I count Prince as playing piano/keyboards, guitar, electric bass and drums. That's 4 F-O-U-R. How do you count 26 ? PROVE IT. I'm not counting any MADONNA-esque quick studies where, say, he picked up a trumpet and blew it. So, concert anecdotes don't count. I'll even throw in voice and percussion (means this is a catch all for timables congas wood block, berimbau etc...). So we're at 6 now!!!. Heck I'll even count Acoutic bass as a separate entry if you can provide details.
[This message was edited Tue Mar 19 11:48:34 PST 2002 by PFunkjazz]

I heard a rumor that Prince played the harmonica on "Girl O My Dreams" can anyone confirm this?

i'm with u on this one pfunkjazz.....i've always thought that warner brothres put that in the press release to generate a buzz around the young musician.....i dont know anyone....including prince who can play 26 and i teach music in schools..most band teachers can play 14 or 15 at the most but 26? hell no! unless prince can play violin,harp,timpani,tuba,euphomium and the like.i think it is suffice to say he can play all the instruments in the pop world medium which is pretty awesome!

I'm not sure but maybe they count piano, organ and synths as separate entities on that list. Each requires a slightly different approach just as playing an acoustic guitar is from electric. But the arrangement of the instruments is laid out the same- they're all keys! Just a speculation. I've also read somewhere that he knew how to play trumpet and sax but never got good enough at them to pursue it full-time. Plus, he didn't even want that in his early material and by the time he did, he hired players that could keep up.

The inlay card of 'For You' lists loads of instruments, half of which I haven't got a clue what they are. Some of them also sound a bit similar.

Well, lets start with his first 3 albums where he did it all. What instruments are on them?????

guitar, bass, piano, organ, synthesizer, clavinet, drums, harmonica, violin, sax, percussion, harp. Don't know about any others but I recall an interview where he mentioned harmonica, violin, sax, and harp. He said there are some songs released where he is playing sax and harp! However, he thinks he is inadequate on some of those instruments so he prefers others play them (horns, primarily). The first 3 albums included many types of percussion and keyboards to get to that 26 number.

I believe 1 of the insturments is "handclapsandfingasnapz"!

I think he plays allot.. BUT when star jones said this quote of "26" on the view... he made a funny face..

I think some of these 26.. is from the keyboard..

but we all know he plays all the major instruments to make an album on his own

PLUS record and engineer

There are variations of many instruments. Whoever started this about Prince might have been talking about those variations. Just because someone knows how to play the piano fluently doesn't mean they'll be proficient on a Hammond B3.

He plays harmonica in Thieves in the Temple. I can't recall hearing him play it anywhere else. I've never been a huge harmonica fan, so I guess that's no big deal.

I'm a litle late on this one. I don't believe he can play 26 instruments. Think it was something Warner Brothers PR people came up with. But he's good at what he plays though. Hey, that's something somebody can ask him at the Celebration!!!

* Brother 9/15 aka CR3

He dont play 26 instruments...you suckers. He is very versatile though and one instument no one has mentioned that he can play is turntables..he can mix it up. He doesnt play horns but he does arrange multiple horn parts, same with string section. So even though he doesnt play those instruments he can write for them which surely counts as something. What truley set him apart as a "Multi-Instrumentalist" is that he is sickeningly good at the 6 or 7 that he does play. If any one has proof that he can play sax or violin or anything else out of the ordinary I would love to hear it.

Umm letsee, appolonia, bassinger, vanity, mayte, manuella, female flight attendants during tours....oh u said played!