My main instruments are cello, piano, and accordion, but I can play a bit of guitar and bass and drumset.
I think the accordion has the most influence on my music because a lot of times I imitate accordion patterns in chiptune compositions. I also play in a few jazz bands on piano so some of my songs are more jazz-inspired.

I learned guitar as a kid for a few years but then I stopped and forgot everything.
when my sister started learning piano and got one for herself, I regularly played on it as well, simple patterns first, and then I self-taught myself how to play it better. this was at the age of 18.

edit:
I think, the biggest influence my piano playing had on my music is a very general "I learned more about how music works by improvising on am instrument". I don't rly think my music playing abilities reflect my composing very much apart from that or vice versa

Self-taught at piano/keyboard my whole life, but have never been school-taught it, so I'm no professional and I can't play much without some mistakes, since I barely have any good fingering techniques.
I started taking classes in percussion at age of 7, for 1.5 years by one teacher on drumset and marimba. Then I quit, but began again when I was 14, and from now on only drumset, for one teacher about 3 years, and another teacher for another 3 years.

Definitely the drumset playing has influenced me much in my composition and is most likely behind my taste for creative rhythm usage in tunes. Piano helps me spawn chord ideas I otherwise wouldn't have thought of I think.

Learned some piano from my father, but I was in the school band for 3 years playing trumpet. I'm also a drummer Nd have been playing that for mord than 15 years now.

As for the influence it's had, many songs I've made have heavy influence on the beat and I've always made those very catchy since it's something I'm so used to playing. I also spent a lotnog time mimicking game tunes on piano which has helped when learning chiptune.

drums, over 20 years. I think it hasn't played a big role in composition save for a few bits here and there like in my adlib track sumerian where I drummed something that I then tracked down. If anything I feel like I'm bit tonally challenged composition wise, compared to others that started with a tonal instrument

piano is an essential part of my compositional process almost always, from sketching out ideas for songs to liveplaying and midi input for any software that will let me. hard to overstate how important that is for me

sax was my first instrument and i guess it's true i learned a lot about melody, transposition, and all the musical things one picks up from concert band and jazz band, but i didn't keep up with it well past my teens, so it's hard to say it influences the way i write in anything but a holistic way

my main instrument is guitar (+ bass guitar). the influence on my computer-music songwriting was pretty evident in like 2012 when i would imitate jazz guitar chord voicings, transcribe chord progressions i'd written on guitar, etc.

but i don't think it has much of an influence on my computer music at all now, and this is probably even more the case since i started mostly using temperaments other than 12-equal. i do wish i had an instrument i could use to explore other tuning spaces but i can't really afford a generalized keyboard or whatever

edit: i realized that the ornaments i use most often in computer music are also ones that are easy to play on guitar, so maybe that reflects an influence?

I tried to learn piano twice, once at 9 and a second time at 18. Result: failure, I still play the most basic stuff and also by ear. I never became fluent reading scores.

I have two acoustic guitars (both received as a present), but I barely ever play them, and I only know the basic chords. On the other hand, I was the one who always told the chords from songs to my friends who actually played.

All this said, the instrument I actually play is the RECORDER... yes, by ear, I read scores at snail pace. I have an alto and a sopranino recorder, but I lost the beck from the latter, so I only play alto now (they're both tuned in F, so there's virtually no difference in playing technique).

The most influential to me was... piano indirectly. From piano I started playing a Yamaha PSS-680 keyboard that my sister got, but eventually became virtually mine (2-op FM + PCM perc). I learnt chords and most of music theory there. I also used it with old sequencers, so I could play MIDIs with it.

Sometimes it shows. BotB tends to be all right, but other tracking communities have plenty of four-armed drummers.

i dabbled a lot in many instruments when younger. nowadays my mains are flute, ocarina (and any other recorder-type wind), piano, and bass.

compositionally, i tend to always start with melody (winds), as that is what i am most familiar with. then bass (bass lel), then chords (piano). and as i know how a few other instruments vaguely work, i can use them in orchestral pieces for wildchip/fakebit heeheehee...

aside: i am nowhere near fluent for any of my main instruments, as i am very out of practice. its so easy to learn new instruments but so hard to maintain those skills. cuz why bother when i can just relearn again. thx for coming to my ted talk

i have a long list but basically, drums make me do a rhythmy harder, bass makes me do a funny bassist moment harder, and I Was In A Jazz Class When I Did Most Of My Trombone And That Class Massively Influenced My Writing

EDIT: "4-armed drummer" phenomenon was mentioned lol, I used to do that on purpose. I still do it on purpose sometimes lmao it's so fun to just pretend the flesh automaton has more apendages and put in little extra cymbalwork that's physically-impossible without 3 drummers

I play guitar, and I came up with the base (bass) idea for Jimmy Adhesive on my guitar. Some random things I do are inspired by specific guitar sounds.

Like one time I had a Brian Setzer phase, I couldn't and still can't play his songs, but I tried to do a "tremolo arm" efffect in some of my chips, for example Train Robbery.

Edit: No longer sure if that was a good example... either way it's what I was thinking at the time.

Edit 2: I might have recorded my actual guitar for Jimmy Adhesive. Hm.

I played the clarinet for 12 years (and the bass clarinet for 4 years), I had to stop a few years ago when I moved to Paris as I don't have any place to play that is suitable. Actually I started to do chiptune as a replacement X)

I had to learn a lot of things directly with chiptune (and I'm still learning!), especially when dealing with chords and percussion.

I think the biggest influence on what I do now doesn't come from the clarinet itself but from the orchestra and bands I played with. I mainly played in wind orchestra, clarinet ensembles and jazz ensembles. It was a great time to hear a lot of different instruments and to discover new music genres!

Apart from that, I involuntary end up to use scales that are easy to play on the clarinet, probably because I used them way too much when I tried to learn improvisation :) Also when do chiptune, I transpose all my instruments to Bb and I write everything in Bb, I'm not able to do otherwise!

Bass is my primary instrument and I was a professional bassist and private music teacher for 16(?) years (I still teach in the summer for a month long classroom program)

Annoyingly, I also play guitar (normal or extended range), drums, mandolin/mandola, banjo, theremin, can kinda hack it with keys, and used to play trumpet and flugel horn. All of these are at completely different levels of proficiency of course (I also do more performing and recording as a singer than I do anything else at this point, if we're counting that).

I think the biggest influences come in how i think of bass voice articulation and movement, how I think of melody in terms of articulation and expression, and how I write percussive/drum parts.

Being a "good" bassist really requires thinking of what the instrument needs to do for the ensemble and what you can do while that still happens, and a lot of that comes from articulation and knowing when its time to do something fancy.

Drums on the other hand are far from an instrument I would be comfortable with in most settings, but playing it the amount that I do helps me understand the flow of the kit, how to make rhythms/beats/etc that feel good or get weird without getting lost. Since we're talkin' chip and MIDI is chip on this site: if you listen to any given midi track of mine you might notice that it's almost always physically possible for someone with two arms and two legs to play if that someone can move fast enough (sometimes it will require a second percussionist).

And for melody, I kinda think of guitar and theremin in particular. Again, these are instruments I'm more limited with over all than bass, but both allow for vibrato and gradual pitch bending in certain ways that I don't think I'd be writing if I wasn't familiar with them. Also my propensity to include pitch altering guitar pedals with both certainly informs some of my choices.


I will also say somewhat tangentially, that much like how jazz-centric music programs and teachers will usually force you to transcribe and play solos that aren't for the instrument you're studying, I think it is extremely helpful and informative to learn what an instrument can and can't do and think about that while you write. I love when working on MIDI stuff (and also things we'd call "wildchip" or "allgear") to take a melody I've written, change the instrument sound playing it, and then make adjustments based on what sounds good or plausible with that instrument. The results won't necessarily make someone say "this used to be a sax part didn't it!!" but you will definitely stumble into new territory that will likely make a part more dynamic.

My "official" first instrument is piano, I was given lessons by the church organist.

My actual first instrument was a toy ukulele my dad gave me when I was 5 years old, and though I think I did really well with it, I assume it's just my own memory coloring the experience as a good one. I must have at least done well enough for dad to think it was worth buying a piano. This also lead to my grandfather giving me a flamenco guitar, which I sucked at.

In grammar school I took up brass (mainly trumpet) and in high school, since most of my friends played the drums, I learned to do that from them.

I was given an FM synthesizer for my 16th birthday and used a spare PC as a sequencer, which led to me learning about tracking, and much later, I don't remember how or why, I ended up with a copy of FastTracker 2. That's the short version of the path that led me here.

How my experiences influence my tracking is that a lot of the arranging and mixing questions beginners ask are things I didn't have to worry about. I had to start with 8 voices so I know how to be "stuck with" limits, and I learned to mix gradually because I only had two tracks for recording at first, then 4, then I had access to small 8 channel, 12 channel, 20 channel mixers... even when I have no limits in the DAW I usually manage to make my project in 24 tracks or fewer.

The most I can play is a steel tongue drum, but I no longer have it. It has only really had influence on my experiments with granular synths.

Been playing piano as my only instrument, definitely has helped me with harmonising (as sometimes it is easier to come up with stuff on a keyboard than just writing it directly on a tracker), and in non-tracker daw like fl studio, it helps with writing some arrangements that will sound more akin to what i would play on the piano:P

I was never any good at piano, so I often default to A minor/C major when working with one. Ironically, I have since learned playing these that they are the hardest to play because of the lack of height separation between keys

im a music ed major - i already knew a lot of instruments, but now its just getting ridiculous LMAO

almost everything in brass (i do low brass mainly tho), a lil double reeds (taking that course rn), single reeds SOON, can play a lil flute, and can get mallets and other percussion (and can totally rock a drumset). with rock instrumentation i got all the shit going for me in different levels.

its cool honestly!! but ive had these in my life for so long im not sure how it may influence...honestly, it may be vice versa! i made lots of cool things in chip then tried to play them on my baritone and trombone LMAO

I played a clarinet before.
sold it today.

I think that tells everything

i play the cat piano

This has been a fun thread to read!
When I joined BOTB back in 2011, there were not that many multi-instrumentalists active on here. I see that that has changed!
Trying all kinds of different genres, formats, and instruments in BOTB compos has been instrumental (pun intended) in pushing my creativity to new heights over the years! Many of my favorite productions as an artist began as an idea on BOTB. It was a huge part of my life for many years and I will always cherish that! I wish that I had time to hang out here more nowadays.

In order of proficiency, I play these instruments:

Piano/keyboards (since I was 3, and that was 37 years ago!)

Drums (it's my fav instrument although I'm better known for keys)

Bass (I'm arguably better at it than guitar, played 27 years)

Guitar (been playing since I was 11, but have only taken it seriously in certain phases of my life. I'm recently playing a lot of guitar on stage!)

Trumpet (started 29 years ago in middle school band and I still have decent technique, but my lip tires out quickly now due to the fact that I don't play often enough)

Alto and Tenor Saxophone (picked it up in college and took a couple years of lessons...I am good enough to cobble together sax parts on a track, that's about it!)

Yamaha WX11 (MIDI sax)(If I'd got one of these many years ago I might have stuck with practicing saxophone, cuz it's super fun! It makes me sound like I know what I'm doing on sax)

Vibes/Marimba (I got super into mallet percussion in high school and I can still throw down, but my technique is pretty limited)

Recorder (I wouldn't say I'm a serious recorder player but I do enjoy playing it, and have played it on gigs and recordings) (Soprano and Alto are the easiest...I haven't figured out the proper breath control for Tenor and I've never even tried a Bass one!)

Banjo (I'm not good enough to play bluegrass but I'm good enough to play fake old-timey stuff and that's kinda my fav banjo style)

Trombone (many years ago I learned it well enough to teach beginners but I'm super rusty now cuz I rarely play)

...and lots of other random stuff: Talkbox (it is basically an instrument unto itself with its own set of techniques!) Kalimba, Zither, Glockenspiel, Melodica, Mandolin, French horn, Baritone horn, Tongue drum, and pretty much all of the orchestral and Latin percussion instruments.
I'm also pretty serious about vocals! As an instrument I'd say it's up there with keys and drums for me.

When I was much younger it was my dream to be able to play every instrument there is! Once I started doing music for a career I had to choose the ones I was naturally best at. There are only so many hours in a day! Keys/Guitar/Drums/Bass/Vocals are what I have spent the most time on, by far! I miss being able to just spend hours in my home studio messing with random instruments.

Some instruments that I've tried hard to play but just can't play:
Flute (I LOVE the flute but undoubtedly my lip shape doesn't work well on it! I've tried and failed to pick it up many times.)

Violin (I have encountered few instruments that feel so unnatural to hold and play...I tried teaching myself for months out of a book but always sounded horrible! I gave up on it.)

Harmonica - especially chromatic! (I have several harmonicas, even a couple of chromatic ones, but I just can't seem to get the knack for it! I even took a lesson from a world class harmonica player and he taught the techniques really well, but I guess I just didn't spend enough time practicing to get it.)

Pedal Steel Guitar (one of the most complicated and fascinating instruments there is! I find it overwhelming. But if I owned one, I'd learn it!)

Didgeridoo (how in the world does this thing even work?!?)

Accordion (I'm cool with the keys, but lost with the buttons!)

I had piano lessons when i was 9, as well as singing in a choir, but i never liked it and stopped visiting those after two years.

Perhaps i shouldn't have done that, but i was a stupid kid back then, and couldn't know better.

I don't know if it had any effect on me, since i only felt interest in music when i was 20, back when i discovered Famitracker.

It's been 10 years since then, and even though i still haven't learned how to play any instruments and haven't studied music theory, i have a piano keyboard which is useful for me. I can test my own ideas on it, and sometimes create new ideas that i can use in my songs.

I can't say that my music was influenced by any instruments i play due to what I've said above. However, every time i write a song i never imagine it as chiptune in the first place, i always think about it as something that has real instruments in it such as guitar, piano, and a drum kit.

my violin teacher once told me to play the lines as if i were singing them and i think that perspective more than anything influences how i try to write chiptune melodies

i'm happy to read that other people think recorder is fun! i also had similar experiences to mootbooxle with flute and violin. i love them both but i couldn't figure out how to breathe properly (in a way that didn't hurt myself) for flute, and i always sounded pretty terrible on violin. and why are you supposed to hold it like that, for real

edit: seriously, have you seen the bruises professional violinists and violists have on their necks?

played trombone in middle and high school band for 7 years, that was my gateway into music. i would say it's probably the only instrument i got any level of real proficiency at

went to tothejazz's house in 2017 and figured out how to kind of play the drums

during the pandemic i bought a bass guitar and acoustic guitar, much to the chagrin of my parents

stopped and started piano a few times but could never dedicate myself enough to it to actually be able to play it

would like to try to pick an instrument and learn it in the future!

i used my jawharp in Space Pizza Delivery......

I used to be a flute player in my elementary school orchestra before moving to a keyboardist position

Reviving this old thread because I want to hear answers from newer BotBrs, or anyone that missed it the first time around!

Also might note that since my initial post I have given up on cello and I haven't practiced it in like a year... kinda sad, but I enjoy keyboard and fretted instruments much better

I don't play any instruments. This influences my chiptune greatly because it sucks

i don't really have any instruments i actively play, i used to play trumpet a while back but it didn't really click with me

i know a few people who play guitar though, and i do like guitar

if you want to know why i included trumpets in my latest entry, it's because at one point I wanted to be a trombonist (that unfortunately never came to fruition hahahahaha)

years ago (20 and 5 respectively) i bought a guitar and a bass (both second hand) for speed and scale arpeggios exercises (for curiousity mostly, trying to play baroque compositions and etc.) - a keyboard midi controller i bought for fun mostly - about recorder flutes i always hated that since childhood! (i always struggled how to get the most of that) - about influencing my chiptune experiments, perhaps one day soon (not hurrying)

(i hugely regret not having the oportunity of practicing violin from childhood... - great guitar musicians started on violin)

Guitar (Affects my melodies and rhythm elements, i take much inspiration from metal rhythm guitar plays and i use my vocal melodies as chip melodies)

Bass (Similar to guitar, just with more harmonic elements added to spice things up and i try to get an aggressive tone in my basses in chiptune)

Drums (More rhythm, but knowing drums in real life helps to make more complex drum beats in chiptune but make them actually sound good, compare my older originals on youtube to the stuff now and you can tell where i picked up drums irl)

Piano (Helps with softer sounds and bass frequency harmonies on instruments that aren't a bass)

Vocals (Helps with melodies and harmonies alike)

As you can see I'm a very well rounded musician and I enjoy all aspects of music

I'm also self taught in everything but piano, learning trackers by pure experience is fun to me, I like torturing myself in that regard

I play the piano, not professionally just for fun. I wouldn't say it's influenced me that much but I do am quite good at coming up with spontaneous melodies when I play it.

There's also a guitar by my side as I write this, although that's one from my sister, she's very good at it (she lacks discipline tho).

I play the Trombone (I own 3 some how- ,I blame me being stupid in middle school and dropping the slide on one, then finding a nice one with an F attachment in High school).

I haven't played much in recent years but I did play in a local wind ensemble until what happened in 2020.

I did recently come to own a few other instruments like a Irish whistle, Tenor Recorder, Melodica, Kalimba ("normal size" and pocket size one) Guitar and Ukulele, and I guess a keyboard but I am not really proficient in those as well as I cannot play the piano. I am looking into getting a Bass Guitar though.

I am not sure how my instruments directly influenced me but I do notice changes that sort of reflect what trombones do whether its a good or bad thing. Listening to orchestral because my trombone did get me to listen to different parts of music for harmony. Due to that, I tend to try to mimic (X) in order to understand in concept and try to apply that and it kind of transferred over to music in general. I need to do more chip to really see how I do under chips in this regard.

I do see myself wanting to do more stuff in the low end regarding melodies and wanting to juxtapose? that with stuff in a higher register.

I play the trumpet in my high school marching band (which, by the way, has been reigning state champs three years straight), so you may notice that many of my melodies have a somewhat fanfare-y vibe, something that sounds a little trumpetlike.

Other than that, I play the piano and I'm learning the guitar. I've been told I have a bit of a guitar-wielding style to my music as well, but I"m not sure where that came from.

However, earlier this year I picked up a Gameboy Color and a Everdrive GB X5, and now that's my primary instrument :P

...oh, and I do actually own a Yamaha DX synth. That's pretty cool too.

@retrokid104 which DX?

I play keyboard and it helps come up with chords and understand where the notes are.

I'm also learning drums, and it's going really well! I have a natural rhythm and I can keep time really well. I can already program midi drums for chiptune, but I want to record my playing into it soon!

drums for the past couple of years and recently a yamaha shs-10 keytar I found lying around my house.

In Fl studio, I map the midi ccs on the neck to vibrato and portamento functions for SNES instruments. Don't use it much for composition, but I do use it quite often to learn my fav songs (mostly castlevania and mega man)

oh, also I use it to play fighting games. Trying to learn the iron man infinite to the tune of the samsung notification noise

i play drums
it makes my song drummier
also its like one big element out of the way easily. i know a lot of people struggle programming drums, so it's nice that it comes easily to me.

my terrible guitar skills influence my terrible chord voicings

@YQN "terrible skills" is quite questionable - for example, punk music is all about strong attitude from hugely terrible skills, and sounds amazing in the end...
@NardInYourYard we need Hydrogen battle format here! \o/

i used to play the trombone for a bit in 2018 but stopped cuz i moved

wouldn't really say it influences anything since i forgot most of it by now