Easiest instruments for a child to learn, and why

The easiest instruments for a child to start are the ukulele, the piano or keyboard, the recorder, simple percussion, and the voice. Each one gives a pleasing sound in the first lesson. No instrument is easy to play well, and all of them take years. What differs is how soon a beginner can play a tune that sounds like music.

What makes an instrument easy to start?

• The first sound comes at once. Press a piano key, and the note is in tune.
• It fits the child’s body. Small hands can reach, and small arms can hold it.
• A tune comes fast. A real song is within reach in the first weeks.
• It does not hurt. Soft strings are kinder to fingers than steel.

Five that are easy to start

Ukulele. It is small and light, with four soft nylon strings. A child can strum a one-finger chord in the first lesson and sing along. It suits ages five or six and up. Read the ukulele for kids.

Piano or keyboard. Every key gives one note, in tune, every time. The notes are laid out in a line, low to high, so a child can see how music works. It suits ages five and up, and younger with the right teacher.

Recorder. A clear note comes out on the first breath. Three fingers and a thumb are enough for a first song. It suits ages six or seven and up. Read the recorder for kids.

Percussion. Hand drums, shakers, and small xylophones need no special skill to sound good. A xylophone with a few bars lifted off can never sound wrong. It suits all ages.

Voice. Every child has one, and it costs nothing. A children’s choir teaches pitch, rhythm, listening, and reading music. It suits all ages.

How the common instruments compare

Instrument	First sound	First tune	Why
Ukulele	Easy	Weeks	Soft strings and simple chords
Piano	Easy	Weeks	The notes are always in tune
Recorder	Easy	Weeks	The whistle mouthpiece does the work
Percussion	Easy	Days	Tapping a beat needs no training
Guitar	Medium	A few months	Six strings, and steel strings hurt at first
Saxophone	Medium	A few months	The first sound is easy, and the instrument is heavy
Clarinet	Medium	A few months	Fingers must seal the holes
Trumpet	Medium	A few months	The lips must learn to buzz
Flute	Hard for some	A few months	The lips must aim the air just so
Violin and cello	Hard	Many months	The player must find every note by ear and control the bow
French horn, oboe, and bassoon	Hard	Many months	They are tricky to control and to keep in tune

The times are rough, and children vary.

Easy to start is not the same as best

The violin is slow to start. The first months can sound scratchy. Yet children as young as three and four learn it, with small instruments and patient teachers. Many go on to love it.

A child who longs to play the trumpet will practice the trumpet. The same child may leave an “easy” instrument in its case.

So use this list to set what to expect. Do not use it to overrule a strong wish.

What about starting on piano first?

Many families start on the piano and add a second instrument later. The piano teaches a child to read both clefs and to hear harmony. Those skills carry over to anything.

It is not required. A child can start on any instrument that fits.

Easy on the parent

Some instruments are easier on the household.

• A keyboard and a ukulele are quiet. A keyboard can be played with headphones.
• A recorder is loud and high in a small room.
• A drum kit is the loudest of all. Practice pads help.
• A beginner on the violin needs a parent to tune it. Read how to tune a child’s violin.

By age

• Ages 3 to 5: read best instruments for 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds.
• Ages 6 to 8: piano, ukulele, recorder, violin, cello, and choir.
• Ages 9 and up: all of the above, and the band instruments. Read how to choose a band instrument.

Things to do together

Try five. Visit a music store or an instrument day at a school or library. Let your child make a sound on five instruments.

One-finger songs. On a piano, play “Hot Cross Buns” with one finger on three keys: E, D, and C.

Kitchen band. Give each person a pot, a shaker, or two spoons. Keep a beat together for one minute.

Take the quiz. Use the instrument picker quiz and talk about the result.

Print and play

Read how to choose a first instrument and renting vs buying an instrument. To plan lessons, read music lessons for kids: a parent’s guide. For the other end of the list, read the hardest instruments to learn.

For all four families, see instruments of the orchestra for kids.