2. Oboe
The oboe ranks second in our list of hardest instruments to play. As we know it today, it originated in the 17th century in France. Its range gets up to around 3 octaves, and it is mostly soprano and mid-soprano tones. It is usually made of wood, and has a double reed which is sometimes custom made for the musician. Getting from lower to higher tones requires opening and closing the reed which is the hardest part of the oboe playing technique.