What's The Easiest Instrument To Teach Yourself?

[TMagic]

I really want to learn how to play SOMETHING.

But I just don't think I will have the money to pay for lessons. So I thought that I could get an instrument and learn to play on my own. But I didn't know if some were easier to pick up and learn than others. And if its just better to learn from an instructor for some.

Any thoughts/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[Blzer]

Re: What's The Easiest Instrument To Teach Yourself?

Do you mean something like a clarinet? Or are you referring more to the guitar/piano/drum type of instrument?

I'd say go with acoustic guitar. You can go as simply as learning strumming chords and you would be set for years. There is still a long-term process of getting callouses on your fingers (may take a month), but after the memorization of chords and practicing transitions, it all becomes muscle memory. You will adapt to playing just by feel and wouldn't necessarily have to look, and on-the-fly adjustments are possible, unlike piano where once you hit the key you make the sound (so you can perhaps correct mistakes, etc.). Plus, too many of your favorite songs include a guitar, so it's probably the best kind of instrument to learn anyway. It'll actually give you a deeper appreciation for songs because when you listen to the music, you are listening to what they are playing a whole lot more than you used to.

It's still a challenging instrument to do barre chords and learn riffs and such, but it's all a part of adaptability obviously. You can teach yourself online as long as you know what frets are and how to count to four. Guitar could use a more profound technique of understanding the instrument and what you're playing, how notes best relate, etc. but it's not required. Piano on the other hand does require a great deal of knowledge when it comes to scales and reading music ahead of the time that you are playing the notes which come beforehand. For any instrument you'll at first you'll consider it impossible, but give it that month and you'll wonder why you initially thought it was so difficult. If you can learn to barre strings on an acoustic guitar, you'll be set to do so for an electric guitar as well, and can maybe work on how to finger-pick (I prefer using fingers as opposed to a pick) for those familiar and popular main riffs. It also can pick up ladies on the fly, where pianos don't quite have that charm of mobility.

Just my biased opinion as a guitarist for seven years.

[slimm44]

Re: What's The Easiest Instrument To Teach Yourself?

The easiest instrument to learn is probably the cowbell. If you can keep a beat and have two hands, it's no problem.

Acoustic guitar is slightly more difficult, but will bring much more recognition and fanfare than the cowbell.

After this incredibly detailed analysis, I'd say acoustic guitar.

[MassNole]

Re: What's The Easiest Instrument To Teach Yourself?

I'd have to say the skin flute........j/k

[ruserl88]

Re: What's The Easiest Instrument To Teach Yourself?

i would start with banjo then move up to acoustic guitar

[stoncold32]

Re: What's The Easiest Instrument To Teach Yourself?

I've been playing guitar for almost 10 years and am not more than average, if even that.

But I started teaching myself piano several years ago and am lightyears ahead of my guitar skills.

Piano is the easiet to me, b/c you have all the notes sitting them in front of you. Even if you dont know what you're playing in the beginning, you can pick out notes, and eventually see patterns aka scales.

[WeLLWeLL]

Re: What's The Easiest Instrument To Teach Yourself?

I've played the guitar for 8 or 9 years and am still not that great. I took lessons right after I got it but quit after a month or so. I really wish I would have stuck with it because it would have really helped me out in the long run. Guitar is easy if you just want to be ok, because all you need to know are a few chords and you can play just about anything. But if you want to be good you must practice.

My gf bought a ukulele a couple weeks ago and I have been playing the crap out of that. I would definitely say that is much easier than the guitar...and a ton of fun as well.

[Blzer]

Re: What's The Easiest Instrument To Teach Yourself?

Piano is the easiet to me, b/c you have all the notes sitting them in front of you. Even if you dont know what you're playing in the beginning, you can pick out notes, and eventually see patterns aka scales.

I kind of find piano to be an issue, though. I have all of them in front of me, but all of them work the same. I can't go "by feel" quite the same as guitar, because once I press the key it's all over... either I hit the correct note or I didn't. With guitar, you can feel your fingers on the right strings (the top ones are thicker and the bottom, thinner) and there are dots on the 5th, 7th, 9th, and 12th frets indicating how far up the neck you are for very quick transitions, and the sound isn't made until you strum/pick the string.

I don't know how to truly play piano; I've only converted from songs on guitar to songs on piano note-by-note to learn how to play them (How to Save a Life, A Thousand Miles, and Boston), but even then it takes me a couple of keys to look at where I am supposed to start, because all of the keys look the same. With guitar, most main riffs derive from the chords that you learn, so your left hand isn't too far off from understanding how a song goes at that point, and your right hand just needs a bit of practice. Meanwhile there is piano again, and if you decide to incorporate your left hand into songs, the rhythm, timing, and feel without looking is just far too difficult. Include reading sheet music on-the-fly with both sets of notes for left and right hand, and IMO it takes... not a lot more talent, but a much greater understanding of music in general to get it down pat during practice.

I still say that guitar is easier in that regard, especially when he perhaps wants something to "pick up and play," and find songs to cover and such.

[RAZRr1275]

Re: What's The Easiest Instrument To Teach Yourself?

As far as pick up and play ability I'd say guitar. I agree with Blzer in that piano requires more a more technical background (scales, interval knowledge, etc) to start on and play well. With guitar you can just learn a scale and improv on it and sound fairly good. I think guitar is an instrument where it can be fairly easy if you want to stay at an intermediate level but can be very difficult if you want to take the step up to actually being a serviceable guitarist as far as having a lot of music knowledge and skill in very many styles. Piano, to me, seems like a instrument where you need that all of that base knowledge to begin with and can go from there as far as you want to. So I'd go with guitar.

[youvalss]

Re: What's The Easiest Instrument To Teach Yourself?


And here's your first (and only) lesson:

<EMBED height=385 type=application/x-shockwave-flash width=480 src=http://www.youtube.com/v/8k5UkMTskio&hl=en_GB&fs=1&rel=0 allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always">



</EMBED>

[KingV2k3]

Re: What's The Easiest Instrument To Teach Yourself?

I really want to learn how to play SOMETHING.

But I just don't think I will have the money to pay for lessons. So I thought that I could get an instrument and learn to play on my own. But I didn't know if some were easier to pick up and learn than others. And if its just better to learn from an instructor for some.

Any thoughts/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I wanted to be in a band really badly when I was young, but didn't like the idea of taking lessons...

I went with the bass guitar, because it's one note at at time (no chords like guitar) and was able to teach myself how to play basic parts quite quickly...

Depends what kind of music you want to play...

Genres like punk and alt rock require simple 8th note pumping and hip hop / dance is quite minimalist, so those types of music might be able to "get you into the game" the fastest...

If you have a flair for keeping time (you'll know if you do by seeing how efficient you are by tapping your hands and / or feet along to songs) "holding down the fort" via the bass guitar just moght be for you...

Another plus:

Capable / decent bass players are usually in short supply (everyone gravitates to the guitar, drums or vocals), so you have the best chance of getting into the better bands...

Worked for me...and has kept me working for many, many years...

Good luck, have fun...but be aware that a lot of the 'fun' is actually pretty hard, focused effort...

[NoDakHusker]

Re: What's The Easiest Instrument To Teach Yourself?

Well I would say guitar. I taught myself everything I know, have played for 4 years and now play lead in 2 bands.

It's kind of slow going at first, but it's not too difficult to pick up guitar.

[ASB37]

Re: What's The Easiest Instrument To Teach Yourself?

I took guitar lessons as a kid and hated it so I stopped. 4 Years ago my roommate gave me an electric guitar and some books and I started teaching myself. I'm still pretty awful but I don't really practice on any consistent basis. It's just fun to learn some songs through tabs and play them.

I'd really love to buy a cheap drum set and learn to play those as I feel I have a natural ability to play the drums but with the noise I doubt it's feasible at this point.

[ruserl88]

Re: What's The Easiest Instrument To Teach Yourself?

And here's your first (and only) lesson:

<EMBED height=385 type=application/x-shockwave-flash width=480 src=http://www.youtube.com/v/8k5UkMTskio&hl=en_GB&fs=1&rel=0 allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always">



</EMBED>

i think i used to drink 151 out of one of those & i definitely remember my old roomie smokin' out of one

[DickDalewood]

Re: What's The Easiest Instrument To Teach Yourself?