I've been wanting desperately to play an instrument for years. Backstory is I could never find the patience or discipline to keep on it consistently due to some pretty bad ADHD. Now, at 30, I'm finally being properly treated for that and am finding myself with newfound energy to learn.
So I picked up and tuned the mandolin I've had for ages. Now, I know these things take time and that learning to finger frets and such is a painful and initially fruitless process. But I really wasn't having fun with it, and after watching some videos of experienced musicians playing the kind of songs I wanted to play, they just didn't sound good to my ear. I don't think this will be the instrument for me.
What I want out of an instrument is just to be able to play some very basic chords that I can sing to. Nothing fancy, I have no high aspirations with this hobby. I just want something more portable than an acoustic guitar that I can strum beside a campfire and sing along to.
And I stumbled upon the Artiphon Instrument 1. I know this might be kind of a gimmick, and that it requires a computer or iOS to function. But still, it seemed kind of perfect. I have a tablet I can run the software from, and it seems like a lot of the early stumbling points in learning stringed instruments would be much easier with this. I like that I could basically toss any sound on here I want, so I can have a ukulele, acoustic guitar, keyboard, and my discarded mandolin with me anywhere I go. A few of my coworkers are super obsessed with Euroracks and other modular synths, and I could probably use this to tag along with them in their jam sessions. The price is a little steep but if it ends up being my one instrument I'm fine with it.
But I don't know anything about anything, so my question is: does this seem like a fine beginner instrument? I'm not looking to compose music, or play live, or anything like that. It's just for personal fun. Are there other similar things that might be a better pick? Or should I just roll down to Guitar Center and get a cheap ukulele?
Submitted February 12, 2021 at 09:43PM by happygocrazee https://www.reddit.com/r/Learnmusic/comments/lip7hn/learning_first_instrument_at_30_is_this_one_a/?utm_source=ifttt
Javier Rodriguez
Friday, February 12, 2021