Learning A New Instrument

Since the start of school, many students (especially 3rd and 4th graders) will be choosing a new instrument to learn. Many of my own students have been discussing what they could potentially learn and I've been explaining the difficulties of each instrument, or instrument family. This really applies to anyone who wants to learn a new instrument, so here's a list of pros and difficulties for each of them.

1. Nirvana: It wouldn't be a well-rounded 90s article without the mention of the grunge rock band, Nirvana. Grunge started in the late 80s in Seattle, Washington but truly matured and was brought to fame in the 90s. This style of music was heavier and slower than it's punk rock counterpart and retained an edgier and rawer sound that ousted it's older 80s hair metal predecessor. Nirvana was one of the champions of this sound. With the release of their third album Nevermind (1991) Nirvana exploded onto the scene of mainstream music. With songs such as "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and "Come As You Are," Nirvana solidified its position as an influential and legendary band. To this date, many Nirvana songs are used as good introductory pieces for learning rock guitar, bass and drums. Nirvana was disbanded in 1994 after the tragic suicide of lead singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain. In the wake of this, drummer Dave Grohl went on to found the Foo Fighters, another phenomenal rock band that performs to this day.

1. Strings: Strings are a popular instrument to choose among students simply because they make up the largest portion of an orchestra. If you're first choice of instrument didn't work out, you can be sure to grab a violin spot in your school. The violin and viola are relatively small and light, which makes it easy for smaller bodies to hold and learn. The cello is slightly more cumbersome to deal with, but not as much as the double bass, which is usually the height of, or even taller than some students! I personally think strings are one of the hardest instruments to master; it requires you to play in tune all the time (a few millimeters up or down the fingerboard will be the difference between a wrong or correct note!) Learning to play with a bow is also difficult for smaller hands and requires a certain amount of finesse and coordination. Once a bit of technique is developed, it is not difficult to play a simple tune. The difficulties lie in cultivating a beautiful tone, which takes years to master.

2. Woodwinds: This family of instruments includes flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon and saxophone. Unlike other families, this one has greater individual difficulties with each instrument. The flute is unlike any of the others in that it doesn't use a reed (a strip of wood designed to vibrate when blown). It instead relies on proper embouchure, or placement of the lips and mouth around the embouchure hole. This can be tough at first, but most students pick it up relatively quickly. Clarinet and saxophone are similar in that they have a single reed. Oboe and bassoon have a double reed, which requires more finesse to get a good tone (these two instruments are usually left to older and more advanced students after they've experienced one of the other instruments.) Compared to the string family, I'm under the impression that it's easier to get a better sounding tone faster with woodwinds. Tuning can be an issue, but not as much as strings.

3. Brass: Brass issues are typically the same across the board for each instrument (trumpet, french horn, trombone, baritone, tuba). To get a proper tone, just as with the flute, you need to have a good embouchure. You need to be able to buzz your lips at varying speeds, which some people find impossible. If you have good mastery of this, learning notes isn't particularly difficult on valved brass instruments. The french horn, as with the oboe and bassoon, are usually saved for older students, as the mouthpiece is very small and requires a more developed embouchure.

4. Percussion: Percussion is perhaps the easiest to pick up out of all the families. Initially, you only have to learn rhythm, and getting a good tone out of a drum is fairly easy. Issues can arise with techniques such as the drum roll - most students will pick this up sooner or later, but some will never truly master it. Difficulties lie down the road; after becoming familiar with say, a snare drum, bass drum and cymbals, a student may be exposed to timpani and mallet percussion. These instruments require the knowledge of how to read notes. While many percussion students will evade this even all the way up to high school, those that have the ability will become better musicians. To become a top notch percussionist, it is recommended that one learns piano, as mallet percussion instruments are the same layout as a keyboard.

5. Voice: Singing is one of the most natural things we can do, instrument-wise. Singing in a choir is typically easy for students, and does not require the knowledge of how to read music. Towards high school, advanced choirs will require students to (hopefully) know how to read music, create a good tone, and to stay in tune. All these aspects can be taught in a chorus class by a good teacher, but private lessons are a true aid to this. Students that really want to challenge themselves will sing in different languages, learn to sight sing and will attempt polyphonic works with others.

Note: Piano and guitar aren't included in this because they usually aren't offered to masses of students as beginner instruments. Some high schools will offer these classes if there is the budget for it. Piano can be considered the gateway to all instruments, as it requires the knowledge of two clefs, and uses both hands rigorously (and in the same way, unlike strings or brass). On both piano and guitar, you can play chords, which is great for accompanying others, or yourself if you choose to sing. In addition, learning music theory is greatly helped by using a piano, and to a lesser degree, guitar.