5 Musical Instruments That Anyone Can Play
Published on Wednesday 23 October 2024
An epic guitar riff, a majestic drum solo or a piano recital worthy of a virtuoso… To really know how to play a musical instrument inside and out, you’ll need at least a few years. Luckily, there are also instruments that have a really flat learning curve, meaning that pretty much anyone can pick one up and play. Guestblogger Liesbeth Beullens rounds up five instruments that you don’t need any musical experience or knowledge to play.
#1. The Ukulele
If you dream of spinning the licks of your favourite guitar idols, then why not make a start with the four-strings of a ukulele? By spending just one day with this little instrument, you can already learn some basic chords and learn to play a load of popular songs. Because of the way that a ukulele is built, you don’t need much grip strength and you don’t need to perform any finger acrobatics to play clear chords and melodies. Just spend some time practising and blow your mates away with your newfound musical skills.
#2. The Kazoo
If you can hum a tune, you can play the kazoo. You might think it’s just a toy, but even Jimi Hendrix played one of these bad boys (just have another listen to Crosstown Traffic). Simply place the widest end between your lips and rather than blowing into the instrument, simply hum and the internal diaphragm of the kazoo will resonate in pitch with your humming. It’s so simple that you can literally play any tune you can think of with a kazoo. If you want to LMAO with your mates, just take a kazoo to the next party.
#3. The Kalimba
Also known as a ‘thumb piano’, you can easily learn to play melodies on a kalimba, even without the finger dexterity of an experienced pianist. The kalimba is pretty compact and combines percussion with melody, so you can also get pretty rhythmic. The instrument is played by sort of plucking the ends of a fitted row of metal tongues, creating a warm and almost xylophone-style sound. You can get kalimbas with a few or a lot of tongues: the more tongues you have, the more notes you have, so you can play more complex melodies.
#4. Percussion Sets
Looking for a great gift for kids? With a complete percussion set in their hands, children can quickly learn how you can turn a lot of noise and enthusiasm into music. These packs usually include an array of different child-sized percussive instruments, including a colourful little xylophone and a set of shakers or maracas. The great thing about these sets is that they’re made so that you can play with your friends and hopefully discover your first favourite instrument.
PS: Even adults can get a lot out of these percussion packs, just make sure you give them back.
#5. A Drum Pad
While a drum pad isn’t officially an instrument since it actually makes very little noise, that doesn’t mean you can’t have a lot of fun with it. Drum pads are basically practise pads designed to help drummers who want to hone their skills at a much lower volume than your average drum kit. But if you’re the kind of person who can’t sit still and finds themselves finger-drumming on every available surface, then a practice pad might be your new best mate. You can easily carry one around and set it up on a table or just your lap. Play on feeling alone or learn some of the basic drumming patterns step by step and follow in the footsteps of every world-renowned drummer.
Since drumming usually goes a lot more smoothly if you also have a pair of drumsticks, we recommend starting with a set of 5A sticks. They have a really balanced feel and are the go-to for most beginners and a lot of experienced drummers.
» Practice Pads
» 5A Drumsticks
What instrument did I forget? Let me know in the comments!
See also
» 10 Compact & Festival-Proof Musical Instruments
» Learn to Play Ukulele in 3 Easy Steps!
» How to Play the Cajon
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