Music is a powerful and enriching experience for humans. Different and varied as people are, each one of them has a distinctive musical preference.
Music also is a great way to exercise and bolster creativity in people of all age groups. Like any other craft, the skills needed to master music take time, but it eventually pays off since music is a highly enjoyable activity.
This article is for you if you are seeking to find the best and easiest instrument to learn and play some music with.
Humans have been making music for a long time; even cave art paintings show figures playing different musical instruments. Artifacts from thousands of years ago show bones with perforated holes, which historians and archaeologists believe are very likely musical instruments.
Music is not merely a mish-mash of different sounds; it is a deliberate exercise to elicit emotional responses from each other. Music is among the things which humans universally appreciate. Even two people from very different cultures can create a sense of bonding together through music.
How To Decide Which is the Easiest Instrument to Learn?
Playing a musical instrument nowadays is a great hobby that many people have developed since childhood. With how music and music theory have evolved, many varied and complex seeming instruments are out there.
However, not all of us possess the necessary know-how to get going with a musical instrument. It is highly recommended that professional training and music lessons be sought from music teachers, but not everyone can afford to do so.
Luckily, the good news is that the wide availability of many different resources online resources offers people the chance to learn the very basics themselves.
But then, naturally, the question arises- Out of the many musical instruments out there, which ones do I learn?
Do I begin with the Guitar or the Keyboard? Which is the best and easiest instrument to learn?
The answer to these questions varies considerably depending on several factors. The most important factor is the learnerโs musical preference.
As a general rule of thumb, it is best, to begin with the sounds that one already knows and appreciates in the music they listen to since familiarity indeed does count in the learning process.
In the self-learning phase, listening to and exploring the many different sounds a musical instrument makes is key to learning which way to go. If one wants, they can also try to re-create the music they already listen to.
Therefore, here is a list to help one choose the best and easiest instrument to learn, whether for young children or grown adults.
What Is the Easiest Instrument to Learn?
1. Ukulele
The Ukulele is an instrument that is fairly well known for its ease of learning. Essentially a smaller cousin of the guitar, it has its origins in Portugal but is very popular in Hawaii.
It is regarded as the easiest instrument to learn among stringed instruments. Having a short neck and only four strings is quite comfortable to use, and one can quickly learn the chords and scales to master the ukulele.
It is a simpler version of the guitar and is popularly considered the easiest instrument to learn, especially for young children who cannot handle the bulkier guitar.
It also has softer strings than the guitar and thus is better to practice on for extended durations. Being of a smaller size, the ukulele is also quite portable and can be carried by the user to practice and hone their musical skills further.
2. Harmonica
The Harmonica, also known as the mouth organ or the French Harp, is a miniature instrument that adults and even young children can easily handle.
This instrument is very simple, and all it involves to play the harmonica is to modulate the wind that one blows into it using our breath.
The harmonica is surprisingly versatile for its simple structure, being used in various musical genres from rock songs to country tunes to classical music, and is perhaps the easiest instrument to master on this list.
The Harmonica is the best instrument; considered the easiest instrument to learn by many. It has a distinctive sound that can be controlled easily by holding it and using oneโs breath.
It is also the most compact and the easiest instrument to carry about, as it simply fits into a pocket.
3. Bongo
The Bongo is the easiest to master among the percussion instruments. Percussion instruments have to be scraped or beaten with the hand or other implements to produce sounds.
The Bongo produces a fairly distinctive sound and is commonly used to create a lively, exciting beat that is often very popularly associated with the relatively recent genre of street music.
The Bongo originated in Cuba and consisted of two conjoined drums, which are played together by hand.
It is a fun instrument to learn and creates a unique and contemporary music style by the rapid movements on the drum. One should join a drum circle since the Bongo is a social instrument usually played in a group.
Moreover, learning the Bongo will add to your ability to learn rhythm and help you develop your music and your rhythms since it is the easiest instrument to learn to develop your beats.
4. Keyboard
A Keyboard is a great first instrument and also an engaging instrument to learn for young children since rather than making the user recognize only a few chords, it teaches them the full range of all the notes.
It also develops basic piano skills and can come in handy when learning to play piano in the future or moving towards completing other musical goals.
It is also advisable that one learn sheet music since it will lay the basis of understanding music as a whole from any other instrument.
The Keyboard is the most versatile and easiest instrument to learn in this list since it also uses pre-recorded sounds such as basic drum bears, chords, and so much more.
Moreover, it can play the widest available range of music, from classical sounds to modern-day electronic music. Adults who have played the piano before will easily take the keyboard since it is quite similar.
Playing the keyboard also develops coordination between both hands. Since it is technically unlikely that a keyboard will produce wrong notes, keyboard learners can feel free to improvise with the many available tones as they learn.
5. Violin
The violin with its four strings is among the most popular instruments and is fairly easy to learn, although it may require consistent practice in the beginning.
However, it is among one of the most unique and elegant sounding instruments. It is used in a variety of genres as well, the most significant being classical music.
When taking up the violin, it is advisable to seek learning materials, read sheet music, and learn a bit of music theory since it will come in handy.
The Violin is perhaps the hardest instrument to learn in this article but will be quite rewarding. It will help develop an ear for proper notes and tones of music while learning this stringed instrument.
6. Saxophone
The Saxophone is the easiest instrument to learn among the jazz ensemble. It is much more straightforward than the trumpet since it does not require that one hear the note played, and the embouchure or the lipping of a saxophone is much easier.
The main thing to master while playing the saxophone is fingering the correct keys to produce the notes.
The Saxophone originated in Belgium and produced a very rich sound appreciated by various musical genres and people who listen to them.
It is recommended that you play the saxophone in front of others who appreciate the sound and can provide relevant feedback to you
7. Drums
Drums are another very ubiquitous and popular instrument to learn. Drums are percussive instruments and are perhaps the most famous of all instruments alongside the guitar.
Drums are quite easy to take to but require much practice to master, like any other instrument on this list.
Playing the drums depends on rhythm and beat to create the desired sounds properly. Although learning drums requires a full drum kit, it is a very rewarding and immersive experience.
Learning the drums is quite the journey since drums are surprisingly versatile in the type of beat produced.
Pop, Rock, Country, Reggae, and even Classical genres employ drums in one form or another. Not many people regard the drums as the easiest instrument to learn, but it can indeed feel like second nature if one practices it regularly.
8. Guitar
The Guitar is among the most iconic of all stringed instruments. With its rising popularity, it has become an instantly recognizable symbol of music. Originally from Spain, the guitar has now become popular throughout the world.
It has six steel strings and is a great instrument to learn for both adults and children, although extremely small children may have a problem handling it (it is therefore recommended that they begin with the ukulele).
Guitar strings are usually accompanied by singing or other instruments, although playing this instrument alone is perfectly fine.
Playing the guitar is quite engaging since, like the keyboard, it involves finger independence and promotes dexterity of the hand.
There are multiple types of guitars, like bass guitar, six string acoustic guitar, electric guitar and so on.
It is also considered the easiest instrument to learn of the acoustic variety and you can even compose your own music with this simple instrument.
9. Flute
The Flute is perhaps the oldest known instrument used by humans; instruments similar to the modern version of the flute have been found dating back to prehistoric times.
The Flute requires practice, but the playing technique is quite easy in itself, and you would really not regret learning this instrument in your musical journey.
One has to blow air into the holes through the mouth, cover them up, or leave them open using the fingers to produce different sounds. The Flute is very straightforward and is also considered the easiest instrument to learn.
The flute, too, is quite easily adapted to different genres like pop, country, or classical tunes and is an instrument used by many different cultures.
It is perhaps too simple at its core and is therefore underrated, but it is quite soothing and produces a distinctive, lilting melody.
When using formal training with the flute, it is recommended that one learn the different types of notes produced and learn some music theory.
10. Tambourine
The Tambourine alongside the Bongo may be the simplest and easiest instrument to learn of the percussion variety.
It consists of a small shallow drum with zills attached to it and is played very simply by tapping it in different manners, fast or slow.
The Tambourine is perhaps quite an underrated instrument, but it is still quite rewarding and highly uncomplicated to learn.
The tambourine is usually accompanied by singing and other instruments. It is associated with telling folk tales or being used in musical plays and has been used by various cultures since 1700 BC, making it one of the oldest known instruments still being used today.
Here Are Some Additional Points
1. It must be understood here that no instrument or musical style, for that matter, is better than any other, and each of them has its place.
Music is a highly contextual and personal thing that resonates differently with different people. With the great and continually evolving diversity music offers, all genres and instruments are vital in their way.
What is important to remember is that music is about bringing people together and having memorable experiences.
2. Musical instruments, like many other things in life, have to be cared for. To any music enthusiast, instruments mean more than mere objects and are respected and revered by musicians.
Therefore it is important to take good care of your musical instruments and learn to value them.
3. One can easily take up any of these instruments and hone their skills with time. Each of these instruments does require consistency and practice, like any other form of creative pursuit; the more time you invest, the better your skills will improve.
The old saying that practice makes perfect is quite true about learning any musical instrument, even if it is the easiest instrument to learn.
Have you learned to play any of these musical instruments? What advice do you have for others learning to play?
Are there any other musical instruments that you feel belong on this list? What is the easiest instrument to learn, according to you?
Feel free to reply in the comments section below. Here is another link leading to another article on music and learning.
Last Updated on by Himani Rawat
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