All Ages What do you think is the most useful instrument to learn?

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cefmac

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As a musician, I would say that each and every instrument has its own merits and that none can really considered "better" than others, but of course, there are some instruments which are useful to have some competence in in order to further progress on other instruments. I'd say piano is very helpful - I took it up to get into university, and it's really helped me grasp certain concepts of harmony and counterpoint.

However, I'm a first-study singer, and I would say that the voice is the best way that you can develop your musicality and best of all, everyone has a voice and it can be used by people of all ages. Singing teaches some of the most important musicianship skills, in my opinion. The fact that there are childrens' choirs all over the world only goes to show this.

What do you think?
 
I played piano when I was little, plus it was one of the instruments I have spent a lot of time practicing. I remember I got an electronic piano, well, that was what I assumed, I played with it all the time before I went to take a year of piano lesson. I agree that piano has also helped me to understand the concept of music and the importance of music instruments.
 
Probably piano. I think it's an instrument that translates well across different musical forms and the knowledge from piano can be applied to most instruments. The piano is a good instrument on which to learn the fundamentals of music. It's sort of like a "gateway instrument", you know? The piano is a good foundation on which to build the learning of all other instruments.
 
I don't think that any instrument is better than any other. Simply taking lessons and learning how to play an instrument is a good thing, regardless of which one it is. Learning how to play an instrument gives kids an outlet and keeps them busy and out of trouble. Plus, the experts say tht music helps kids learn better and provides a creative outlet.
 
The best instrument to learn is, of course, the one you're most interested in! You'll have more fun and you'll be more motivated to practice and continue learning that instrument. I believe you'll learn the fundamentals of music, such as tempo, timing, chord structure, etc., no matter which instrument you decide to take up - the secret is finding an instrument you love and will continue with until you've mastered it. The knowledge you earn by doing so will help you no matter which instrument you decide to learn next!
 
Few people learn to play an instrument these days so I think that whatever you start learning is a good choice! Personally, I studied guitar for a few years and this helped me broaden my interests and knowledge of classical music. From a practical view, playing guitar didn't help me much, but from an internal view, it worked wonders.

For now, I don't have kids, but when I do, I'll try my best to develop their passion for music, be it listening or playing.
 
I think any instrument would be a good choice for the child, provided he or she continues with it if they like it. That said, the piano and voice are two good choices. The most solid choice would be the voice, however, since it provides a very personal and direct link to the study of music. Sight singing and sight reading are two important aspects of many audition processes internationally. Being able to sing is always a benefit when it comes to music education. And it's really the simplest one to start as it requires next to nothing to begin.
 
I don't think you could really label one better than another. I think all kids should have the chance to experiment with at least one instrument. I didn't start playing the guitar until later on. I wish I would have had more chance as a young kid.
 
Choose which instrument got more of your attention. It is better to learn using an instrument that you really like or really passionate to learn. All instruments can give excellent music depends on the musician. You can try several instruments to find out which one you would really like to use.
 
Choosing an instrument is completely dependent on what kind of music the person likes. I am a guitarist, I switched to drums and then to Bass and came back to guitar. It is never bad to learn multiple instruments. Getting into a band is also a lot of fun, it is a nice way of getting out of routine.
 
Although when I was a youth I had the option to choose what I wanted and chose the "coolest" thing as an adult I've looked around me and seen situations where I wish I knew how to play the piano or the guitar. I feel like being able to play the piano is a skill that will serve a person for life in many social situations. Guitars are also equally as important and at least way more portable than a piano.
 
I would say the piano. It has a large range of key to help children hear how the notes sound. Since it is laid out in keys, it is easier to play. It can serve as a stepping stone until a child picks his or her own instrument.
 
cefmac said:
As a musician, I would say that each and every instrument has its own merits and that none can really considered "better" than others, but of course, there are some instruments which are useful to have some competence in in order to further progress on other instruments. I'd say piano is very helpful - I took it up to get into university, and it's really helped me grasp certain concepts of harmony and counterpoint.

However, I'm a first-study singer, and I would say that the voice is the best way that you can develop your musicality and best of all, everyone has a voice and it can be used by people of all ages. Singing teaches some of the most important musicianship skills, in my opinion. The fact that there are childrens' choirs all over the world only goes to show this.

What do you think?
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I think that every instrument plays a different part and they should all be learned if that is what someone is interested in. There is nothing better than an artist that can play guitar, piano, drums etc as it is a talent that is well respected. I personally love the piano and would encourage everyone to be able to play it for the peace that it creates and the emotions that you can express. In saying that it can be any instrument and it is a personal choice.
 
I agree that piano is most useful to learn! While yes, every instrument is different and useful in there own way, I believe that piano teaches chords in a way that you can't learn on a wind or string bow instrument. I find that knowing some piano helped me to better myself as a tubist because those low notes were sometimes hard to get in tune and even harder to understand how it fits into the chord. Piano also is great to play by itself of course.
 
I believe that every person has their own instrument. For some, it may be the delicacy and strength of the violin, for others it can be the energy and power of the guitar. Some people can be in "tune" with more than one instrument! All instruments, from common ones such as the piano to rare ones like the bagpipes, should be appreciated and encouraged.
 
I would say that the piano would have to be the most useful instrument to learn, because the piano can be played for almost every genre, depending on how you play it. It would sound beautiful to dance to and can sound soothing, calming, upbeat, jazzy, fun, and there are many styles to play the piano to. I have also learned to play the piano for quite a while now, and I've learned that there are many different styles and that all the songs I play to are different. It's very interesting and gives you a taste of a new kind of music!
 
It is hard to pin down just one that's most important, but I do agree that piano and keyboarding is a good starting point that can help you understand some of the basics and help in endeavors to learn other musical instruments and concepts.
 
I think every musical instrument is useful. It just depends on your area of interest. As for me, since I am some sort of a rockstar wannabe, I could say that I am more interested in learning how to play the guitar. I would also love to take piano lessons too. I think it's very classy.
 
Piano is probably the most useful one although I prefer guitar. I am a recent learner and guitar playing is not so good but I manage my chords well enough. Piano playing can help you in playing keyboards, which is basically the same thing with a small difference that with good keyboard you can be the whole band. You need some sample music and plug ins for instruments. My brother has one of those keyboards and he can basically go and play everywhere all alone. More money for him. He plays in several cafes and doing quite fine. He also plays the guitar but with only him he is not able to perform like with keyboard.
 
I agree with the others about the piano and learning keyboarding. I think learning to play the piano is a good 'first instrument', because it's easy to learn about chords. The piano has a range (pitch) wider than all instruments, because you can play very soft to extremely loud. You also can play more than one part at a time, and you can play multiple notes on it at a time. Also, the piano is the best instrument for learning to read music.
 
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