If you’re thinking of taking up a musical instrument, but you’re not sure which one yet, one of your questions is likely to be which is the cheapest? I’ve had a look into this and thought about the other expenses needed to maintain some instruments compared to others. I’ve written down some of the most important things to consider.
The cheapest woodwind instrument is the recorder – you can buy one of these for about £10. However, the quality won’t be great and an instrument this cheap is only useful getting the notes right. Another important thing to consider is whether your instrument has reeds, as the cost of these can add up quickly.
You might be taking up an instrument unsure of whether you’ll enjoy it and want to carry it on. You might also really want to play an instrument, but are going to struggle to afford to buy one. In either of these situations (and others) cost will be an important factor in your decision. At the same time, you want to make sure the money you do spend is spent well and not wasted on an instrument that’s of poor quality. Some important considerations are:
- Is the instrument new or secondhand?
- Is the instrument of a good enough quality for your intended use of it?
- Will you need to buy reeds or other ongoing expenses?
All of these factors should influence your decision. Don’t forget, though, that above all, you need to pick an instrument that you like. If you pick an instrument that you don’t like the sound of when it’s played well, chances are you won’t keep it up. You shouldn’t buy an instrument just because it’s the best value, because you might find that you don’t play it at all, which is a much bigger waste of money.
Which woodwind instrument is cheapest?
The cheapest woodwind instrument you can buy is a recorder. You can buy a cheap recorder for about £10. You don’t even necessarily need to go to a music shop, a lot of toy shops sell recorders. However, although these recorders have their place, they might not be what you’re looking for if you want to learn an instrument.
A cheap recorder can be a really good learning experience for a young child (or even an adult). They can learning fingering and use it while learning to read music. It’s really easy to blow so they can concentrate more on the theory of how to play an instrument rather than the sound they produce. It’s also pretty difficult to do a lot of damage to a plastic recorder, so it’s great for small kids if they’re unlikely to be careful with it.
There are definitely problems with buying a recorder, though. A cheap recorder will never be a nice-sounding instrument. It will be high-pitched, shrill, and difficult to keep in tune. It’s a good test for someone to see if they want to learn an instrument, but people move on from them quickly, so you shouldn’t just buy one and assume that’s all you need to do.
You can, of course, buy better quality recorders, which will usually be made of wood. To get a nice sounding, wooden descant (the small size you would normally see kids playing), you would need to spend at least £50. Larger (lower pitched) recorders will cost upwards of £100. While this is still considerably less than a lot of instruments, you do have other things to consider.
I would say the biggest thing for me with the recorder is that there isn’t a place for you in most ensembles. You’re basically limiting yourself to only playing in a recorder group. This is completely fine if that’s what you want to do, but it’s good to be aware of. You can also join early music ensembles but these tend to be quite rare, particularly at an amateur level, so if you’re taking up an instrument with the aim of playing in a band, it might not be the right one for you.
Other than the recorder, the cheapest woodwind instrument tends to be the flute. It’s quite small compared to most, meaning that less raw materials are used. There is complex keywork to be considered, and it’s made of metal, so for something new that plays easily and well, you’re still probably looking at spending over £200.
Should I buy a new or secondhand instrument?
Whether the instrument you buy is new or secondhand obviously has a big impact on the price. You might have a look on sites like eBay for secondhand instruments and see that they can be far cheaper than new ones. This is always tempting but it’s not always the best thing to do. If you don’t know a lot about music, eBay is a dangerous place to start. While you might get yourself a good deal, you also might get yourself a really terrible instrument.
If you know someone that does know quite a bit about music, eBay can be great. You can quite often find someone trying to get rid of an instrument that hasn’t been used a lot and is in really good condition. But it’s important to know what you’re looking for. A few tips are:
- Look for a well-known brand (something like Yamaha or Trevor James)
- Check whether it’s been used recently or stored
- Check whether it’s been serviced recently
- If it’s a sax or a clarinet, check whether it has a mouthpiece included for the price
- Check whether it’s nearby and ask to try it out (you could take someone with you if you don’t play yourself)
If you want to buy a secondhand instrument, but you don’t have anyone to recommend something on eBay, the best way is to try local music shops. These won’t be quite as cheap as eBay, but they’re much more reliable and unlikely to sell you something in terrible condition. Try a few different shops if you can and get as much advice as possible so that you can make a more informed decision.
Another thing to consider when buying an instrument secondhand is how old it actually is. If you’re buying something that someone else bought new and had for a couple of years then sold, that shouldn’t cause any issues, but if it’s older it could be different. Old instruments will often require more maintenance, and this could end up costing you quite a lot later, even if the instrument is cheaper initially.
You could also consider buying an ex-demo instrument. Some shops that stock lots of the same instrument have one that they display and people can try out. Sometimes, if they’ve had the same one on display for a while, they’ll sell it for a lower price, and it’s still basically a new instrument. You can also get discounts if they have a new instrument will a small scratch or similar.
If you’re buying a new instrument that requires a mouthpiece (a sax or a clarinet) it’s worth noting that the mouthpiece that comes with it is unlikely to be great quality and you’ll probably have to buy another if you keep up the instrument. This is most likely going to cost you about £100, so it’s something else to add to the cost. Secondhand instruments might have a good mouthpiece included so this could end up being a better deal.
What can add to the expense of buying an instrument?
Another thing that can add to the expense of buying an instrument is reeds. Saxes, clarinets, oboes and bassoons all require reeds that need to be changed regularly. For single reeds (sax and clarinet), the bigger the instrument, the more expensive the reed (a clarinet reed will cost around £3 and a baritone sax reed around £9). If you’re playing regularly, you could easily use a box of 10 in a few months, so this can end up being a really big expense to add on to the initial cost.
With double reeds (oboe and bassoon), it’s even more expensive. A single oboe reed is going to cost at least £10 and a bassoon reed at least £15. While these can be used for a bit longer than single reeds, you’re still going to have to change them quite a bit if you play a lot and the money quickly adds up.
All instruments will also require maintenance. The cost of a service will probably be more for bigger instruments, and minor repairs will cost similar amounts for all woodwind. It’s a good idea to get your instruments serviced fairly regularly, or you risk them having bigger problems and having to spend a lot of money in one go.
Having taken all of these things into account, I would recommend the flute as the cheapest instrument for a beginner. While the recorder is cheaper, you have much more opportunity to join groups on the flute. It also doesn’t have any reeds or need a separate mouthpiece, which keeps the ongoing costs down.