If you have always dreamed of learning to play any musical instrument, you might get confused about which instrument is better to choose. Guitar and piano appear as the most popular musical instruments among students. At the same time, many individuals want to know – which is easier to learn: piano or guitar? The difficulty might be a significant factor in musical instrument selection. This article will take a closer look at the issue – is it harder to learn piano or guitar?
The Essentials: Piano Vs. Guitar Difficulty
Generally, the guitar is considered easier to learn for adults due to its effortlessness in memorizing songs at the beginner level. On the other hand, the piano is less hard to understand for younger students – between 5 and 10 years. The reason is that children don’t need to cope with right-hand strumming and other complex guitar patterns. Let’s compare these musical instruments closer:
1. Easiness of song learning
It is typically easier to memorize songs on a guitar – this category means a student can play the chords of a musical piece while singing. People tend to learn strumming patterns on a guitar and the chords pretty fast, even though pianists can do this. Furthermore, piano students first need to get familiar with music theory before learning the chords themselves.
2. Easiness of technique for beginners
If you wonder if the piano is easier than the guitar, it is more accessible regarding technique. When students are at the beginner level, they find the piano features more straightforward approaches. Both hands are in the same positions, and the notes will sound clear regardless of how strongly you press the key. On the other hand, a guitar stands for more complicated techniques to learn for beginners. For instance, the strings should be pushed close to the fret, or they will buzz otherwise.
3. Easiness of self-learning
Another prevalent issue sounds like is guitar harder than piano in self-teaching? The truth is that a guitar is pretty more straightforward to learn on your own than the piano. A guitarist needs to memorize several chord shapes and strumming patterns so they quickly become capable of reproducing musical pieces. On the other hand, pianists must learn fundamental music theory before playing the musical instrument.
4. Easiness of musical instrument maintenance
Pricing for instrument maintenance matters, as well. A guitar is easier and less expensive to maintain, unlike the classical piano. Firstly, the difference lies in the amount of tension in the strings – the piano holds thousands of pounds vs. a few hundred in a guitar. It results in higher prices for piano tuning – a technician can charge between $100 and $200 to tune your piano. Cost for restringing the musical instrument also differs. A guitar restringing costs up to $50, while the piano requires thousands of dollars to replace all the strings.