The first school of thought is that you want to get a guitar that is well made and sounds good, even if it costs a little more. The question you’re probably asking, is why? The school of thought that recommends this bases their argument on the following. If a new guitar player buys a cheap guitar with a poor sound, he is more likely to lose interest early on. The reason is because when you first learn to play the guitar you’re mostly playing scales and simple tunes that really aren’t all that interesting. It’s going to be boring enough just trying to get through this, but at least if the guitar itself is of better quality, it will sound better, stay in tune longer and ultimately provide the new student with a more pleasurable learning experience. This will make it so that the student will have a better chance of sticking with his instrument. The extra money will have, in a sense, saved money in the long run. A good quality guitar for a beginner will probably run about $300.

The other school of thought is to get the beginning student a beginner’s guitar, maybe something with a price tag of $100 max. Why? Because the thought here is that the beginning student, because he will have to go through with those boring scales and simple tunes, unless he is really dedicated and has a strong love for the instrument, is more likely to give it up early. This will mean less money wasted if a cheaper guitar is purchased in the first place.

There is something to be said for both sides of this argument and we’re not going to take one side or the other. However, if a student gets past that initial period on his beginner guitar, whether you went with cheap or not so, what’s next? If you bought a cheap guitar to start with, the student is going to want something better. If he stuck with it this long, he’s entitled to it. Certainly he can’t play a cheap guitar in a band or professionally. This is where you have to more or less live within your means. Sure, he’d probably love to have a $2500 Rickenbacker signature model but maybe he’ll have to settle for a Gibson Les Paul for around $700.

Best suggestion is to talk to your kid after the learning stage is over. Find out how serious he is about his guitar playing. If he’s very serious, you might just want to invest in an instrument that he’ll cherish for many years to come.

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*Will the instrument I choose be affordable?

*Which instruments are easy to learn and which are difficult to learn?

*Will it be a quiet instrument or a noisy one?

*If I don’t choose a popular instrument will I be able to find a teacher easily?

*Is the musical instrument of my choice popular or is it an instrument that not many people play?

*How much will a lesson cost?

*I want to choose a musical instrument that I can play in a band. What instruments should I choose?

*I want to play a certain type of music. Which musical instruments are suitable for different styles?

In the following article I will be answering all of the above.

Here is a list of musical instruments to choose from listed in popularity, with the number 1 being the most popular:

1) Guitar

2) Piano

3) Keyboard

4) Drums

5) Violin

6) Cello

7) Flute

Saxophone

9) Clarinet

10) Trumpet/Cornet

11) Trombone

12) French Horn

13) Banjo

14) Recorder

15) Viola

16) Tuba

17) Oboe

You can see a list of all musical instruments here:
Musical Instrument Shop. Lots of information and choice. Buy Musical Instruments here

Will the instrument I choose be affordable?

If you want to buy a musical instrument but don’t wont to spend too much money I would choose either a guitar, keyboard, violin, clarinet or trumpet. These instruments are the
cheapest to buy when starting out.

Which musical instruments are easy to learn and which are difficult to learn?

The easiest musical instruments to learn from the list above are: Guitars, Drums and Recorders.

Guitar

The guitar should be easy to pick a few chords and you can almost start strumming and playing a simple tune from your first lesson. It is best advised to learn the classical guitar first as it has nylon strings and will be easier on the fingers than a steel strung electric or acoustic guitar.

Drums

Drums are fairly easy to learn as well. The important thing is to feel the rhythm, once you have this, everything else should be easy to pick up.

Recorder

The recorder is probably the easiest of all musical instruments to learn. Most children at school take up this instrument before progressing on to the clarinet, flute or saxophone which is much more difficult to learn.

The most difficult musical instruments to learn from the list above are: Oboe, French horn, Trumpet and Piano.

The Oboe

The Oboe is probably the most difficult musical instrument to learn. It is very difficult to even produce a sound at first, let alone a musical note. This instrument can take many years to master

The French Horn

The French horn also takes quite a while to get the hang of. The sound is produced not only by blowing, but by creating an embouchure and buzzing the lips to control the air stream, which in turn creates the correct pitch to produce the note. Then the correct valves that correspond to the right pitch have to be learnt. The hand is also used to help the quality of sound by placing in the bell. Wow! Perhaps this is not a great instrument for beginners!

The Trumpet

The trumpet is considered difficult to learn initially because of the techniques needed (similar to the French horn but without using the hand in the bell). The difficult thing about the trumpet is trying to make a nice sound which can take a few years to perfect.

The Piano

Although it is easy to make a sound on a piano, just by pressing any note you sound like a professional, the piano is very difficult when you need to play more than one note at a time. All the above instruments require you to play just one note at a time but with the piano sometimes you need to use every finger and thumb at the same time!
You also need to learn two different clefs, and to learn to read this at the same time is not easy at first.

Will it be a quiet musical instrument or a noisy one?

Do you have neighbours that don’t appreciate music? And they live right next to you with thin walls.
Do you want to play late at night or early in the morning
Are you embarrassed that you are not making a good sound yet, or you don’t want people to hear what you are playing.

If any of the above is true, you need a quite musical instrument or at least one that you can play with headphones or adjust the sound electronically.

If you want to learn a quiet musical instrument, then choose one of the following: Guitar, Piano, Keyboard, Recorder, Clarinet or Flute.

The Classical guitar is very quite and delicate but not the electric or acoustic guitar which are very noisy when amplified!

You can plug headphones in to a digital piano or keyboard or you can turn the sound down. This is the ideal instrument to buy if you don’t want to make any noise. The acoustic piano (also known as the upright or grand piano) is very noisy and should be avoided if you need some peace.

The Recorder is fairly quiet, apart from the high notes, so this instrument would be ok.
The Clarinet is a fairly quiet instrument. It does really depend on how it is played.
The Flute is also quiet but the sound can be a bit piercing on the higher notes.

If I don’t choose a popular musical instrument, will I be able to find a teacher easily?

You can find a musical instrument teacher almost anywhere; there are literally tens of thousands in the UK.
You will almost certainly have no problem finding a teacher if you play the more popular musical instruments: guitar, piano, keyboard, drums or violin.

Is the musical instrument of my choice popular or is it an instrument that not many people play?

Please see the above list of musical instruments. They are listed in order of popularity, number 1 being the most popular instrument.

There are a few guides to find out if a musical instrument is popular. Just look at a symphony orchestra or a wind band and count the number of instruments there are and how many there are of each.
You will find that there are lots of violins and percussion (clarinets and flutes in the wind band case) which means that there is no shortage of people learning these instruments. You will also find that there is only one tuba, one oboe, a few french horns, a few flutes, a few clarinets etc. Of course this is only a guide, as some of the other popular musical instruments such as the guitar, piano and keyboard are not normally found in a symphony orchestra.

How much will a lesson cost?

Individual musical instrument lessons can cost between £8 and £20 for half an hour. Group instrument lessons £5 to £12. Popular musical instruments are normally cheap than not so popular instruments, normally because there is no shortage of teachers and competition tends to bring the prices down.

It is normally better to learn instruments in a group rather than learn individually. Group learning is much more fun as every one is the same level as you and you can share experiences together. Individual instrument lessons can be too serious for a beginner and can actually put you off learning music because of this. However, individual lessons are a must when you get to a certain level of proficiency.

I want to choose a musical instrument that I can play in a band. Which instrument should I choose?

The best musical instruments to learn if you want to play in band are: Guitar, Saxophone, Clarinet, Violin or Cornet.

This list might be considered a strange one, but let me explain the reasoning behind this.

*The guitar is second-to-none as a solo instrument for a band. If you are the lead guitarist (electric guitar), you get all the limelight. You can play great riffs from all the famous songs.

* The Saxophone is a great solo instrument and if you play in a jazz band or big band you get lots of solos to play.

*The clarinet is the king of the wind band; it is the orchestra’s equivalent of the lead violin. In a wind band you get to play lots of solos and intricate melodies.

*The Violin is a fantastic solo instrument and orchestral instrument. Many of the great composers have written beautiful solos and melodies for this instrument.

*The Cornet is the king of the brass band. This instrument has one of the most delightful sounds of all. The cornet is given the lead role in a brass band and is featured in all the best arrangements. The lead cornet player gets to play many solos.

I want to play a certain type of music. Which musical instruments are suitable for different styles?

Here is a list of different music styles:
Rock, Classical, Pop, heavy Metal, R&B, Jazz, Blues, Folk, Carribean, African, Latin, Dance, Country, Rap, Hip Hop, Christian, Opera.
This list below would be endless if I went in to it in great detail, so here is a short list.

1) Guitar. The electric or bass guitar is suitable for pop, rock, R&B, heavy metal, R&B, Jazz and blues, the classical guitar for classical music, the acoustic guitar for pop and folk.

2) Piano. The acoustic piano is suitable for classical, jazz, blues and dance.

3) Digital Piano/Keyboard is suitable for pop music, dance, jazz and blues.

4) Drums are suitable for pop, rock, classical, jazz, African – well, almost everything!

5) Violin is suitable for classical, folk, country and dance.

6) Cello is suitable for classical.

7) Flute is suitable for classical.

Saxophone is suitable for jazz, blues, pop.

9) Clarinet is suitable for classical, jazz and blues.

10) Trumpet/Cornet is suitable for classical, jazz, blues and dance.

11) Trombone is suitable for classical, jazz and blues.

12) French horn is suitable for classical.

13) Banjo is suitable for country and folk.

14) Recorder is suitable for classical.

15) Viola is suitable for classical.

16) Tuba is suitable for classical.

17) Oboe is suitable for classical.

I hope that you now feel more informed and can make a decision on which musical instrument is best for your needs.
If you need more information about musical instruments I can recommend visiting the top musical instrument shop in the UK – Soundsmusical.com
Happy learning!

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There are advantages and disadvantages of buying a used musical instrument. The major advantage, of course, is money savings. If you do a little research and ask lots of questions, you can find a quality instrument at a very low price. Also, you might be able to buy a high-dollar instrument such as a piano when otherwise you wouldn’t be able to afford a new one.

The disadvantages are no guarantees or warranties, and you can never know for sure how the instrument was treated by previous owners.

Use the tips below to determine if buying a used instrument will be beneficial.

Buying a Used Piano

Pianos are probably the most durable of all instruments. They have an average lifespan of 40 years if well-kept by the owners. Also, pianos have a low turnover rate due to pricing and the large size and weight. Many people will use a piano in their home decor for years, but will rarely play it. Also, pianos will usually hold their value if well-kept. Therefore, buying a piano is definitely a great investment even as a used musical instrument.

Before buying a used piano, ask the previous owner if the piano has been exposed to weathering. Was it kept indoors and away from damp areas? Was it ever stored in a garage or attic? Did the owner have indoor pets? Also, ask how often the piano was played – several hours per week or per day?

Buying Smaller Used Instruments

Guitars, violins, drums, and other smaller instruments can also be bought as used instruments, but you should use extra caution to be sure you’re getting one that’s in good condition. Ask lots of questions such as with the piano, but also find out how many times the instrument has changed hands. Also, try to find out who owned it before if possible. Where was it played? In a church, school band, at family gatherings, or in a teenage rock band?

Where to Buy a Used Musical Instrument

There are many places to buy a used musical instrument. Some music stores carry used instruments, and might even offer some sort of short-term warranty. The only drawback is you may pay more at a store than when buying directly from an owner. You can also check your local newspaper classifieds, garage and yard sales, church yard sales, and flea markets.

Search Engine for Used Musical Instruments

Another great place to find used musical instruments is online. You can use a general search engine such as Google or Yahoo, or you can use a custom search engine for used musical instruments provided by a specialty music site. Either way, you can search by brand name, type of instrument, price, location, etc. to narrow your search. Online auctions can also be a great source for used instruments.

Most importantly, try out the instrument before buying if possible. Or, if buying online be sure the seller is one you feel you can trust. Use feedback ratings at auctions or check with the Better Business Bureau Online to be sure it’s not a scam.

Buying a used musical instrument is a great way to save money and start realizing your dreams as a musician!

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