If you could have any skill you wanted, which one would you choose? Ask around and you’ll find a surprising number of people wish they could play an instrument. Without expert advice, non-musical parents of eager children – and adults wanting to learn for pleasure – face a bewildering choice: which instrument would be best for me or my child? Which are the best instruments for beginners to learn? How much will it cost? Where do I find a good teacher? How difficult is it to learn? This guide is intended to help you make up your mind and decide which instrument you should learn.
Over the past 50 years or so, Britain’s much-admired peripatetic instrumental teaching service has helped children take up a variety of instruments, filling youth orchestras, wind bands and jazz orchestras with enthusiastic, self-disciplined players. Of course, some children give up lessons after a year or two, but the experience stays with them for life. Often, after lying dormant during adolescence, the desire to play reappears in adulthood, and goes on to become a satisfying leisure activity.
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What instrument should I learn?
1. What sounds do you enjoy?
Which instrument you choose to play should depend primarily on your personal response to its sound. Some people instinctively identify with the particular tone quality of, say, a flute or bassoon. Others will be reeled in by the emotional appeal of the violin or cello. You may even decide to take up the saxophone simply because it looks good.
The saxophone: looks good. Pic: Thierry Orban/Sygma via Getty Images
2. What’s your personality type?
An article on musical instruments may not have been the first place you’d expect to find a personality quiz. It’s true, however. Instruments and their players have distinctive personalities. Players of string instruments usually play in groups such as string quartets. By extension, string players are often a fairly sociable bunch. Brass players, meanwhile, are often extroverts unafraid of making loud noises!
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach, of course, but it is worth thinking about what sorts of situations a particular instrument may lead you towards, whether it’s a jazz band, string quartet, or a more solitary performing lifestyle.
3. Think about your body
There are a few physiological things to consider when choosing your instrument. Wind and brass players benefit from a strong physique (and sometimes even straighter teeth). Double-jointed fingers can present challenges for both pianists and players of string instruments.
4. What’s your budget?
Other practical factors may influence your choice of musical instrument. In some parts of the country, teachers of certain instruments may be difficult to find, while the sheer expense of a few instruments may prove prohibitive. Double bass, harp, percussion and bassoon are all, down to their size and/or complexity, expensive instruments to acquire and to move around from, say, home to concert hall.
On the other hand, some instruments such as recorder, guitar, ukulele and harmonica are relatively expensive to purchase. And have you thought about the most affordable instrument of all – your own voice? Elsewhere on the site, we reveal ten of the easiest instruments to learn.
Sometimes, you may be given free access to certain instruments at your child’s school, which provides a low-stakes opportunity to learn an instrument, for instance.
Consider transport: do you have access to a car?
For obvious reasons, double bass and tuba players find owning a car useful. Transport considerations are, similarly, essential food for thought for harpists and percussionists.
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Top tips for buying your first musical instrument
So, when thinking about ‘what instrument should I learn?’, you’ll also want to think about how you will get hold of said instrument. Serious aspiring musicians will usually want to own their instrument, but most reputable shops operate a rental system.
There’s often the option to buy the instrument after several months or even a year. If you’re considering buying, consult your music teacher first. Avoid buying at auctions or from Facebook or other social media platforms unless you’ve taken expert independent advice. Buy only from reputable dealers offering a guarantee, and always insist on a trial period.
‘Don’t buy as an investment – no musical instrument is recession-proof’
Many dealers offer discounts and there are good second-hand bargains around. Buying second-hand is always risky, so never buy an instrument you haven’t played and tested. Don’t buy as an investment – top-quality wind and brass should just about hold their value, and fine strings will probably appreciate over a long period, but no musical instrument is recession-proof.
Should I insure my musical instrument?
Yes! Always insure you’re musical instrument if the loss of it would cause you a financial impact. Normal household content policies will usually cover musical instruments, but most only offer a limited amount of cover up to a certain cost. You’ll need to check whether this is enough to cover the full value of your musical instrument. More valuable instruments should be insured with a specialist company.
How to find a good music teacher
All instruments require dedication and constant practice, especially in the early stages. Although some exceptional people are self-taught, generally it is vital to find a reliable teacher. Many children are offered instrumental lessons through their school. Finding a private teacher, personal recommendation, or expert advice from the local authority, music centre or evening institute is best.
Failing that, the Musicians’ Union, the Incorporated Society of Musicians and the European String Teachers’ Association have lists of teachers. Some teachers advertise in specialist journals, locally in libraries or newsagents or on social media or online forums.
But beware – teachers who adveertise are not necessarily the best, and the most successful often have a waiting list. Following word-of-mouth recommendations will likely lead you to the best teachers, but you might have to wait if they are fully booked.
Check out our top tips on what to look for in a music teacher here.
What is the best age to start playing an instrument?
So, you’re wondering, ‘what instrument should I learn’? Perhaps you are also wondering, ‘Am I too old to start learning?’ The answer, you’ll be glad to hear, is: no.
You are never too old to play an instrument, but while children aged two or three can start the violin, and five-year-olds often start piano lessons, there is little advantage in starting on woodwind or brass before the age of 11, and many fine players started older.
However, if an eight-year-old is eager and sufficiently physically developed, no harm will be done by starting them on the flute or clarinet.
Adult beginners may find their problems are more psychological than physical. Children rarely worry about the initial noise they make: any kind of sound, however raucous, is a bonud. Adults, however, are more likely to be discouraged by embarrassing squawks and squeaks. This is where learning through an evening institute may prove useful – you discover everyone else is having the same problems.