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Meet Alex.

He's an 18-year-old college student.

Alex has been inspired to take up a musical instrument.

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He sees all these cool instruments when he walks past his local music shop, but doesn't know which one to choose!

Homer and Lisa from 'The Simpsons' are standing in a musical instrument shop. Homer asks Lisa which instrument she likes.

Are you like Alex?

Overwhelmed by the choice and don't know where to start?

Cat looking around in excitment with the caption 'so many choices...'

Explore Alex's journey and choose a musical instrument to learn today! 👇

1. Decide what type of music you want to play

Alex thought he could play whatever style he liked on any instrument. There’s nothing stopping Alex playing Taylor Swift on a trumpet, but there may be better instruments suited to that type of music!

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Check out these musical styles and instruments commonly associated with them:

Rock & Pop

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  • Piano and keyboard

  • Electric guitar and bass

  • Drum kit

  • Voice

Classical

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  • Piano

  • Voice

  • Orchestral instruments, e.g. violin, flute, trumpet, clarinet

Jazz

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  • Trumpet

  • Saxophone

  • Piano

  • Drum kit

Country & Folk

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  • Violin

  • Guitar and banjo

  • Harmonica

  • Voice

Did you know?

An instrument is essentially a "device used to produce music", so it can be anything that makes a sound!

2. Consider your budget

Alex needs a low cost option and was worried he didn't have enough money to buy an instrument.

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There are instruments available for all budgets and some are even free!

Woman standing up from behind desk pumping arm in excitment

Top tips âś…

  • Your voice is an instrument and it's free!

  • Public pianos are everywhere and free to try

  • Consider renting an instrument if you're not sure

  • Visit your local music shop for advice

  • Shop around for the best deals

Did you know?

Check out local thift shops or online sites, like eBay or Facebook Marketplace to find second hand instruments.

3. Be practical

Alex wants to find an instrument that he will easily stick to learning and will enjoy.

It's proven that we're more likely to continue with a hobby if we're able to build it into our routine.

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Top Tip âś…

Make it easy and pick an instrument that will slot into your daily life.

Phoebe from the TV show 'Friends' playing a drum while sat on a sofa

Consider 👇

  1. Your practice space. Instruments such as drums require more space and are harder to pack up.

  2. The noise levels. You can plug headphones into some instruments or use mutes to lower the sound.

  3. Your physical strengths. If you struggle to blow up a balloon, instruments that you blow into may not be for you.

  4. How you'll learn and how much time you have. If you want to teach yourself, choose a popular instrument like the piano and guitar and use free online tutorial videos.

What should Alex do?

It's your turn to help Alex choose an instrument.

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Alex wants to play a mixture of pop and classical music. His routine means he'll practice late at night in his room, so doesn't want to wake up his roommates.

Which instrument could he pick?

Check out the instruments below and listen to some of the sounds they make with the audio clips below each image.

Electric guitar

Electric guitarPhoto by Jeremy Allouche on Unsplash

Music by firemansuperhero from Pixabay

Digital piano

Music keyboard on a standPhoto by Clayton Malquist on Unsplash

Music by MondayHopes from Pixabay

Trumpet

trumpet on a tablePhoto by Hal Gatewood on Unsplash

Sound Effect from Pixabay

Harmonica

Harmonica placed in someone's handsPhoto by Mihail Tregubov on Unsplash

Sound Effect from Pixabay

Quiz

Alex should pick...

Take Action

You've heard Alex's story. Now it's your turn to find your perfect instrument!

Gif showing hamsters playing different musical instruments

License:

This Byte has been authored by

CT

Clare Thompson

Learning Technology

English

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