I always had a theory that the different "instruments" (the musicians) had their own personalities. In the Oboe forum, I found a topic talking about this so i wanted to bring it up in the flute forum. So, what do you guys think about this? What are the different personalities??
This is what i think:
Trumpets: waaaaaaaay cocky (cocky "bad" (as we say in Belize)), great friends, trustworthy, mysterious in a way , smart(and they brag about it)

Clarinets: shy, quiet, emotional

Saxophones: laid back, friendly

Snare drums: a bit temperamental, caring

Bass drums: wierdishish, crazy

Trombones: friendly

Flutes: i gotta admit that we are smart (but we don't brag about it), competitive, friendly, moody(?)-well I am , are the rest of you perfectionists?

I don't know much other people who play other instruments so i don't have set personalities for others like the Piano or .... yeah...but you can put what you think other instruments are like...

oh and I'm considered FUNNY!!!

Copied from my original post in that Oboe thread... Oct 2005. lol.

Flute players are reserved and competitive
Drummers are laid back and fun loving
Saxophones are outgoing and aggressive
Clarinets are social and consoling
Oboes are overly self-conscious and territorial
Trumpet players are hyper and talkative

Lera is is spelt PIANO

We piano players are pretty laid back like the sax players(at least at my HS) We go with the flow.

I think the personalities of musicians go along with the personalities of the instruments and their sound.

Flutes are livly and poetic. so majority of flautists are too.
Trumpets are very loud, and "blasty" i guess you could call it, so the trumpeters(sp?) tend to be cocky.
Clarinets are soft harmonic to they player is too.
Saxophones are very mellow. No need for explanation there.
Snare Drums seem very competative, and comical. And so are the players.

I could go on all day with this.

As a trumpeter I think being cocky comes from loudness of the instrument and sometimes the importance of the instrument on a band(this depends on which band, and if you are a good trumpeter). Trumpeters are talkative, and like you said make good friends. This is my observation in the band I play with.

I personally don't believe that personality and instrument of choice have any correlation. In the numerous groups I've played in so far, if you select a single section, within that section will be people that run the gamut (no pun intended) from extremely shy, reserved people, to the more talkative and outgoing folk. And quite honestly, the generalizations of the first post don't even come close to the personalities of the musicians I've known. Perhaps region also has an impact?

yeah, that's true flutist06, but ...well...there is a huge coincidence that on posts and well other places, the different musicians do share a some traits. Yeah, they are different, but there is always something that makes them similar.

I tend to agree with flutist06. I've known countless musicians, and I do not see a pattern or correlation between instrument and personality. I can see coming to that conclusion only if your sample is small. The larger the sample group, the less correlation.

same here i agree too. there isn't much a relation there. but saxophones? OMG! in my school..they play SO LOUD..THEY HONK ALL The time..and so not laid back. sry, so there for i agree that there isn't any realtions. yea..

i agree with the one previous to mine i am a bari player as my name suggest i am far from shy and laid back but the again i also play the fife, bamboo flute, penny whistle, guitar, bass guitar, mandolin, drumset, the ones i like to say i play but i am not all that great on, violin, piano, clarinet, and i am even worst on the tuba and the baritone. so i guess if i play them all i act like all of them. which i kinda do at times i am laid back and at other times i am so wired i hurt myself (dont ask). it really depends if everybody is all laid back i break out and if every one is wired i am laid back.

hehe....ok....

hahaha....this post is great man!!!
well, i gotta say i'm funny, good to talk to (i hope), and really really loud..i mean...i can threaten people to give me what i want or else i'll scream...and believe me you dont want to hear me scream. I pitch way higher than a flute! I haven't really found out if the Clarinets are competitive. I am actually(but shhhh!)Trumpets are cocky and smart-mouthed!Clever!

nice to know i have company!