Piano Forum



Rhapsody in Blue – A Piece of American History at 100!
The centennial celebration of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue has taken place with a bang and noise around the world. The renowned work of American classical music has become synonymous with the jazz age in America over the past century. Piano Street provides a quick overview of the acclaimed composition, including recommended performances and additional resources for reading and listening from global media outlets and radio. Read more >>

Topic: Most Difficult Instrument To Play?  (Read 2585 times)

Offline future_maestro

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 88
Most Difficult Instrument To Play?
on: February 20, 2014, 11:49:24 PM
I'm just wondering what instruments are considered to be the hardest to:
1. Learn
2. Teach
3. Play

What's your choice?
"To play a wrong note is insignificant;
to play without passion is inexcusable."
    - Ludwig van Beethoven

Offline yohankwon

  • PS Silver Member
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 138
Re: Most Difficult Instrument To Play?
Reply #1 on: February 21, 2014, 12:01:51 AM
lol piano and violin

Offline justharmony

  • PS Silver Member
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 105
Re: Most Difficult Instrument To Play?
Reply #2 on: February 21, 2014, 12:03:25 AM
No idea.  My guess would be piano's pretty up there in terms of difficulty in all categories.  Organ too (yikes to foot pedals!).  Of course, different things will be difficult for various people.  For some, perhaps intonation on a non-fretted instrument like a violin would be harder than, say, having to worry about multiple notes and multiple layers of things going on with the piano.  I really couldn't say though, not having played all instruments (and those others that I do play I play with less proficiency than piano, so it's maybe not a fair comparison).  

Curious - why do you ask this question?

JH

Offline kalirren

  • PS Silver Member
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 146
Re: Most Difficult Instrument To Play?
Reply #3 on: February 21, 2014, 12:19:59 AM
Having played piano, violin, and sung in choirs, my opinion is that the voice is the hardest instrument of those three.

I believe that voice is likely the hardest of all instruments because it is the instrument that the human ear evolved to hear.
Beethoven: An die Ferne Geliebte
Franck: Sonata in A Major
Vieuxtemps: Sonata in Bb Major for Viola
Prokofiev: Sonata for Flute in D Major

Offline g_s_223

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 505
Re: Most Difficult Instrument To Play?
Reply #4 on: February 21, 2014, 12:45:53 AM
I think a key dimension here is "at what age?"

From what I've seen, learning violin as an adult (to a bearable level) is really very hard indeed: this is because the very fine and precise motor movements needed to ensure accurate intonation are hard to acquire in later life. Cello may be easier as the positioning precision needed is absolutely less due to the larger string length.

Offline iansinclair

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 1472
Re: Most Difficult Instrument To Play?
Reply #5 on: February 21, 2014, 03:31:54 AM
I might agree with Kaliren -- voice is remarkably difficult.  Just because most of us can sing doesn't mean that we sing well, nor that we are using our voices properly...

I think most instruments have their little difficulties, and I'd not really want to say this one is harder than that one.  Someone mentioned organ, for instances -- I'm an organist, and don't find the pedals that bad, but maybe I'm used to them.

Now if one is asking about shear treachery, though, the question is much easier.  Having played the beast to a high amateur level, I do humbly nominate the french horn as being far and away the most treacherous instrument of the lot.  Oboes are not far behind, but the french horn really is a mean critter.
Ian

Offline jplhpo

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 4
Re: Most Difficult Instrument To Play?
Reply #6 on: February 21, 2014, 06:31:00 PM
I would say that the voice is the easiest but I understand your point of view. Most difficult: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jew%27s_harp  ;)

Offline joplinfreak

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 105
Re: Most Difficult Instrument To Play?
Reply #7 on: February 21, 2014, 07:03:23 PM
A trumpet or other brass instrument can be very difficult to play, you have to have the proper cheek muscles. That's why brass players almost always have slightly larger heads because of there cheeks. Take a look at some of Louis Armstrong's pictures and you'll see what I mean.

On another note Chromatic Harmonicas are also a challenge. Unlike a standard diatonic  harmonica in one key, it can play all keys. It uses a button to shift from reed plate to reed plate allowing for much greater flexibility. Here's the catch, the reeds them selves allow for tonal variations in the same way you would bend a guitar string. Unlike a guitar you have to use your mouth to control these features, often times only requiring an added breath or the reverse. For most people that's extremely difficult accomplish. Oh and did I mention the way you have to position the harmonica in your mouth requires great skill. Think about this for a minute. How many harmonicists (yes that's proper terminology) do you see? Now how many pianists do you see? There has to be a reason why you don't see them.? My opinion (not that it matters) is because there just to *#!^ hard to play.
For more information about this topic, click search below!
 

Logo light pianostreet.com - the website for classical pianists, piano teachers, students and piano music enthusiasts.

Subscribe for unlimited access

Sign up

Follow us

Piano Street Digicert