So i dont really have experience with music, ive tried piano and the recorder in the 5th grade but i could never really figure it out. I want to try again but i realized i dont like mouth perices due to fluid build up and having to clean it everyday. I know there is the triangle but i feel like its limited, but i may be wrong.

My goal is to someday do a cover song using a instrument? What would you advise or suggest and why so? It would help if i could start for cheap.

  • Nomecks@lemmy.ca
    0·
    16 days ago

    Piano. Yes it’s a difficult instrument to master, but I can teach a 4 year old to play Mary Had a Little Lamb

    • karfoogle@lemmy.worldEnglish
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      16 days ago

      Unlike a lot of other instruments listed here, you can’t hit the right piano key and get the wrong note because you didn’t hold your fingers right, or held the bow at the wrong angle, or hit the wrong part of the drum head, or blew too hard, or pursed your lips wrong. If you hit the right button, the right note plays.

      • procrastitron@lemmy.world
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        16 days ago

        Yes and no… with a real (not digital) piano it actually does matter how you hit the keys. If you don’t press quickly enough the hammer won’t have enough momentum to actually strike the strings.

        I believe this effect is more pronounced with a grand piano, but the same thing can happen with an upright piano too.

        EDIT: It’s not as finicky as with other instruments, though, so your core point is still a good one… just with caveats.

  • StrawberryPigtails@lemmy.sdf.orgEnglish
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    16 days ago

    From what I’ve noticed, “not figuring it out” is often either a question of fine motor coordination or poor ear training.

    Other times it’s outlandish expectations from yourself. Your not going to be playing "Money for Nothing " by Dire Straits for a while, but something along the lines of “Three Little Birds” by Bob Marley is probably achievable within your first week.

    Fine motor control is mostly just a matter of practice. Use a metronome and start SLOW.

    Ear training in this context is being able to map a sound in your head to a finger position on your instrument. Again practice, pick a simple melody and try to find that melody on your instrument.

    As for what instrument. What do you want to play? You could get any instrument in the world, but it doesn’t matter if you don’t want to play that instrument.

    I mostly play and teach guitar, you can easily get a reasonable instrument in the $300-$600 range. Sometimes cheaper.

    Serviceable keyboards can be had for about $150.

  • fulcrummed@lemmy.world
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    16 days ago

    Couple of sticks and an upside down bucket - you’ve got a drum. Add another bucket - bam! Drumkit! You’d be surprised how much sound and rhythm you can get from what’s around you using a couple of sticks. Get actual drum sticks if you wanna splurge. Listen to the Brazilian drums in Paul Simon’s The Obvious Child and just have a play. So much fun!

  • wildncrazyguy138@fedia.io
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    16 days ago

    Wanna sound super cool with just a few simple licks? Pick up a bass. I liken it to skiing. It’s easy to get passable on it, but takes years and years of experience to actually be an expert.

  • RegalPotoo@lemmy.worldEnglish
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    16 days ago

    Recorders are pretty light and hard to damage by mishandling them.

    No, I didn’t read past the title - why do you ask?

      • Em Adespoton@lemmy.ca
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        16 days ago

        No. Please no. Learn another instrument and some music theory before playing a shaker. People can totally murder a piece of music with a badly played shaker, throwing off all the other musicians.

  • 9point6@lemmy.world
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    16 days ago

    Honestly, stick with piano or guitar if your aim is to cover something. Try drums if you’re happy to let that goal slide, as it’s actually significantly different from most other instruments (and you don’t typically see drummers covering other drummers)

    Are you planning to get a teacher or are you planning to teach yourself? One is likely going to take you a much longer time than the other to get to an equivalent level of skill (take that from someone who did it the hard way)

    • AstralPath@lemmy.ca
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      16 days ago

      Drummers covering other drummers is a very popular scene on Youtube. Check out Alex Rudinger to start and just go down the rabbit hole.

    • Em Adespoton@lemmy.ca
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      16 days ago

      As someone who’s been a drummer for over 30 years, let me say that drummers very much cover other drummers. Most of my drum practice has been practicing other drummers’ patterns and techniques.

      But percussion is generally more rewarding than limiting yourself to an 8-piece drum kit or a cahone. Piano is a percussion instrument after all. But my favourite percussion instrument is the djembe — really versatile drum once you learn how to use it. Second favourite is kettle drums — but they’re rather niche.

      Things I recommend a beginner percussionist avoid are tambourines and shakers. They’re easy to play badly, and you really need to master rhythm before you can make them sound good.