Are you a vocalist looking for the easiest instruments to play while singing? In the day and age of Youtube covers, singer-songwriters are forever on the lookout for instruments that can complement their performances. For most solo singers a band isn’t always an option, so knowing to play an instrument can not only give you a sense of independence but also be a great tool to facilitate songwriting and compositions.
Inherently, some instruments are easier to play than others. If you are just looking for an instrument to start your musical journey with, our list of 10 Easiest Instruments to Learn How to Play is a great place to start. However, just like some instruments are easier to play – there are instruments with varying degrees of suitability when they are considered as an accompaniment to voice. For instance, wind instruments are obviously off the list because of the use of mouth for both singing and playing the instrument is not possible at the same time. The instrument can be used for solos or in-between playing but are unsuitable as an accompaniment in a solo situation.
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Sometimes, it does depend a lot on the genre to of what instrument you should be choosing. While guitar might be more suitable for a rock song in general context, a piano or keyboard can be a good choice for pop music.
We made this list by rating each instrument on two criteria – their level of easiness, the suitability with vocals and how nice they sound as the only backing instruments to voice. Reliable music sites like TakeLessons and Music Pros along with a popular opinion from Quora and Reddit were used as sources.
Today we see YouTube producing more singing stars each day. And, while some of these singers use pre-mixed tracks, a lot of them have their breakthrough moments just singing in front of the camera. Picking up an instrument to play often increases your chance to get more hits. So, what are you waiting for – here are the easiest instruments to play while singing that you need to start learning right now!
7. Keyboard
Next in line on our list of easiest instruments to play while singing are Keyboards that provide one of the best accompaniments for voice one could hope for. Really, if you can play keyboard there is nothing else you actually need. However, the both-hand coordination is a tad bit difficult to master. As long as you can just play the chords, covering a song on a keyboards or piano should be relatively easier. While most songs can be played on the instrument, ballads are especially suited to be covered on keys.
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6. Guitar
The next most suitable instrument for voice accompaniment is none other than the guitar. And even though some might disagree, it is often considered somewhat easier to play than keyboards or piano at least at a basic level. While advanced level playing might take years to accomplish, entry barriers are fairly low to start with. Simple open chords can be learned in no time and used to tackle most pop and rock songs.
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5. Bass
Or skip the horrifying barre chords and only stick to bass notes with the Bass! You might also gain brownie points for not being too mainstream. All you have to do is pick songs carefully with catchy bass lines and bass-driven melodies. Be a little creative, and build a little strength to your fingers, and Voila! It’s definitely easier than playing guitar, which is why it earns it place in our list of easiest instruments to play while singing.
4. Tambourine
Yes, it’s the easiest of the easiest instruments to play while singing out there if you are a complete beginner. As long as you have a good sense of time, the tambourine should be a piece of cake to pick up. However, for voice singing, it is not completely free of drawbacks. Being a percussion instrument, it lacks the suitability to carry a song entirely by its own. Now your only way to go is to be sly with you song choices. With a perfect song it’s not that hard to pull off!
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3. Bongo
Yet another percussion instrument, the Bongo might be a slight more suited to voice play-along than the tambourine. There are a lot of variations one can learn on the instrument to brighten up a song. Latin songs especially sound like a great choice with the Bongo. Basic bongo playing is also quite easy to master and isn’t the toughest cookie to crack when playing live along with singing!
2. Autoharp
If you are into folk music, you’re in luck. Thanks to the simple yet beautiful autoharp, next one on our lis of easiest instruments to play while singing. A kid of a chord zither with a series of bars attached to it, it’s a remarkable instrument indeed, complete with its sweet sounds and ease of playing. It’s especially suited for folk music, but if you use your creative instinct, who knows it might work in a beautiful fusion scenario as well!
1. Ukulele
The ukulele and the voice have a beautiful love affair indeed. The fact is, they go perfectly together. But, the best part is it’s totally uncomplicated to play with little chord grips working wonders! That is why it comes at the number 1 spot on our list of the easiest instruments to play while singing!
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