Is guitar or drums easier to learn? How long does it take to learn the basics of playing guitar? How long does it take to learn the basics of drums? Learning how to play a musical instrument can be a fun goal to achieve, but it can also be a challenging task to do. Learning how to play either of the two musical instruments has always been a dream for many, as they are also two of the most sold instruments in music history.
The guitar, which is one of the most popular instruments of all time and has been a staple instrument in the music industry, which is why there are really many people that know how to play the guitar. In a study, it shows that in every five people, two of them know how to play the guitar, which shows that the instrument is really one of the most familiar when it comes to playing it.
Although there are already many people that know how to play the guitar, it is still not an assurance for anyone interested to learn how to play the guitar that it will be easy. Your development in playing the guitar depends on so many factors, which is why it is not a guarantee that it will be easy for you just because many people already know how to play it.
On the other hand, drums is also one of the most popular musical instruments in the world, just like the guitar. Considering that the instrument was invented in ancient times, there is already a substantial number of people that know how to play it.
In a study, only about two percent of the world knows how to play the drums, so even if it is just a small percentage, if you compare it to the total population of the world, it is still a large number. This number does not mean that it will also be easy for you to learn the drums, as there are still many factors needed to be considered for your development as a drummer.
Factors To Be Considered In Learning To Play Drums Or Guitar
Costs
Cost is one way to determine which of the two instruments is easier to learn. We all know that practice makes you better, so there is no better way to practice than to have your own instrument so that you can freely use your instrument whenever you want to. This factor is very important as we can see that the affordability of the instrument is a big part for a person to buy it.
When you go to a music shop or an online music store, you always see more guitars than drums. Guitars are also sold in different price categories, and more and more guitars are sold now at a very affordable price point. Yes, many guitars are really expensive, but there are cheaper guitars, as they are relatively easy to manufacture.
Acoustic guitars are one of the most sold instruments in the world, as they are portable and you have many options also as more and more companies produce them at a more affordable price point. As more and more people are able to buy guitars, there is also a higher chance that more people will know how to play them, as they can easily own a guitar and can practice with it anytime they want.
On the other hand, drum kits are more expensive compared to guitars, which is why fewer people own a drum kit or can afford to buy one. Of course, it would be easier for you to practice and hone your skills if you owned a drum kit, which is why if you cannot afford even the cheapest set that you can find, then it will really be difficult for you to learn how to play the drums.
Yes, there are still ways you can practice drumming without a drum kit, but it would still be better for you to use one when you are practicing, especially if you are still a novice drummer. Although it helps, the feeling of hitting a drum head is not really the same when you are doing your practice by just air drumming.
Portability And Loudness
Guitars are known to be portable as you can easily bring them wherever you travel. It also does not take up too much space in your house, which is why you can buy a guitar without any hesitation when it comes to taking up the space of your home or room.
Guitars can get loud, even with acoustic guitars, but you can still control them by changing how you strum their strings. Practicing in your home with your guitar is easier as you can control its volume, and you can also avoid disturbing everyone, including your neighbors.
On the other hand, drum kits will really take up a lot of space, even if you have an electronic drum kit. The space that a drum kit takes up is one of the reasons why people hesitate to buy one, especially those who are living in smaller homes. This can be a deal-breaker for some, which makes it harder to practice when you do not own one.
Acoustic drum kits are also loud when you hit them. You can make some adjustments to it by changing its drum heads, but it would already be a more expensive option. One option for some people is to use an electronic drum set as they are quiet, and you can use headphones to listen to the produced sound of the drum kit.
Complexity
When you are a beginner in playing the guitar, the things that you should master are how to strum and how to play a chord. Open chords are easier to play, but barre chords can be a little difficult to play for most novice guitarists. Playing with the correct strumming can also take time, so it is not really that easy to master the basics of the guitar.
If you spend much time practicing playing the guitar, you can master the basics of it for three to six months. Although it is really not that accurate, the number of hours you spend practicing will greatly factor in how fast you can master the basics of playing the guitar.
With the drums, you will need to be able to play some beats with it. You will need to master when to hit the hi-hat cymbals, the snare, and the bass drum. You will also need to master some basic drum fills and some rudiments. These are the things that you will need to master to go from basic to intermediate drumming.
Learning the basics of the drums can take three to six months also, depending on how serious you are about your practice and how much time you spend practicing it. If you will really work hard on practicing, then there is a high chance that your development as a drummer will be faster than normal.
So, is guitar or drums easier to learn? As a musician, my personal opinion is that the guitar is easier to learn than drums as I can give more time to practicing with it than with the drums. I spent more time practicing with the guitar because it was easier in the environment I was in, as there was less chance to disturb my neighbors.
