Newsgroup: it.cultura.linguistica.inglese
Titolo: I play the piano, I play piano

So from school I know that I should say:
I play /the/ piano, he plays /the/ guitar.
Now, everybody in my jazz course back when I was in the states said:
I play piano, he plays guitar.
And now I got so used to that, that I never put the article myself. So 
what's the difference? Is the second form more informal?
Thanks!
Ciao,
Enrico il Pentolaio.

 what's the difference? Is the second form more informal?
I'm not musical but the article sounds better to me.

 what's the difference? Is the second form more informal?
Io metto l'articolo col piano e non lo metto assolutamente mai con la 
chitarra.
Penso sia un'altra americanata (e non ci avevo mai pensato! :((()
ciao, Janis 

 what's the difference? Is the second form more informal?
You can say either, without concern for the occasion. I use both with 
abandon. As an aside, in Italian you can say "sono musicista" but in 
English you must say "I am a musician," not "I am musician." (Unless 
you're Tarzan, in which case you aren't... a musician, that is.)
There is an interesting (to me) phenomenon that I've noticed. When 
Americans of middle-age or greater, who are not facile with technology, 
decide to learn how to operate a computer they may say "I want to learn 
the computer," or "I want to do the computer," always with the article 
present. (And without a computer in sight!) It sounds so odd to me but 
it is very prevalent.
I would say instead "I want to learn about computers" or "I want to 
learn to use a computer" if I hadn't already been suckled on one from a 
young age.

 it is very prevalent.
Funny. Here I've noticed that those who are not too familiar with 
computers always translate as much as they can, like: "Sulla rete (vs 
Internet) ci sono tantissime cose interessanti!" or "Ho appena 
controllato la mia casella di posta elettronica (vs just email)".
Ciao,
Enrico il Pentolaio.

 Penso sia un'altra americanata (e non ci avevo mai pensato! :((()
Se mi ricordo bene, Miles Davis nella sua autobiografia non ci metteva 
mai l'articolo davanti agli strumenti... dovrei controllare. La mia 
insegnante di piano MAI. Mi resta da scoprire cosa accade nel mondo 
della classica.
:)
Ciao,
Enrico il Pentolaio.

 I'm not musical but the article sounds better to me.
Maybe it's just an American thing. I guess if I'm writing, I shouldn't 
drop it.
Ciao,
Enrico il Pentolaio.

 drop it.
Yeah, I think it's an American thing. As Tony pointed out: use it or don't 
use it. I see little difference in any nuances between the two uses, and no 
situations where it's either prescribed or proscribed.
-- 
Joey from NY
Remember: It is To Laugh

 that is.) 
He was a singer, though, and a drummer too.
-- 
"He didn't walk through the door -- he crawled in; this was a
precaution he always took."
                -- Exam howlers as noted by Eric W. N. Smith

 He was a singer, though, and a drummer too.
As are most 'swingers.' :)


 mai l'articolo davanti agli strumenti...
M. Swan's Practical English Usage says (70.10, musical instruments): 
"But /the/ is often dropped when talking about jazz or pop, and 
sometimes when talking about classical music".

 sometimes when talking about classical music".
Awesome.
Ciao,
Enrico il Pentolaio.

 He was a singer, though, and a drummer too.
Even though I was thinking of the popular film versions, I hadn't 
considered that. In the original Tarzan of the Apes, written by 
Burroughs, Tarzan learned several languages and spoke with proper grammar.

 As are most 'swingers.' :)
Traduzione di "swinger" in italiano:
 
swinger         agitato
swinger         impiccato
swinger         oscillato
arm swinger     carrellista
boom swinger    microfonista
Sinonimi di "swinger":
    * tramp
Definizioni in inglese di "swinger":
   1. (nome) someone who swings sports implements
   2. (nome) a person who engages freely in promiscuous sex
Swinger or Swingers may refer to:
Lifestyle
    * People active in the sexual swinging lifestyle
    * People who swing dance
-- 
The only way to keep you health is to eat what you don't want,
drink what you don't like, and do what you'd rather not.
    -- Mark Twain

On Apr 2, 12:10 pm, Enrico il Pentolaio

When talking about musical assignments in a group, I think the article
is more likely to be omitted. "He plays piano and synthesizer in the
group, and his brother plays guitar and mandolin".
If you're just talking about a person's individual skill or
accomplishment, the article is more likely to be included. "He plays
(can play, knows how to play) the piano, but he also plays the guitar
and the saxophone".