I am tired of reading that Prince can play 28 instruments, this is quite simply a load of shit! On his first album he lists these instruments but many r simply sub divisions of the main origonal instrument.I play piano and have done 4 10 years, i woulnt say i could play 3 instruments coz i could pull of a rockin session on the old keyboard or purpleaxxe! he plays 4 instruments exceptionaly well, guitar, keys, bass, drums. I am a massive prince fan and often ranted this 28 instrument shit at m.j fans or whoever tried 2 rip his sound, but in reality Phil Collins plays more instruments than Prince, Paul Mcartney plays just as much. If Prince was belting out,sax,trumpet,clarinet,trumbone and harp solos then i could get with it. And thats another thing if hes so into hornz and learning musical instruments why do u think he hasnt decided 2 learn these well. Ive often thought it would be supercool 2 c Prince busting a quality sax solo or something 2 that accord. if i hung with eric leeds and maceo they would b sick of my constant bugging at them 2 teach me 2 play. i have a desire 2 learn every instrument i can and and i would imagine prince 2 b like this given his massive commitment 2 music and the fact that it was him who was into listing all these instruments and making a statement 2 the world about his genious. his ego is maybe 2 big 2 go back and learn any of these unmastered instruments, coz he may think its on a par with michael jordan going round the community centre 4 some b ball lessons! crazy thoughts, but am thinkin em, what u think.....i prepare 2 b ripped!

Apparantly he can play horns...just not very well.

r1ghteousone said:

eric leeds interviewd on this very fanclub says prince doesnt play hornz, am not saying he couldnt pick one up and belt oot a wee blast, i know we all think we know prince, but ill go with eric on this one.

It's pretty obvious to anyone who has followed his career that his main instruments are voice, guitar, keys, bass and drums. There are always rumors that he can play a bit of sax, but I certainly haven't heard him play it.

When asked about it in interviews, he often just makes shit up for the fun of it (especially in the early days). He has contradicted himself so many times it's almost laughable!

Like you said, I think the "28 instruments" thing comes from the fact that he used 28 instruments to make the first album (including different guitar models, and various percussion etc.), not that he can actually play 28 different instruments! In fact, I don't ever remember Prince ever saying he can...
[Edited 12/29/06 5:45am]

I think allot of those Instruments are "Keyboard" sounds of different instruments.

But not many can play: Guitar & Piano as well as he can.

weejimmy said:

Prince can play sax, just not that well. There were several threads about this very topic.

Candy Dulfer also said that she´s heard a tape with Prince playing sax, and then there´s that interview in the gallery from his highschool days were it´s also mentioned that he used to play sax back in the days. ( I guess that´s his first interview ever , it´s called "Nelson finds it hard to become known."
)

What Mr. Leeds said was that Prince would have to practice for years in order to develop something called an "emboucher". But, as far as I remember, he didn´t say that Prince doesn´t play sax at all, or did he ?

You know what P.R. spin is, right?


Instruments: Triangle, spoons, pots, pans, kazoo, comb and tissue, etc, etc.

weejimmy said:

Do you really doubt with P's musical mind that he couldn't play any instrument that was laid in front of him? I once read that the sax was the only instrument that he has had any formal training on but he did not feel comfortable enough to play professionally. I would place Prince's multi-instrumental musicianship above any of the popstars you named. The level of his improvisation, complexity, originality and compositional skills blows them away.

28 WAS an exaggeration. like he said in 85 or so.,,, there are a few basics and then variation of them... so it is really more like 7 to 10

I was very good at sax -- in school -- but believe me, when a couple months go by without playing any woodwind or brass instrument, these instruments are not so easily picked up again, especially when years go by -- nevermind trying to regain one's technique and style. It's not like playing the drums, keys, or guitar. If you don't use the same muscles over and over, it takes awhile to build them again (lips, tongue, cheeks, diaphram, etc).

peace
[Edited 12/29/06 23:40pm]

Snap said:

I think if Prince wants to learn any instrument he certainly could with a lot of practice. I bet he's the kind of person you tell him you can't do it and he will prove you wrong. Btw, I volunteer to give him a workout and build up his lips and tounge muscles.

it was just a marketing bag, when he first started out, thats all...
believe it, or not prince plays no instruments that damn near every singer, that came out the 70's, 80's can't play.....there are so many artists that are multi-instrumentalists, from stevie wonder, sly stone, any of the jacksons, marcus miller, the late-great james brown,george benson, lionel ritchie, ike hayes, bill withers, and so many others....nobody but prince fans carry on about him playing instruments, no one else because so many others do so as well, thats not denouncing the brother, cause he is very under-rated with his guitar skills, only because he's a brother, those who can't see themselves honoring a brother, or brothers, will always put their own first, thats why they label him as a funk player,and not a great universal player, when we, and they know,that those they claim thats great, really are no better than prince.....

listening is the highest respect...

KoolEaze said:

he didnt say he didnt play, at all, he said its an instrument prince didnt play. chek it up

Piano
Guitar
Bass
Harp
Sax
Drums
flut
Chello
...

He basically plays 4 instruments: guitar, bass, piano, drums.

If you start listing variations, then the number increases VERY quickly! (Electric guitar, acoustic, 12-string acoustic, electric bass, 6-string bass, piano, keyboards, drums, etc . . .) I'm sure it was a marketing ploy when it was announced. Still impressive though.

IMO Prince has mastered guitar and piano. He's very good at the others, but not a master.

Some people argue that once you master one instrument, it's very easy to pick up another. I'm not a musician so I can't be sure.

Harmonica? IIRC he plays one in the "Thieves In The Temple" video.

poisonmouth said:

the point is 28 was an exaggeration... there are about 10 that can be said to be different enough but even some of them are close...

finga symbols... all kins of percussion... the purple axe...

poisonmouth said:

not dissin the harmonica but its got 2 b one of the easiest instruments in the world 2 play and sound realy good on, when i hear stevie wonder play its a differnt class, but i was inspired 2 play it by dylan and within 20 minutes of fuckin around i could play ye any thing he does and thats after a year of playing.

...and don't forget the MARACAS!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/wa...aV50oB-5v8

Hello Everyone, I have always read that Prince can play 14 instruments-not 28. This is my first time hearing about 28 instruments.
I believe he can play 14 instruments. One day about 6 or so years ago-a true story,I was watching the game show Jeopardy on television. The question was "What popular entertainer can play 14 instruments?" and the answer was "who is Prince?


Peace,
acjohns

If you can play the flute you can play the recorder. And the piccolo.

madd respect to dolly parton who floored me during her concert when she played: piano, harmonica, fiddle, guitar, some wierd wind instrument horn/trumpet thingie *and* her fingernails...

and she did it all with the same size heels prince wears *plus* big ole boobs.

the boobs give her the edge over prince. Winner: Dolly

sosgemini said:

Dolly has amazing boobs. I´m not that much of a boobs man these days but,boy does she have huge boobs !

Prince does not play the harp. I've never tried but I know from sheet logic that playing the harp is something that takes years of practice, musical genius or not. Just because you have perfect pitch and all that doesn't mean you can pick up a beast of an instrument like the harp and just start playing. It takes physical dexterity. Just like a horn, there is a physical element that takes time, and unless Prince has been sitting at a harp in his bedroom seranading his doves for years, I seriously doubt that he could play anything but jingle bells on it. And if you look at the credits anytime there's been a harp on Prince record, only solo comes to mind (an actual harp, not a synthesized one) Prince wasn't playing it.

poisonmouth said:

I think that's actually a sample, not actually Prince himself playing.

KoolEaze said:

I'm surprised ol' Porter Wagner didn't rise and join her on stage and play her boobs. It takes years of practice to master them. Most can only handle one at a time but when you can get that dirigidoo- dual effect going, whatch out now!

r1ghteousone said:

Prince can play the harmonica, I saw him play one at an afterpart at Paisly Park.

7kisses4U said:

S'ok, I wasn't disputing the fact he can play...just that it wasn't him on that particular song.