Rank musical instruments hardest to easiest

[Korg]

This is inspired by a conversation on another thread but off-topic so I’m starting a separate one.

I’m interested in mn views on what the easiest and hardest instruments are to learn. Dc1 plays several instruments, dc2 does piano and dc3 is about to start.

In an orchestra if you are part of a big section it is ' easier' as you are less likely to get lost and don't need to be so 'bold' ie come in on your own. This suits some people and not others

I agree - I don't have the nerve to be a percussionist!!

Percussionists and brass players also have to be very good at counting bars' rests....

percussion isn't one instrument, it's a huge group, and the skill required (including counting tacet bars) is astounding.

I watched the young musician brass final yesterday. the french horn player was amazing.
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p065f7x4

Percussionists amaze me! - I mean - the marimba for Christ's sake! - how do they do it?!

I think different instruments present different difficulties at different stages, although overall I do think you have to work harder to progress on piano and strings than on most woodwind instruments.

DD got to the French equivalent of G4/5 on sax in a year - with a very limited amount of practice it has to be said (third instrument). I do think it is probably easier than most other instruments.

I had once the pleasure to sit behind the timpany at a prom concert (book mid choir tickets if you can for that)

keith are you sure those horn parts are really in B? In Germany B is our Bb, genuine B is H and rare. Bb is a pretty common transposition. Bb was the first "black" note added to the keyboard to avoid the ugly interval F-B natural (if I've got that right).

Could someone tell me how a child begins learning orchestral percussion? Soooooo many instruments, and I've no idea where one finds a teacher/lessons.

Anyway, a piano is a nice one for beginners as it's very easy and quick to get a sound out (unlike a 6yo beginning bassoon or something).
Church organ surely is the hardest? Three keyboards, multiple rows of pedals, 78 stops or whatever... wow!

The piano is lonely until you get good enough to play together with others. That can take a long time.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

Indeed- Myfamily !

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.

@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.

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.

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.

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!!

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 😟

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.

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.

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.