What are the hardest instruments to play? Music is food for the soul, and for many people, it is their main method of relaxation. It doesn’t matter what genre of music you personally prefer, there will always be something you find appealing. Learning a musical instrument can help you develop many skills and it is a wonderful lifelong hobby. Some instruments are easy to start off with while others are quite difficult.
Music instruments are generally classified into the wind, string, percussion, and electronic instruments. Playing an instrument requires a good sense of rhythm, excellent fingering techniques, and a good ear for music. The earlier you start learning an instrument, the better you develop these abilities. Ultimately, it can be really hard to master some of these instruments merely because you haven’t spent time on them. Some of the hardest instruments to play are the French horn, oboe, and violin.
The French horn was invented in the 17th century and was developed from the hunting horns that the French aristocracy used. The French horn can blow up to 4.5 octaves and provides a vast range. The instrument is made of brass and the rolled tube when unrolled would be around 5 meters! It is a classic example of a wind instrument and requires a high level of fitness to play. The oboe also originated in 17th century France, a time of extensive cultural development in the country. It has a range of 3 octaves and usually gives out soprano tones. The oboe is made of wood and has two reeds. This too is a wind instrument and the hardest part of playing the oboe is opening and closing the reed. The violin is a fretless string instrument that originated in Italy at the height of the Renaissance. It quickly became popular and continues to be so. It can be used for playing all kinds of music though mastering the violin is hard. The position that the violin must be held also makes it difficult to master.
If you are really into difficult instruments, then you should check out our list. Compiled with data based on Violinist and TalkClassical, the list of the hardest instruments to play is ranked on the basis of physical criteria such as the difficulty level of the handwork, breathing technique, etc. Take a look at the list to know more. Information is present in more details.