Music Banter - View Single Post - Which instrument requires the least patience to learn?

Guybrush · 03-26-2022, 01:55 AM

I've tried my hand at a few instruments and imo, what makes a instrument easy to practice on, in general, are a couple of thangs.

Availability - I find it's easier to practice when the instrument doesn't need much or anything in terms of preparation. Just sit down or pick up. An acoustic guitar is easy, an electric maybe less so unless you always have it rigged and ready to go. I like to be able to pick up something and play, if only for a minute.

Versatility - in terms of melodic/chromatic instruments, those that can play single notes as well as chords are more fun, I think. And if you don't use your breath, you can also sing.

Ease of playing - I prefer easier instruments, so a melodica is more fun to me than a concertina, although they can sound kinda similar.

Some instruments that I think are fun are piano, guitar and drums. Piano is probably the best for me. It sounds beautiful and is a great tool for learning notes and theory. Just buy some note stickers and put on the keys and put a print-out of the circle of fifths to go on the sheet stand. It's also easy to be creative with a piano, so it's a great songwriting tool.

I would generally recommend electric pianos at a medium price range. You can hook them up to piano learning apps and they don't go out of tune. You can record your playing or write midi arrangements and have your piano play it. They can also sound better than most uprights you'll stumble across. I have a Yamaha CLP 635 and absolutely love it.

Guitar is also fun, but a little less easy and versatile. Drums in particular feels like you're just unlocking completely new abilities in your brain when you're first learning.

Less fun include recorders, concertina or violin that really loudly screeches in your ear with this reedy tone. I kinda like recorders and have a few around the house, but I seldom play them for longer than a minute or two.

Most boring I've tried is flute. You can only play single notes and obviously can't sing along. Getting clean sounds at the bottom notes or higher octave can be demanding in terms of technique and as a beginner, you can actually get very dizzy/unwell quickly from a lack of oxygen (requires a lot of breath). If I need flute, I will hire a flautist and am thankful they exist because the instrument can sound absolutely gorgeous.

03-26-2022, 01:55 AM	#7 (permalink)
Guybrush Juicious Maximus III Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Scabb Island Posts: 6,525	I've tried my hand at a few instruments and imo, what makes a instrument easy to practice on, in general, are a couple of thangs. Availability - I find it's easier to practice when the instrument doesn't need much or anything in terms of preparation. Just sit down or pick up. An acoustic guitar is easy, an electric maybe less so unless you always have it rigged and ready to go. I like to be able to pick up something and play, if only for a minute. Versatility - in terms of melodic/chromatic instruments, those that can play single notes as well as chords are more fun, I think. And if you don't use your breath, you can also sing. Ease of playing - I prefer easier instruments, so a melodica is more fun to me than a concertina, although they can sound kinda similar. Some instruments that I think are fun are piano, guitar and drums. Piano is probably the best for me. It sounds beautiful and is a great tool for learning notes and theory. Just buy some note stickers and put on the keys and put a print-out of the circle of fifths to go on the sheet stand. It's also easy to be creative with a piano, so it's a great songwriting tool. I would generally recommend electric pianos at a medium price range. You can hook them up to piano learning apps and they don't go out of tune. You can record your playing or write midi arrangements and have your piano play it. They can also sound better than most uprights you'll stumble across. I have a Yamaha CLP 635 and absolutely love it. Guitar is also fun, but a little less easy and versatile. Drums in particular feels like you're just unlocking completely new abilities in your brain when you're first learning. Less fun include recorders, concertina or violin that really loudly screeches in your ear with this reedy tone. I kinda like recorders and have a few around the house, but I seldom play them for longer than a minute or two. Most boring I've tried is flute. You can only play single notes and obviously can't sing along. Getting clean sounds at the bottom notes or higher octave can be demanding in terms of technique and as a beginner, you can actually get very dizzy/unwell quickly from a lack of oxygen (requires a lot of breath). If I need flute, I will hire a flautist and am thankful they exist because the instrument can sound absolutely gorgeous. __________________ Something Completely Different Last edited by Guybrush; 03-26-2022 at 02:50 AM.