If you love music, many of you may be thinking about starting an instrument as a new hobby.
Playing an instrument has great depth; it takes a lot of practice to improve, and once you can play a full piece, it becomes so enjoyable that you’ll find yourself getting more and more absorbed.
In this article, we’ll introduce a range of instruments recommended for starting as a new hobby.
In addition to popular instruments like piano, saxophone, and guitar, we’ve also picked out some slightly unusual ones, including traditional Japanese instruments and folk instruments from around the world.
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A roundup of recommended instruments to start anew. Instruments I’d like adults to take up as a hobby (1–10)
sax
With its sexy, powerful tone, the saxophone is the object of admiration for many music lovers.
Officially called the saxophone, it’s widely known as a woodwind instrument played with a mouthpiece.
While it has a strong association with classical and jazz, you may find it more familiar these days thanks to its role in rock and pop brass sections and to artists who join bands as solo sax players.
It’s a cool instrument we recommend not only for middle and high school students just getting interested in instruments, but also as a hobby for adults.
Guitar
Of course, rock fans know it well, but when people think of instruments in popular music, the first one that comes to mind is the guitar, right? Sometimes it sticks to accompaniment, and other times it pulls off a solo—truly the star of the band.
Because you have to handle six strings, it may seem like a high hurdle for beginners, but once you learn some basic chords, you can already start playing songs, so it’s easy to try.
Once you’re comfortable with chords, you can explore the style you like.
It’s a popular instrument that I highly recommend as a hobby.
ukulele
A stringed instrument that originated in Hawaii after unique refinements based on the Portuguese instrument called the braguinha.
Thanks to its soft and delicate tone, it is loved around the world, including in Japan.
With its small body and just four strings, chords are easy to fret, and many models are available at reasonable prices, making it an accessible choice for beginners.
Although it often has an organic image, there are players who use effects pedals to play rock, showing that the deeper you explore it, the more possibilities you’ll find.
If you’re looking for a musical hobby, why not pick one up and give it a try?
trumpet
When you hear the colloquial term “rappa,” the brass instrument that probably comes to mind first is the trumpet.
It’s known as the star of genres where brass shines—jazz, ska, concert band—and its rich, penetrating tone catches the ear across generations.
Brass instruments are often thought to be difficult just to produce a sound on, but if you practice your embouchure—the shape of your mouth on the mouthpiece and how you vibrate your lips—you’ll be able to get a tone, so beginners should definitely give it a try.
However, because the instrument’s natural sound is quite loud, if you practice at home, use a trumpet mute, or practice in a place where you won’t bother others, such as a park or by a river.
drum
The drum set, with its captivating flair and its role in driving the essential rhythms of any music, is a great choice when starting a new instrument.
Unlike the guitar or bass—which also play vital roles in popular music—the biggest difference is that you can produce sound simply by hitting it.
Of course, if you delve deeper, the subtlety of beats and techniques is just as profound as with any other instrument.
Still, for beginners, one appealing point is that it’s relatively easy to learn parts by ear.
However, since a drum set is far larger than most other instruments, if you don’t have space at home, be sure to practice at a rental studio or similar facility.
Kalimba
A musical instrument also known as a thumb piano or hand-cranked music box, played by plucking thin metal tines arranged on a box.
It’s known as a traditional African instrument, and its clear, organic tone is wonderfully soothing.
Because the instrument is quite small and uses an African tuning system different from Western music’s note layout, even beginners can produce distinctive melodies simply by sounding the tines from one end to the other—unlike a piano.
It even appeared in the recent cultural phenomenon Animal Crossing: New Horizons, so if you take it up as a hobby, you’re sure to attract attention.
violin
The violin, known as a star of classical music and increasingly embraced in popular music, is the highest-pitched instrument among the four members of the violin family—violin, viola, cello, and double bass—and often takes the solo part.
Although it has a reputation for being difficult, with its distinctive posture of resting on the shoulder and being held in place by the chin, and the challenge of producing a clear tone depending on the angle of the strings and bow, it is an instrument whose elegance makes you want to overcome those hurdles.
It’s a string instrument I’d recommend as a hobby for beginners—one you might suddenly find yourself able to play and eager to perform in front of others.
piano
The piano is known as a highly versatile instrument because, by its very design, a single player can cover both accompaniment and melody, and it boasts a range even wider than that of a full orchestra.
In recent years, it has been attracting renewed attention, exemplified by YouTuber Harami-chan successfully holding a solo piano concert at the Budokan—the first by a female pianist in 15 years.
While it may seem difficult since your hands must move independently and you also operate the sustain pedal with your foot, beginners can certainly learn to play by practicing gradually, such as working with one hand at a time.
Unlike other instruments, the piano alone can complete and fully realize a piece of music, making it a perfect instrument to pursue as a hobby.
base
The bass, which handles the low end and is a crucial element in constructing music, is an instrument that becomes more captivating the more you learn about its depth.
Many people start it with reasons like “It has fewer strings than a guitar, so it seems easier,” but especially in today’s popular music, the importance of the bass is being reevaluated, standing as an instrument no less vital than the guitar.
In genres like jazz and R&B, the bass melody often stands out more than the guitar’s, and once you can play, you’ll be able to perform across a wide range of styles.
Start by practicing basic root notes, and gradually immerse yourself in the world of bass.
cajón
A box-shaped instrument known for the way you straddle it and strike the playing surface and its edges with your bare hands.
In addition to the Peruvian style of cajón that most people imagine, there’s also a Cuban style played between the knees like a conga, and in flamenco accompaniment you’ll even find versions with strings or jingles installed behind the front panel—one of the pleasures of such a simple construction is the variety of creative tweaks.
Even on the same playing surface, different spots produce low or high tones, so one advantage is that even beginners can enjoy making music just by playing with enthusiasm.
Of course, the deeper you go, the more complex techniques you’ll discover, so start by giving it a try—and if it grabs you, dive in further.