Learning to play an instrument is a great skill to develop and one that has lot of different advantages and benefits – it can be a sociable activity that allows you to make friends and form bands, it can be a pleasant solitary pursuit that enables you to create your own entertainment and company, it’s good for the brain (not to mention the soul) and it’s a great way to improve skills such as multitasking, rhythm and ambidexterity.
So learning an instrument = smart move. But you still need to decide which instrument you want to pursue before you can start spending money or putting in the hard work. Here we will look at which instrument is right for you with a simple few questions and answers.
How to Use This Quiz
This quiz is split into a number of questions. Your job is to look at each and then the instruments below. If your answer to the question is yes then simply note down the instruments that follow or put a tick next to any that you have already written down.
Now at the end, the instrument that has the most ticks next to it is the instrument foryou.
The Quiz
Do You Want to Be Able to Carry the Instrument With You?
If Yes: Guitar, Woodwind, Brass (most types), String Instruments (most types – not cello etc.), Harmonica, Bass, Vocals
Would You Like to Be in a Contemporary Band?
If Yes: Drums, Keyboards, Guitar, Bass, Vocals, Harmonica
Would You Like to Play in an Orchestra?
If Yes: Piano, String Instruments, Brass, Drums, Vocals
Do You Prefer Rhythm to Melody?
If Yes: Drums, Bass
Do You Want to Be One of the ‘Front Men’?
If Yes: Vocals, Guitar, Keyboard
Are You Happy to Play With Your Mouth?
If Yes: Brass, Woodwind, Harmonica, Vocals (in a sense…)
Would You Like to Be Able to Play Quickly and Easily On Your Own?
If Yes: Keyboard, Piano, Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals
Would You Like to Be Able to Play in a Brass Band?
If Yes: Brass, Drums
Would You Like to Be Able to Play in a Jazz Band?
If Yes: Brass, Piano, Woodwind
Do You Want to Impress the Opposite Sex?
If Yes: Saxophone, Vocals, Guitar
Do You Want to Play Something Electric for Easy Recording/Effects?
If Yes: Bass, Guitar, Keyboard (conventionally these three – things like electric violins do exist)
Do You Want Something Cheap?
If Yes: Vocals, Harmonica, Guitar (relatively)
Do You Want to Be Able to Play Multiple Rhythms/Melodies
If Yes: Drums, Piano, Keyboard
Do You Want Something Capable of Multiple Styles and Genres on its Own?
If Yes: Piano, Keyboard, Guitar
Do You Want Something Cathartic?
If Yes: Piano, Drums, Electric Guitar
Wrapping it Up
These questions don’t cover every possible instrument, and it’s fair to say that some of these suggestions are certainly debatable. However if you are seeing a solid winner starting to emerge then this might be able to at least steer you on the correct path.
Note that many of these ideas can be substituted for other instruments – if you want a piano more than anything for instance but you really want your instrument to be portable then you might want to consider substituting it for a xylophone for instance or something else with keys. Meanwhile, you may want to substitute one of the other suggestions with something more unique and unusual – Indian Banjos, Banjos, Ukuleles, Piccolos and other instruments rarely get a mention but their appeal is largely the way that people react when you bring them up in conversation.