When considering taking up new musical instruments, it’s good to take a few things into consideration. Obviously you want to take up an instrument that’s cool and sounds really good, but you also want to consider these points: How difficult it is to learn? How long it will take you to be able to play it? How expensive is it? And finally, you may want to consider how portable it is. Here are eight of the best instruments to learn.
1. Ukulele
The ukulele is one of the cutest instruments to look at and they come in all colors. It just has four strings to deal with. It’s also definitely one of the easiest instruments to learn. You can pick one up for as little very little but it’s worth spending a little more to get a better quality one. There are thousands of commercials using the upbeat ukulele as background music, so you are likely familiar with the sound of it.
You can get a beginner’s kit which comes with a ukulele (in a choice of many colors and styles) and a carrying bag, a starter’s guide, and stickers to mark where to put your fingers. This should get you started quickly, especially if you use an app or online tutorials.
It’s easy to learn chords on a ukulele, and you can be playing within minutes.
2. Guitar
The guitar is a very popular instrument in part because it’s reasonably easy to play basic chords. The acoustic has 6 strings which can be either nylon or steel. It’s best to start with nylon as steel strings can be quite painful and you need to build up some calluses on your fingers which happens after a couple of weeks of practice. Steel stringed guitars tend to be used more for classical music. Or you can go for an electric guitar, which is exactly the same to play but needs plugging into an amp. Many guitar players have one of each type.
Guitars range in price to very affordable to very expensive depending on the make and the wood they are made from. One of the most famous makes is Fender.
3. Recorder
The recorder is easy to play an instrument that is often taught in music classes at school. Although most children only learn the basics, this instrument can be played to a really high level.
If you get started on the recorder, you can easily move onto playing the clarinet, or even saxophone because the finger positions are very similar.
If you’re interested in starting to learn the recorder, there are several different sizes and different types of wood to choose from.
4. Drums
The drums are really fun! There are really no “wrong notes” on the drums, as such. If you have a good sense of rhythm and love to make a lot of noise this could be the instrument for you.
Although the drums aren’t so portable and need a lot of setting up, you don’t need to take them anywhere while you’re learning. If you get good enough to play in a band, they pack up and go in the trunk of your car.
When you start learning and you get some drum grooves going, you can play along to a recording which makes it great fun. A standard drum kit comes with five drums and four cymbals. Second-hand kits are usually easy to find which are good to begin on. Electronic drum kits are widely used and a great alternative to practice without disturbing others. But even on a standard drum kit, you can get rubber mats that deaden the sound. This protects your hearing too.
5. Bass Guitar
There’s something so cool about a bass guitar. Maybe even cooler than playing acoustic 6-string guitar? And yet, the bass is easier. For one thing, it only has four strings! There are quite a few songs with outstanding bass-lines. “Come Together” by the Beatles comes to mind, and especially, “Money” by Pink Floyd.
6. Ocarina
The ocarina is a distinctly overlooked instrument. It’s inexpensive, quick to learn, and small enough to carry in your pocket or purse. What’s not to love!
The ocarina was invented around 1853. It’s a small, kidney-shaped instrument with holes that you cover with your fingers to produce different notes as you blow into it (very like the recorder). The sound is light and magical. Watch here as it’s used to perform “Misty Mountains Cold” from The Hobbit.
7. Bongos
Bongos are in the drum family, but a much easier piece of kit to carry around than a full drum kit. The bongos usually come as a set of two – one large, one small – the smaller one having a higher pitch than the larger one. Made of wood or plastic, they have animal (or faux) skin stretched across the opening, creating the drum head. They are clamped between the knees and played with the hands and fingers, which give different tones. They can also be attached to a stand to make it easier to play.
8. Keyboard
The keyboard is an easy instrument to take up and quickly learn to play your favorite songs, especially if you use an app like Skoove. Keyboard playing uses a lot of chords rather than individual notes that take a lot of practice to play. Learn chords in the left hand and melody in the right and away you go! Everybody loves the sound of a piano or keyboard and they are extremely portable.
Art is beyond the rules and logic of humankind and these instruments are a great example that what art needs is creativity and out of box thinking. There are so many reasons to play any musical instruments, like refreshing your mood. Want to impress your girlfriend? If you know how to play guitar, surely it will impress her to the core. You can check more awesome reasons why to play guitar. Also, read strange instruments that exist, that will leave you amazed.
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