what easy, portable, cheap musical instrument should I learn to play?

December 24, 2015 11:48 PM

I've recently gotten involved with some people who like to play jigs, reels, and sometimes strathspeys. It's made me want to learn an instrument. But what instrument? I'd like something cheap enough that I can try it a few months on a whim (which this basically is), small enough to carry in my lap (I often have to beg rides), and easy enough that within a few months I'll feel more like I'm playing music than practicing an instrument. Instructor recommendations in NYC would also be appreciated.

An important part of easy is, it should mostly produce discrete tones. I'm super tone-deaf, to the point where right now if you play an interval less than a third I often can't tell which note was higher. Fretless stringed instruments, double reeds, probably anything capable of a true glissando, these would all be extremely frustrating to me.

I'm okay with an instrument that is limited in how hard it can go. Like, I'll never be able to play a concerto on a kazoo, but if I ever get to that point I'll probably be better placed to pick up an instrument that can. And in the mean time, I'll have acquired all sorts of hopefully-transferrable musical skills, like relative pitch and rhythm and sight-reading, and hopefully had some fun too.

A few ideas. Are any of these good?

* penny whistle: cheap, portable, supposedly easy enough to teach to a first grader, historically associated with the kind of music I want to play.

* guitar: medium price, pushing what I can hold in my lap through a long car ride, but apparently everybody and his brother learned it without instruction and I do like the deep rich sound of an acoustic bass guitar.

* harmonica: cheap, tiny, supposedly easy

* concertina: expensive, small enough, historically associated with the kind of music I want to play

Probably bad options?

* cello: expensive, huge, takes months even to play a scale without squeaking or going off key. But I sure do love that deep, rich tone.

* viola: similar to cello, but at least it's smaller.

* banjo: expensive, reasonably portable, some people really don't like it, and it apparently takes a LOT of practice to learn the rapid picking I so love to hear.

posted by d. z. wang to Education (51 answers total)

Bodhran?
posted by BoscosMom at 11:51 PM on December 24, 2015 [6 favorites]

Recorder? Similar to flute, super easy (can teach a first grader), easy to be on key, very portable. You get one super cheap and then if you like it, upgrade to one with a better tone. A good one sounds good enough to play with "real" instruments and if you want to go more classical later, the skills transition well to flute.
posted by metahawk at 12:30 AM on December 25, 2015 [2 favorites]

You can get a cheap mandolin (I got one from Amazon or Guitar Center for about fifty bucks on sale?). Fewer people play them and it complements guitars nicely.
posted by dismas at 12:52 AM on December 25, 2015 [6 favorites]

Ukulele?
posted by hydra77 at 12:52 AM on December 25, 2015 [13 favorites]

Recorders are great, and if you don't like the shrillness of a soprano, you might like an alto or tenor (somewhat more expensive). But you can get really quite decent soprano recorders (I like plastic yamahas) for under 10 bucks, and there are lots of books to help you learn. The fingering on soprano and tenor are the same, so you can learn on a soprano and then switch to a tenor later if you like. (The fingerings on a soprano and alto are the same, but they correspond to different notes---that is, you put down the same pattern of fingers, but on a soprano it's a C and on an alto it's an F)

I bought a cheap (~$100) ukulele in Hawaii, and that's been fun and reasonably straightforward to learn. You would need to get an electronic tuner as well (~$20). (Don't get the ukuleles that are made just for show that are $15 at tourist stores. Mine is a Kala, and it's got decent sound.) My husband fell in love with the baritone ukulele, which has a much deeper, richer tone (he bought one that really sounds fantastic for about $300 including case and tuner, also Kala as I recall). But it's harder to find music/online information (although there is some!) Baritone ukuleles are tuned the same as the highest four strings of a guitar.

I've played penny whistle a bit. They're cheap enough that you could get one to play around with. The recorder's more flexible, though---you can actually play in different keys.

If you're super-tone-deaf, I don't see how a viola or cello is possible. Even with more discrete-note instruments you're still going to have to deal with tuning to be able to play with others (although electronic tuners will be helpful.)
posted by leahwrenn at 12:55 AM on December 25, 2015 [1 favorite]

Recorder or a penny whistle.
Penny whistles come tuned in different keys so you may want to buy more than one. A recorder is easier to play in different keys because it's easier to do semi-tones on than a penny whistle, but that will be slightly more complex to learn.

If you live with someone or want to keep nice with your neighbours, don't try violin. It takes a long time to learn how to make a sweet sound.
posted by girlgenius at 12:56 AM on December 25, 2015

Recorder --- I actually own this one, because how can you go wrong with translucent blue? But they have ivory-colored ones too.

Alto recorder

Soprano ukulele
posted by leahwrenn at 1:01 AM on December 25, 2015

The tin whistle seems like the best option - get a few of them. One great advantage is that you can easily stick them in a pocket or a bag. If you want to test the atmosphere of the session before joining in, it's easier to do that with a discreet tin whistle than with a big guitar case. "I took my harp to a party, and nobody asked me to play" can be quite a source of embarrassment!
posted by Azara at 1:08 AM on December 25, 2015 [2 favorites]

Ocarina definitely. I nearly bought one myself. You can get very beautifully decorated ones that hang around your neck. Very portable.
Taiwanese company Focalink is supposed to be pretty good.
posted by whitelotus at 1:13 AM on December 25, 2015 [1 favorite]

I'm a music teacher. Your list of bad options are definitely terrible ideas- good work! Go get yourself a ukulele, which is the perfect answer to your question.
posted by charmedimsure at 1:21 AM on December 25, 2015 [8 favorites]

For realsies, a bodhran, it will lend a depth to the music they are playing, you can start with a tiiiiny one, like literally handbag sized, no tones required, you can step in to any session anywhere and keep up at your own skill level. YouTube is full of videos, and in the future you can plan to come over, sit in on some sessions and pick up a nice bodhran cos you've gotten that good!
posted by Iteki at 2:14 AM on December 25, 2015 [2 favorites]

I had a very similar list of considerations a couple of years ago and went and bought a ukulele. I have not regretted it, although there is a dangerous side effect called UAS - ukulele aquisition syndrome. I'm only mildly affected with 4 ukes to my name.
posted by Skybly at 2:14 AM on December 25, 2015 [3 favorites]

Strumstick? I don't know anything other than what's on the website, but it looks interesting to me—it's been on my "to do" list for a couple of years.
posted by she's not there at 2:19 AM on December 25, 2015

Melodicas are essentially harmonicas with piano keys (some use buttons). As portable as you want, they come in a variety of sizes and features and have a distinctive sound that can adapt to a lot of styles.
posted by rhizome at 2:47 AM on December 25, 2015 [3 favorites]

The tin whistle is a no brainer. Despite being seen by many as a toy instrument, it is one of the few instruments under discussion here that is part of the celtic tune-playing culture, whereas for example a recorder is not. Start with a $10 D whistle, and once you get the hang of it you can move on to an octave whistle (for a lot more money) if you want something less shrill.
posted by mr vino at 5:16 AM on December 25, 2015 [1 favorite]

First, if you want to invest in anything, I would (pay to) learn to read musical notation. It does not have to be advanced, as in the end most jigs and reels are pretty formulaic in terms of key, phrases, structures, etc.

Then (as on preview mr vino says) I'd buy a tin whistle - light, small, indestructible, easy to learn in terms of fingering. They do come in different keys so you will need a different whistle for each key, but most of your needs will be met with a D whistle, which also allows you to play in E Minor, and you can wrangle a G major. Much notation for trad Irish music comes in these keys. Recorders are okay but more complicated in fingering, and also have a different tone.

Then, get hold of some Irish music to listen to. I'm partial to the Bothy Band.

Then, get yourself a copy of "O'Neill's Dance Music of Ireland" - there are pdfs floating around on the Internet. Find your favourite jigs and reels therein, and practice (and practice and practice and practice ...).

Good luck, it's fun!
posted by carter at 5:30 AM on December 25, 2015 [3 favorites]

Jew's (or Jaw) Harp.
Kazoo
posted by HuronBob at 5:30 AM on December 25, 2015

Diatonic harmonica or melodica.
posted by deathpanels at 5:44 AM on December 25, 2015

Another vote for ukulele. Inexpensive, easy to carry, easy to learn, has frets.
posted by bunderful at 6:25 AM on December 25, 2015 [1 favorite]

I recommend Shannon Heaton's youtube videos. She's an Irish flute and whistle player and teacher, but she has good advice for learning tunes and playing in a session that would apply no matter what instrument you take up.
posted by mr vino at 6:39 AM on December 25, 2015 [3 favorites]

Tin whistle or bodhran. If you go with a whistle, spare yourself a lot of frustration and ask an experienced player what kind they recommend for a beginner. There are good inexpensive whistles, but you often end up getting what you pay for.
posted by corey flood at 7:43 AM on December 25, 2015

Hi, Irish music expert here. Don't go with a bodhran; that's the easiest way to be looked down on in a session (sorry to anyone who plays the bodhran). It takes a long time to get good on a bodhran, and it's very easy to overwhelm a session if you don't have a good ear. There's a reason why "bodhran" translates to "dull-sounding" or "deafening".

If cost is an issue, I recommend a tin whistle as a gateway instrument. They're cheap, relatively easy to get a melody out of, and easy to carry around. The cons: You'll need to purchase different ones for different keys (and know which keys are which), and you'll need to figure out the technique of half-holing to get different tones.

If cost is less of an issue, I would recommend a concertina (particularly an English concertina, the hexagonal shaped one). You want one that is unisonic, that is, the same note sounds whether you are pulling the bellows apart or pushing them together. As you note above, each button is a discrete note, you don't need to think about tuning as such, and it's pretty portable. Concertinas are much more welcome in sessions.

If you want to try out the concertina before investing, and you have an ipad, there is an app that lets you play a virtual concertina. That might be a nice experiment if you're interested.
posted by LN at 8:00 AM on December 25, 2015 [8 favorites]

Tin whistle, no question. Get it, learn it, play it, get another. Do that about four times in different keys and you'll be set to consider another session-appropriate instrument.
posted by mwhybark at 9:14 AM on December 25, 2015

Another vote for tin whistle - get a few in the common keys your friends will be playing in.

Answering just to say: the banjo isn't as hard as it sounds. It's not all Dueling Banjos fingerpicking. Clawhammer style, which is my favorite sound anyway, has a very fast learning curve. You'd be actually making fun, recognizable music (as opposed to kiddy training drills) much faster than a lot of other instruments. It's a lot harder to sit back and play "rhythm tin whistle" while others solo but you can do that all day with the banjo.

Banjos can also be pretty light and reasonably priced without the resonator back. As a beginner, being LOUD probably isn't what you're going for anyway. :)
posted by ctmf at 9:50 AM on December 25, 2015

If you decided to go the banjo route, you could also look for friends who are into bluegrass jams. Bluegrass for me has a similar feel to Irish music (others may disagree ...).
posted by carter at 10:07 AM on December 25, 2015

*cough*

Mandolin.

*cough*

Of course, I'm biased, but here's a few things it's got going for it IMHO:

Light, small-ish (relative to a guitar or banjo, say). I can fold myself into a small car backseat and fit my mando case between my legs. Also, on the subway it can sit right in my lap or I can hold it down by my side by the top of the case while standing on a crowded train.

Tuned in fifths, GDAE - unlike guitar, no pesky B string in the way. Basically, this means chords and scales can be transposed (moved) into different keys very easily. To start off, you only need to learn two chord "shapes" (one for major chords, one for minor chords) that are "movable" around the fretboard.

GDAE also means that it's in the exact same standard tuning as the fiddle. This means if you're playing with fiddlers, you've got something to work off of by watching/listening to them - particularly when you're just starting our and trying to soak up the feel of new tunes.

But.

Regardless of the instrument you choose, get thee a metronome! It may seem tedious, but you and the players around you will be thankful when you learn to keep time right out of the gate. To learn how, I'd strongly recommend the late John McGann's Rhythm Tune Up as a resource.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 10:17 AM on December 25, 2015 [3 favorites]

Tin whistle is probably the correct answer here, but mountain dulcimers are quite portable and fairly straightforward to play, and would fit decently well with your folk folk.
posted by holgate at 11:07 AM on December 25, 2015 [2 favorites]

A fipple type flute can be easy, inexpensive, and portable. This would include pennywhistles, recorders, most ocarinas. Simple fipple flutes are usually made in a particular key, but with some skill, can be made to produce full chromatic scales.

Ocarinas can be found very inexpensively. They rarely have a range more than about an octave and a whole note. There are two popular configurations, those with 4 to 6 holes, and those with 7 to 10 holes. The 4 to 6 hole versions are more common with the tiniest ocarinas, but fingering pattern is unusual. 7 to 10 hole models, usually have a more linear fingering patterns that feels more logical to me.

Native American style flutes are generally a novel fipple style flute, often come in pentatonic configurations, which is about as easy as they come, if limited.

Some very inexpensive fipple flutes can be found, which I find a bit more friendly than recorders, often referred to as a tonette. These were designed as pre-band school instruments. I think they sound nicer and less shrill than recorders, and exist without the pretensions recorders have acquired. Tonettes, I think, are really ocarinas with fingerings more akin to recorders, and go by brand names such as Flute-o-phones, Song Flutes, and Tonettes. They are made of plastic and offer some tunability.

Diatonic harmonicas are simple and inexpensive. They seem particularly well suited to certain styles, but to a large extent, each harmonica is limited to two or three keys at most, for most people. They can be too "slobbery" for some. They can get surprisingly expensive, too.

Ukuleles are really just tiny guitars. They can be more versatile than you might think. While they can be found inexpensively, the biggest factor in their usability is the setup, regardless of price.
posted by 2N2222 at 11:30 AM on December 25, 2015

Ukulele issues:

- they are quiet (compared to other dance instruments)
- small note range, that intersects badly with dance and fiddle tunes.

I love my ukes, but in a fiddle band context, mandolin is a better choice (louder, same tuning and range as violin, as above).
posted by gregglind at 11:36 AM on December 25, 2015

In high school, I played the flute. Forty years later, I got a keyless flute from Hall Crystal Flutes. Even with my flute background, I didn't find it easy. It was a relief when I got my silver flute refurbished and could play that again. Hall does sell some penny whistles of you decide to go that way.

My experience playing recorders as a kid left me with the impression that they are quite quiet, and easy to over-blow.

A chord-playing instrument like a ukulele is probably the shortest route to playing along with a group sice you can stick to the oom-pah-pah and avoid the intricacies of melody lines.
posted by SemiSalt at 12:02 PM on December 25, 2015

I'm a mandolin player that would NOT recommend a mandolin for you. I picked up mando after 15 years of bass and guitar - it took me 2-3 years before I felt competent enough to play with others, and even a few more to start feeling comfortable in jams and loose sessions. While I love the mandolin and its many benefits extolled above by Mr. Conspiracy, I don't think it's a quick study instrument that will have you ripping off jigs and reels within a few months. It's basically learning a fiddle with frets and no bow.
posted by gnutron at 12:21 PM on December 25, 2015 [1 favorite]

Harmonica, Mandolin, Ukelele.
posted by jeffamaphone at 1:11 PM on December 25, 2015

4-string banjo.
Penny whistle
Mandolin
Bazouki
fiddle.

My brother was fairly deaf his last few years. He easily heard his fiddle because his chin rested on the instrument, but he had trouble hearing other players.
posted by mule98J at 1:12 PM on December 25, 2015

No one mentioned autoharp, so I will.
posted by Obscure Reference at 1:41 PM on December 25, 2015

Banjo ukelele. Looks like a tiny banjo, tuned like a uke, louder.
posted by unreadyhero at 1:47 PM on December 25, 2015 [1 favorite]

Also Bass Ukelele is a thing.
posted by jeffamaphone at 1:52 PM on December 25, 2015 [2 favorites]

With regards to string instruments - you very much get what you pay for. Mandolin is small and carries easily, but they can be pricey. Maybe consider a rental?
posted by plinth at 1:56 PM on December 25, 2015

"I do like the deep rich sound of an acoustic bass guitar."

That may just have been a typo or misunderstanding (since a regular non-bass guitar can already sound pretty deep). So, bass guitars may be digression here, but:

A bass guitar, compared to a guitar, usually has thicker strings, a longer neck, 4 strings instead of 6 (tuned an octave below the 4 lower strings of the guitar), and plays single notes instead of chords. Most are solid-body and have to be plugged into an amp. Acoustic bass guitars exist, but are much quieter than guitars, so are still usually plugged into an amp; otherwise you might not be able to hear yourself well in a group.

A bass guitar can be a good beginner's instrument. Maybe something like this Squier p-bass package is a starting point?

Another option is a U-bass, which plays like a very small bass guitar. Many are "acoustic". Realistically, you'll still need an amp. They might at least look less out of place with a bunch of folk instruments.

And another option for an amp is the Roland Micro Cube RX, which isn't very loud but is one of the smallest (and the only battery-powered) bass amps I've run across.

But, anyway, look at the size and weight of those things--with the amp you'll probably find they're ruled out by your lap rule.
posted by bfields at 2:12 PM on December 25, 2015

"Also Bass Ukelele is a thing."

Yeah, though for the purposes of figuring out if it's portable enough, I think you do need to factor in the amp.

As a timid beginner it'd be tempting just to say "I'm fine just being quiet for now". The problem is that you need to at least be loud enough to hear yourself in a group and correct your mistakes.

I don't have much experience with them. Maybe someone with more experience can jump in and tell us that they're loud enough, but my impression is that they aren't.
posted by bfields at 2:18 PM on December 25, 2015

How about something more in Scottish style to go along with the strathspey etc.
A practice chanter
posted by stuartmm at 3:57 PM on December 25, 2015

Definitely ukulele. They are easy to play and there are tons of resources online to get you started. When the music teacher in my building switched my grade level from recorder to ukulele I was thrilled. (I HATE the shrill sound of the recorder). I bought one for myself and love it!
posted by OkTwigs at 7:06 PM on December 25, 2015

Definitely ukulele. They are easy to play and there are tons of resources online to get you started. When the music teacher in my building switched my grade level from recorder to ukulele I was thrilled. (I HATE the shrill sound of the recorder). I bought one for myself and love it!

The nice thing about ukuleles is that they're a) cheap at the entry level b) forgiving and warm and c) as people have noted above, have a large beginner jam culture around them. So if getting into a stringed, fretted instrument is where you'd like to go, they're a good way to dip a toe into the water.

So this might fit the bill based on what you said:

And in the mean time, I'll have acquired all sorts of hopefully-transferrable musical skills, like relative pitch and rhythm and sight-reading, and hopefully had some fun too.

and

easy enough that within a few months I'll feel more like I'm playing music than practicing an instrument

A uke can do all of this as a way in (or perhaps a new life-long love in and of itself).

But, also, playing music [rather] than practicing an instrument isn't really a thing. You'll always want and need to practice to get proficient and to keep developing your playing, no matter how far you take it. Don't forget - virtuoso players practice over, and over, and over...that's why they're so good.

It's practice all the way down. But that's what makes it fun, too - there's never no room for improvement.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 10:57 PM on December 25, 2015

Mandolin. You can get a decent one for less than $300 and they are logical and easy to learn, and welcome in folk jams. You can play basic melodies and accompaniments without being a virtuoso. If you are not already a string player, its a good introduction, and for Celtic styles, a lot easier than guitar.

For less money, get a tin whistle in D - Generation is a good brand.

Bodhrans... not always welcome among jamming musicians, especially when in the hands of a non musician.
posted by zaelic at 2:08 AM on December 26, 2015

Dulcimer? If you're flirting with Old Time, it's always welcome at jams.
posted by syncope at 6:11 AM on December 26, 2015

In context, I'll cast my vote for tin whistle and/or concertina. Not least because IME with Celtic music in the US, both instruments tend to be kinda thin on the ground. There are a bazillion fiddlers & guitarists, lots of mandolin players, not so many whistlers, and very few concertinists (is that a word? It is now.) So I bet as long as you're reasonably tolerable on either of these instruments, people will be more than happy to have you join in just for the tonal expansion.
posted by soundguy99 at 7:01 AM on December 26, 2015

By the way:

"And in the mean time, I'll have acquired all sorts of hopefully-transferrable musical skills, like relative pitch and rhythm and sight-reading"

Those are good goals. Definitely make sure you mention them when you're interviewing teachers, the ear training especially is something they won't necessarily cover by default.

I'd seriously consider the most inexpensive, portable--and also important--instrument there is: voice. It fails the "discrete tones" test completely, but would do the most to address you ear-training concerns. I suspect voice teachers are the ones that would have the most experience helping people who consider themselves tone deaf.
posted by bfields at 12:39 PM on December 26, 2015

It might be harder to find thumb piano lessons, but they are cheap, portable, and fun instruments.
posted by wave-wolf at 2:19 PM on December 26, 2015

A recorder would meet your criteria. I don't play any of the other instruments that have been mentioned so far in responses to your question so I can't make comparisons there.

If you end up getting a recorder though I suggest spending an additional $25 and get a nice wood one. The plastic recorders tend to have a kind of mushy sound. Wood will sound better and shouldn't be any harder ( or easier ) to play.
posted by metadave at 6:00 PM on December 26, 2015

I have been teaching myself Mandolin on-and-off for a while now. It's a wonderful instrument and, as strings go, very logical - I find that being tuned in 5ths makes it easy to think about music theory.

It also has some challenging aspects: doubled-up high-tension metal strings require serious finger strength (and thick callouses) before you can play for very long. While you can get away with moving a few simple chords around the fretboard, it takes lots of practice to develop the techniques to produce sounds traditionally associated with mandolin, so right now I treat it like a funny-shaped guitar or ukulele.

TL;DR: Mandolin is neat, but Uke is probably the best string instrument for your current needs. (I can't speak to woodwinds, sounds like there are good options in that realm too.)
posted by sibilatorix at 2:16 PM on December 27, 2015

My only concern about ukes, recorders, and mbiras is that they aren't very loud, so in a group setting you might just get a whole bunch of people just wailing away as loud as they can in order to be heard.
posted by rhizome at 2:46 PM on December 27, 2015

It might be impossible to buy one outside of Newfoundland, but for jigs and reels, a DIY ugly stick would definitely make you the centre of attention.
posted by Chuckles McLaughy du Haha, the depressed clown at 8:10 AM on December 28, 2015