Music for dummies: simple musical instruments. What is the best musical instrument to learn to play? The easiest musical instrument to learn

Each musical instrument has its own merits, which greatly complicates the choice of a musical class for a child! How to choose the right musical instrument and activities for the baby?

The kid happily sings along to songs from cartoons, knocks on a children's drum and plays the children's piano - activities that develop an ear for music give him real pleasure. And you decide it's time to get serious about music.

How to choose the right musical instrument for your baby?

Of course, perhaps the first principle in the choice should be the interests and talents of the child himself. But when choosing the first musical instrument for a baby, you need to focus on the age of the child.

The variety of musical instruments is great, but the successful mastering of many of them will require qualities and skills that, due to age characteristics, preschoolers do not yet possess.

And, as music teachers assure, this is not a reason to refuse classes! Just start with a musical instrument that is suitable for your baby in terms of age, which means the degree of development of fine motor skills, attention and memory. And gradually - with the development of the skills of the crumbs, as well as his musical knowledge - move towards the realization of the musical dream of the child!

By age: what instrument to learn to play?

Piano. This is a classic tool that many people choose - and rightly so. Learning to play the piano well develops an ear for music, fine motor skills and - importantly - the child's perseverance, his ability to concentrate.

When to start learning? The ideal age to start learning to play the piano is 3-4 years old.

Block flute. Among the advantages of this instrument are not only saving space at home and a pleasant sound. One of the main advantages of the recorder is the ease of learning. Pretty soon, your child will be able to boast of the first successes and proudly play the first melody for you, which sounds quite professional.

When to start learning? The ideal age to start learning to play the recorder is 5-6 years old.

Guitar. Almost everyone dreams of playing the guitar: after all, this instrument allows you to quickly become the soul of the company and sing to live music. Guitars are for children - this is an important advantage when choosing an instrument for a baby. However, experts do not recommend making the guitar the first instrument in children's musical education: it is better to start with the piano, and return to the idea of ​​learning to play the guitar at primary school age.

When to start learning? The ideal age to start learning to play the guitar is 6-7 years old.

Accordion. This instrument sounds wonderful and will certainly please the grandparents of the baby, and to start learning to play the accordion, the teacher does not require perfect hearing. The disadvantages of the tool are how much it weighs - and this is not an exaggeration!

When to start learning? The ideal age to start learning to play the accordion is 7 years old.

Violin. Learning to play the violin is a more time-consuming process than on all other instruments. Of course, the effort is worth it, because violinists were and remain worth their weight in gold, and the lessons themselves will give your child the opportunity to seriously develop memory and motor skills. By the way, about musical ear - in order to start playing the violin, the baby will have to demonstrate excellent abilities.

When to start learning? The ideal age to start learning to play the violin is 7-8 years old.

Percussion instruments. A group of percussion instruments perfectly develops a sense of rhythm and coordination of movements, because drummers are real wizards! Your child can become a bright star in the school band, and regular music lessons on the drum kit will stimulate his brain activity.

When to start learning? The ideal age to start learning to play drums is 8-10 years old.

wind instruments. The trumpet, saxophone, trombone, and clarinet are all very romantic options to start learning music. Here, however, not only a well-developed musical ear will be important, but also the degree of development of the baby’s articulation - lip motor skills, and sufficient lung capacity. That is why it is better not to rush into learning.

When to start learning? The ideal age to start learning to play the brass is 11-12 years old.

You wanted to give your baby to saxophone lessons, but now you see that he is still too small for this instrument? Teachers recommend doing the following: do not postpone the start of musical education, but be the first to master an instrument suitable for age. For example, playing the piano will be an excellent "base" for further learning to play other musical instruments - the baby will already be familiar with the concept of notes and melody. In addition, thanks to the classes, he will have a sufficiently developed ear for music, attention and memory!

Music brings joy, relaxation and good mood into our lives. Many people dream of learning how to play a musical instrument so that they themselves will touch the process of creating music.

However, statistics show that for the most part children play, adults do not risk learning this science, mistakenly believing that it is already too late. In fact, it's never too late! There are many instruments that anyone can play. You can not refuse music, because it allows you to show your creativity and helps to cope with stress and tension.

The editors of InPlanet have prepared the TOP 10 best musical instruments for beginners!

1 Guitar

2 Piano or synthesizer

3 Violin

4 Drums

5 Saxophone

6 Cello

7 Clarinet

8 Banjo and mandolin

In general, you can learn to play musical instruments at any age. Do not give up on your dream, especially in the 21st century there are a lot of teaching lessons that will help you become a musician for the soul!

We present to your attention a list of the ten most difficult musical instruments to learn. Please note that the musical instruments listed are do not contain order. If you know other more difficult musical instruments to master, be sure to share them in the comments.

The oboe is a woodwind musical instrument with a melodious, but somewhat nasal, sharp timbre. It first appeared in the middle of the 17th century when it was called hautbois. Today, the oboe is widely used in chamber music concerts, orchestras, in some genres of folk music, as a solo instrument, and can also be heard in jazz, rock and pop music.

One of the most complex musical instruments in the world is the "horn" - a musical instrument from the wind group, derived from a hunting signal horn. It is used mainly in symphony and brass bands, as well as a solo instrument.

The violin is a bowed, usually four-stringed musical instrument, descended from an ancient Indian stringed instrument called the Ravanahatha, brought to Italy by Arab traders between the 10th and 16th centuries. The name of the violin comes from the Italian word Violino, which literally means "small viola". It acquired its modern look in Italy in the 16th century, and in the 18th century it was slightly modified. Instruments made between the 16th and 18th centuries are highly prized by collectors, especially the Stradivari and Guarneri violins. It is a solo musical instrument.

An organ is a keyboard musical instrument that produces sound by releasing compressed air through a system of pipes. It is one of the oldest musical instruments, whose history is traced in ancient Greece as far back as the third century BC. Organs are common in Catholic churches and some synagogues, and are often used to accompany religious services. In the early 20th century, these instruments were often installed in movie theaters to accompany films musically during the silent film era. The world's largest operating organ is the Wanamaker Organ, which is located in Macy's Lord & Taylor shopping center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA and consists of 28,482 pipes.

The bagpipe is an ancient folk wind instrument that has been part of the culture of Scotland and Ireland for centuries. It was especially popular in the Middle Ages, where it was used in military bands. It is believed that the bagpipe from Asia to Europe came in the 9th century due to the fact that it was common in the Eastern Roman Empire. The sound of this instrument is very sharp and strong.

Another most complex musical instrument is the "Harp" - a stringed musical instrument known from antiquity in Asia, Africa and Europe, starting from 3500 BC. e. For many centuries it has been the political symbol of Ireland.

The piano is a stringed musical instrument that is widely used in classical music. Its inventor is the Italian harpsichord maker Bartolomeo Cristofori di Francesco, who designed the first piano in Florence in 1711. Although the instrument is quite bulky and often expensive, its versatility and ubiquity have made the piano one of the most famous musical instruments in the world.

The accordion is a keyboard-pneumatic musical instrument, which was designed in 1829 by the Viennese organ master K. Demian. It is a modern version of the hand harmonica. The accordion is not used in classical or symphony orchestras due to its specific sound, but is traditionally associated with folk music. More generally, the instrument is used as a solo. Widely spread throughout the world. The accordion is the official instrument of the city of San Francisco, California, USA.

The classical guitar is a stringed musical instrument with six strings and a wide variety of tones. It is used as a solo, ensemble and accompanying instrument. It has existed in its modern form since the second half of the 17th century.

Drum kit - a set of drums, cymbals and other percussion instruments. Today it is perceived as a single musical instrument, although in fact it is a number of different instruments, each of which has its own history and existed long before the advent of the drum set. This instrument originated after the advent of jazz, around the 1890s, when drummers in New Orleans began to adapt their drums so that one performer could play several instruments at once. The number of instruments in the kit is different for each performer and depends on his playing style.

It is difficult for most musicians to be without music for a long time, especially if music is an integral part of the personality and an important aspect of life. Unfortunately, most tools are difficult to transport - they do not tolerate moisture, shock, and more. About transporting a piano, for example, is another story altogether.

But, don't worry - there are a number of miniature musical instruments that can help you pour out your soul at the right time, anywhere on the planet.

Guitar

Yes - the guitar may not be the smallest stringed instrument, but a good resonator for a relatively small price and does not weigh that much either. If you also get a water-repellent cover, then you will not have to worry (and be bored) on the road.

Mandolin

Mandolins require a little more maintenance and take longer to tune than other strings, but they are a good choice because the mandolin is much smaller than a guitar. But for musicians with thick fingers, it is better to practice playing the game first at home.

Accordion

Of course, there are miniature models that are more convenient for transportation. The main thing is not to skimp on the price. Pay attention to the manufacturer, because the sound quality of the instrument depends on it.

Autoharp

A unique folk instrument is the autoharp. It is similar to a zither, but much lighter, can be held in your hands or on your knees, and is also much more pleasant to play because it has buttons like an accordion.

Ukulele

Popularly known as the "ukulele", this guitar is another good accompaniment instrument. Cheap and most importantly versatile. Of course, it cannot be compared in terms of the quality of resonance with a mandolin or a guitar, but the ukulele sounds very nice.

Violin

Yes, this is probably one of the most difficult strings (in terms of expression), but if you play the violin without any problems, then it will be a great companion for you on the road.

Erhu

Two-string Chinese violin. This instrument requires good hearing and nimble hands. When traveling, this kind of tool will definitely draw attention to you, and the main thing is to have a good case for it.

Longitudinal flute

Probably each of us tried to play the longitudinal flute. It certainly doesn't have a very wide range, but it is light and creates a fun atmosphere with its sound, which is reminiscent of ballads and fairy tales.

Clarinet

Not the lightest tool on this list, but definitely well transportable as it folds into a handy case. But with his pads you need to be careful, they can easily suffer, especially in subtropical zones.

Flute

Quite a complex instrument - it is difficult to play it well, but it is a little easier than the clarinet. As in the previous case, the pads will require additional care.

Harmonic

Harmonica is almost synonymous with the word "travel". The harmonica is light, inexpensive, durable and fairly easy to learn to play. Moreover, they come in all sorts of tonalities, literally for every taste and hearing.

Ocarina

The device is so light and sleek that it can even be worn as a necklace. A cheap ceramic (or wooden) instrument that is easy to learn to play, but not very generous with a range.

Bonus - Your mouth

Don't forget - you can always use your vocal cords and throat to imitate musical instruments, singing, whistling, quacking, meowing and buzzing. Anything that comes into your head, because it is much better than an annoying and protracted silence. Moreover, singing is a good exercise for the lungs and a chance to cheer up.

So instead of an extra pair of pants, it’s better to take a musical instrument on the road and people will then reach out to you faster than for a new iPhone!

Typical genres: folk, rock, academic music
Price: from 500 rubles
Pros: The recorder, like the related flute and whistle, is much cheaper than the more professional transverse flute. It is with the recorder that small wind players begin their studies at music schools. This compact instrument is easy to store and carry, so if you're a lonely shepherd or a romantic minstrel at heart, you'll love this recorder.
Minuses: In the early stages, it will be difficult to avoid the non-melodic brain-crushing whistle, and the recorder's tuning may seem very illogical to a beginner.

2. Kazu

Typical genres: skiffle
Price: from 200 rub.
Pros: Kazu captivates with its price and tiny size. If you get such a toy, you will not lose. But the biggest plus of this instrument is that even a person who is completely far from music can cope with it in 15-20 minutes. To play the kazoo, you just need to sing (or, rather, hum) into it, and no theory will be useful for this.
Minuses: The sounds of kazoos, especially inexpensive ones, are most reminiscent of the voice of Donald Duck, and with this lively quacking, you are unlikely to become a serious musician in the eyes of others (and yours too).

3. Vargan

Typical genres: folk
Price: from 500 rubles
Pros: Like the kazoo, the jew's harp fits in the hand and is inexpensive when it comes to modifications for beginners, but it is a much more serious-sounding instrument. Learning to play the jew's harp takes place rather on an intuitive level, and the process itself is similar to meditation. Vargan has long become "their" instrument among many peoples, and they believe that its vibrations are transmitted to a person and put into a state of light controlled trance.
Minuses: Without understanding the correct location of the instrument, the musician runs the risk of damaging his teeth with a jew's harp. You can discover new techniques for playing the harp endlessly, but its creative potential is still limited: for example, if you want to play rock and pop songs instead of lingering dark folk, the choice should be reconsidered. In principle, they can also be played on the jew's harp, but this, as they say, is like that.

4. Glockenspiel

Typical genres: indie, pop, academic
Price: from 1000 rub.
Pros: The light sounds of a glockenspiel (or glockenspiel) can hardly irritate anyone. Even if you hit the plates in a completely random order, the result will still be like a magical and mysterious melody. It is highly likely that you will not start mastering this instrument from scratch: in childhood, many had toy glockenspiels (or xylophones, in which the plates are made not of metal, but of wood), which differ from “adults” only in the number of notes and colors .
Minuses: For a thousand rubles, you will only get a children's glockenspiel, the bars in which are unlikely to be enough to play melodies more complicated than "The Little Christmas Tree" and "Blue Sledge". This is enough for a start, but if you do not want to trade for toys, you will have to prepare at least 3000 for a more or less decent instrument. And the price of a professional glockenspiel completely breaks through the ceiling and goes far beyond the amount that the average person is willing to spend on a single tool.

5. Harmonica

Typical genres: blues, folk, rock and roll
Price: from 400 rubles
Pros: Despite its apparent simplicity, the harmonica has long and firmly established itself in popular music. You can hear it in a huge number of the most important songs of the 20th century (here you have The Beatles, and Bob Dylan, and The Rolling Stones), so problems with the repertoire are unlikely. The classic harmonica fits easily into your pocket and is easy to store and carry when you want to feel like an itinerant blues player.
Minuses: Playing the diatonic harmonica (these are the most popular ones) is like trying to portray something exclusively on the white keys of the piano, so at some point you may find it impossible to play the song you are interested in without mastering special techniques. In addition, each diatonic harmonica has its own key, which also imposes its own limitations (for starters, just take C major).

6. Melodika

Typical genres: rock, pop
Price: from 1700 rub.
Pros: Do you like the sound of a harmonica, but are you afraid of its tuning or are you embarrassed by the scarcity of its range? Try to master the melody! The spectrum of genres in which it has been used is actually much wider (from Joy Division to Red Hot Chili Peppers, from Depeche Mode to Faith No More). Understanding the structure of melodics is much easier - at the same time, join the keyboard instruments, and this can be useful in many places.
Minuses: From a physical point of view, playing the melody is more difficult: you need good breathing, finger technique, and coordination.

7. Tambourine

Typical genres: rock, heavy metal, folk
Price: from 500 rubles
Pros: Do not think that the place of tambourines and tambourines is only in rhythm lessons for kids. Almost every rock band has songs that use these instruments. With a tambourine, you will perfectly pump over the sense of rhythm, without which there is no way in music, and over time, maybe you will begin to sing along, remembering Robert Plant or Alex Turner.
Minuses: Of course, the tambourine is not intended to play melodies, and not everyone can seriously get carried away with rhythmic patterns.

8. Kalimba

Typical genres: African music
Price: from 1000 rub.
Pros: The quiet sounds of the kalimba are very pleasant to the ear and resemble melodies from a music box. This is not the most common tool, so those who like to stand out and impress friends will be quite happy with it.
Minuses: With the rarity of the instrument comes certain disadvantages. Finding a kalimba in a music store, especially at a reasonable price, can be difficult, and some sellers will not understand what you want from them at all.

9. MIDI keyboard

Typical genres: electronic music, indie, pop (actually - anything up to orchestral soundtracks)
Price: from 3500 rub.
Pros: A MIDI keyboard is several times smaller than a piano and most synthesizers, but its capabilities are much wider, because it only works when connected to a computer (in some cases, a tablet and a phone can also work), where you can upload absolutely any instrument library. It's also a great option for those whose music-making will not be to the liking of home: just connect headphones to your computer and play as much as you want, whenever you want.
Minuses: Prices bite. Compared to other instruments on this list, a MIDI keyboard is already an expensive instrument, and each additional button and fader adds to its value. The instrument itself does not make any sounds, which may also be a drawback for someone. Not suitable for ardent fighters for the purity of acoustic sound.

10. Ukulele

Typical genres: pop, indie
Price: from 1800 rub.
Pros: If you want to pull the strings, but the guitar still scares you or for some reason does not fit, take a closer look at the ukulele. It's not a mini-guitar, as some people think, but the playing principle is certainly similar to interacting with a six-string girlfriend. The advantages of the ukulele against its background are compactness and, as a result, ease of development (at least here, fingertips that ache the very next day and hands that do not stretch to the desired position are less common here).
Minuses: The ukulele does not have too many drawbacks - except for the fact that some people simply do not like its sonorous and cheerful sound.

11. Guitar

Typical genres: rock, metal, folk, indie (we could go on and on)
Price: from 3000 rub.
Pros: Not without reason, many great people started with the guitar (and continued on it, and became great with it). The guitar draws you into music like nothing else, and you can endlessly rediscover this instrument for yourself. Whatever genre you prefer and whatever goals you pursue, whether it's a musical career, playing for yourself or entertaining friends at parties, the guitar will be your best friend.
Minuses: Size and volume, especially if you prefer to bypass the traditional classical or acoustic guitar stage and immediately decide to please your neighbors with your performances on an electric guitar connected to an amplifier. By the way, even if you start learning in the usual way, one day you will probably want to take possession of an electric guitar. And it will be followed by pedals, processors, expensive cases and stands for your precious, cooler guitars, more powerful amplifiers ... It can really be difficult to stop. And why?

1. Feel free to buy old musical instruments

   It's not often that instruments are sold in the context of "mileage - 1000 gigs, mosh pits and stage hits, giving away the remnants embellished with a new layer of lacquer", which will really affect the sound of your purchase. Usually this is a scheme “I bought myself / gave it to me / wanted to send my child to a music school, but it didn’t work out, and a good instrument stands idle and gathers dust.” Such unclaimed tools are often in good or even excellent condition, while you also save a lot of money (trust the person who got about a dozen tools this way and did not cause any complaints in the future).

2. Trust but verify

   If possible, take a more musically savvy friend with you to the store or to meet the previous owner to authoritatively check the condition of the instrument. If this is not possible, it does not matter, but you should not just trust the seller. Watch YouTube videos for beginners first (you can take either specific recommendations for choosing tools, or just instructions for playing for beginners) to understand where what rings, bends and unscrews. This will give at least a minimal idea of ​​what your purchase should look like.

3. Played by a man, not a guitar

   Some beginners pay too much attention to the subtleties of sound, or even want everything at once. If an electric guitar, then Fender for 70 thousand, if a piano, then ... no, not a piano, let it be a white piano right away! In the early stages, all this is just a waste of money. When a person is just starting to learn, he can hardly figure out why the Gibson is better than his father's old guitar of an unknown make and how the sound of mahogany differs from the sound of poplar. Of course, you should not buy a piece of plywood either, so as not to completely discourage yourself from playing, but investing a huge amount in your first instrument is not the most rational decision. In the end, if you find yourself outgrowing your instrument, start to hear its flaws and hit the ceiling of its capabilities, you can always aim for a new, more expensive and advanced option.