hard to play?

[tamolina]

What are the easiest/hardest instruments to learn to play passibly? Where does guitar rank? I think the easiest to learn are piano and harmonica. I rate guitar as one of the hardest. I don't know if I consider drums to really be a musical instrument...

[babablowfish]

If you are talking about playing classical music like Segovia, then yeah, the guitar is hard. But if you are talking about strumming chords and singing songs at a party or the beach then, IMHO, guitar is a very easy instrument to learn as evidenced by the fact that I can do it. Also, whenever I have tried to strum a harmonica or a piano the reults have been less than steller.

[Tony Burns]

Ill definitely agree on that : Ive heard guitar can be the hardest depending on where you want to go with it - Just try playing like Tommy Emmanuel - and youll learn it can take you 20-30 years, if you put your heart and soul into it - it can be the easiest instrument if you only want to learn a few chords and strum it -

 

I honestly think fretless stringed instruments are the hardest to play , watching my schools different bands and orchestras play , id say the violin , viola etc - must be the hardest , even with alot of playing time - they still sound like squeaks to me - is playing well a gift your born with or develop with hard work - id say the latter -- Thou alot of people play the guitar , in my opinion - most can never realize its full potential - ( this is just my opinion of course )

[solitaire]

 

Originally posted by tamolina What are the easiest/hardest instruments to learn to play passibly? Where does guitar rank? I think the easiest to learn are piano and harmonica. I rate guitar as one of the hardest. I don't know if I consider drums to really be a musical instrument...

 

Well the drums are not one instrument, they are a few instruments combined into a set. I agree on stringed instruments are probably the hardest to learn. You have all the insequential octaves and re-occuring notes...

[tamolina]

Leads to another question, how many on here can do more than strum a few chords?

I was thinking, if you have the physical coordination to reach out and poke a key you can play a clean note on a piano. No problems with fret buzz or deadening a string. No damn barre chords (my particular bane).

If you know the key over the key hole is middle C you can count up or down to locate any other note. Unlike a guitar, where just learning where the notes are on the fret board can take hours and hours of determined practice. To say nothing of being able to move from note to note smoothly.

[tamolina]

I hit the wrong key and "posted" before I was ready. I wanted to say, guitar seems to me to be a diabolically hard instrument to play. All of you who can sit down and play actual songs with any degree of competence should be proud of your accomplishments. It requires a helluva lot of determintion and patience to get to that level.

[FingerBone Bill]

That's the whole beauty of the guitar to me. Easily accessible to the novice and yet open to endless improvement and like the piano (although not to quite the same degree) capable of simultaneous melody and backing.

 

Most musical instruments have their difficulties although I think that stringed instruments are the most painful to learn. Just about every guitarist has had to endure the pain of throbbing fingers but at least we don't have to endure the facial disfigurement that trumpet players end up with (anyone remember Satchmo's ballon like cheeks and flattened top lip).

 

And rest assured Tamolina, there are some pretty fine pickers here.

[JasmineTea]

 

Originally posted by tamolina I hit the wrong key and "posted" before I was ready. I wanted to say, guitar seems to me to be a diabolically hard instrument to play. All of you who can sit down and play actual songs with any degree of competence should be proud of your accomplishments. It requires a helluva lot of determintion and patience to get to that level.

Thanks for the compliment.

 

Piano: every key is like learning a new variation of the same instrument. Yes, you can walk up to it, push a button and music comes out, but there are'nt meny keyboardists who can play fluently in all 12.

 

Guitar: If you are right handed, flip the git over and try playing lefty. (leftys flip it to the right) THAT's how hard guitar playing is. Of course, if your playing sounds the same when you flip it, then I guess you realy suck.

[jackwr]

Sounds like your campaining for office and looking for the massive acoustic guitar players vote...you got mine so whatcha running for.

 

Kidding aside I agree with Tony, fretless strings/bowed.

 

It also depends on your defination of passibly.

Starting from scratch on stringed instruments and getting to a point when you can get in a jam without messing it up, I'd say mandolin. The geometric patterns are slightly easier than guitar. Chop some basic chords and pick a simple lead, not too terribly long. Like all else it takes a long time to get good...I'm still working on it.

[0rbitz9]

I think the hardest instrument I've ever

tried to play is the bassoon. I can

noodle around on the saxaphone or

clarinet with some degree of competancy,

but the fingerings on the bassoon are

just too crazy.

[smokiee]

I wonder how they read musical notes on drums??

[FingerBone Bill]

Originally posted by smokiee I wonder how they read musical notes on drums??

 

Ever known a drummer that could read ..... period?

[Sweb]

I played seriously for the first 3 years then put the guitar down for about 30. An adventurous life...

 

I picked it up again 2 years ago and have become serious again. Yea, it isn't the easiest thing to learn. For me, the right choice of guitar has been almost as challenging. Once you start developing techniques/styles one type of guitar doesn't support them all. It has been a steep learning curve for me these past 2 years but it has been a lot of fun. At least, for me, this undertaking is safe.

[riffmeister]

 

Originally posted by 0rbitz9 I think the hardest instrument I've ever tried to play is the bassoon. I can noodle around on the saxaphone or clarinet with some degree of competancy, but the fingerings on the bassoon are just too crazy.

 

 

All the double reed intruments are hard to get a good sound out of, initially (bassoon, oboe, English horn).

 

 

Guitar? It is an easy instrument to learn a few basics on (strum some chords to accompany a voice, for example), but it becomes diabolically more difficult when used for playing more complex music.

 

.

[0rbitz9]

I'm also having a hard time with the

twelve string guitar.

[tamolina]

Glad to know it is not just me who finds the guitar to be an extremely challenging instrument.

Safe, Sweb? As long as you don't play in some of the rowdier beer joints in Texas where they put up chicken wire to ward off flying bottles and such! And just what were you up to all those years?

[Queequeg]

Originally posted by FingerBone Bill at least we don't have to endure the facial disfigurement that trumpet players end up with (anyone remember Satchmo's ballon like cheeks and flattened top lip).

Dizzy Gillispie

[Tony Burns]

 

Originally posted by tamolina Glad to know it is not just me who finds the guitar to be an extremely challenging instrument. Safe, Sweb? As long as you don't play in some of the rowdier beer joints in Texas where they put up chicken wire to ward off flying bottles and such! And just what were you up to all those years?

 

 

Been watching the Blues Brothers on DVD again aayyy!

 

Ive only had one thing ever thrown at me , luckily i was playing an ovation at the time and i was quick enough to turn it around so i bounced off the back -- Ovations are great for bars- not the best guitars but durable little suckers !

[thatsbunk]

i played triangle in hs band

[Sweb]

 

Originally posted by tamolina Leads to another question, how many on here can do more than strum a few chords? I was thinking, if you have the physical coordination to reach out and poke a key you can play a clean note on a piano. No problems with fret buzz or deadening a string. No damn barre chords (my particular bane). If you know the key over the key hole is middle C you can count up or down to locate any other note. Unlike a guitar, where just learning where the notes are on the fret board can take hours and hours of determined practice. To say nothing of being able to move from note to note smoothly.

 

 

http://www.francoisbrisson.com/fretboardwarrior/fretboardwarrior.html