learning an instrument

[KefkaCultist]

I play guitar (badly) and have tried to play piano and I can honestly say that piano is quite a bit more difficult than the guitar because of having to read both treble cleff and bass cleff and you have to be good with both your hands.

As for learning the instrument; I recommend an instructor. Being self-taught is fine though, hell I'm self-taught, but by being self-taught it's probably easier to form a few bad habits. I still catch myself holding my pic wrong or only down-strumming sometimes. Also, if you go with guitar, get used to using your pinky finger. It'll suck at first, but you get used to it.

 

[nsqared]

There is no such thing as an "easy instrument". Decide what you'd like to play and why you want to play it, and then go for it.
My biggest mistake was deciding I wanted to play the cello, and listen to this:
Because you could play the Jaws theme song on it.
And once you get into it, keep at it. I thought that the cello was a useless part of an Orchestra for a while while I played it, mainly because the violins always got the melody. Then i listened to my group play and i realized that without the cellos, the song would have sucked.

TL;DR: Keep at it. no. matter. what.

 

[necromanzer52]

There is no easy instrument

Bullshit. Ever heard of the tin whistle?

OT:My advice is to practice a lot, and don't give up. You will get better.
Also I advise dividing your time between learning the basics/practicing basic chords, and learning some of your favourite songs (make sure you pick some easy ones to start with).

No, none of these instruments are easy to learn. Nor do I think any of them is worth learning unless you pick it up very early. You'll always be at a disadvantage versus others, and I don't think the skills are particularly worth learning as an adult anyway. If you haven't had musical talent when you were a child, you're not going to pick it up now, and there's little more pretentious than somebody who is bad at a musical instrument still trying it anyway. Although my opinions on that may be tainted by the fact that I'm intimidated by and somewhat disagreeable with musicians.

Also, everything that guy just said is bullshit. Don't listen to him.

 

[Charles McGuffin]

I still catch myself holding my pic wrong or only down-strumming sometimes.

Did you see was Jame Hetfield/Dave Mustaine do with only down-strumming? I actually got much better at strumming both ways, because at first I only down-strummed (or whatever it's called in english).

 

[Shadowstar38]

Cant help you with piano. But my best advice for guitar is Rocksmith. I was skeptical when I first heard about it but it works like a dream. After awhile you can play pretty much anything.

Though you have to already have the guitar to go with the game, so prepare to already be heavily invested in learning that particular intrument.