As a child I was always very musical. Always the front girl in all school musical events. I was moved from the junior to the senior group in my ballet class. My parents never really encouraged that, not for any special reason, just simply. Music was my criteria for choosing friends when I was a teenager, I needed friends who would listen to the same music I do, because I wasnt a child that watched tv, I listened to music (still is true for today). From my teens I was always surrounded with musicians. And this karma continues. Im 26 now, and new friends I make are also musicians.
When it was time for me to go to high school, I wasnt accepted in the musical technical high school because they thought I didnt have enough talent.
Today I realize that this is not true. I do have talent, I have a very very sharp ear. My life is filled with music, my soul is filled with music and I NEED to play an instrument. I cant put that off anymore. I feel the musician inside me, he is alive and in pain because he cannot express and live. And as I grow older I become more and more aware of it.
This is the decisive period. I have to decide soon: Will I start learning or not? and if yes.. Which Instrument should I take up? The decision will be true and real, and it will be the right one. It just may be that besides this need and love I feel for playing, this lifetime is not meant for me to play in it.
I have many many doubts.. One very important one is that when I was 18 I damaged my left index finger..What a bummer for playing anything ha? Or is it not really? I can move it, I can feel with it, I use it to type right now for example, I just cant stretch it all the way and its less flexible than all other fingers.
I love a lot of instruments. I am a very passionate jazz listener, and I love the trumpet and sax and clarinet. But my first choice of instrument would be the piano. But still I am just so in love with so much music I am in chaos when it comes to deciding. I also come from Macedonia, I live there, and the ethnic sound is in my blood as well.
If I do decide to take up an instrument I will devote myself to it. Its not going to be just something I enjoy doing, like cooking. It will be something I am in love with.
I joined this forum to ask: How do I decide whether I should take up an instrument now or not?
How important is the finger?
And How do I choose which instrument to take up?

I know this is long. But I am really hoping someone reads it and answers something, anything will help. At least a direction of thought.

Thank you.

G'day,
firstly, now is a perfect time to learn an instrument - if you are as involved with music as you sound in the essay, why not.

2nd - the instrument - as i mentioned in another bulletin, i am biased toward the clarinet - and playing it would also mean that you could move onto the sax later, as well as one of the other 12(?) types of clarinet... both these instrument can handle many genres of music, including jazz.
trumpet would be good if your finger does cause some issues, because you dont really use your left hand at all - and you do need a good ear to get correct pitches.
you say you prefer piano - its a great instrument - i would suggest having a bit of a play on one or a keyboard with weighted keys - you say you can type, so most of the time it should be fine, but just to make sure your finger can bash out a few notes - if it cant, then other fingers can 'fill-in' when needed. the advantage with piano is that you can sing as well - if yourinterested in that at all.

i think thats all - i dont really remember anymore - i hope this helps - ill add stuff if i think of anything - but do start something - you'll love it.


<Added>

Oyeah,
your finger shouldnt cause too many problems - but it may limit the standard you can get to with certain instruments - it depend how fast you can move it (clarinet), what the stretch actually is (piano), and how much control you do have over how it seals the holes or getting the right key - i do imagine that with practice on the instrument, that you will be able to train it to suit your needs.
ciao

Luckily, You have a LOT of notes you can play without ever moving your index finger. The vast majority of notes require that the middle E hole (i dont know what it is actually called... but that sounds good. Just the 1st hole on the front =D) be covered. The downside is that F, G, A and Bb are common in a lot of pieces. These DO require movement of your index finger.

I would try the clarinet first. If you can play it well enough with your injured finger, than stick with it. It sounds great and is very versatile. If your finger gives you problems, the trumpet would be a good alternative. =D Hope this helps!

Hi,

Thanks for the answer, some informative tips really. So, I love the trumpet also, I do really, Im very inclined to it especially because I hope it will take me right into jazz which is what I primarily want to play.

I have decided that Im gonna fix my finger. Doctors say that it can be nicely improved, and of course the instrument play will help a lot with rehab.

So I just wanted to ask you, what can you tell me about lung capacity. You know , blowing ? I know the trumpet is more demanding in that, but, how can I really sort of test my self, just to have a rough idea of how well I could satisfy this demand? I know that this is somethin that a person also practices and gets better at..
Im small, 1m go cm, in height, im not sure, I think thats about 7 feet maybe? so my lungs also are small, but I dont smoke, I dont have any serious problems...

Thaks again,

i'd base your choice off what you like the sound of, not what you think your finger might be able to do, adn see how it works. you might suprise yourself, and if its just not working, you could try something else. if the finger really is that big an issue, you could play any brass except french horn- horn is the only one that uses left hand for fingerings.
lung capacity can be improved with breathing excercises. size isnt really a worry for what you play, there are tiny girls who play tuba. play what you like.

one idea is to see if any musical institutions near you have "instrument petting zoos" ever. i live near the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, and i know they have one occasionally (i read about it in their newsletter magazine thing my mom gets, i think). You can try out all sorts of different instruments at those.

good luck! have fun! if you pick something and dont like it, you can always try something else!