Good Introductory Instruments

One of the most beautiful aspects of music is its accessibility to all who engage with it. Across cultures, languages, and continents, music is a common element of the human experience and can be appreciated by all who encounter it. You don’t need to know the lyrics to a song to enjoy the feeling it can induce in you. We’ve all experienced an affective welling of sensation by the right combination of chords or rhythms. Unfortunately, many individuals feel that while listening to music is accessible, making music is inaccessible. On the contrary, producing and recording music is more available to individuals than it has ever been in the past. Whether it’s through computer software or access to equipment, the ability to produce is right at your fingertips. Still, there are plenty of limitations people feel, especially when it comes to learning instruments. However, plenty of starter instruments are not overly expensive and can serve as an opening to more complicated musical endeavors in the future. Here are a handful of instruments to investigate if you want to learn more about creating music.

Keyboard or Piano

The keyboard is commonly a great introductory instrument for individuals of all ages. While accessing a piano might be a pricier proposition and certainly takes up more room, a keyboard provides a similar experience at a far more manageable price. While becoming an expert requires immense time and effort, learning the basics requires some commitment to daily practice. Learning the keyboard or piano provides an excellent foundation for understanding music theory, and the skills and ideas learned playing these beautiful instruments can translate to almost any other instrument. Further, countless online resources (both free and subscription-based) can provide you with an education. The piano offers an opportunity to dive as deeply into the instrument as you want. It can give you a deeper understanding of how melody, harmony, and rhythm operate even at a cursory level.

Guitar

The guitar is similarly exceedingly accessible, and you can pick one up for relatively inexpensive prices. Again while mastery will take years of work and practice, the ability to learn the basics of playing guitar can happen relatively swiftly. The guitar is instrumental because of how much modern music relies on it. In the last 70 years, most popular music has used the guitar as the backbone of its sound. So not only will you be learning music, but you’ll also already have a sense of how the song should sound.

Harmonica

The mouth harp has been neglected in the last 20 years or so of music, but don’t ignore the appeal of this instrument. It is small, it is powerful, and it is a handy tool for introducing yourself to the world of music. Most people teach themselves the harmonica, so it’s commonly known as an accessible instrument. It can also be used to replicate many different notes and only requires breath to play. Most importantly, the harmonica is about as cheap as an instrument as there is — so for those who are particularly strapped for cash, it represents an excellent instrument for learning more about music.