'play the guitar' or 'play guitar'?????

[tony823]

Hi everyone. I have a grammar quesiton which my student asked me several days ago. We use the article 'the' for musical instruments. For example, 'play the guitar'; 'play the piano'; 'play the violin' etc. Is it possible to say 'play guitar'; 'play piano'; 'play violin'. The grammar reference book indicates that we have to use 'the'. However, I tried to type 'play guitar' or 'play piano' on Google and have found that it seems that we can say 'play guitar' or 'play piano'. I am a little confused how to tell my students. Thanks for your answers.

[woodcutter]

"I play xxxxx in a band" would always be OK, I think.

In other contexts, I have this feeling that the more prim and proper the instrument, the more you need "the"!

[Stephen Jones]

ACtually it may be more to do with how prim and proper the band is than the instrument.
Sometimes 'the' is plain wrong:
He plays lead guiter
He plays jazz piano

[zoesley]

Do you play an instrument?

Yes, I play the guitar.

Really, I want to learn to play the guitar.

Oh, I play bass.

Oh I want to learn to play the acoustic guitar.

[JuanTwoThree]

David Bowie: Ziggy played guitar

Radiohead: Anyone can play guitar


I agree, it's just that "without the" is a bit more rock'n'roll and "with the" less.

From Cobuild: The first time I play guitar to a song is usually the time it goes on to the tape: Barney pretends to play guitar: David Johansen... could never play guitar as well as Tom Verlaine: How would you like to play guitar in stadiums for three weeks: He pauses only to play guitar, maybe to get his breath back (he is 46): If Alex Patterson had learned to play guitar, then this is what The Orb would sound like: Hey, you're the singer out of Anthrax'. And I'd say, `No, I play guitar': play guitar now brother:- I realised I wanted to play guitar when I heard Dream Syndicate:played guitar with the mighty Look Blue, Go Purple, while drummer Dominic Stones used to play guitar in both Snapper (alongside David Kilgour) and Bird Nest Rays: I used to play guitar to her to get her to sleep: and more

There was only one unrocky "play guitar" namely : Learn to play guitar at The Smithsonian: and that's probably the institution thinking it's being groovy or right-on.

QED

So "play the bass" sounds more like an acoustic upright between-the-knees bass , or a fish:

With the lighter tackle most of us use today it is important to play the bass carefully

I know the feeling, my tackle is definitely lighter.

[Lorikeet]

All these explanations, and "play guitar" and "play the guitar" still seem the same to me. I must have missed something in my musical language experience.

[revel]

Hey all!

Could the difference be regional? I'm with Lorikeet here, both sound fine to me. I tend to say "play the guitar", but the other has probably leaked from my lips in one or another conversation....

peace,
revel.

[Will.]

could be a confusion way back when with 'play music' and 'play an instrument', play piano music or guitar music. The 'music' part was omitted and it became easier, acceptable and thence usage.