Discovering Affordable Musical Instruments for Beginners

Embarking on a musical journey can be incredibly rewarding, but it doesn't have to break the bank. Many aspiring musicians are often daunted by the perceived cost of learning an instrument. However, there are numerous instruments that are both easy to learn and inexpensive, making music accessible to everyone. This article explores a variety of affordable instruments suitable for beginners, providing insights into their unique characteristics and learning curves.

The Allure of Inexpensive Instruments

There's a common misconception that quality music education requires expensive instruments. However, numerous options are available that are not only budget-friendly but also enjoyable and effective for learning basic musical concepts. Focusing on affordability opens up opportunities for more people to explore their musical talents without financial strain.

While it's tempting to seek out secondhand instruments, such as old pianos or tarnished trumpets, this article primarily focuses on brand new instruments that are inexpensive and easy to learn, ensuring accessibility and quality for beginners.

Bongos: Rhythmic Simplicity

Entry-level bongos range in price, making them an accessible option for beginners. These percussion instruments consist of two drums joined together, known as the macho and hembra. The simplicity of the bongos makes them very approachable for a beginner. Within minutes you can play fundamental rhythms. However, the bongos have a depth that makes them interesting and exciting to play. The key to learning bongos is to understand the different sounds and voicings that the drums can make. You can simply hit the drums like you would any beach ball, or you can learn the more advanced rhythms and sounds.

Didgeridoo: Ancient Sounds, Modern Accessibility

The didgeridoo is an ancient instrument originating from the aborigines in Australia. It is typically a hollowed-out wooden cylinder, but it can be made from any solid material. For an inexpensive option, an ABS/PVC pipe with a diameter of 1 to 1.5 inches (25mm-40mm) can be used as a didgeridoo. Besides ABS/PVC homemade didgeridoos, you can purchase a plastic didgeridoo that looks great and will sound great for beginners. The basics of playing the didgeridoo can be learned in a week's time, making it accessible to many. Some may find circular breathing and making a drone challenging, but others can pick up the basic sounds and techniques quickly.

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Tin Whistle: Enchanting Melodies on a Budget

Buying a tin whistle is a beautiful and sweet experience as well! Since you can get a very good quality tin whistle for less then $50. Don’t be fooled! Even though this is a very inexpensive instrument it can make spectacular and enchanting music. Tin Whistle's entry to mid-level tin whistles range in price. The tin whistle allows players to produce beautiful sounds without needing perfect technique. Unlike instruments like the violin or flute, which require extensive practice to produce a decent sound, the tin whistle offers immediate gratification. The reason for this is that many other instruments including flute, trumpet, and others require a special thingamijig called an embouchure. Which isn’t anything fancy, just the muscles and shape of your mouth. Tin whistles benefit from good mouth shape, but it’s much simpler! To get started you simply just blow through the instrument. The tin whistle only has 6 holes, making it easier to learn compared to instruments like the recorder (10 holes) or clarinet (17 holes). As a beginner, you can learn how to make all the notes and how to play basic songs in a month's time.

Recorder: Simplicity and Potential

The recorder is often overlooked due to its association with childhood music education. However, inexpensive recorders are available that are fully functional and can make beautiful music. The recorder's hole configuration is slightly more complicated than the tin whistle, but still relatively simple and easy to learn in comparison to other instruments. Some musicians play the recorder professionally, it’s definitely an instrument that has depth and potential. The simplicity of the instrument makes it attractive for many people to begin learning music.

Auxiliary Percussion: Adding Rhythm with Ease

There are SO many instruments that fit in this category. There are dozens more instruments in this category. As far as being able to make a sound, these are some of the easiest instruments to make sound as is possible. Within seconds you will be able to learn how to make sound on any auxiliary percussion instrument. With some practice, you can learn to keep a beat. After much more practice, you can learn to play solid rhythms that fit perfectly within the music. This is what isn’t easy about auxiliary percussion. You can’t expect to be given a microphone and a shaker or tambourine and expect to make tight and solid rhythm-it takes practice to internalize the rhythm. In fact, drummers and other percussionists practice with a metronome consistently so they can engrain the beat within their minds and muscle memory. However, to get to the point where you can keep time, it will take a month of consistent practice. To get super solid it will take much more time-but, if you want to add another instrument to your repertoire that is easy to pick up, make sure and check these instruments out.

Ukulele: Enchanting Sound, Manageable Complexity

To a casual observer’s eye, the ukulele looks like a little guitar, and the concept is very similar, but on closer inspection you’ll find that the ukulele has 4 strings instead of the 6 with a regular guitar. Ukuleles (especially tenor and soprano) also are tuned in a way that is odd for most guitar players: “Re-entrantly”. What does that mean? Well it means that the strings don’t go from lowest to highest from one string to another. The actual lowest string is the 2nd string! This tuning as well as the shape of the ukulele and the type of strings used gives the ukulele it’s incredible mellow sound that is simply enchanting. I can’t think of a better word-but that word works! Enchanting. Although ukulele’s bigger cousin guitars can also be found for less than $100, the quality you’ll get with a cheap guitar is very low-so low in fact that it may be counterproductive to practice because it might be more frustrating than it’s worth. Ukulele’s, however, you can definitely find decent quality soprano and concert ukulele sizes (there are 4 sizes) for under $100 (such as this Luna Tattoo Concert Ukulele from Amazon. Before you go buy the cheapest ukulele, make sure and get the right size. Soprano ukuleles are so small they are difficult to play (for me at least)-and I could barely hold onto the concert size, myself. The tenor ukulele is a comfortable size for me, so you’ll have to adjust to what works for you. So, to be honest, I’d say that ukulele is on the high end of easy. What I mean by that is that it is a rich and dynamic instrument, and it’s actually got some techniques that are tricky to get the hang of! The tuning of the ukulele is a little tricky to get used to (especially for guitar players), and some chord shapes will give you hand cramps just like you experience with guitar. Ukulele does have some extremely easy chord shapes along with softer nylon strings (in comparison to steel-string guitar), making it easy to learn some basic songs that hang around some very common chords (like Dm, C, G, Em, F, Am…stuff like that). But there is definitely some challenge here!

Kalimba: Thumb Piano Simplicity

The kalimba, which is similar to the mbira, is a lamellophone, which means that the sound is made by plucking a metal tine (or also called a tongue). The pluck is made louder using a resonant surface or chamber. The kalimba is a set of these metal tines arranges in a a triangle shape that you pluck with your thumbs, which is why it’s often called a thumb piano. There are larger and more expensive kalimbas as you can imagine, and they range in price from $50 to $150-but don’t fret, you can get your feet wet with a small investment. The kalimba, again, is an incredibly easy instrument to get started-you can learn the basic technique in a few minutes. If you have some experience playing the piano or other melodic instrument, then the note configuration will feel a little strange, but you’ll get the hang of it quickly. If you’re a beginner to the kalimba, and especially if you’re a beginner to music in general, it’s important to get a kalimba that has the notes engraved into the tines. Some kalimbas have no note markings, which makes it easier if you wanted to use a custom tuning. The notes of the kalimba are all visible, which, what I mean by that is that the kalimba is unlike a trumpet or a clarinet where you have to match your mouth shape and wind speed with a certain key configuration on the instrument to make a certain note. A kalimba is like a piano, wherein if you pluck a tine, it will make the same note every time. This is one reason which makes this an easier instrument to get started. So, the kalimba is easy to get started, but I just recently finished playing the kalimba for 30 days of practicing it, and I learned that to get to the level of those amazing players you see on YouTube, it takes a lot more practice than I’d thought. Playing complicated pieces that sound really good takes a lot of coordination and dexterity. So, if you’re looking for an inexpensive instrument that’s easy to pick up and make music, the kalimba is an excellent choice. If you’re looking for an instrument that still has depth and subtleties that will keep you engaged for hours on end?

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Melodica: Wind-Powered Keyboard Fun

What on earth is a melodica? Well, you’ve probably seen this instrument but you didn’t know its name. A melodica is a wind-powered instrument controlled by a small keyboard that has an accordion-like sound. It’s not often an instrument you hear in a lot of modern music, but it does show up now and again. Melodicas often come in two varieties, 32-key, and 37-key. You can find many melodicas under $100, but many beginner models are in the $30-$50 range. Generally, the quality of the instrument increases with the price, as well as the size of the instrument. The melodica is primarily played with one hand while you are blowing through the instrument. It requires some breath control and some practice to be able to breathe through the mouthpiece/hose and play the keyboard at the same time. While strong breath support might take you months of practice, you’ll be able to play the instrument within an afternoon of practice. Past that, the melodica notes are structured and presented exactly as they are on a piano, which is great! The notes are visually represented-if you push a key and blow enough air, that note is sounded, every time. You don’t have to pick the note out of the air like other wind instruments. So, one-handed playing, visually represented notes, and basic base technique all together means the melodica is a comparatively easy instrument for starting on.

Harmonica: Pocket-Sized Blues

The western harmonica is a classic folk instrument that you’ll hear in folk music but occasionally in other genres. One of the most famous uses is in the hit song: Love Me Do by the Beatles. The harmonica works similar to the melodica in that the player blows air through a channel which vibrates a metal tine. The harmonica has several air channels which the player can play into simultaneously creating chords and complex sounds. Higher quality (and usually more expensive) harmonicas will have more solid tuning, and will stay in tune longer. A child can pick up the harmonica and within moments figure out the basic premise. There is a bit of technique involved, though. The player has to use their tongue to focus the air in the right air holes. You can’t really see where you’re playing, but instead you have to play by feel, which takes some time to get the hang of. However, the harmonica only plays one note at a time or at most a couple sound holes at a time. One aspect of piano that makes it hard to play is that you can play multiple notes at a time, even with one hand! So, in honesty, the harmonica is easy to learn the very basics, but to master the techniques necessary to make good sound and being able to transition cleanly between notes is a bit more difficult.

Other Instruments to Consider

While the instruments listed above are excellent choices for beginners, several other options are worth considering:

Piano (or keyboard): The piano stands out as a foundational tool for those new to music, offering an extensive introduction to sheet music, chords, and musical styles. It challenges beginners but soon becomes one of the easiest musical instruments to learn with practice.
Guitar: Achieving the highest proficiency levels can take decades, but learning to play your favorite songs is much simpler, making it one of the easiest instruments to learn in many aspects.
Drums: Bongos, congas, or snare drums are all great options for learning how to keep a steady beat and create rhythmic patterns. This can be tough to master, but you will also need less musical theory to get started playing with others.
Voice: One of the best parts of choosing your voice as your instrument? It’s the lowest cost instrument-completely free.

Instruments for Children

Introducing a child to an instrument can open the world to them. Choosing the right instrument for a budding musician is essential and will go a long way in determining a child’s level of musical engagement. Instruments designed for children are typically less costly than full-sized instruments. What’s more, many children’s instruments are sold as packages, like an acoustic guitar starter kit that comes with a tuner, picks, extra strings, and learning book.

Here are some instruments to consider for children:

Violin: Kids can start violin lessons as early as age four, so it’s a great beginning instrument if you want your child to get started young. Its small size makes it easy for small children to handle and learn the basics of strings instruments on.
Flute: Flute is a fantastic starter instrument in the woodwind family.
Saxophone: The saxophone is another great beginner-friendly woodwind instrument. The saxophone’s fingering system is relatively easy to understand, and its distinct sound is extremely versatile for different genres, making it an appealing choice for young musicians.
Trumpet: This small brass instrument is a hit with kids and teens who want to make some noise and are looking for that cool factor. While its size makes it easy to handle, a trumpet’s three simple keys and the ability to buzz the mouthpiece often appeal to student musicians.
Ukulele: The size of the ukulele and reduced number of strings (four strings vs. a guitar’s six strings) make it easier for smaller children to handle. It also allows them to develop and strengthen their finger dexterity.
Cello: Similarly to violin, cello is one of the best strings instruments for beginners. Although significantly larger than the violin, the cello is still relatively easy for beginners to handle and teaches the basics of strings technique.
Kids’ Acoustic Guitars: Ashthorpe’s kids’ acoustic guitars are the perfect size for smaller bodies and come with accessories that enable independent learning and instrument care. The best guitar for kids is the one that gets played.
Kids’ Drum Sets: The exhilaration of banging on drums and the satisfaction that comes from carrying a beat are ready-made for children.
Kids Ukuleles: Kids ukuleles are an ideal choice for any child just getting started with an instrument, as there plenty of inspiration to be found and they are literally child sized.

Essential Factors to Consider

When selecting an instrument, consider your musical goals, abilities, and budget. Think about what type of music you would like to play. Maybe the instrument you choose should help you play that type of music. If you would like to sing along with your instrument, the best instruments to learn would be a keyboard or acoustic guitar. If you want to start a rock band, the best instruments to learn may be bass guitar or drums. Modern musicians, however, have learned to apply almost any instrument to different genres, so don’t be discouraged if the instrument you really want to play isn’t traditionally associated with your musical taste. If you can, it might be a good idea to try out a few instruments to see what feels more natural. Check out your local music retailer and ask to try holding some of the instruments in the store. You could also ask a friend or family member to try an instrument they may own. Finger size, hand size, coordination, and a variety of other factors can influence which instruments will be better suited for you. And if you have an easier time learning an instrument, that will help you stay motivated when lessons inevitably get tougher. You can probably find a beginner-level option for any instrument that you might choose that will be most affordable. Keep in mind some instruments have a lower price tag than others, for example, an acoustic guitar or electric keyboard. Instruments like a grand piano, tuba, or double bass will be more expensive. If you are interested and invested in an instrument you love, that means you will play it more often which means you will get better and better at playing it!

Tips for Mastering Your Instrument

No matter which instrument you end up choosing, one thing remains the same: setting up a good routine with fun, easy-to-use resources will help you get better at your instrument. Understanding the process of how to consistently improve and stay on course throughout the learning experience is as important as the instrument you choose.

Choose the best instrument for you: Picking the right instrument for you is an integral part of sticking with it and enjoying even the more repetitive elements of the learning experience.
Develop a practice schedule: Even though there are many easy instruments to learn, you won’t master them overnight. The only way to get good is to practice at least a little each day, so try to work a practice time into your schedule and stick to it.
Seek out an education: Music is a complicated subject that encompasses music theory, performance, technique, and many other aspects. To help make sense of it all and track your progress, it’s a good idea to seek out music education that can keep you on the right track. There are many free learning materials and beginner musician apps out there.

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