Our columnist stumbled upon massive success when he shifted his focus to another instrument. Here, he breaks down the many benefits you can get from doing the same.
A while back, I was doing a session for the History Channel at Universal in Hollywood, California. After the session, I sheepishly admitted to some of the other session players that I was really getting into bluegrass and specifically the square-neck resonator, or dobro guitar. Now, as a progressive-jazz guitarist, that was quite a revelation. After some classic lines from the Burt Reynolds movie, Deliverance, another friend said he also was getting into mandolin and banjo.
Long story short, we put together a band, Honeywagon (which is the vehicle that cleans out the toilets under actors’ trailers on movie sets), started playing bluegrass around L.A. (up and down the Sunset Strip), and three months later, we had a record deal. We sang three-part harmony, made “deranged” covers of songs by famous artists, produced it ourselves, and sold well over 1.5 million albums and counting, and played all over the world.
What started all of that was my love for Jerry Douglas’ dobro playing. It’s so vocal, and his timbral range! You see, music is a universal language that transcends cultural, social, and linguistic boundaries. And learning another instrument is a gateway to unlock levels of self-expression, creativity, and emotional exploration you might not even be aware of.
I don’t believe in “mastery”—there are always deeper levels to discover—so let me say that while gaining significant proficiency on one instrument is a huge achievement, the benefits of learning to play at least one other instrument are immense. It will enhance your musical skills, cognitive abilities, and personal growth. Tighten up your belts, the Dojo is now open.
Enhancing Musical Skills and Understanding
Learning multiple instruments can profoundly deepen a musician’s understanding of music theory, composition, and performance. Each instrument has its unique challenges, techniques, and approaches that require you to adapt and learn new skills. For instance, a guitarist transitioning to the piano will need to understand new techniques, two-hand interdependence, chord shapes, and different ways of producing sound.
New instruments also allow you to appreciate different timbres, textures, and roles within an ensemble. A drummer who learns to play the bass, for example, will gain a deeper understanding of rhythm and timing, as they experience how their drumming interacts with the bassline. This cross-instrumental knowledge can lead to more creative compositions and more nuanced performances, as musicians become adept at thinking from multiple musical perspectives.
Cognitive Benefits
The cognitive benefits of playing an instrument are widely documented. Learning to play an instrument can improve memory, enhance coordination, and increase cognitive flexibility. When a musician learns to play an additional instrument, these cognitive benefits are amplified. The process of learning new fingerings, reading different clefs, and adapting to various physical requirements engages the brain in unique ways, promoting neuroplasticity and cognitive growth.
“Music is a universal language that transcends cultural, social, and linguistic boundaries.”
Moreover, playing multiple instruments can improve problem-solving skills and adaptability. We often face challenges when learning a new instrument, but successfully navigating these challenges builds resilience and perseverance—skills that are valuable both in music and in other areas of life.
Emotional and Personal Growth
Music is not just a technical skill, it is also a deeply emotional and expressive art form. Learning to play multiple instruments can enhance your ability to express and connect with your rich emotions. Each instrument has its own voice and character, offering different ways to convey those emotions and tell stories. A violinist who learns to play the flute, for instance, may discover new ways to express lyrical melodies or subtle nuances in phrasing. In addition, taking on another instrument can boost confidence and self-esteem.
Expanding Musical Opportunities
It can also open you up to a wide range of musical opportunities. Musicians who can play multiple instruments are often more versatile and in-demand for various musical projects. The more you’re able to adapt to different genres, styles, and ensemble settings, the more valuable a collaborator you’ll be in bands and recording sessions.
Which One?
Ultimately, I’ve found that the instruments I can play besides the guitar have helped me deepen my connection with music and discover new ways to express myself. If this article is resonating with you, I would suggest choosing your new instrument based around what excites you the most. Is it bass, keys, pedal steel (one of my personal faves), or modular-synth programming? The possibilities are as wide as your mindset. In “Song of Myself, 51,” Walt Whitman said, “I am large, I contain multitudes.” Namaste.We’re giving away pedals all month long! Enter Stompboxtober Day 11 for your chance to win today’s pedal from Hotone Audio!
Hotone Wong Press
Cory Wong Signature Volume/Wah/Expression Pedal
Renowned international funk guitar maestro and 63rd Grammy nominee Cory Wong is celebrated for his unique playing style and unmistakable crisp tone. Known for his expressive technique, he’s been acclaimed across the globe by all audiences for his unique blend of energy and soul. In 2022, Cory discovered the multi-functional Soul Press II pedal from Hotone and instantly fell in love. Since then, it has become his go-to pedal for live performances.
Now, two years later, the Hotone team has meticulously crafted the Wong Press, a pedal tailored specifically for Cory Wong. Building on the multi-functional design philosophy of the Soul Press series, this new pedal includes Cory’s custom requests: a signature blue and white color scheme, a customized volume pedal curve, an adjustable wah Q value range, and travel lights that indicate both pedal position and working mode.
Cory’s near-perfect pursuit of tone and pedal feel presented a significant challenge for our development team. After countless adjustments to the Q value range, Hotone engineers achieved the precise WAH tone Cory desired while minimizing the risk of accidental Q value changes affecting the sound. Additionally, based on Cory’s feedback, the volume control was fine-tuned for a smoother, more musical transition, enhancing the overall feel of volume swells. The team also upgraded the iconic travel lights of the Soul Press II to dual-color travel lights—blue for Wah mode and green for Volume mode—making live performances more intuitive and visually striking!
In line with the Hotone Design Inspiration philosophy, the Wong Press represents the perfect blend of design and inspiration. Now, musicians can channel their inner Cory Wong and enjoy the freedom and joy of playing with the Wong Press!
A more affordable path to satisfying your 1176 lust.
An affordable alternative to Cali76 and 1176 comps that sounds brilliant. Effective, satisfying controls.
Big!
$269
Warm Audio Pedal76
warmaudio.com
Though compressors are often used to add excitement to flat tones, pedal compressors for guitar are often … boring. Not so theWarm Audio Pedal76. The FET-driven, CineMag transformer-equipped Pedal76 is fun to look at, fun to operate, and fun to experiment with. Well, maybe it’s not fun fitting it on a pedalboard—at a little less than 6.5” wide and about 3.25” tall, it’s big. But its potential to enliven your guitar sounds is also pretty huge.
Warm Audio already builds a very authentic and inexpensive clone of the Urei 1176, theWA76. But the font used for the model’s name, its control layout, and its dimensions all suggest a clone of Origin Effects’ much-admired first-generation Cali76, which makes this a sort of clone of an homage. Much of the 1176’s essence is retained in that evolution, however. The Pedal76 also approximates the 1176’s operational feel. The generous control spacing and the satisfying resistance in the knobs means fast, precise adjustments, which, in turn, invite fine-tuning and experimentation.
Well-worn 1176 formulas deliver very satisfying results from the Pedal76. The 10–2–4 recipe (the numbers correspond to compression ratio and “clock” positions on the ratio, attack, and release controls, respectively) illuminates lifeless tones—adding body without flab, and an effervescent, sparkly color that preserves dynamics and overtones. Less subtle compression tricks sound fantastic, too. Drive from aggressive input levels is growling and thick but retains brightness and nuance. Heavy-duty compression ratios combined with fast attack and slow release times lend otherworldly sustain to jangly parts. Impractically large? Maybe. But I’d happily consider bumping the rest of my gain devices for the Pedal76.
Check out our demo of the Reverend Vernon Reid Totem Series Shaman Model! John Bohlinger walks you through the guitar's standout features, tones, and signature style.
Reverend Vernon Reid Totem Series Electric Guitar - Shaman
Vernon Reid Totem Series, ShamanWith three voices, tap tempo, and six presets, EQD’s newest echo is an affordable, approachable master of utility.
A highly desirable combination of features and quality at a very fair price. Nice distinctions among delay voices. Controls are clear, easy to use, and can be effectively manipulated on the fly.
Analog voices may lack complexity to some ears.
$149
EarthQuaker Silos
earthquakerdevices.com
There is something satisfying, even comforting, about encountering a product of any kind that is greater than the sum of its parts—things that embody a convergence of good design decisions, solid engineering, and empathy for users that considers their budgets and real-world needs. You feel some of that spirit inEarthQuaker’s new Silos digital delay. It’s easy to use, its tone variations are practical and can provoke very different creative reactions, and at $149 it’s very inexpensive, particularly when you consider its utility.
Silos features six presets, tap tempo, one full second of delay time, and three voices—two of which are styled after bucket-brigade and tape-delay sounds. In the $150 price category, it’s not unusual for a digital delay to leave some number of those functions out. And spending the same money on a true-analog alternative usually means warm, enveloping sounds but limited functionality and delay time. Silos, improbably perhaps, offers a very elegant solution to this can’t-have-it-all dilemma in a U.S.-made effect.
A More Complete Cobbling Together
Silos’ utility is bolstered by a very unintimidating control set, which is streamlined and approachable. Three of those controls are dedicated to the same mix, time, and repeats controls you see on any delay. But saving a preset to one of the six spots on the rotary preset dial is as easy as holding the green/red illuminated button just below the mix and preset knobs. And you certainly won’t get lost in the weeds if you move to the 3-position toggle, which switches between a clear “digital” voice, darker “analog” voice, and a “tape” voice which is darker still.
“The three voices offer discernibly different response to gain devices.”
One might suspect that a tone control for the repeats offers similar functionality as the voice toggle switch. But while it’s true that the most obvious audible differences between digital, BBD, and tape delays are apparent in the relative fidelity and darkness of their echoes, the Silos’ three voices behave differently in ways that are more complex than lighter or duskier tonality. For instance, the digital voice will never exhibit runaway oscillation, even at maximum mix and repeat settings. Instead, repeats fade out after about six seconds (at the fastest time settings) or create sleepy layers of slow-decaying repeats that enhance detail in complex, sprawling, loop-like melodic phrases. The analog voice and tape voice, on the other hand, will happily feed back to psychotic extremes. Both also offer satisfying sensitivity to real-time, on-the-fly adjustments. For example, I was tickled with how I could generate Apocalypse Now helicopter-chop effects and fade them in and out of prominence as if they were approaching or receding in proximity—an effect made easier still if you assign an expression pedal to the mix control. This kind of interactivity is what makes analog machines like the Echoplex, Space Echo, and Memory Man transcend mere delay status, and the sensitivity and just-right resistance make the process of manipulating repeats endlessly engaging.
Doesn't Flinch at Filth
EarthQuaker makes a point of highlighting the Silos’ affinity for dirty and distorted sounds. I did not notice that it behaved light-years better than other delays in this regard. But the three voices most definitely offer discernibly different responses to gain devices. The super-clear first repeat in the digital mode lends clarity and melodic focus, even to hectic, unpredictable, fractured fuzzes. The analog voice, which EQD says is inspired by the tone makeup of a 1980s-vintage, Japan-made KMD bucket brigade echo, handles fuzz forgivingly inasmuch as its repeats fade warmly and evenly, but the strong midrange also keeps many overtones present as the echoes fade. The tape voice, which uses aMaestro Echoplex as its sonic inspiration, is distinctly dirtier and creates more nebulous undercurrents in the repeats. If you want to retain clarity in more melodic settings, it will create a warm glow around repeats at conservative levels. Push it, and it will summon thick, sometimes droning haze that makes a great backdrop for slower, simpler, and hooky psychedelic riffs.
In clean applications, this decay and tone profile lend the tape setting a spooky, foggy aura that suggests the cold vastness of outer space. The analog voice often displays an authentic BBD clickiness in clean repeats that’s sweet for underscoring rhythmic patterns, while the digital voice’s pronounced regularity adds a clockwork quality that supports more up-tempo, driving, electronic rhythms.
The Verdict
Silos’ combination of features seems like a very obvious and appealing one. But bringing it all together at just less than 150 bucks represents a smart, adept threading of the cost/feature needle.