Keyboard or Guitar? Which is the Better Instrument to Learn?
One of the most important elements of growth is having creative pursuits. Creative pursuits are often fun and unique forms of self-expression that help you reconnect with your optimistic and joyful inner child. They are essential in promoting balance in your life and increasing opportunities for self-actualization.
Among the most popular creative pursuits today is learning how to play a musical instrument. Studies reveal that this activity brings joy and a sense of accomplishment. But not only that, it offers a multitude of other benefits as well, such as better comprehension and physical coordination, stronger academic performance, and a higher memory capacity to cite a few.
When it comes to choosing an instrument to play as a creative individual or an aspiring musician, the most common comparison game to take part in is in determining whether a keyboard piano or guitar is a better instrument to master.
These two are considered the kings of musical instruments because of their unique sound and how they provide the best accompaniment to singers.
Table of Contents
Piano or Guitar?
Which musical instrument should you buy as an investment for joy or a career as a musician? To help you out, here are the pros and cons of both instruments.
Pros for the Keyboard Piano
- Many find that for beginners, a keyboard piano is much easier to learn. The positioning of the fingers on the instrument rarely feels awkward.
- You do not get calluses when practicing the instrument.
- Note reading for a keyboard piano is much easier to follow visually because everything is presented in a linear fashion. Plus, the sharps and flats are often color-coded.
- A keyboard can create a much fuller sound because of its different features. And, it can even produce the sounds of other instruments.
- You can also learn chords on this instrument.
Pros for the Guitar
- A guitar is a smaller and more portable instrument. This means that if you envision yourself becoming a street performer, which is a romantic fantasy of many, it’s bound to be easier to become one if you’re a guitar player. Also, you can practice anywhere, standing, or sitting down.
- Learn a handful of chords on the guitar, and you can already play countless songs.
- It’s a more affordable instrument to upgrade as you continue to hone your skills. There’s a bigger selection of affordable guitars for sale.
- If you choose to learn the guitar, you provide yourself with a good foundation for learning other string instruments.
Cons for the Keyboard
- It’s a chunky instrument. Even the 61-key beginner piano keyboard for sale can take up a lot of space at home and is quite heavy to lug around. You need a designated place to play it.
- The price is steep if you want the 88-key version that has weighted keys and can sound like an actual piano.
- Mastery of the instrument can take a much longer time, given how many keys it has. It can actually take you much longer learning to play your favorite song on a keyboard than a guitar.
- Most people say that the most affordable keyboard for sale that you can find will always have a lower quality sound than that of the cheapest guitar that you can buy.
Cons for the Guitar
- For beginners, the correct placement of the fingers on the strings can prove to be difficult to learn. Those with short fingers, mainly, find it an uncomfortable stretch to reach the appropriate locations on the string to create the right sound.
- It’s painful learning how to play the guitar as a beginner. There’s a high likelihood of bleeding on the tips of your fingers, as well as the development of thick and rough calluses. Some people can feel quite self-conscious about it at first.
- It can be rather challenging to read the standard notation on the guitar.
Which is the Winner?
Both are. You can easily study both instruments. However, if you only have time for one, take this advice from music teachers: Establish which of these two instruments will allow you to play your favorite songs more easily, as well as produce the sound and experience that you want.
You may also want to consider the path in which you wish to take your musical creativity. Do you want to be in a cool rock band? For this, a guitar is usually the logical choice. Or, do you wish to make a living off of gigs as a solo performer? This is often more profitable if you play the keyboard.
Both instruments are rather rewarding to learn. If it isn’t so, they would not be the most popular choice of musical instruments to play as creative pursuits. But, in the end, the better one to choose is the instrument that you gravitate toward more and would be happy to dedicate your time and energy learning.