Do you or one of your children have an interest in learning how to play music? Well, that’s fantastic! Now we need to answer this critical question… “What instrument should I (or my child) learn?”
Several factors come into play when answering this question, but I’ll give away the answer at the get-go: pick the instrument that's most interesting, accessible, and exciting!
But if you still aren’t sure what instrument to play, I highly recommend one of the following four instruments (in this order):
Voice
Drums
Piano
Guitar
Here’s why…
Voice
Whether you’re hanging around the house or shopping for groceries, you can sing anywhere! You don’t have to worry about setting anything up, moving a big instrument into the house, or even buying one at all.
You can sing along with any instrument on this list, whether it’s you playing it or somebody else. Vocalists also gain the advantage of learning how to treat their instrument well by learning vocal health techniques that ensure you will sing for your whole life, without losing your voice or experiencing any pain. Singers also have the advantage of feeling how music works. Vocalists have to hear the pitch they want in their head before making it out loud. This unique skill builds the musician’s inner ear, making music easier to play on any instrument they decide to learn later.
But here is why singing is at the top of this list:
God commands us to sing!
There are several verses in Scripture where we are exhorted to sing, but here are some of my favorite verses on the subject...
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” -Colossians 3:16
“Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.” -James 5:13
God gave you the voice you have on purpose, so it’s everyone’s duty to learn to use their unique voice for His glory!
Drums
Put simply, music is a combination of three things: harmony, melody, and rhythm. No matter what instrument you are playing, rhythm is involved in every note because music is an art form that happens in time.
Drumming also has the unique challenge (and benefit) of using arms and legs at the same time, which makes drummers highly coordinated over the long run. This also makes drumming a workout that builds strength, improves cardio, and is therapeutic (it’s hard not to feel better after drumming)! It’s worth noting that playing drums shouldn’t be an intense activity, banging on the kit like Animal from The Muppets. Good drum instructors actually teach you how to build a fluid and relaxed technique so you can play fast without injuring yourself or skipping a beat.
Also, have I mentioned that playing drums benefits every other instrument you play instantly? I personally had the advantage of learning drums and piano at the same time, which allowed me to play much more complex piano pieces. Having the drummer’s perspective on how different grooves worked also allowed me to play piano in that style more convincingly.
Practicing drums doesn’t have to be some loud and expensive thing… you can actually practice drums (almost) anywhere by tapping your feet and hands! If you want to practice sticking technique and other rudiments, then all you need is a practice pad. They are quieter, cheaper (only $20), and more portable than a full drum kit. Eventually, you may consider upgrading to an electric or acoustic drum set, but you don’t need a full setup to get your drum journey started.
Piano
The piano is a practical, easy, and extremely fun instrument to start learning! There are countless songs to play that sound nice (even for a novice player), and it’s easy to play duets with a friend by sharing a bench and having them play next to you!
One of the most helpful aspects of learning piano is that the keyboard itself (the white and black keys on the piano) lays out a visual representation of how pitch works that is easy to understand and apply in any musical context. If you are interested in learning music theory (the musical tools that are used to improvise, compose, and understand music), then you will eventually use the piano’s helpful layout. It’s also easy to learn how to play sheet music on the piano, becoming a proficient sight-reader in a short amount of time while building up to more and more advanced pieces. There are countless piano songs to play, no matter what genre you are interested in or what level player you are!
Learning basic piano technique does take some patience as new habits are built, but you will be able to play simple songs you are excited to learn almost instantly, while building up to a more advanced repertoire later.
If you want to learn piano and don’t have one yet, it’s pretty easy to get your hands on one. I recommend starting with a keyboard that has 88 weighted keys and is velocity-sensitive (meaning it can play loud or soft depending on how hard you press a key). I advise AGAINST getting a free or used piano that you see on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. They are free for a reason. If you are seriously considering getting a free piano (or the price seems too good to be true), get a professional pianist’s take before purchasing it.
There is an almost endless amount of learning resources and tools to learn piano that can feel impossible to navigate; between online gurus, apps, and hundreds of method books, everyone is trying to sell you the equivalent of a “get rich quick” scheme catered to pianists who want to take shortcuts. But I recommend the tried-and-true method: get a teacher!
Your piano teacher will be able to see your strengths and weaknesses, guiding you every step of the way as you learn pieces that are interesting and at your level, refining technique, and sharing skills you should know, all while you become the player you want to be! You will find tools online that promise quick results without any of the work, but they won’t be able to help with technique, tone, or timing issues, and they often don’t progress at a good pace. Every student I have who learned from YouTube has built terrible technique and timing habits that take months to fix. Save yourself the hassle and get a piano teacher as soon as possible!
Guitar
Learning how to play tunes on the guitar is a breeze; all you need is a handful of basic chords to play hundreds of pop, country, and folk songs. Combine that with your voice, and you can sing along while you play songs from your favorite artists!
It’s also very portable. You can pack it in your car for a gig, take it to your friend’s house to jam, and even pack it on a plane. As a pianist, I envy this… there’s no way I can pack my favorite upright piano and bring it anywhere (unless I’m moving)!
Most guitar players skip learning how to read music, but I advise that every guitarist learns how to play chord charts, tablature, and read traditional sheet music. Becoming literate in these ways makes playing the guitar very rewarding while keeping yourself open to new possibilities.
It is worth noting that the guitar has some unique learning curves. You have to learn how to tune the instrument, press the strings down accurately on the fretboard, produce a good tone, and build calluses on your fingers. However, these are relatively minor (haha!), and the reward of making music on the guitar makes it all worth it.
Closing Thoughts
Overall, it can be easy to overthink what instrument to learn because we have certain skills associated with each instrument. For example, people who want to learn how to read music think they need to play the piano, or to learn rhythm, we need to play drums.
As helpful as it would be to learn piano and drums for those reasons, don’t let that get in the way of learning the instrument that is most exciting to you, whatever it may be! Every instrument has its own strengths and limitations, but every one is worthwhile.
