15 Toughest Musical Instruments to Play

The 15 toughest musical instruments to play take time and a lot of dedication, not to mention the utmost patience. But if you can earn that skill and keep from pulling your hair out then good on you.

Bassoon

The mere name of this instrument is kind of odd since it sounds like one is expelling a breath while being struck. But the double reed instrument requires a lot of skill to master, and it does require the use of all ten fingers.

Pipe Organ

The look of this instrument makes a lot of people think of a jumped-up piano. But the difficulty that people have playing it comes from the multiple keyboards and the foot pedals, that one has to pay attention to.

Cello

It’s a popular string instrument and one that many have a desire to learn. Unfortunately, many people drop the cello when they figure out that they need to have a bit of upper body strength to support and play it.

Nyckelharpa

It’s not something you normally hear about, is it? There’s a lot to playing this instrument though, as it’s one of the most difficult musical instruments for a reason. Think of what might happen if you put the violin, the harmonica, and a guitar into one instrument.

Oboe

Reed instruments require a very precise operator that knows how to blow into them with a controlled breath. The air needs to be constant and the same throughout, or it’s easy to fail with this instrument.

Bagpipes

They sound cool, they look a little odd, but they’re one of the more difficult instruments to learn. Like any reed instrument, it requires skill, patience, and proper breathing. But if you get that, then it sounds awesome.

Harp

Thankfully your breathing isn’t too big of a deal with this instrument. But the dexterity in your fingers is crucial without a doubt, since plucking strings is difficult if you can’t crook one finger at a time.

French Horn

Mouth position is crucial since otherwise this is one of the most difficult instruments to learn, let alone master. Not only that, but the combinations to learn with the valves on the horn are a great way to test your memorization skills.

Accordion

The accordion gets a lot of disrespect since it is typically one of the more annoying sounds unless one knows what they’re doing. But multitasking is a must if you’re taking on this instrument.

Drum Set

Again, multi-tasking is key if you want to learn how to play the drums. Think of the high hat, then the pedal, then the actual drums, and the spatial awareness required to master this instrument.

Piano

As one of the more classical instruments on this list, the piano is one of those that a lot of people would love to learn. Dexterity in your fingers and memorization of the keys and notes is necessary to make a run at being a pianist.

Trumpet

This instrument is kind of like the French Horn, but there are differences. Mouth placement is a necessity while pressing the right valves is another. But the hours of practice are what pares down the number of practitioners.

Double Bass

Not only is this a large instrument, but it requires a lot of patience and the ability to ignore the toll it will take on your fingers. It does sound great when played correctly, but it takes a while.

Violin

It sounds great when a violinist knows how to work their instrument and make it sing. Not only does this punish the fingers like a guitar or Double Bass, but it also requires hours to get good enough for anyone to give you a second look.

Piccolo

It’s one of the smallest but also toughest musical instruments to play, but the Piccolo is every bit as difficult to learn. It’s one of the loudest instruments, oddly enough, and can stand out in a crowd.