If you’ve read my last blog post, Six Benefits of Playing a Musical Instrument, and you’re now reading this, I’m confident you’re strongly considering learning music and playing some type of instrument. But what instrument should you learn? Here are some ideas
There are many factors to consider when choosing which musical instrument is optimal for you or your children. Since I’m a classical guitar teacher I must confess a preference for the classical guitar. But at the end of the day my only wish is for more and more people to reap the rewards of playing a musical instrument. Here are some factors to consider.
- Are you interested in a particular music style? Some instruments cater more specifically to certain styles while others are more versatile. The guitar is simply the most versatile of them all and is used to play literally every style of music you could think of.
- Is the instrument challenging? Or not challenging enough? There is quite a difference between learning the triangle and the harp for example.
- Can you afford the instrument and the maintenance that comes with it? A great classical guitar can be had for a more affordable price than an average grand piano!
- Do you love the sound of it? Especially if you are a parent choosing an instrument for their child? Will it hearing it practised for hours at home drive you crazy?
- In the end choose what is practical and what makes you the most excited! If possible try out as many instruments as possible.
After all this, the choice is yours to make. Whatever you decide will likely be the right choice for you. But you may go down a road a ways and decide to change instruments too. As a guitarist I’d now like share just a few of the many reasons to choose the guitar.
- It’s portable! You can take an acoustic guitar to a party or easily throw it in the back of the car to take on a camping trip. Have music, will travel!
- It’s versatility is not limited to styles and taste in music. This is an instrument you can play solo or with other people who may be playing the guitar or other instuments. Playing for oneself is rewarding in itself but nothing beats the feeling of playing music together with others.
- It’s cool! To me this is stating the obvious and I promise you it’s true. Try naming 3 famous guitar players. It’s easy right? Now try naming 3 famous flautists? (Apologies in advance to all the flute players out there.) Not so easy is it?
- The guitar is a relatively easy instrument to learn in terms of playing songs you know and enjoying a feeling of accomplishment pretty quickly. Of course, every instrument is difficult to master absolutely and the guitar is no different. But the guitar has a much easier learning curve than most instruments including the violin for example.
- You’ll soon be able to play music familiar to you and others you know. Most popular songs written over the last 50 years involve the guitar in some way. With the guitar the amount of available options and choices you’ll have are second to none.
- Playing music is very healthy for both the mind and body. See my other blog post the Six benefits of Playing a Musical Instrument for more on this. Who would have guessed something this enjoyable would be good for you too!
- The cost of a decent guitar is definitely affordable in comparison to many other instruments. For example, in the classical guitar world I would recommend a good student model Alhambra which retails for about $400AUD brand new. Just mention Media Luna Guitar Tuition to Pierre at Guitars Online and he may be able to do even better than that. Go check out some prices on a decent Piano or Violin and you’ll see the difference.
- The guitar is easy to maintain. All instruments require maintenance and upkeep and the guitar is not only easy in this regard but it is also cheap. A few sets of new spare strings, a guitar tuner and an occasional instrument “set up” done by a professional should run under $100AUD regardless whether it’s a classical or electric guitar. And of course if you need any recommendations for who to see for a perfect instrument set up just contact me via the website.
I’ve written this post for those who have thought about learning the guitar but for on reason or another have yet to take the plunge. I believe the road to being a musician is more fun, more rewarding and a lot easier than most of you imagine. If writing this inspires even one of you out there to pick up a guitar (or any instrument, for that matter) then I would consider writing this time well spent.
I’m always happy to talk further about music so please feel free to get in touch via my contact page if you have any questions no matter how small or insignificant they may seem. If you think I’ve missed something important in what’s written here please let me know – I’d love to hear from you.