It's more a case of 'not pointing out the truth'...
...but when people hear I have a music degree, they tend to assume I can play a variety of instruments to degree standard- and always, always piano. I tend not to disillusion them. I can play decently, but the new Rachmaninoff I ain't.

I got caught out last week when my choir director got double booked, and I was asked to play the piano. Two hours of sight reading later, the very Catholic choir discovered two things about me:

1. I mutter and swear blue at key signatures under my breath.
2. If I don't think I can play the piece, my automatic reaction is to state "Bollocks to that" in a loud, clear alto tone.

I don't think they believe I can play any more. :-(
(Sivvus trolley collision in the fruit aisle led to a jam, Thu 8 Mar 2012, 22:34, 2 replies)

I'm a bit like that.
I trained as a percussionist, but was always very lazy about music. I tended to favour hitting things over keyboard stuff etc, and never really paid too much attention to the theory.

So I can read rhythmns perfectly, but I'm really shit at the notes. I can follow a 'one note at a time' melody on something simple like a glock if I get plenty of time to practice, but key signatures and chords, etc just confuse me.

Nobody really realises how bad I am :D

The other trick I have is that I have spent a lot of time practicing a very few piano/keyboard peices. My family all groan when I knock out Bach's toccata and fugue in D minor at 1,500 miles an hour YET AGAIN, but to someone who has never heard me do it, especially if they don't play themselves, it can sould quite epic.

So, my work collegues all think I'm a crack keyboard player. They have no idea I can only play about 5 pieces as well as that.

Hah. I' so full of shit.
(username failed moderation, Fri 9 Mar 2012, 8:31, closed)

A lot of people do that
with the piano, I mean. :P Odd question: which tuned perc instrument did you learn?
(Sivvus trolley collision in the fruit aisle led to a jam, Fri 9 Mar 2012, 13:30, closed)

this is *exactly* how I play too.
*click*
( admiral crunch holds the newsreader's nose squarely, Sat 10 Mar 2012, 15:51, closed)