Newbie question: should I learn the guitar or piano as a complete beginner?
 

I've never ever ever played a musical instrument in my life!

I wanted to either take up the guitar or piano - which is easiest?

Depending on the answers given here, I'll either go and buy a guitar or piano and start learning from youtube (I've seen guitar lessons - haven't looked for piano lessons - but I'm sure they'll be there??)

Any advise would be great!

Thanks


Omar

A few items would help: your age , what do you want to do with your music, what field of music is your main interest for starters??????

Piano gives you a great base for studying music as a lead to many instruments as far as: reading notes, values of notes, timing, general music knowledge are concerned. A good basic instrument I would say. I started at age 4 with piano and after anumber of years begin to add others. and I found my knowledge gained from piano made it easier for me to tackle a new instrument with that base knowledge.

I believe guitar would be the easier to gain the quicker performance level perhaps with less investment... Piano would require a teacher ( self teaching this instrument is a task for sure) guitar would give a good chord and structure base and could accompany singing..... alot depends on what you want to do with your music. I wish you luck. and Rule number one : PRACTICE, PRACTICE,PRACTICE !

thanks for the great reply
i'm 36 - wish i was younger!

i don't want to do anything with my music apart from show off!
(just being honest)
but - i do want to take on and learn a new hobby - so it's not something i'll try for a bit and then give up - at least, that's not the plan

tutor? hmmm... i think that answers it for me then
cant really afford lessons right now i'd say

so... i think i'll go for guitar - unless i get other replies saying otherwise

thanks

Hello OM2 and welcome to the forum.
Practical considerations include space and money. A guitar takes up far less room and can be purchased from £25.00 upwards over here. You can buy several guitars for the price of one piano. You can in my humble opinion produce a greater variety of sounds with a guitar i.e. classical, electric etc. and you can carry it around with you. I love (trying) to play calssical guitar. I always feel like I am geting a cuddle from the instrument when i (try) and play. Good luck.

teddy

teddy, thanks for the reply
i was all set to start learning guitar... then i went to look at some prices

argos don't have one cheaper than £60 i think
ebay have a few that are about £30

i can live with £25 - just to try out - don't mind investing in a better guitar later on
where can i get a starter guitar for that price?
+ do i go for acoustic or electric??

let me know

thanks

An electric will cost more Omar, by the time you have bought an amplifier etc. You may also be less popular with your neighbours. I will try and hunt you out a cheap deal. Where abouts do you live?

teddy

teddy, i live in hornchurch - let me know if u can suggest somewhere to buy
thanks

OM2, I think you need to think about this a bit more, if you are really determined to take up an instrument do not go for the cheapest you can find (I can't see that you would get any thing worth spending time on for 25 sterling) you will regret later on plus you will be disappointed in the results, get the best you can afford even if you have to save up for another 3 months or so, what type of music do you want to follow?
Classic, Jazz, pop etc, and don't let age put you off a friend of mine took up the Flute as a retirement project he started at 64 http://www.magle.dk/music-forums/ima...lies/smile.png

sounds like good advice
though, i think i'd like to start with something that will at least do the job - even if it's not top quality - if i get serious - i have no problems in replacing later

so any links from anyone about the best cheapest place where i can buy from would be great

thanks

Hi OM2

I have to agree with Colin, a cheap guitar will not give you the best sound. I couldn't find anywhere near you that sell cheap guitars. But did you know that there is a guitar school near you? Their first lesson is free, and they might be able to help you with where to find a guitar.

Here is the link and good luck, I wish you well.

www.romfordrockers.co.uk/guitar.html


Margaret

margaret, thanks for the link - i'll certainly follow that link up

maybe my question should be: what's the cheapest 'good' guitar to buy?
i would have thought there was only one or 2 answers to that - i.e. maybe an established brand that everyone in the industry knew was reliable and very good?

Hi OM2

You are welcome for the link, I will let a more Knowledgeable person answer your question.


Margaret

My $0.02 cents worth:

The world famous drummer Jack DeJohnette says it very succinctly: Learning the piano helps me to think "Symphonically" even as a drummer...

interesting
for piano though, i would simply have got the cheapest full size electronic keyboard i could get and then learn

would u say that was a bad idea?

Chiming in as having learned piano first then having gone onto organ ...

One should practice on the real thing ... a real piano with strings and the mechanical action ... the electronics don't have that same feel, rather like playing on a sponge and could develop poor habits later on. There are shops that rent pianos, too.

hmmm! i don't have the budget to learn piano - so i think i'll stick to maybe learning the guitar in that case

The good news is that inexpensive does not have to mean cheap and nasty. My first guitar was a second because of imperfect finish. While it does not sound as good as my present one it was quite adequate for learning on. The machine heads are not so exact and it needed retuning more often, but sounded ok.

teddy

A real piano is to be desired, most preferably a grand, even if it is only a "foetus grand", since the hammers fall down via gravity as opposed to being pulled back by a spring. A grand will give you proper 'feel', provided that it is adjusted properly. I can see the use of a electric piano to spare the neighbors being kept awake at night when you 'bang away' and also to avoid annoying family members, since you'll have headphones. Spring mechanisms on uprights also get 'spongy'. How really serious you are will be a determining factor in what kind of piano you'll work with.

I agree 100% with Lars, also good and cheap do not go together, jump in head first, no one ever regrets buying quality

i've seen a new 'Stagg C542' for sale on ebay from normans for £29.99 inc delivery
does that sound like a good deal?