Learning an instrument is a rewarding hobby that will last a lifetime. Some instruments are harder to play than others, and depending on the learner and what interests they have, certain instruments may be easier to learn. Children tend to learn faster than adults because they soak up more information, but an adult learner will still have no problem learning an instrument as long as they put the practice in. So where to start? What instrument is the easiest? Are some easier than others? Here are the five easiest musical instruments to learn.
Guitar
A guitar is easy to learn because they involve chords. Chords sound complicated, but once the student learns a few of them, they can construct even the simplest of songs. There are plenty of internet resources on how to play the guitar. The best way to start learning is to get your fingers used to the strings, the correct pressure, and where to place them on the frets, or sections of the guitar. You’ll also need to get used to strumming with your other hand, so be sure to practice that a bit. Get to know the guitar and study the instrument, learning the names and functions and the strings. Don’t worry about knowing all the notes at first, that will come later. Learning the chords is a good way to start so that you can get used to playing whole songs, which will help your practice. And that’s the key to learning the guitar, and any musical instrument for that matter – once you’ve gotten some basic chord patterns down, just remember to practice, practice, practice. This will hone your skills and make you become a better player. You’ll also develop a better ear for music when you practice more often and hear where the mistakes lay. You’ll build muscle and hand memory, which is important with any instrument, especially stringed ones.
Ukulele
A ukulele is similar to a guitar, except smaller and with less strings. It’s also less expensive, making it a good choice as a quick and fun first instrument to learn. A decent ukulele will run about $50-$100. Take a few minutes to learn to hold the ukulele, and even stand and sit while holding it. The great thing about the ukulele is its size and ease, which make it easy for the player to walk around playing it. You’ll learn chords first, just as with the guitar. Start off with the major chords so that you can begin playing songs right away. As with any instrument, it takes practice but by the first day or two of playing, you’ll be able to play a song or two and then you can quickly build up a repertoire from there. Learning how to strum well is also important. Don’t rush, have fun, and remember to start off slowly until you learn chord changes. This will ensure that you’ll play with accuracy. And play often, so that your fingers begin to memorize the chord shapes. Soon enough it will be like second nature.
Piano
People usually think the piano or keyboard is hard to learn, but it’s really the same as the guitar and ukulele. Once chords and scales are learned, the player can quickly move onto songs and even compositions. You’ll want to have good sitting posture, and to move your hands over the keyboard in order to get familiar with the keys. The foundation to learning piano is to learn scales. The scales are the best way to learn the notes of each key. Even though most pianos have 88 keys (a keyboard may have less), you’ll be able to quickly adapt to the keys through scale practice. Another good piece of advice to learn to play easily is try to get familiar with the notes. Sight reading will help you be able to read the sheet music better. There is a huge array of sheet music that is available to pianists, so once you begin reading music there’s literally a whole world of music out there for you to play. Again, practice makes perfect. Just find your way around the piano’s keyboard, find middle C, and from there move on to the other keys, learning the pitches of the treble and bass notes. There’s really not much more to it than that. Once you have both hands able to move in succession you’ll find playing comes much easier.
Harmonica
The harmonica is definitely one of the easiest instruments out there to play. There are a few different kinds of harmonicas. You’ll want to begin with the most common type, called a diatonic harmonica. It has 10 holes and can play a major diatonic scale. The easy thing about the harmonica is that your hands are only used to hold the instrument. The playing itself comes from a combination of exhaling and inhaling into the holes, which result in different notes. Learning the pattern of notes is all you need to do to begin playing, as well as learning the correct mouth placement on the harmonica. It takes a bit of practice but within an hour you should be easily blowing away on the harmonica and feeling very comfortable with it. A harmonica’s sheet music is also really easy to read, too.
Clarinet
A clarinet is a woodwind instrument that gives off a beautiful sound. The clarinet is probably the most different instrument in this list, but only due to the nature of the woodwind instrument. Using a woodwind requires a bit of a different technique, which begins with getting used to something called a reed, which is a piece that is used in conjunction with the mouth to create the sound, and the shape and technique of blowing while moving fingers in different positions. The clarinet is really versatile. It’s a matter of learning how to open and close each tone hole in order to create the correct sound and key. Beginners can buy or rent a clarinet, and it’s better to get a cheap plastic model to start, since the expensive ones are harder to play. The clarinet uses a method of scales and just requires a bit of adjustment at first to get the mouth shaped right in order to get the best sound out of the instrument.
There are plenty of used music instruments and musical instruments for sale to be found in sri lanka classifieds. You’ll most likely be able to find anything on this list for sale or brand new for a good price. The most expensive instrument here could be the piano, but beginners can start off with a keyboard easily which doesn’t cost a lot of money, and eventually move up to a piano. The least expensive item here is most likely going to be the ukulele or the harmonica. In any case learning any instrument is going to be a valuable and fulfilling way to spend your time. Not only that, you can play for your friends and family at parties, or even move on to a professional career if you play for long enough. So depending on your budget, decide which instrument might suit you best and start learning!
