Easier to learn at 30: piano or guitar?

[Mtn. States Resident]

Originally Posted by radiolibre99

Which would be easier to learn at age 30? I don't have that much time so I would take lessons twice a week. I would like to at least learn a song or two by next Xmas. Is this a realistic goal?

I learned how to play the xylophone when I was in band as a kid so I feel a bit more comfortable on a piano but if it's easier to pick up guitar I'm all for that too.

I play both. Your xylophone background will help with both.

You mentioned lessons twice weekly and having little time to practice. Consequently, I have a few questions for you: 1. Do you own either instrument? 2. When and where would you practice? 3. Would there be merit in re-thinking your plan? I don't know, as a former piano teacher, that taking lessons twice weekly will help much compared to extra practice, especially early on.

If you don't own the instruments, a guitar is much cheaper.

Be realistic in your goals and good for you for having them!

MSR

[High_Plains_Retired]

OP,

You didn't say if you meant an acoustic or an electric guitar but here's some of my thoughts. A "cheap" guitar will very likely lead to bad sounds, sore fingers and a lot of frustration. The same goes for a cheap electric guitar although a decent amp can help a little here.

I can speak more for acoustic guitars. Some of the acoustic guitar brands I've owned (in alphabetical order and the ones I can remember) include Aspen, Epiphone, Harmony, Jay Turser, Martin, old Silvertones and Truetones, Seagull, Sigma and Takamine. In the $400 to $500 range for a 6-string, my preference would be an early higher-end Sigma or a Seagull. In a much less expensive vein, the Jay Turser Hummingbird I had well exceeded its very inexpensive price range. Just be sure to have whatever guitar you decide on to be professionally set up either before or after you get it. Most guitars come with a basic factory set up that can leave a lot to be desired.

Regarding electric guitars, I've only owned a few very inexpensive solid bodies. However, my grand daughter has relatively inexpensive Schecter C-1 Hellraiser that has a great sound even on a very small Sears solid state amp. At any rate, ask the experts before you buy any musical instrument. Also be aware that the sounds derived from YouTube videos of someone playing the guitar you are interested in can be deceiving.

I'm not a keyboard player but it seems to me that a decent sounding keyboard could be much less expensive than a decent sounding guitar but again, I'm not a pianist.

Sorry that I can't answer your question as to which instrument is easiest to learn. I'm an old dog still trying to learn new guitar tricks.

Best of luck learning and have fun.

[Padgett2]

A guitar can be played anywhere under a tree, front porch, lawn swing, anywhere. Try that with a piano. Even just a keyboard, needs an electric outlet.

Seriously, you can get by with just learning to strum a guitar. The Piano will need a lot more than just a few chords to sound decent.

[jobaba]

I have been playing guitar for like 20 years, many of those quite seriously and in bands. Piano I have been playing on and off since I was a kid, but I put in hours at a time certain times. I'm mediocre at it, but improving.

Piano has what I call greater 'impressability'.

In other words, if you practice 3 hours a day for 2 years, what you will able to play on the piano will be more impressive to the layman than if you put the same amount of time into guitar.

If you put in a couple of hours a week, by next Xmas, you should be able to play a slew of Xmas songs on the piano. Easy solo arrangements of Silent Night, Jingle Bells, yada yada.

With guitar, putting in the same amount of time, you'd be able to strum the chords to those songs with some decent rhythms and maybe sing along a bit. To be able to play even easy solo arrangements of those songs on guitar might take you 5 to 7 more years.

Like I said, piano has greater impressability at least IMO.

But it also depends on what you want to be able to do. What do you want to do?

[Miss Hepburn]

To me piano is so easy.

[High_Plains_Retired]

Originally Posted by Miss Hepburn

To me piano is so easy.

I have a Casio keyboard and know a few of the chords but playing the melody along with the chords on a piano has always seemed to me to be more difficult than on the strings of a guitar. I suppose the difficulty is what you make it but at the least you don't need calloused finger tips to play keys.

I bought the Casio for my SIL who occasionally visits and who plays the piano (and sings) quite well. She was trying to learn guitar last summer but gave it up. The rhythm she had down. The callouses she lacked.