Instruments, which is easier

amother

OP ↓

Thu, Aug 29 2024, 7:41 pm

I'd really love to learn how to play guitar or piano, Im wondering whats easier to learn as a adult?

nightingale1

Thu, Aug 29 2024, 8:15 pm

Do you have a piano at home? If you don’t have at least an electric piano/keyboard I’d go for guitar.

bgr8ful

Thu, Aug 29 2024, 8:17 pm

I feel like they’re equally difficult in a way.
Guitar you havta learn how to strum and how to stretch your fingers to hold complicated chords; with piano you’re learning how to read 2 sets of notes and do different things with both hands… but both of these things are easy once you practice enough.

Think of which you’d enjoy more; having a portable instrument you can carry, or rather a piano… they’re really different but both are gorgeous instruments.

amother

Mint

Thu, Aug 29 2024, 8:49 pm

I have self taught myself both. I enjoy guitar more and was a smaller/less expensive instrument so it was "easier". I think piano is in general an easier instrument to learn.

amother

DarkGray

Thu, Aug 29 2024, 8:52 pm

I learned both. I found guitar a lot easier to pick up and learn but that could be because I had already mastered piano so I was learning a new instrument but I already knew music.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Thu, Aug 29 2024, 10:41 pm

[quote="amother Mintgreen"]Do you own a piano?
No. I don't own neither. Also my minhag is not to have a grand piano only a keyboard...

Rubber Ducky ↓

Thu, Aug 29 2024, 10:59 pm

[quote="amother OP"]

amother Mintgreen wrote:

Do you own a piano?
No. I don't own neither. Also my minhag is not to have a grand piano only a keyboard...

I have never heard of that minhag — where does it come from? But there is something in between — an upright piano (or a spinet). A real piano but not a grand piano.

A keyboard, unless it's a digital piano, is not quite the same as a real piano.

amother

↑ OP

Thu, Aug 29 2024, 11:12 pm

Rubber Ducky wrote:

It's a Ashkenazi minhag.. for zecher lachurban.

amother

↑ Mintgreen

Thu, Aug 29 2024, 11:25 pm

amother OP wrote:

It's a Ashkenazi minhag.. for zecher lachurban.

I never heard of that, where does that come from? Asking as all my friends who had pianos growing up , yeshivish, litvish, yekkish, many pianos. Not baby grands. Mostly old uprights or consoles.

So in that case I vote for guitar, definitely.

↑ Rubber Ducky

Thu, Aug 29 2024, 11:29 pm

amother OP wrote:

It's a Ashkenazi minhag.. for zecher lachurban.

Must be a very modern minhag. Electronic keyboards weren't even invented until the 1970s. I suspect your minhag — and perhaps someone here can give the source for it — is actually about a grand piano vs. an upright piano.

In any event, you may want to base your decision on the type of music you want to play. For kumzitz-style music, an acoustic guitar is a great choice. For Jewish pop music, I would favor the electronic keyboard.

imasinger ↓

Thu, Aug 29 2024, 11:31 pm

Grand pianos weren't invented until the 18th century, so interesting to read that some people connect them to the churban. A spinet or upright is a worthwhile compromise, though. Compared to a piano, keyboards are limited in tone and dynamics.

I find piano easier for beginning, since you don't need to develop calluses on your fingers. If you do choose guitar, limit yourself to 15 minutes of practice a day, until you can play that ling without getting sore fingers.

Enjoy whichever you choose!

amother

Glitter

Fri, Aug 30 2024, 1:01 am

Not OP, but I was wondering if anyone knows a good app or video that I can learn how to play the piano? (Can’t afford private lessons right now..)

↑ imasinger

Fri, Aug 30 2024, 5:13 am

amother IndianRed wrote:

Can you use a pick to avoid calluses? Is it hard to learn using a pick?

You need calluses primarily on the fingers of the left hand, which is pushing down on the strings. It's just a little extra padding on the fingertips, not noticeable to anyone.

The pick is held in the right hand. While it's not super difficult, it can be tricky, especially at first, if one is learning to play riffs, or a tune. It's easier if you're only learning to play chords.

You'd need to play a lot to have issues with the strumming/picking hand. It's usually the chord hand that needs to get used to the pressure of holding down strings.