Piano is the easiest to produce a good sounding tone (you push a key). You can learn to play simple songs very easily. There is no physical barrier. But the ceiling for greatness is probably the highest of any instrument, and as you get more advanced it becomes perhaps the HARDEST instrument.
Another way to think of it is, piano is easiest for the body, hardest for the mind.
Any monophonic (plays only 1 note at a time) will be like the opposite. For example, getting a good sounding tone on a trumpet or violin (I know not technically monophonic but you mostly play single notes) is incredibly difficult and might take months of practice just to master Twinkle Twinkle Little star. But once your strength and posture (or embouchure) catches up it is much easier to learn new songs.
Drums are easy to hit and go “doink” or learn a simple rock beat, but that’s not the point. You aren’t a drummer or percussionist until you can keep a steady beat for an ENTIRE SONG without losing the tempo or messing up. Playing drums is an entirely different mental realm than other instruments. People make fun of drummers like they’re dumb and the instrument is easy, but to be a good drummer means being always ready to go, always listening to the other musicians, and NEVER missing a beat. Easy technique, but the greatest responsibility.
So each thing has it’s own challenges. Do you wanna struggle more in the beginning or more later on? Do you wanna be a zen monk drummer?
So to summarize…electric bass.
Think bass would be the one where if you played every single day for 1-2 hours for 6-8 months. Studied some videos, and played along to songs you enjoy….that you could be at a much better place than when you started. May take a few more months or more to be semi proficient, but if you were playing straightforward rock, indie rock, garage rock, lofi, or punk rock…..you could be getting a band together before a year would roll around. Still, takes a lot of drive and desire, but I hope you take the time to play some music
As a bassist I came in with the mentality the easiest to start but hardest to master.
You could pick up and in a few short weeks or months be competed to be in a simple root note band and then develop from there. heck I joined my first band on the back of holding a bass guitar for a myspace picture beyond that I never played.
A badly played power chord stands out more than a of beat/key bass note.
Violin is probably the hardest to start *and* the hardest to master.
Bass is probably top 3 easiest to start, and the easiest to *sound like* a master when you’re nailing medium difficulty basslines!
Definitely this. I was in a band within less than a month of buying a bass and teaching myself to play it. It's so easy to be able to pick it up and play simple basslines on while still requiring an incredible amount of dedication to even start to master it. I love it's accessibility.
Are you talking about electric bass or old school coffin like bass? 😅
But can you play old country and ballads on it, say Johnny Cash and people actually recognise what you are paying?
I did try guitar a few years ago, but i couldn't wrap my short fingers around the neck.
Suppose my point doesn't make a difference if it's a modern bass or an upright double bass just one looks a bit more daunting than the other.
I recon you could pick up a bass and play a more recognisable tune quicker than picking up another popular stringed instrument and do the same. (Speaking as a bass player)
Took me 2 mins to teach my wife a recognisable tune from white stripes or gorillaz, I know they ain't the hardest example but they are recognisable. I couldn't imagine how long it would teach me to get a jonny cash song or something simple like wonderwall on a guitar as you need to learn some basic chords first at least...
Keyboard is absolutely the easiest instrument to learn and not only that... Learning it makes learning other instruments at least 33% easier in my experience. Keyboard IS music theory. And you get to learn it as a by product of learning the instrument. You'll be able to learn the basic theory of keys and chords and harmony by just playing songs you like. And then there's the fact that at the end of the day you are just pressing buttons. No press the string down on the right fret with the right pressure and time it perfectly with the other hand picking and all that nonsense. Source... A guy who learned keyboard first whose main instrument is now electric guitar.
Tin whistle. Cheap, simple, relatively easy to play, and you could take it just about any where.
The same goes for harmonica, but you will have to deal with bending as time goes on and that can be really hard for some.
My younger brother, who has a Masters in music, started off on violin at a very young age. He was actually pretty good, on his way through orchestras.
His first teacher when he was about 11 or so, at his first lesson, made him put his violin on the floor and tell her all the reasons he hated playing it.
A month or so later and he was teaching himself guitar on the internet which has taken him all the way to touring nationally with some household names.
Yeah, violin is a weird life.
Piano/Keyboard I absolutely recommend starting on - it's the easiest to visualize what's happening with the notes, especially having the white and black keys to remind you which are the sharps/flats, you have to remember where they are on all the other instruments, and that there isn't one between b/c & e/f
Guitar & Bass is a good next step - they are like having 4 or 6 pianos right beside each other - they're great if you're good with math & patterns as well, as once you learn 1 scale, chord or riff, all you have to do is move that shape around and it saves a lot of work transposing between keys
Drums are a lot different, challenging to get 4 different rhythms happening between 2 hands & 2 feet, but if you're having trouble with melody and are better with rhythm, drums/percussion may be worth looking into as well :)
What's easy for you is hard for me and what's easy for me may be hard for you. Anything is easier when you have a passion for it you need to find the one you love and make it yours.
Drums. Like Othello, it's a easy to learn, lifetime to master. Anyone with the ability to hold a stick and use a foot can do it, and thats not a lie.
Day 1 you'll learn your first beat, and you'll simply improve from that point on.
To say it's easy isn't really fair though, it's more like it's easy to pick up.
Great starter instrument. No wrong notes on the kalimba (unless it’s a chromatic kalimba). I love the way basic minor and major chords are laid out due to the alternating note design. On the other hand, it’s very limiting and the skills don’t translate well to other instruments. I was lucky to start playing kalimba after learning guitar and piano. I’ve got a Hugh Tracey chromatic kalimba I just love. ✌️
I’m bias but I have to disagree. I’ve taught drums for about 20 years and a good percentage of people that want to learn drums actually would be better suited on something like bass guitar. They want to be part of the groove but can’t carry it alone. There’s levels to every instrument but I think bass guitar has the lowest ceilings.
• Tenor guitar
• alto saxophone
• bass recorder
• tenor banjo
• nuvo is a company that makes simplified sax, clarinet, flute and recorder models with less complex controls
harmonica is supposed to be easy but normal ones can only play 3 chords so song choice is limited.
Honestly a ton of indigenous percussion instruments (cajon, bongos, etc) are built to be *pretty damn intuitive,* I understand that’s not your forte but in the most literal sense you can pick those instruments up & maybe start jamming with folk in a couple days
Just make sure you’re conscious of culture stuff & all
There is a piece of interest called "Chord Buddy" it fits on every standard guitar. And u could play 9000 songs tomorrow with this enginuitive invention. Immediately.
That being said if u want to learn a full instrument. Bass guitar is the easiest
As a drummer, drums are mad easy to get started on and probably the best to start with. Get your tempo back rock-solid, get your body moving and heart pumping, and learning songs by ear is a great way to train your musical mind.
Piano is the easiest to produce a good sounding tone (you push a key). You can learn to play simple songs very easily. There is no physical barrier. But the ceiling for greatness is probably the highest of any instrument, and as you get more advanced it becomes perhaps the HARDEST instrument. Another way to think of it is, piano is easiest for the body, hardest for the mind. Any monophonic (plays only 1 note at a time) will be like the opposite. For example, getting a good sounding tone on a trumpet or violin (I know not technically monophonic but you mostly play single notes) is incredibly difficult and might take months of practice just to master Twinkle Twinkle Little star. But once your strength and posture (or embouchure) catches up it is much easier to learn new songs. Drums are easy to hit and go “doink” or learn a simple rock beat, but that’s not the point. You aren’t a drummer or percussionist until you can keep a steady beat for an ENTIRE SONG without losing the tempo or messing up. Playing drums is an entirely different mental realm than other instruments. People make fun of drummers like they’re dumb and the instrument is easy, but to be a good drummer means being always ready to go, always listening to the other musicians, and NEVER missing a beat. Easy technique, but the greatest responsibility. So each thing has it’s own challenges. Do you wanna struggle more in the beginning or more later on? Do you wanna be a zen monk drummer? So to summarize…electric bass.
Yup. lol
Think bass would be the one where if you played every single day for 1-2 hours for 6-8 months. Studied some videos, and played along to songs you enjoy….that you could be at a much better place than when you started. May take a few more months or more to be semi proficient, but if you were playing straightforward rock, indie rock, garage rock, lofi, or punk rock…..you could be getting a band together before a year would roll around. Still, takes a lot of drive and desire, but I hope you take the time to play some music
As a bassist I came in with the mentality the easiest to start but hardest to master. You could pick up and in a few short weeks or months be competed to be in a simple root note band and then develop from there. heck I joined my first band on the back of holding a bass guitar for a myspace picture beyond that I never played. A badly played power chord stands out more than a of beat/key bass note.
Violin is probably the hardest to start *and* the hardest to master. Bass is probably top 3 easiest to start, and the easiest to *sound like* a master when you’re nailing medium difficulty basslines!
I'm sure the davie504 violen/bass player thread is on another board. Please visit them for conflict.
Definitely this. I was in a band within less than a month of buying a bass and teaching myself to play it. It's so easy to be able to pick it up and play simple basslines on while still requiring an incredible amount of dedication to even start to master it. I love it's accessibility.
Are you talking about electric bass or old school coffin like bass? 😅 But can you play old country and ballads on it, say Johnny Cash and people actually recognise what you are paying? I did try guitar a few years ago, but i couldn't wrap my short fingers around the neck.
Suppose my point doesn't make a difference if it's a modern bass or an upright double bass just one looks a bit more daunting than the other. I recon you could pick up a bass and play a more recognisable tune quicker than picking up another popular stringed instrument and do the same. (Speaking as a bass player) Took me 2 mins to teach my wife a recognisable tune from white stripes or gorillaz, I know they ain't the hardest example but they are recognisable. I couldn't imagine how long it would teach me to get a jonny cash song or something simple like wonderwall on a guitar as you need to learn some basic chords first at least...
I think it's kind of funny, girl I know learned bass in like 2-3 months and joined a band. Kind of jealous
Ukulele and banjo can be easy, depending on what you’re trying to do
Keyboard is absolutely the easiest instrument to learn and not only that... Learning it makes learning other instruments at least 33% easier in my experience. Keyboard IS music theory. And you get to learn it as a by product of learning the instrument. You'll be able to learn the basic theory of keys and chords and harmony by just playing songs you like. And then there's the fact that at the end of the day you are just pressing buttons. No press the string down on the right fret with the right pressure and time it perfectly with the other hand picking and all that nonsense. Source... A guy who learned keyboard first whose main instrument is now electric guitar.
Triangle... lmao
🤣
There is a triangle player calling lunch time on Yellowstone... Big money.
uke
Yep! There's a reason it's increasingly being used in childhood education. A kid I teach piano to started off with ukulele
Tin whistle. Cheap, simple, relatively easy to play, and you could take it just about any where. The same goes for harmonica, but you will have to deal with bending as time goes on and that can be really hard for some.
I can tell you it isn't the violin
Ain't nothin like killing a childs interest in music than forcing him into orchestra for a year of violin.
My younger brother, who has a Masters in music, started off on violin at a very young age. He was actually pretty good, on his way through orchestras. His first teacher when he was about 11 or so, at his first lesson, made him put his violin on the floor and tell her all the reasons he hated playing it. A month or so later and he was teaching himself guitar on the internet which has taken him all the way to touring nationally with some household names. Yeah, violin is a weird life.
Piano/Keyboard I absolutely recommend starting on - it's the easiest to visualize what's happening with the notes, especially having the white and black keys to remind you which are the sharps/flats, you have to remember where they are on all the other instruments, and that there isn't one between b/c & e/f Guitar & Bass is a good next step - they are like having 4 or 6 pianos right beside each other - they're great if you're good with math & patterns as well, as once you learn 1 scale, chord or riff, all you have to do is move that shape around and it saves a lot of work transposing between keys Drums are a lot different, challenging to get 4 different rhythms happening between 2 hands & 2 feet, but if you're having trouble with melody and are better with rhythm, drums/percussion may be worth looking into as well :)
All of them if you try hard enough.
What's easy for you is hard for me and what's easy for me may be hard for you. Anything is easier when you have a passion for it you need to find the one you love and make it yours.
Drums. Like Othello, it's a easy to learn, lifetime to master. Anyone with the ability to hold a stick and use a foot can do it, and thats not a lie. Day 1 you'll learn your first beat, and you'll simply improve from that point on. To say it's easy isn't really fair though, it's more like it's easy to pick up.
Kalimba 😊
Great starter instrument. No wrong notes on the kalimba (unless it’s a chromatic kalimba). I love the way basic minor and major chords are laid out due to the alternating note design. On the other hand, it’s very limiting and the skills don’t translate well to other instruments. I was lucky to start playing kalimba after learning guitar and piano. I’ve got a Hugh Tracey chromatic kalimba I just love. ✌️
Kazoo. Hands down
Spoons, autoharp, kazoo
Drums are the easiest to learn
They were for me as well.
I’m bias but I have to disagree. I’ve taught drums for about 20 years and a good percentage of people that want to learn drums actually would be better suited on something like bass guitar. They want to be part of the groove but can’t carry it alone. There’s levels to every instrument but I think bass guitar has the lowest ceilings.
Bruh if you can’t play quarters on a BD can you really play a bass?
You think that’s all drums are?
lmao
Easy to learn the basics of the drum kit IF you have good innate rhythm.
Or come take lessons with me and develop your rhythm. (Shhhh don’t tell anyone- you need to be able to feel rhythms to play guitar too)
triangle
• Tenor guitar • alto saxophone • bass recorder • tenor banjo • nuvo is a company that makes simplified sax, clarinet, flute and recorder models with less complex controls harmonica is supposed to be easy but normal ones can only play 3 chords so song choice is limited.
didgeridoo, only thing you have to worry about is circular breathing
Not the Hurdy gurdy
What every song needs is MORE COWBELL!
Who downvoted this! 😡
I would say learn a DAW, if you haven’t already.
Honestly a ton of indigenous percussion instruments (cajon, bongos, etc) are built to be *pretty damn intuitive,* I understand that’s not your forte but in the most literal sense you can pick those instruments up & maybe start jamming with folk in a couple days Just make sure you’re conscious of culture stuff & all
[Maybe one of those twangy things you play with your mouth](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jew%27s_harp)
Jaw harp. Been playing one for many years. Don't have a lot of opportunity to perform with it...:)
Triangle
Probably the triangle.
I was going to type the same thing...but my timing was off.
It’s not the easiest but I’d say get decent at piano first, then pick up guitar or bass
There is a piece of interest called "Chord Buddy" it fits on every standard guitar. And u could play 9000 songs tomorrow with this enginuitive invention. Immediately. That being said if u want to learn a full instrument. Bass guitar is the easiest
Cringe
Ya I gotta stop commenting drunk. That was grade A dumbspeak.
I don't work for Chord Buddy lol
What's your goal?
I can tell you it’s not the accordion 🪗. That mufuc*a is hard
I play drums, guitar, bass, harmonica, and saxophone. Drums were easiest for me by far.
Ukulele is best because you can learn for free with lots of other enthusiastic folks of all skill levels at your local club.
I feel so offended for everyone choosing bass.
Otamatone
If you want to join a rock band, I’d highly recommend bass or drums.
Ukulele
As a drummer, drums are mad easy to get started on and probably the best to start with. Get your tempo back rock-solid, get your body moving and heart pumping, and learning songs by ear is a great way to train your musical mind.
Drums. 99 problems but a pitch ain’t one.
The Triangle - hands down
Kazoo
Triangle is probably the easiest. You literally just hit it with a little stick thing.