Rank musical instruments hardest to easiest

I think even children playing strings ( or piano ) to a high level come the teenage years practise for more than an hour a day . Ds came back from his NCO course at easter amazed by how much some of the muscicians ( mostly string players ) are already fitting in . I think most of the woodwind and brass according to ds ( who's 13 so may not be entirely reliable as a source of info!!) we're doing between 1 and 2 hours a day . I think to get really good you just need to practise, but to start with you probably need to spend more time practicing piano than say trumpet or cornet to pass similar standard exams - or maybe my 2 just find brass easier ?

Not sure what you mean, Colditz. Do you mean I personally couldn't master those instruments on an hour a day's practice, but a child could?

I'm confused.

maybe you couldn't Keith, but a child probably could.

There's no way you could master the horn or oboe - or any instrument tbh - on one hour's practice a day.

-ahh oops, sorry, you can ignore my comment! I've just noticed you said to perfect, rather than to begin! Once you're up to a high standard, the multiple fingerings shouldn't be an issue, so they're, I think, equally hard!

@string - great list - it's really interesting to see where different people would put different instruments!
I'd say that the clarinet is quite a bit harder than flute due to the clarinet's registers being built in 12ths rather than octaves :)

Definitely violin and piano seem to need more practise ( partly because you don't run out of puff) though Ds recently worked with a world renowned trumpet player who's quite old now and he still practises for hours a day . Ds also often does well in excess of an hour ( sometimes split up) to allow him to practise all that he needs to . Similarly he doesn't ever manage an hour on piano ( though he would get pretty good if he did ) because that's not his focus . Having said that his 20 minutes most days !?! is serving him quite well !! I think pianists and violin players do practise more but ultimately to get really good at any instrument you have to put the hours in . The recorder is often seen as easy but I don't think most people play it like the recent recorder player on BBC Young Muscician

Granny - I put oboe & horn further down the list specifically because they only need 1 hour per day practice instead of the 6 needed for violin

string thanks for your list, but I think I would put the oboe and French horn a bit nearer the top. The degree of challenge with guitar will depend on the style chosen. Learning to strum three chords would clearly come a lot lower than classical guitar which I would put up near the cello. And let's face it, it's hard to play any instrument really well.
And strangely it's very hard to stand out on the "easy" instruments. There are numerous brilliant violin soloists but few solo flautists for instance. The violin may be the most difficult, but it is highly rewarding. It has been around for four hundred years and is blessed with centuries worth of the finest composers' musical thoughts.

yessica thank you so much for that! She is no shrinking violet, so will definitely own any mistakes

This is why Violin is dying in schools - kids just don't have the determination anymore
Stringmealong-
I just don't recognise this at all- we know dozens and dozens of small violinists, many attaining very high standards of playing.

I started with the descant recorder, then the treble which was perfect preparation for the clarinet which I found incredibly easy to learn. Later on I tried bugle in cadets but could only get 2 notes out of it and also the guitar which I found difficult as once I move my fingers away from a position I find it hard to get back without looking.

Hardest-easiest.... (to perfect not begin)
Viola
Violin
Cello
Bassoon
Cor Anglais
Oboe
French Horn
Double Bass
Trumpet
Trombone
Tuba
Flute
Clarinet
Saxophone
Guitar
Ukulele
Recorder

This is why Violin is dying in schools - kids just don't have the determination anymore 😟

Thoth, wrt a child joining the percussion section of a children’s orchestra, learning to play a basic drum kit is probably the best way to start. Learning to read basic drum music is fairly straightforward and drumming on a kit is a good way to develop the coordination and sense of rhythm required for other percussion instruments.
I was in the percussion section of a local children’s orchestra for a couple of years (around 9-11 years old) and it was honestly so much fun! I did play the more basic things like triangle on some pieces but also progressed to playing timpani on others which was amazing. There really is nowhere to hide though if you go wrong!!

I'm a string player and I think Violin
And viola both v difficult!
That said as pp said the easiest instruments to get get in an orchestra with as you typically need a couple of dozen minimum.

DD slogged for years at the trumpet, violin and piano, switched to French horn last year and can't think why she didn't do it before. She's not a musical high-flier, but just looks relaxed with the French horn in a way she never was on other instruments.

@grannyhaddock yep, definitely B natural (or H!). B flat is a very common transposition for horn players, B natural fortunately rare but crops up occasionally.

Interesting comments about violins being easy. Am not musical myself. Not at all! But DD is accomplished brass player - tiny frame who makes the most amazing sounds with a trumpet. In the early days she learned violin alongside trumpet and it drove her mad. Perfect pitch told her any slight mistake or finger deviation was out of tune. Stuff I couldn't hear (probably tone deaf) but which sent her into a fury.
Violins are relatively cheap to buy so schools favour them for early group teaching. And musically my DD benefited from this. But Innither ways the process was painful fir her whereas the trumpet was somehow more forgiving. Maybe thAts just her though.

Indeed- Myfamily !

From personal experience learning the viola was REALLY hard.
Guitar and piano were fairly easy
Flute was alright to learn too.
Totally subjective though!

@Paul - did someone actually say it was easy? They're crazy!

It's definitely personal.
I remember I couldn't get a sound out of my friend's flute as a preteen, but took to the clarinet easily.
I struggle with reading two clefs and co-ordinating both hands on the piano, the organ would totally be beyond me.

Whoever said percussion was the easiest to learn......try it and see- there are a million instruments to learn with different clefs....
It is certainly not the easiest to learn.

I broadly agree with what's been said here.

But I think there's an additional factor. Which is if we're talking about kids.

The saxophone (for example) is towards the easier end of things. BUT if you're looking at instruments for primary age it can be very hard as it requires a lung capacity which younger children may not have.

When I was 10 I wanted to give up the violin (I was bad at it,disliked my teacher and knew I wasn't going to ever be any good) my mother said I could give it up but would need to find another instrument. I desperately wanted to play the saxophone but simply couldn't. I could not physically get a sound out.

Also I personally think that strings are among the hardest in the sense that you have to get to grade 4 or 5 before they start to sound nice at all. (Strangled cat syndrome)

In case this all comes across biased I played violin only to grade 2, piano to grade 4, Cello to grade 6 and Flute to grade 8

I would also add that I really do think that 'easiness' is very personal.

My son who passed grade 7 horn certainly thinks it is a lot harder than his two brothers' grade 8 trumpet exams!

I don't think what is hard really mattesr. It is what you enjoy playing and what will fit into your life. Also some schools are very short of particular orchestral players so it can be worth finding something useful to them.

In terms of what my children learned the trumpet I love and mmy daughter who got grade 8 cello that was alovely instrument too. A sibling plays as well. The sounds is really good. I did grade 8 violin but I still prefer the cello sound. The piano is very very useful to learn too - ideally do that plus another instrument if you can. I have used my piano playing to accompany children and myself when singing than anything else over the years.

One of my sons passed grade 8 drum kit - the kit fills a whole cupboard upstairs when the boys don't have it out to play - so it's quite a big thing to accommodate but he did it as an extra to his other instruments. I am not a fan as I am much more into harmony and melody than thumping drums but each to their own.

Sometimes it's a good idea to think about the balance of instruments in the family. My sibling and I did piano duet exams. We with another sibling also did piano trio exams (piano, violin, cello) which was fun.

Not really. DS (8) has been playing with a friend who plays the flute and another who plays the violin for the past two years. This is one of the books they use.