5 Best Instruments to Learn at 50 (and Above)

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Are you thinking about learning a musical instrument? Wondering what the best instrument to learn at 50 or above are?

Contrary to what you may believe, you can learn a musical instrument at any age. Learning new skills will help keep you young and will keep your brain healthy, and learning a musical instrument is one of the best things you can do to experience these benefits. It can also be a whole lot of fun.

While you can learn any instrument at any age, some are best suited for life after 50 than others are. In this article, we’ll list a few of the top musical instruments you may want to consider learning if you’re over 50 or consider yourself a senior.

Here are the best musical instruments to learn at 50 or above.

1. Piano

playing piano over 50

One of the best instruments to learn as a senior who is over 50 years old is the piano or keyboard.

While you may not expect it, the piano can actually be pretty easy to learn the basics of, compared to other instruments. If you’re a visual person, the piano can be a great choice. This is because all of the notes will be directly in front of you and you can see them all at once. This can make things much simpler for you as you begin to learn chords and learn how the notes fit together.

On top of this, the piano can be easier on your fingers as well. To play the guitar or a stringed instrument, for example, you’ll need to develop calluses on your fingers. Before you develop these calluses, however, it can hurt a lot and this can make things more difficult for you when you first get started playing. With a piano, however, the keys are very easy on your fingers.

There are plenty of learning materials out there for learning the piano and finding an instructor won’t be hard, so this makes it a great choice for learning as an older adult.

2. Bass Guitar

Best Instrument For Seniors to Learn

One of the best instruments to learn at 50 or above is the bass guitar.

The bass guitar can be tough on your fingers when you’re first learning the instrument. However, it does have some other benefits that make it an easy instrument to get a grasp of. When playing the bass guitar, for example, you won’t be holding down multiple fingers at once to fret it. With the guitar, for example, you’ll need to hold down several fingers at once.

Oftentimes with the bass guitar, you’ll only need to play one note at a time and can let a note ring out. You can sometimes play fairly slowly and still fit in with a band or when jamming with friends.

The strings on a bass guitar are pretty big so pressing down on them will take some getting used to. However, once you’re used to it, the basics of playing the bass can be pretty easy to handle.

With that being said, while the basics of the bass can be easy, there will always be new things to learn. If you want to take it further and develop advanced skills, you can also choose to do that as well.

3. Ukulele

As with the bass guitar, the ukulele only has four strings and this can simplify learning when compared to a guitar or another instrument.

When compared to the bass, however, the ukulele plays much differently. The ukulele is played more like a guitar. Instead of plucking one note at a time like you will on the bass, you’ll typically do plenty of strumming.

Despite its similarities to the guitar, the ukulele can be much easier to play than the guitar because it has fewer strings. Chords will be easier to form.

On top of this, the strings of a ukulele are also nylon. This can make it much easier on your fingers. The ukulele is also more lightweight. If you have difficulty lifting a larger instrument such as a guitar, the ukulele can be a great choice.

Be sure to consider the ukulele if you’re looking for a fun instrument to play as a senior.

4. Simple Wind Instruments

Harmonica Player

While not a specific instrument, another option you may want to consider after 50 is learning a simple and easy wind instrument. Examples of this would be something such as a tin whistle, a harmonica, or even an ocarina.

These instruments are fairly simple to learn but will also be a lot of fun to play. You can get some great sounds out of them and can be very proficient with them in a short amount of time.

On top of this, these instruments are all small, lightweight, and portable. You’ll have no trouble holding these or taking them wherever you go.

5. Rhythm Instruments

If the above instruments aren’t your style, another option you can consider is playing rhythm instruments. While learning the full drum set or getting an electronic drum set is an option, keep in mind that there are other fun-to-play rhythm instruments as well.

Learning the bongos or the djembe, for example, would both be great choices. Both can be pretty easy to learn, practice, and enjoy.

Another option you can consider is the cajón. This modern rhythm instrument is a lot of fun to play and can allow you to express yourself musically and rhythmically.

There are other rhythm instruments as well, so you may want to consider learning one of them if you’re 50 years old or older.

Deciding Which Instrument to Learn At 50

If you want to start a new hobby and experience the benefits of learning a musical instrument, don’t let your age stop you. There are some great instruments to learn no matter what age you are, so be sure to pick an instrument to learn and keep working at it if you think that it’s something that you’ll enjoy.

Already play guitar? Check out this list of some instruments used to learn if you already know how to play guitar.