What are the easiest instruments to learn?

Making a decision

No matter what they say, learning an instrument is not that easy. Several aspects must be taken into account before deciding and choosing an instrument. To start on the right foot, it is best to ask yourself a few questions and define your tastes, objectives, aptitudes and possibilities. The pondering will not be based on the same criteria for an adult and a child either. Does this desire to learn come from a recent passion that might not last or is it the dream of a lifetime that has always been repressed because of your obligations?

When we talk about children, it is essential to make sure that they truly enjoy making music. The process can be hard and irritating if your child is uninterested, and if you must constantly remind him to practice. Keep in mind that your musical preferences will also guide your choice. Whether you want to play classical, traditional or pop music, you might not choose the same instrument. If you prefer the sensuality of string instruments or the resonance of a piano and appreciate less the loudness of percussions, you will immediately reject instruments that are of no interest to you.

To make the right choice, you must also be realistic and honest with yourself. Your aptitudes and possibilities will guide you to the instrument you should choose. Some require more dexterity than others, the violin, for example. Some flexibility, strength, rhythm and accuracy are necessary to play instruments. If space is an issue, forget about bass and drums. If you are worried about the neighbours, you should take it into consideration.

Different instruments

There are three categories of instruments, established on the way sound is produced: strings, wind and percussion. Within these families, there are sub-groups, shown in the following table:

So many possibilities

Music is a language. It is possible to speak without knowing how to read or write, but learning to read and write makes your speech easier, more natural and improves its quality. Similarly, we can play an instrument by ear, without learning the theory and theoretical concepts but we will soon meet difficulties and be limited in our possibilities. When playing an instrument, it is important to choose if we want to learn the academic parts or not.

What are the difficulties?

As mentioned earlier, the difficulty of learning certain instruments lies in the skills they require. Violin, guitar, piano and flute, for example, require a lot of skills because they involve the use of our fingers. Deciphering the theory and having a sense of rhythm is important for all instruments. On the other hand, percussions require understanding and feeling the rhythm, since their main function is precisely to maintain a rhythm or beat.

Several instruments, like the drums and piano, require independent body parts since the hands and feet play different things at the same time. Accuracy is also fundamental for a rehearsal not to turn into cacophony. Violin and guitar are two instruments that require an excellent ear because consistent sound production depends on where fingers are located on the fret. These instruments have no keys or buttons like the clarinet or the piano, for example.

That being said, whether you choose an instrument or another, you will face specific difficulties. Depending on the level that you want to achieve, it will take some effort and time. But you must always enjoy rehearsing!

Courses

For younger children, there are musical awakening courses that generally introduce several musical instruments. Children can thus discover the shapes, sounds and methods to play several instruments. Before making a choice and venturing into high expenses, it may be a good idea to suggest this introduction to your child. At the same time, you will assess the interest of your little musician and gather information that will be useful if he wants to continue learning music. The recorder is a good instrument to start with because the fingering is simple and the sound is easily produced. However, your child still needs wide enough fingers to cover the holes completely.

It is worth mentioning that learning an instrument is one of the best ways to improve fine dexterity in children. A study led by researchers from Harvard¹ reported that children who have learned and practiced an instrument for at least three years are better in some subjects than children who have not studied music. The results show that the time spent practicing piano or violin, for example, influence skills that have no apparent connection with music, namely verbal abilities and visual patterns. Unsurprisingly, it also improves dexterity and auditory discrimination.

Therefore, let’s encourage our children to learn instruments for fun or for more serious purposes. The benefits it brings are many and the effort it requires is nothing compared with the pride that we feel when achieving our goals. Happy rehearsal!

Reference

^[1] Public Library of Science. "Time Invested In Practicing Pays Off For Young Musicians, Research Shows." ScienceDaily, 5 Nov. 2008. Web. 29 Mar. 2013.