What is the easiest instrument to learn to play?

We all know that learning to play a musical instrument can have a massive impact on our mental and physical health, but finding the instrument that’s ‘right’ for you isn’t always easy.  

From price to mobility, there’s tons to consider when it comes to choosing which instrument to get started with, especially if this is your first foray into the wonderful world of music. 

The good news? Some instruments are easier to pick up than others. And luckily for you, we’ve compiled all of them into one neat list so you can spend less time googling and more time practising. 

So, if you want to broaden your musical horizons but you’re not sure where to start, we’ve got you covered. Here’s are the four easiest instruments to learn to play in 2022. 

1. Keyboard

What better place to start than with the keyboard, one of the most accessible and affordable instruments on the market? Not only is the keyboard easy to pick up – you’ll be playing along to your favourite tunes in no time – but it’s a great instrument to start with if you want to learn some basic music theory before moving onto something a bit more challenging. 

Not sure which keyboard to go for? Why not head down to your local music store and ask one of their staff members to give you a hand?  

2. Flute

The flute might seem like one of the more serious instruments on this list, but believe it or not, it’s one of the easiest wind instruments to get to grips with as a beginner. Once you’ve mastered producing the perfect sound – remember, you need to blow air across the flute, not into it – you’ll be well on your way to playing your very first tune. 

And if you want to speed up your progress, why not sign up for private music lessons? Sure, it might be more expensive than going it alone, but you’ll pick up the basics in no time.  

3. Saxophone 

If you’re a jazz-lover, you’ll be more than familiar with the saxophone, one of the easiest instruments to learn as a beginner or as someone switching over to woodwind from the piano. 

No matter which saxophone you go with – you’ve got the choice of soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone – you should be able to make a sound reasonably easily and, thanks to its modern design, the sax is much easier to get to grips with than some of its more challenging family members (think the oboe or the bassoon). 

4. Ukulele

Want to learn the guitar but can’t quite cope with six strings? Why not downsize and try your hand at the ukulele instead? With only four strings to think about, you’ll be able to master it much more quickly than its larger counterpart – not to mention, its soft nylon strings are less likely to cause the kind of finger pain commonly associated with learning the guitar.   

Still not convinced? Here are seven reasons to learn the ukulele according to Fender.