Choosing a musical instrument

Cafe Society
1

It’s summer now and I finally have time and more importantly the patience to learn to play a musical instrument. I’ve had attempts at the ages of 8 (bored), 14(impatient) and 17(distracted). All on the keyboard (some sort of electronic organ). But now in this idle summer, I can finally aim to imitate Cacophonix from Asterix (perhaps, do a bit better). I have no hopes of becoming a virtuoso, just enough fluency to reasonably replay tunes from memory and maybe amuse myself with some self-composed tunes(ha ha).

Now, there are 2 difficulties that arise…

  1. I’m strongly left-handed. Perhaps, that explains why I could never get used to the keyboard. In most musical pieces, it seems that the bass clefs(keys) provide a kind of background rhythm whereas the treble clefs provide the dominant melody. Due to my dexterity, I’m afraid I might not be able to be very fluent, if at all, at the keyboard. I’m aware that there are “reversed” boards, but I’m not sure the keyboard will remain with me for a long time.

  2. I want something cheap. Preferably, under $200, but will go a bit higher. Note that this shall remain a short-term investment. At the end of July, based on my then state of skills and interest, I might invest in a proper make. This first instrument has to occupy me only till then.

With that, I need to know whether

  1. I can overcome difficulties on the keyboard via conditioning?
  2. whether I should pick up another instrument?
  3. advice on the instrument itself (brands,parameters…etc)

BTW, I shall be 23 pretty soon. I’m patient enough to not get annoyed by lack of quick results. The music I hope to play will include classical as well as some modern compositions. I don’t care much about the guitar (I’m not much interested in rock) and I kinda like the long sustained melodies possible on instruments like the violin. I’m open to diverse suggestions of instruments, but no trumpets or the like please.

2

I suggest the guitar. The left hand does most of the manuevering when you’re learning to play. (Left hand forms the chord - right hand strums the rhythm) Once you learn the basics, you can branch out and use your right hand for more than just strumming.

And you can buy a used guitar pretty cheap.

3

I know you said no trumpets and the like, but the French horn, which is more of a classical instrument than a brass band instrument, Also most pieces for it are slow and sustained and it is ideally suited for left-handed people (usually when left-handed people wish to take up a brass instrument they are pointed towards it).

4

MC:

But what is the range of diverse music that you can play on the French horn?

5

The melodic possiblities of guitar hardly end (or begin) with rock. While violin can produce achingly beautiful sounds, it is more limited in application than guitar. You can’t create a counterpoint melody on violin and the rhythmic possiblities are obviously limited. Are you familiar with any classical guitar? I’m not famililar with the group you mentioned and am not sure what you mean by “modern” music, but guitar makes for the perfect solo classical instument (second only to piano). The big bonus for guitar: Portability. You can go sit outside in the summer sun while you play. It also fits into your budget. I can’t say enough about guitar when it’s played well. Consider both a nylon-stringed classical and a modern acoustic. I would only choose the former if classical is the ONLY thing you’ll play.

6

I can’t add much more to what KidCharlemagne said.
I have been playing guitar for years, yet I play no rock. I do, however, enjoy playing Bach, Scarlatti, Sor, among others. I find particular pleasure in playing the music of Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos. When I want something with a little more spice, I go for Bossa Nova. Please don’t discount the guitar with such haste.

7

hmm, could someone mention any non-rockish instrumental tracks based on guitar? Better yet, link to any free legal MP3s that showcase this variety.

8

Well, as a violinist I feel like I should point out that you can rent violins, if you would be interested (you mentioned that you liked the long melodies on the violin). But truthfully, given your limitations, I can not wholeheartedly recommend it. If you really want to get enjoyment out of playing the violin, I think you need to keep it up for at least a couple of years, and feel stronger about it than you seem to do. But other than that, it is a great instrument.

With respect to the piano (if that’s what you mean by keyboard): I don’t see why lefthandedness should be a problem. Can you touch-type? I’m righthanded but don’t feel my left-hand is any less agile in that respect (I do play a bit of piano/keyboard). Remember, when you start out you will not exactly be doing Chopin and Liszt-style ad-libs. The advantage of keyboard/piano is that you can quickly produce something recognizable. With prices, there was recently a thread on someone looking for a keyboard with a good piano-sound (search for Yamaha), where I think a keyboard of around $ 150-200 was recommended.

I just reread the OP and saw that you had prior experience with keyboard. Perhaps that should weigh in. Still, given your self-described preferences in music, keyboard seems better than guitar. Classical guitar also takes quite a while to learn properly, I think.

Good luck, whatever your choice! It is a good thing to be able to play an instrument.

9

I recommend Trombone, myself. It’s a very fun and surprisingly versatile instrument. Cheap, too.

10

I personally prefer this on piano, but it is still darn good on the guitar. Give Malaguena a listen. Not the best version I have heard, but still decent and free as requested.

http://mp3.washingtonpost.com/bands/nicki_lehrer.shtml

11

Go to a music store or library and look in the classical, jazz/swing, and bluegrass sections for guitar work. There’s a bunch of it. Some names for starters: Andres Segovia, Django Reinhardt, and Doc Watson. Check them out on google for more info.

If you decide to try guitar after all, here are some thoughts:

If you have a strong sense of left-handedness, you might feel quite awkward with a righty guitar. Get a lefty guitar if that’s what feels right. Although beginners often find that their non-dominant hand has the most to learn, that’s generally not true for beyond-beginner level in note-picking guitar styles, such as classical. If it were such a big advantage, nearly all guitars would be lefty models so that right-handers could benefit from it. A classical guitar can easily and successfully be converted to left-handed.

Classical guitars can be rented from a place that caters to students. Highly recommended to both help you decide that’s what you really want, and to give you a chance to play (what should be) a decent instrument.

There are some fairly good inexpensive guitars available, but there are also a fair number of crappy ones in the lower price ranges. It can be supremely helpful to have a knowledgeable friend along when considering a purchase.

Guitar set-up (basic adjustments) is critical, and isn’t always right, or right for you, from the factory. It’s not unusual to find that a new guitar needs some set-up work (which is relatively inexpensive). Trying to learn on a poorly made and/or poorly adjusted guitar is very, very frustrating.

12

Since Cacophonix is your inspiration, why not a left handed autoharp? If you get a left handed model, all your right hand will be doing is pushing buttons, with the left doing all of the real work. You can start out strumming chords at first, and then work your way up to finger picking.

13

I wouldn’t reccomend the French Horn. Although I am no expert on brass insturments I’ve played viola for 10 years now and I know that the French Horn is notoriously very hard to play. So much so that most kids learning don’t even try until they are in high school, after about 3 years of learning an easier insturment.

As a viola student I am required by law to suggest another string insturment.:slight_smile: If you rent, that would be well within your price range, but like somebody mentioned above it takes a long while to really have the ability to make music. But I can tell you it is well worth it.

14

If this is your price limit, I strongly second the recommendation of those who suggested renting an instrument. Alternately, you may want to see if you have any friends who would be willing to lend you an instrument, especially if you’re considering something like a guitar.

But DO NOT BUY A CHEAP MUSICAL INSTRUMENT! It is money wasted! It will not sound good, you will not enjoy playing it, you will not get the sense of the potential you and the instrument have for making music. Don’t be fooled into thinking that because you are a beginner you can start with a cheap instrument. If you are serious about learning, you can’t.

If you are considering going back to keyboards (an area I know a little about), try going to a good piano store sometime, and sit down at a large grand piano, play a few chords, soft and loud, to get a feel for the richness of the sound. Try different brands, different sizes, and see which tonalities you like. Then try playing a $200 electronic keyboard. It’s like playing a kazoo.

I am not a very good pianist, but when I was looking for a new piano, I drove more than an hour to a store that carried a large number of brands, including Bosendorfer, which is widely reputed as the best piano in the world. I played instruments between $5,000 and the top of the line Bosendorfer at $120,000. That instrument was amazing. Just touching it I felt like I was Van Cliburn. Quality matters! (No, I didn’t buy it, but I’m quite happy with the Yamaha grand I bought.)

If you are thinking about piano, you need a real instrument, not an electronic one. I think your teacher will agree with me on this. So your best bet will probably be a used one. Check the classifieds for a private party sale. There’s much to learn on this subject, and the best book is The Piano Book by Larry Fine. You can buy it for $20 from the site or you may find it a your local library. It will explain all you need to know about the different types and brands of pianos and has very good advice about buying a new or used piano.

You may also want to consider if you have family or friends with a nice piano who might let you practice on their instrument regularly. Or what about an elderly aunt with an old baby grand who never touches it? Could she be persuaded to give it to you?

But if you think you have to go electronic (can’t afford or don’t have room for the real thing) I strongly recommend you look for weighted keys and a really good piano sound. I haven’t looked at prices lately, but I’d guess this will put you above $500, and you could easily spend $2,000 or more for a nice one. Get a really solid stand, too.

But why throw away $200 on a short term instrument? If you’re not sure what you want to play, try a lot of other people’s instruments first, think about it carefully, pick your instrument, and then spend as much as you can possibly afford, or even a little more. You will never regret buying a good musical instrument. And if you do, you will probably be able to sell it for a good percentage of what you paid. This is not true of cheap instruments.

Good luck, and let us know how things turn out.

15

You want cheap? Buy a decent wooden recorder (blockflute). If you prove out well on it, you can graduate to the flute or saxamaphone. They both use similar fingerings.

Guitar is nearly as difficult to learn as the keyboard but rather portable and, unlike any wind instrument, you can sing along with it too.

Keyboard is the ultimate composing tool but more expensive and harder to learn than guitar.

A Mississippi saxaphone (harmonica) is cheap, portable and easy to learn as well.

Since you are just beginning, I’d go with any of the above instruments in the order listed.

16

I’ll echo Zenster, except that I’d like to recommend pennywhistle over a recorder. The fingerings are simpler (only six holes), and they are surprisingly capable instruments. If you prefer a lower pitch, you can get a low whistle, although they are a bit harder to play.
Good luck!

17

General Questions is for questions with factual answers. Cafe Society is for discussions about the Arts. I’ll move this to Cafe Society for you.

DrMatrix - GQ Moderator