The Hardest And Easiest Instrument To Play, What is the hardest/easiest? Options

[JuliaR]

Saxophone and clarinet are easy woodwind instruments, piano isn't hard either. I think its safe to say that uncommon instruments are generally harder to play than all the common well-heard-of ones.

[yr_hobo]

I never found piano particularily easy to play well.. note-bashing was simple, but found it difficult to really gget much feeling or sensitivity into my playing

To the question.... I think it's often accepted that some of the hardest instruments to learn, or be a beginner on are french horn, oboe, classical guitar. (which is why so many beginners give up before reaching any real standard)
This isn't to say the instruments are actually in any way harder overall... i don't think there necessarily is such a thing, as they all have different challenges, and technical standards which you are expected to achieve. Its just that some instruments are easier to learn in the beginning, and to sound vaguely profficient on at an earlier stage than others... i'd say sax is generally an example of this.

I reckon its equally difficult to play any instrument well, and sensitively... its just that the stage at which the difficulties are most apparent and the nature of the difficulties that varies so hugely between instruments.

Also, the expectations of people for different instruments varies greatly (you wouldn't expect your average grade5 bassoonist to be able to get round their instrument as quickly or agilely as your average grade5 violinist).. it doesnt mean the bassoonists standard is any lower... its just that different instruments have different inherent limitations and challenges.
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[Frederic Chopin]

The easiest instrument to play: Triangle! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

[tiger_vio]

I personally find the piano the easiest instrument. The notes are there and you can't play them out of tune in the same way with a string instrument.

I find string instruments hard with the tuning. Just a LITTLE bit off the right place and it sounds like a strangled cat *shudder*

totally agree! I find piano incredibly easy in comaprison with the violin.

[sarah-flute]

I don't think there can ever be an easiest or hardest instrument... not only does each instrument have completely different technical difficulties, but each person has different areas where they are proficient. What is easy to you may be hard to me, and vice versa. For example, I have a fairly reliable sense of pitch, but find reading two lines of notes at the same time really hard... so whilst I don't have too much problem playing string or woodwind instruments in tune, I find playing the piano and coordinating both hands difficult!

[benjaminja]

I personally find the piano the easiest instrument. The notes are there and you can't play them out of tune in the same way with a string instrument.

I find string instruments hard with the tuning. Just a LITTLE bit off the right place and it sounds like a strangled cat *shudder*

totally agree! I find piano incredibly easy in comaprison with the violin.

In comparison with the violin, I find the piano incredibly difficult!

[Lixandreth]

I find piano really difficult. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif) I think it has something to do with the fact that my brain doesn't like that I'm doing the same action in both hands but they're playing different notes and rhythms. Where as violin for example, one hand is responsible for the notes, the other one is bowing. Different actions.

...Hmm, re-reading not sure if that will make sense to anybody.

[sarah-flute]

Made sense to me - not sure that's a good thing though (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif)

[anacrusis]

The easiest instrument to play: Triangle! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

I don't think I could play the triangle. Can't count! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

[mattrattley]

in my opinion, and it is only my opinion:

easiest: guitar - all the easyness of strings without random intonation problems and massive amounts of vibrato

most difficult: harp, simply because of millions of strings and pedals; bassoon, i play it and some pieces make your thumbs/lips/jaw hurt (i'm playing oliver for my school atm and oom-pah-pah requires me to constantly wave my thumb around for three pages); and french horn, because of the closeness of the harmonics and because of the relative difficulty of their parts compared to the other brass

piano is pretty tricky what with essentially playing two instruments at once when playing with both hands.
violin... i'm a woodwind player so violin seems like a doddle (finger on string, bow, done) but obviously i'm in no position to judge!
oboe... tricky to start with but i reckon it probably gets easier as you get better
triangle... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

[benjaminja]

violin... i'm a woodwind player so violin seems like a doddle (finger on string, bow, done) but obviously i'm in no position to judge!

*cough* *cough* Don't go saying that to violinists, mattrattley! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

[nicki_flute]

I think that this is going to go round in circles this thread...

[sarah-flute]

violin... i'm a woodwind player so violin seems like a doddle (finger on string, bow, done) but obviously i'm in no position to judge!

Guessing you've never tried to get a really nice sound in 5th position on the E string then! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

Trust me, doddle it ain't

*speaking as one who switched to woodwind and thinks winds are about a trillion times easier... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)*

[noodle]

piano is pretty tricky what with essentially playing two instruments at once when playing with both hands.

violin... i'm a woodwind player so violin seems like a doddle (finger on string, bow, done) but obviously i'm in no position to judge!

Violin a doddle ehhhh??? It is a bit harder than woodwind - at least woodwind instruments have all the notes there - the violin has a long string with many notes there - somewhere. I wish my beginner violinists found it a doddle...

I guess it depends which instrument you start with. Students who take up piano as a second instrument find it more difficult because they have two hands to co-ordinate - often doing completely different things. Whereas a pianist taking up a second instrument will find a flute easier for example because there is only one stave.

Nicki is right - this thread is going round in circles.

[katyjay]

Er, no, violin's not a doddle. It's a great challenge. But finding that your fingers don't land in the right places so your intonation's shot to pieces is somewhat trying.

At least with a piano, one millimetre off doesn't generally reduce one's nerves to shreds. You've either landed on the right note with the right intonation or you've landed on completely the wrong note but its intonation's right. But the sheer number of activites involved to get the sound out's a bit of a bother.

Recorder's delightful and infuriating too - the fingerings aren't an entirely logical progression - with a violin I know that putting down one more finger will have a specific effect, with a recorder I don't.

And singing's got its own pro's and con's. Easy to get started, an awful lot of effort to do well.....