Instruments to pick up if you want a new hobby.

If you’re finding yourself with a lot of extra time on your hands and you have some sort of liking for music but you don’t really know how to get started, you may want to pick up a new instrument! Studies have shown that musicians use significantly more of their brain to play, which in turn improves grades and attention span. All it would really take is a few bucks out of your wallet, some starter videos on YouTube and a little motivation to teach yourself a new instrument. Whether you already play an instrument, or haven’t touched a piano key in your life, music is a universal language that anybody can learn.

• Piano

The piano is a great starter instrument that is incredibly easy to learn the basics of, as all it requires is pushing down the keys. It is a great segway to learning other instruments as it can teach you the basics of music theory and rhythm. It is also an easy way to find another way to annoy your friends by learning simple, piano classics such as “Chopsticks,” and, “Megalovania.”

• Acoustic Guitar

If you’re looking for a way to explore your career as a solo-singing phenomenon, picking up an acoustic guitar would be a great first step. Artists like Ed Sheeran and Shawn Mendes couldn’t even dream of becoming a star without their instrument. This is also a great segway to learning other instruments and broadening your horizons as a musician.

• Cello

The cello is known for being the base for orchestration. Playing the cello is a great way to figure out what kind of genres of music you want to play, as you can find a cellist in many different musical ensembles. Whether it be solo performing, symphony orchestras, jazz ensembles, or a rock band; playing the cello is a great instrument to try to pick up.

• Violin

Playing the violin, much like the cello, comes with a very wide variety of options as to what ensemble or performance setting one would like to play in. Violinists usually have periodical solo recitals and can be found in every symphony orchestra known to man. Learning the violin can also be a good segway instrument to other string instruments like the guitar.

• Trumpet

Picking up a small brass instrument is probably one of the easiest ways to start your musical career. Buzzing into the mouthpiece and learning how the notation coincides with the fingering is all a part of what a beginning trumpeter would do. Learning the trumpet opens up several career and ensemble opportunities and is a great way to learn music.

• Clarinet

Although beginning with a woodwind instrument may be harder than a brass instrument, the clarinet is still a great instrument to learn. A clarinetist can usually expand their playing abilities, as most instruments alike are pretty similar to play and only take minor adjustments to decipher between the two. Plus, clarinets come with a lot of dixieland jazz solos, and nothing is more fun than that!

• Trombone

Although I may seem a bit biased, as I play the trombone, beginning your musical career with the trombone is still a pretty practical thing to do. The trombone requires a lot of muscle memory and pitch awareness, which makes you responsible for your playing as there is always a gray area of where the perfect pitch is in relation to the slide. Besides, glissandos (the slidey thing that trombones do) are always the best.

Although it may seem like I’m making picking up music sound easy, it isn’t easy to do it fast and well on your own. If you are truly serious about learning an instrument, taking lessons with a professional would be your best bet above all.