musical instruments to learn on my own

Music is something that feeds our soul. Through the years, it has been used to express emotions that words on their own cannot suffice. When you are on a long drive, getting bored on a subway, strenuously working out, jogging, or having dinner, music brightens up daily lives.

Similarly, playing a musical instrument is infinitely rewarding. It allows you to express yourself and manage stress, enables you to express the emotions you’ve buried deep down, boosts creativity, and teaches you discipline. 

Whether young or old, there’s no limit to what age you can start learning to play an instrument. With that, here are the best musical instruments you can quickly learn!

  1. Ukulele

The ukuleles are cheap and fun to play. They are one of the easiest stringed and fretted instruments to learn. They only have four strings, and they are closer together than on a guitar. Moreover, the strings are nylon, which is easier to press and play, and its small size makes it ideal for young musicians. It is indeed the perfect instrument to get started with. You can just learn to play a few chords in a short period, and even familiarize yourself with a handful of songs.

ukelele for beginners

The more you get into the ukulele, the more you’ll want a nice ukulele. In that case, thankfully, you can get a high-end ukulele for under $500, which is way less than other high-end musical instruments.

For something so small, dainty, and portable, you’re purchasing on a worthy instrument. The sound it gives off is very soothing, too. And if you’re planning to learn the guitar, this can be an excellent way to start.

  1. Guitar

Learning to play any guitar type is challenging. You must have to want to know the instrument. When you’re starting out, your fingers will hurt, not every sound you make will be good, and you’ll realize that it’s going to take a lot of work. That said, it’s also incredibly fun. When people think of playing instruments, the guitar is often the first one that comes to mind. 

guitar playing for kids

Starting on the guitar is very affordable. Acoustic guitars or the beginner’s kit are worth $200 or less, and you have many, many options to choose from. You can take lessons if you want, but there are many great guitar teachers and an overwhelming amount of resources for learning guitar online. Finding songs to play is super easy, too, but if you don’t want to learn to read music, you can always depend on tablature to help you along.

  1. Harmonica

This instrument is usually overlooked by beginners only as a musical accessory to play around with. You will be surprised to know that professional musicians take this pocket-sized instrument quite seriously. Why? Well, it creates a very soulful melody that touches your heart. It is widely used in various musical genres, including blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock & roll.

little boy playing the harmonica

For beginners, the harmonica is one of the best instruments to get started with. It is small enough to fit in your pocket, and it is easy to learn and play. To play it, you’ll just have to adjust your lips and tongue into the correct position and blow air into it. By altering your mouth’s position, it is possible to play in different pitches. 

You don’t need to know a lot to start playing, and it has a significant advantage that any note will be “in key.” Plus, with its portability, you can carry it anywhere and practice from time to time.

  1. Piano

In playing the piano, you’ll have to learn to coordinate both hands at once, and with that, it may seem complicated. But actually, it’s still one of the best and easiest instruments to learn. Because all the notes are laid out in front of you, it’s easier to understand than many other instruments. More so, due to its popularity, you’ll have no shortage of useful learning materials when you choose the piano as your instrument.

child learning to play piano

A piano, however, is expensive and takes up a big chunk of space in your home. But you can always find good second-hand ones. Also, there’s a significant upside in learning how to play the piano – you get such a strong background in music theory, one that’s translatable to almost any other instrument. Still, if you don’t have the budget for a piano, there are some affordable starter keyboards. Then, later on, you can upgrade to a higher-end model.

Conclusion

Don’t be too disheartened if at first, your music sounds basic and simple. Slowly and gradually, with practice and more learning, you’ll soon be able to play the tunes you love! Whatever instrument you desire to play, excelling at music will eventually feel comfortable and natural, just as long as you’re consistently engaged in your lessons.