Unusual musical instruments that are easy to learn to play. What musical instrument is easiest to learn to play?

You can learn to play any musical instrument, but some are a little easier to master than others. For example, the difference in learning to play the drums and play the piano is more than noticeable. Therefore, the following notes about the nuances in mastering various instruments may be useful for neophytes.

Drums

The instrument is rhythmic and therefore does not require deep theoretical knowledge and absolute pitch. Even with questionable initial data, with daily exercise you can learn to maintain the rhythm. In order to join a punk rock band, a couple of lessons with a tutor and a month of daily practice will be enough. If your soul is drawn to complex and broken rhythms, you will still have to learn a little. You can do this either in the evening music school, or by regularly visiting the teacher. In the younger educational institutions Typically, drumming is taught for only five years. Mastering other instruments will take several years longer.

In addition to the ability to keep rhythm, a music school or college will teach you how to play the xylophone, tambourine and triangle. In general, if there are no global aspirations and plans to become a virtuoso, and if there is a task to study in short terms, then drums would be the best option.

Guitar

Let's start with classical, acoustic and electric guitars. In fact, these are tools that could easily be ranked first in terms of ease of learning. The fact is that most guitar students do not set themselves the goal of reaching the level of some Katsuhito Yamashita; on the contrary, a couple of memorized pieces are enough to sign themselves up as musicians. For this category of people, making friends with the instrument will not be difficult. Indeed, a lesson or two is enough to learn not the most difficult song, and after a dozen lessons you can smoothly move on to analyzing solo parts in hard’n’heavy style compositions.

Bass guitar is a special and often completely neglected case. As a rule, people learn to play it at home, practicing scales and learning games of medium difficulty. Not every musician knows about its existence. In addition, bass guitarists, due to their outstanding abilities, often become heroes of jokes. I would like to say that all this is undeserved, but I will remain silent, since I do not consider it necessary to lie.

Those who are interested in a deeper acquaintance with the instrument will have to do a lot of painstaking work during the learning process. That's why I put the guitar in second place and not first.

The advantage is that it is generally accessible. You can buy a guitar even in the outback remote from civilization. The price of the instrument is not high, unless you start chasing brands. You can practice anywhere: at home, with friends, on the street, while traveling and hiking.

Cons: high competition. Thousands of people learn to play the guitar every year, and therefore, if you want to become a real professional, you will have to try your best to stand out from the crowd. As practice shows, achieving this is not so difficult.

Wind instruments

Flute, trumpet, saxophone, clarinet, horn, oboe, bassoon, trombone, tuba - their name is Legion. Besides classical instruments, there are also ethnic ones (sopilka, trembita, and so on). The choice is so large that it can sometimes be quite difficult to decide on the type of instrument. In music schools, for such cases, preliminary training on the recorder is provided with the further opportunity to move on to the trumpet, saxophone and further on the list. There are two options for mastering wind instruments: under the guidance of a tutor and at school. The second option is preferable, since solfeggio lessons will be held in parallel, and they are extremely important for the development of a musician’s hearing.

Now to the cons. If your relatives or housemates are unable to appreciate your zeal, then practicing the wind instruments at home will be difficult. The instruments are actually very loud, and in the Khrushchev buildings, every note of the etude being played will be heard in neighboring apartments, even if played extremely quietly. In addition, you will have to practice every day - regression with wind instruments is much more noticeable than progress. Therefore, it is important to plan in advance how classes will take place outside of school or the tutor’s apartment.

One of the advantages, although dubious, is the loyal attitude of teachers towards the theoretical basis of their students. It is not for nothing that trumpeters turned out to be the second heroes of jokes after bass guitarists. There are often cases when college graduates get confused about things that other musicians learned in the first months of training.

Piano

In a good way, this tool should be moved to the end of the list, since it is easier to wipe your fingers into dust than to master it on the fly. high level. But thanks to such a phenomenon as the pop-jazz movement, the hellish torments of learning were able to mutate into a simple pastime. That is, if someone decided to learn a couple of pop songs, then doing it on the piano will not be difficult. You can master the instrument using a tutorial, video lessons or with the help of a tutor. There may, however, be problems with the seating and positioning of the hands, but this is not critical for the game of “Chizhik-Pizhik”.

One of the positive aspects is the possibility of replacing a bulky instrument with a synthesizer when learning. Of course, only in cases where the student is focused on pop music, jazz, soul, electronic genres and so on. There are plenty of offers from tutors, courses and clubs. There will be a place to study.

Of the minuses, you can remember that when learning to play the piano itself, you will have to purchase an instrument for yourself. If you practice at home, you can drive your relatives and neighbors into mental insanity with the “Dog Waltz.” But most importantly, if a person intends to become a master, then thousands of hours of endless playing of scales and careful study of hundreds of pages of theoretical material await him.

String-bowed

Violin, cello, double bass, viola – pure beauty. But all of the listed tools are among the most difficult to master. If you study from childhood, you can bypass all difficulties without even noticing them, but for adults, learning will most likely turn into severe torment. The fact is that bowed instruments require absolute pitch, and it is simply unrealistic to have it at home. Tutors, as a rule, do not teach from scratch, but help those who are lagging behind in their learning. Tutorials and lessons are useless. There are more sound production techniques on these instruments than there are stars in the sky. Those in doubt can look through the sheet music and scores of works by contemporary composers.

The learning process is a continuous overcoming of oneself. If you don’t have enough motivation, you may not be able to play basic plays when you leave school. I don’t see any advantages for those who want to quickly learn to play an exotic instrument. It’s impossible to list all the disadvantages. From prices to good tools and the need to care for them, to crazy training loads. Conclusion: go only if you have a calling.

In general, as in any other type of activity, to achieve some heights in music you will need to work hard. But if you want to master the instrument for yourself in order to be able to play a couple of melodies in boring winter evenings, then you should pay attention to the first positions of the list. In addition, I left out such instruments as the pocket synthesizer, jew's harp, spoons, rattles and castanets. As you can see, the choice is huge - all that remains is to make it.

They say that music is food for the soul. There is no doubt that music can affect us in ways we cannot even imagine. Unfortunately, not all of us have the time to learn how to play complex instruments. So we bring to your attention a list of seven musical instruments that are easy to learn to play.

1. Xylophone

The xylophone is a great instrument for learning music and is certainly one of the simplest. The bars of a xylophone are similar to the arrangement of notes on a piano, and they are struck with special hammers to produce sound. Plastic xylophones are one of the most common toys for children.

2. Autoharp

If you have knowledge of chords and are willing to learn, the autoharp is for you. A big plus is that all strings except those involved in the chord are muted, so you won't be out of tune while playing.

3. Comb

This musical instrument is not only easy to learn to play, it is also easy to make. All you need is a comb and tissue paper. Wrap the comb in paper and off you go.

4. Kazoo

A kazoo is a small metal or plastic cylinder that tapers to a point. A metal plug with a tissue paper membrane is inserted into the middle of the cylinder on top. Playing music on a kazoo is very easy - you just need to sing into it, and the paper membrane will change your voice beyond recognition.

5. Bongo

Learning to play the bongo is very easy. A bongo is a combination of two drums that are connected together. To play it, it is held between the knees. The surface of the bongo is struck with the palms and fingertips.

6. Diamonds

Tambourines are small drums that are held in the hand. Some types of tambourines have metal bells attached to them, which begin to ring when the performer strikes the membrane of the tambourine, rubs it, or shakes the entire instrument. You can shake it, hit the surface of the tambourine with your fingers or knuckles, or use any other methods depending on what works best for you. This is a very simple musical instrument.

7. Drums

Although the drums seem very difficult, they are easy to learn to play if you have a sense of rhythm. You don't have to start with a full drum kit when you start learning. Just learn to play us bass drum or hi-hat. The most important thing in this case is the sense of rhythm.

2. Autoharp.
If you have knowledge of chords and are willing to learn, the autoharp is for you. A big plus is that all strings except those involved in the chord are muted, so you won't be out of tune while playing.


3. Comb.
This musical instrument is not only easy to learn to play, it is also easy to make. All you need is a comb and tissue paper. Wrap the comb in paper and off you go.


4. Kazoo.
A kazoo is a small metal or plastic cylinder that tapers to a point. A metal plug with a tissue paper membrane is inserted into the middle of the cylinder on top. It is very easy to perform music on a kazoo - you just need to sing into it, and the paper membrane will change your voice beyond recognition.


5. Bongo.
Learning to play the bongo is very easy. A bongo is a combination of two drums that are connected together. To play it, it is held between the knees. The surface of the bongo is struck with the palms and fingertips.


6. Diamonds
Tambourines are small drums that are held in the hand. Some types of tambourines have metal bells attached to them, which begin to ring when the performer strikes the membrane of the tambourine, rubs it, or shakes the entire instrument. You can shake it, hit the surface of the tambourine with your fingers or knuckles, or use any other methods depending on what works best for you. This is a very simple musical instrument.


7. Drums
Although the drums seem very difficult, they are easy to learn to play if you have a sense of rhythm. You don't have to start with a full drum kit when you start learning. Just learn to play us bass drum or hi-hat. The most important thing in this case is the sense of rhythm.

When a love for music comes (sooner or later this happens to everyone), you can do several things: turn up the volume in your headphones, become a regular at concerts and operettas, or learn to play yourself. Fortunately, this does not require you to drag a piano to the 9th floor and spend several months learning to copy notes by hand. You can learn to play on your own quickly if you choose the right instrument. Founder Guitardo music school Alexander Kazakov gives advice on what it could be.

Balalaika: three strings ─ one week

A simple-looking relative of the guitar with a complex inner world for lovers of everything “Russian” and folk. Have you ever imagined that you could learn to play the balalaika? If you listen to a melody from a fairy tale or a professional musician play, it may seem that there is nothing difficult to repeat. In fact, one single melody can be learned in a week of daily rehearsals. Start by observing the technique and try to repeat not only the strikes on the strings, but also the position of the body. It is very important how you hold the instrument in your hands. Whether we are relaxed or tense ─ all this will affect the speed of learning and the quality of the result. If you start playing and hear strange sounds, such as rattling, check your instrument for professional suitability. It happens that loosely screwed parts spoil the sound of the melody as a whole. When both you and the balalaika are in the mood to play, it’s time to start practicing.

“Pluck”, “strike”, “clang” - start with these methods of influencing the strings to extract the first sounds. The “pinch” is made with the thumb of the right hand. It’s hard to imagine, but you need to apply the maximum force of a specific one finger when, for example, when you “hit,” we put energy into the forearm. To ensure a good melody, begin to quickly distinguish between “pinch” and “blow”. In the first case, the finger strikes one string, in the second - all. “Rattling” is a gesture familiar to the listener, when the musician’s free hand moves clearly up and down, and index finger extracts melodic sounds from the instrument. Try to repeat it, but the main thing is to remember that the balalaika does not like nails. Everything is done with the soft side of the finger. The sounds should be confident, but not harsh.

Ukulele: "Aloha!"

Want to host a Hawaiian music concert on the Pacific Ocean? Even if, instead of the ocean, the Volkhonka waves splash outside your window, this is not a reason to deny yourself the sound of a gentle melody. You can buy a ukulele in any Russian city, all you have to do is learn how to play. Choose one of four instruments: by the way, they come in different sizes and sounds, respectively. The smaller the guitar, the thinner the sound. Familiarize yourself with the structure of the ukulele. In general, this applies to every instrument. First, look from all sides, visually examine the details. This is as important as reading the instructions for a new technology. You need to have an idea of ​​what you're dealing with (even if you're holding a small guitar that looks like a kid's version). After getting acquainted, we simply set up and play. If you have difficulty tuning, contact a guitarist you know or use a tuner on your computer.

When we are convinced that the ukulele is not out of tune, we can extract the first sounds. Sheet music standard tuning GCEAs are searched on the Internet. They need to be memorized, otherwise even a simple melody will seem complicated. If you've never played the guitar, it will take some time, but the knowledge will last a lifetime, even if you stop practicing. Let's play right hand, we press the strings with the left - there seems to be nothing new here, but there is one point. You can start learning chords when you confidently pluck the strings and see the difference between open playing and frets that are played closed. Scary? Nothing. Believe me, it’s easier than learning to play the guitar: after all, whatever one may say, there are only four strings.

Harmonica: Western Romance

The main thing here is to put on a checkered shirt and make friends with a Western accordion. You can play melodies without special education, but you still have to remember something. The sound will be made on inhalation if you understand one simple thing- there is no need to be overly zealous when supplying air streams or, especially, blowing into the instrument. Before playing, completely relax your face and wrap your lips tightly around the harmonica. When you realize that it has already become difficult at this stage, it’s time to start learning in all seriousness.

If you want to master the game on your own, a mirror will come in handy. Control the position of your mouth, learn to direct the air flow so that you can control the sound and move from playing whole chords to playing individual notes. This will take some time, but the result will help you relax while playing confidently. By the way, this instrument goes well with vocals, so you can create a great duet with your loved one.

Tambourine: the art of hitting correctly

If you do not have the task of making it rain, then it is not necessary to learn how to play the tambourine seriously. But if you want to drone with worldwide fame, check out the talent of the famous tambourist Tim Kubart. Surely now you will be inspired to play the rustling instrument. To do this you need a tambourine and a sense of rhythm.

A secret for those who are serious: learn to play quietly. Playing the tambourine has its own charm: you can hit at full power, swinging your hand from the shoulder, if the melody comes for it. climax, or provide a gently “vibrating” sound that enhances the effect of a jazz composition.

Try to be appropriate and light: do not play along with a tambourine throughout the entire composition. Feel where the tambourine is needed and where you can give your hand a rest. If you doubt yourself or the tambourine, go back to listening to Kubart: he will inspire you to play well (and smile from ear to ear).

Xylophone: every child can do it

Many people experience music for the first time in infancy. Parents buy their first xylophones and babies realize that they can now control sounds other than crying. You can learn to play simple melodies right today - it's inexpensive but fun. First, determine what tool you are dealing with. Many people mistakenly think of a xylophone as an instrument with a metal top. In fact, the xylophone is the sound of wood. This means we use a wooden hammer to beat the rhythm on wooden plates. Manufacturers offer children a wide selection of metallophones, and sometimes “plasticophones”. Let's still give preference to the classic version.

So, first learn the notes. It’s corny, but the xylophone will teach you this quickly and painlessly. Label each plate with a pencil to help you remember it faster. Next are two scenarios. Play simple melodies using printed sheet music or play by ear.

Maracas: music played in a whisper

To play the Indian rattle you do not need music education. Only desire, the ability to learn a certain algorithm and good hearing. If you are not yet familiar with this instrument, start with one maracas and play along to any tune. You need to shake the maracas from your hand or elbow. The duration of the hissing sound will depend on this. Eat certain formulas, having learned which, there will no longer be a blank wall between you and the maracas. When you have confidence and a sense of rhythm, start playing two.

Not everyone's parents send them to music school as children. And many in childhood I don’t want to pore over notes and work in classes. But then...

My grandfather mastered the balalaika, domra, mandolin, and guitar as a teenager in a local amateur orchestra. But I learned to play entirely on my own.

It is not at all necessary that you need to learn in childhood. I learned to play the piano for 7 years, and now I don’t even approach the instrument. Often those who do not study or begin to study as adults do it more consciously and it is they who often play later.

As a child, I was sent to a music school - a button accordion class. My mother wanted me to know how to play - her father played. Didn't finish my studies.

Now I want to go and study again - guitar or piano - I want to be able to play my favorite melodies and compose little by little myself.

• Mikhail Yanov, sales manager.

“It always seemed tempting to me to learn to play the piano. As a child, we had a piano in the house, but somehow it didn’t work out, and no one learned to play it. I would like to be able to play the piano, sometimes I go up to it and strum, it seems so interesting to me to sit down and play a beautiful composition ... "

Piano

Anton Rubinstein said precisely about this instrument: “You think – is this one tool? That’s a hundred instruments!” And this is true. The instrument itself was invented by the Florentine master Bartolomeo Cristofori. He called his invention this: a harpsichord, which can be played louder and quieter..

But before that there were many other instruments that, in fact, were the predecessors of the piano. In the beginning there was a monochord with one string. Its invention is attributed to Pythagoras. In the 3rd century BC. the first keyboard musical instrument in human history appeared – hydraulics, or water organ. Then the Organ was invented. And then the clavichord appeared, where the keyboard and strings were finally combined. Then they invented the harpsichord, which could already sound a large hall. The feathers inside the harpsichord made the string sound no longer with a blow, but with a pluck. The feathers were quickly ground down, and soon they began to be made of steel.

The piano differed from the harpsichord by a godsend – hammers that struck directly on the strings, sensitively responding to the touch of a finger on the key. But for a long time the piano was considered too loud and rude.

The cost of this musical instrument varies from 100 dollars (used, the lowest quality, this is the Lyra) and up to outrageous prices. Very often you can find an advertisement “I will give away a piano for free, pick up.”

On this instrument you can play both classics and jazz and pop songs. If you decide to learn to play the piano, you will have to. You can buy both a grand piano and an upright piano, the only question is the price. Exercising outside the home will not give the desired effect. Only constant training will allow you to achieve results. It’s better to start with children’s songs, studying notes and solfeggio. However, instead of a piano, you can buy a synthesizer; to some extent, it can replace this instrument for you and allow you to learn pieces at home. If you want to study jazz, it is better to have a basic foundation and already know how to play the piano. Because in jazz difficult score and rhythm.

One of the disadvantages of training is that if you have nervous neighbors, you will have to choose the time to play. So, they constantly knock on our radiator at 8 pm. And you can’t take a piano with you to the yard or on a trip, like other portable instruments..

Guitar

There are different types of guitars: acoustic, electro-acoustic and electric, as well as a bass guitar, which is designed for playing in the bass range. The progenitor of the bass guitar Double bass. In 1951, American inventor and entrepreneur Leo Fender, founder of the Fender company, released the Precision bass guitar, which he developed based on his Telecaster electric guitar. Then came the acoustic and fretless guitar, guitars with built-in active electronics, double and triple strings and without a headstock. Eat different techniques playing such a guitar is slap (the strings are struck with the thumb) and playing with harmonics (partial pressing of the string in the middle of the string).

Guitars come in 6, 7 and 12 string guitars, the difference is mainly in the sound. Nowadays people are taught to play, most often, 6-string guitars.

Relatives of the 12-string guitar were Italian mandolin, Greek bouzouki, Arabic oud, Spanish vihuela, and Mexican tiple.

From Spain, the guitar was brought to Western European countries and America, where it gained great popularity. We were the first to include 12 in our catalog string guitar there were American masters Italian origin from the Oscar Schmidt and Regal factories. They drew on the twin-string tradition of making instruments and used the standard six-string guitars from their factories as a basis.

Guitars are also divided by type: Classical (Spanish) guitar.
Russian six-string guitar, and seven-string. A guitar with a reduced body and a narrow neck is called a child's guitar, an enlarged body and a normal neck. – called pop. American guitar (western).

When choosing a guitar, ask yourself 3 questions: for what purpose do you need the instrument (learning, amateur or professional playing, playing style)?
What type of guitar do you want to learn to play (acoustic, electro-acoustic or electric), and how much are you willing to spend on the guitar. In general, it is better to choose a tool after reading specialized articles on this topic. First of all, the guitar should be comfortable for you and you like the sound. You can play a lot on an acoustic guitar, but if your goal is to play modern electronic music, then it’s better to immediately learn to play an electronic guitar.

When you learn to play, you can forget about beautiful long nails, however, while playing the piano it is also impossible to grow them. This applies to girls. In addition, calluses on the fingers are also an integral part of learning to play this musical instrument.

Harp

A beautiful instrument, but very big. Its weight is about 35 kilograms . In to place it in the apartment difficult. In addition, the harp is a capricious instrument - it needs to create a certain humidity and protect it from drafts. There really is a Celtic harp, it is also called the Irish harp. She weighs 8- 10 kg . And it has fewer strings, which makes it easier to play. They are small and their cost is not so high. Although they are still difficult to buy in Russia.

The cheapest used harp costs around 450 euros - these are small Celtic harps. A real concert harp costs much more, about $10,000. and above.

The ancestor of the harp is the hunting bow. The harp became popular in Egypt, a variation of the harp was the Lyre, which became popular in Greece. IN Ancient Egypt it was an instrument of priests and had a height of two meters. The nobles often invested all their jewelry in the harp, and in moments of disfavor it was the only joy. And in Ireland and England in the old days, a small harp hung above the entrance to the tavern, on the gate of the inn, so that any traveling musician could take it down and sing the news to everyone. The harp has been a political symbol of Ireland for many centuries and is still featured on Irish euros, flags, coats of arms and seals. The harp came to Russia in late XIX century, when French and Czech harpists began to be invited to work in the court theater and began to give private lessons to noble persons. The harp was introduced into the compulsory course of study at the Smolny Institute, and harpists – Zabel, Cordon, who came to Russia young and stayed in it forever, are considered the first Russian harpists.

How is it played? The harp has as many as seven pedals and 47 strings. It is played with both hands, and the strings are clamped with special flags that are attached to the pedals. Playing the harp is not easy, you need to have great patience - to play with your hands and feet at the same time, and also maintain your balance.

Drums

Not available in all music schools. Pros: It only takes 5 years to learn and is much easier than piano. The downside is that they do not accept children (from 8-9 years old).

Brass

First, they always learn on the pipe or flute, then they learn on the chosen ones: trumpet, saxophone, and the like. When playing the wind instruments, the lungs develop, but you need to have strong hearing; the teachers themselves, when constantly working with the wind instruments, begin to hear a little worse over time.

Where to study music

Education for children in a music school is now free, but it has become very difficult to enroll, the child not only must have good hearing, sometimes it is mandatory to take preparatory courses at the same school, and even this cannot guarantee admission, since budget places in music schools are very limited. reduced since 2015. Therefore, it will no longer be possible to send a child to a music school as before, just for general development. If you decide to teach your child – you should know exactly why you need it. The easiest way to enroll is to study piano; it is the least popular with parents, since not every family has the opportunity to have an instrument in their apartment. The most popular destinations this is a guitar and a flute. At the same time, it is still quite easy to get into folk instruments, for example, learn to play the balalaika. Music education includes a mandatory choir and solfeggio. In some schools, you can also study a second musical instrument of your choice on a budget basis (for example, at the Shaporin Music School you can study a second instrument of your choice: vocals, organ, synthesizer).

You can study privately or go to an evening school and negotiate with the teachers. There are evening schools for adults in Moscow. So, there is a school at the Moscow Conservatory. It is taught mainly by students of the Conservatory itself, and, by the way, it is free. True, you can learn to play the piano there only until you are 18 years old. But you can learn to sing until you are 30 years old. If you have the ability to compose music, you will be accepted until you are 21 years old. And the Choral Conducting department will accept up to 24 years of age.

You can go to any children's music school where clarinet is taught and get a job in the self-sufficiency department (for children over ten years old and adults), it is paid, but quite moderately. You can always negotiate with teachers of music schools and colleges to study with them for money.

But there is an official evening department for adults in Moscow – this is Music School No. 1 named after. Prokofiev. There is a self-sufficiency department there. You can study there in phono, strings, wind, drums, folk instruments, and you can also learn vocals.

In addition, in any area there are Houses of Culture, where you can also go to study either vocals or an orchestra on any instrument.

Musical instrumentsthere are a lot, and in order to choose what to learn to play, you need to have an idea about them (you can look at the instruments and hear their sound at a concert at a music school, such concerts are held in April) there are also strings, folk, wind instruments, as well as rare musical instruments different nations peace. You will learn about them in the following articles..