# Which stringed instrument is easiet?



## drankdrank

Hey, 

What of the following is easiest to learn: violin, viola, cello or double bass?


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## PetrB

None of them are easy to learn. Tuning them, the bowing, getting a decent sound from any of them, and having to use both ears and muscle memory to play in tune are challenges on them all.

Piano, of all more commonly learned instruments, is the one that at least _initially_ is easy to learn and not long thereafter sound have a near beginner sounding half-way decent, requiring nothing in the way of proper intonation (credit / blame goes to the piano tuners - technicians for that.)

Non-fretted string instruments all have their initial difficulties, and very few who pick them up 'from scratch' don't sound much better than as if they are scratching at the instruments for a good number of years.


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## MoonlightSonata

PetrB said:


> None of them are easy to learn. Tuning them, the bowing, getting a decent sound from any of them, and having to use both ears and muscle memory to play in tune are challenges on them all.
> 
> Piano, of all more commonly learned instruments, is the one that at least _initially_ is easy to learn and not long thereafter sound have a near beginner sounding half-way decent, requiring nothing in the way of proper intonation (credit / blame goes to the piano tuners - technicians for that.)
> 
> Non-fretted string instruments all have their initial difficulties, and very few who pick them up 'from scratch' don't sound much better than as if they are scratching at the instruments for a good number of years.


I agree wholeheartedly. The cello and DB often sound less painful in beginners' hands, but that is only due to their lower pitch and they are no easier to play.


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## Jaws

Do you mean which are easier or which are easier to get a place in an orchestra with? None of them are easy to learn but some can be played in a group at a lower standard than others simply due to a shortage of players.


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## mtmailey

drankdrank said:


> Hey,
> 
> What of the following is easiest to learn: violin, viola, cello or double bass?


NONE OF THEM because first there are no frets so playing the right notes are hard.Also there are so many string types to choose from.Also learning the notes for each clef is hard though.


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## GraemeG

They're all impossible really.
Everyone - even the great virtuosos - just play at different levels of incompetence.
There's a lovely line in "The Art of Violin" when Perlman - of all people - says (paraphrasing) "It's a very difficult instrument. Some days you only make a scratch"
cheers,
GG


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