...whether you manage to teach yourself well or not is another matter

Quite right. At some stage, you'll need some help. Like, how to open the case?

More material for a Monty Python sketch! Mr Gumby learns the oboe.

I guess I meant anybody who's already learned an instrument and has some experience.

My statement "Yes, you can teach yourself just about any instrument without a teacher"

was not meant for a class of ten year olds, each armed with a violin!

Well, not unless their teachers have a handy supply of prozac, valium and ear-plugs.

Steve

Well I'd liken it to a Terry Pratchett quote about witchcraft - you can teach yourself, but both the student and the teacher need to be the right person

Yes, people can teach themselves. It doesn't follow that all self-taught people will be successful at it (some will be extremely successful, some will be lousy, most will fall in between), and most self-taught people I know have picked up a bad habit or two and had to work hard to cure problems which a good teacher (and yes, sadly not all teachers are) would never have let become entrenched, and which in many cases could have been easily avoided Even people with considerable musical experience can end up with a nasty bad habit that only becomes a problem at a later date (There are plenty of little niggly things that aren't obviously wrong unless you know the instrument, and that one can "get away with" for a while and then, bam, find it's impeding suddenly progress and becoming a real bugbear and hard work to fix)

So if people can afford to get lessons/can find a decent teacher - even if only occasional, or a starter course - from a good teacher to get them going in the right direction, it is (IMO) a Good Thing ™ Self-teaching can be a lot of fun and very rewarding (looks who's talking - I have one teacher at the moment and that's on the instrument I have probably the least aptitude for... who am I kidding, the instrument I have NO aptitude for!) but it can also be risky. 6 months of lessons with a really good teacher can be a real investment that will set someone up for many years of playing.

i agree with melody maker, i personnally play the clarinet, piano, cornet and saxophone and have been playing the clarinet for just over 7 years and i find that a great challenge at times but it is amazing what different sounds etc you can get out of a clarinet. but do remember that the clarinet and the flute aren't for everyone. Maybe it would be worth finding out for yourself!! Why not go to a music shop who will allow you to try out a Clarinet, a flute and an oboe and you find out which you think is the easiest for you? I myself can play to flute to around gr2 standard but i find that i get more fun and structure out of the clarinet. But really don't let anyone make the decition for you. try the instruments and decide for yourself!!!
x

its all well and good you want to play a new instrument.. but...
you mustn't take on too many.

jack of all trades master of none

Not always a bad thing though

i've heard that oboe is quite hard to play but it sounds really good once you've learnt how to play it. clarinet is a great choice but if you want to play an unusual instrument then it's not really a good option. a bassoon is ok but if you want to join groups then the parts are boring. a flute sounds great also. it all depends on what you want to play. if you have a teacher for any lessons then you could ask them what they recommend you learn.

Oboe is a good one, it's really rare Or bassoon is even rarer...
But this is coming from someone who plays all woodwind instruments except bassoon - flute is the best instrument