfere with my piano playing but I don know Pianists who have long nails and play fine although I don't know how that is endorsed by the teachers on here, who may give more insight. The thing is if you are playing solo guitar and you have very short to no nails (and by that I mean not longer than the finger) you won't get much volume out of the guitar as it is naturally a very quiet instrument and you won't have the same degree of control and tonal separation.

And yes the left hand skin will get harder from fretting and they will get calluses but it shouldn't be painful, it may be a bit at first but when the skin hardens (in a couple of weeks/months depending on how much she practices) up you won't notice it, the harder skin won't hinder the piano playing at all it never has with me and your fingers do go harder from playing piano anyway just not as much as playing a guitar

Here's an example of the style of guitar playing I play from one of the greats Joe Pass

[dahmin]

Thanks for the information and sharing the clip on Joe Pass.  It's truly amazing.

The nail part could be an issue isn't it?  Hmm...
Would an electro acoustic guitar solve the problem of soft volume?

Do you use a pick?  And when do you use it?

[quantum]

Thanks for your advice.  Her preference on the guitar was pretty much influenced.  For trumpet, she concerns it'd shape her lips differently with the buzzing (will it?).

The shape of the embouchure (the face muscles needed to play a wind instrument) is usually only a concern for those who play multiple wind instruments across families.  If you play a wind instrument it is best to stick to playing instruments in the same family.  Eg: Single reeds such as clarinet and saxophone.  Double reeds such as oboe and bassoon.  Brass such as trumpet, trombone, french horn, tuba, etc.  Flute tends to be sided more with the woodwinds. 

Playing both brass and reed instruments is usually discouraged as the embouchures and techniques are markedly different.

I play clarinet as a second instrument, thus I tend to stick to woodwinds and avoid brass. 

[dahmin]

The shape of the embouchure (the face muscles needed to play a wind instrument) is usually only a concern for those who play multiple wind instruments across families.  If you play a wind instrument it is best to stick to playing instruments in the same family.  Eg: Single reeds such as clarinet and saxophone.  Double reeds such as oboe and bassoon.  Brass such as trumpet, trombone, french horn, tuba, etc.  Flute tends to be sided more with the woodwinds. 

Playing both brass and reed instruments is usually discouraged as the embouchures and techniques are markedly different.

I play clarinet as a second instrument, thus I tend to stick to woodwinds and avoid brass. 

Good advice on instrument families!  That's very good to know regarding embouchure.
Thank you very much.

[pianoplayjl]

I used to play guitar but quit when I started learning the piano. 2 years ago my school had a program where everyone was forced to learn an instrument and I chose the violin. I quit at the end of that year.