Which is harder to play - drums or guitar?!

J

Joedrumma

Guest
Ok guys me and my friends are having an argument about which instrument is harder to play drums or guitar. I personally think it's the drums all my friends say its the guitar. There argument is that anyone could jump on a drum set and not be out of beat and that when playing drums you have natural rythem to fall back on. My friend said he learned a couple drum patterns in 1 day. what your opinion guys?
 
Re: Which is harder to play drums or guitar?!?!

Depends on the person. I can't play guitar at all and I know guitar players that can't play drums at all.
 
Re: Which is harder to play drums or guitar?!?!

A smart person once said:

Drums are the easiest instrument to learn the basics, but the hardest to master.

I'd say that pretty much applies here. Anyone can jump in the drums and be taught a basic beat.

But getting from basic beginner to being intermediate is probably easier to do on guitar than drums.
 
Re: Which is harder to play drums or guitar?!?!

Ok guys me and my friends are having an argument about which instrument is harder to play drums or guitar. I personally think it's the drums all my friends say its the guitar. There argument is that anyone could jump on a drum set and not be out of beat and that when playing drums you have natural rythem to fall back on. My friend said he learned a couple drum patterns in 1 day. what your opinion guys?

Drums are a more natural fit for me but overall I would say guitar is more difficult. In addition to rhythmic considerations guitar also involves a lot of theory/harmony issues.
 
Re: Which is harder to play drums or guitar?!?!

Yeah, well I learned Smoke On The Water in one day, too.

I don't think it means anything that you can pick out a beat or a riff in a day.

I also think it's utterly meaningless to ask such a question. No offense, but it's just as DSCRAPRE said.

Is it harder to be an astronaut or a monk? See where this logic takes you? They're apples and oranges.
 
Re: Which is harder to play drums or guitar?!?!

A smart person once said:

Drums are the easiest instrument to learn the basics, but the hardest to master.

I'd say that pretty much applies here. Anyone can jump in the drums and be taught a basic beat.

But getting from basic beginner to being intermediate is probably easier to do on guitar than drums.

I agree with this one. You'd be surprised with little rhythm some people have. Not getting high and mighty, but I find that the guitar is a relatively easy instrument. But thats because I was playing jazz and latin drums for 8years before picking one up! Just like I thought piano was easy. Its all about who you are. If you have rhythm, drums is fine at the start. If you can play any instrument competently, then those such as guitar are fine too.

It all depends on the music aswell. Rock and pop drums are the easiest of most instruments in any style. But I feel as though playing jazz or latin on the drums is harder than any other instrument of any style.

But at a certain point, they are all equally...impossible.

Its a stupid arguement. If you are a great guitarist with motivation and good senses, then you COULD be great on any other instrument. But I think the only thing that keeps playing the guitar is line with others is composing. The guitar itself is an easy instrument.

I think piano has the traits that make hard for drummers and guitarists.
 
Re: Which is harder to play drums or guitar?!?!

I agree with yall i think drums is hard to master and get great at!! This convo really got me heated when i was talking to my friends cause they thought playing drums was soo easy and it was like nothing......
 
Re: Which is harder to play drums or guitar?!?!

Drums are the easiest instrument to learn the basics, but the hardest to master.

every instrument is the same, guitar is just as easy as drums to start in, learn some basic I-IV-V in open position and there you go, same for piano, etc. etc.

There is no "easy" musical instrument, they're all hard, some instruments are harder to start with (say, trumpet, violin) others are quite easy (say, drums, piano), but in the end to get to a "master" level it takes a lifetime no matter what instrument it is...
 
Re: Which is harder to play drums or guitar?!?!

Yeah, well I learned Smoke On The Water in one day, too.

I don't think it means anything that you can pick out a beat or a riff in a day.

I also think it's utterly meaningless to ask such a question. No offense, but it's just as DSCRAPRE said.

Is it harder to be an astronaut or a monk? See where this logic takes you? They're apples and oranges.

Now THAT would be a good thread, astronauts vs. monks. Actually, that would probably make a good movie as well...

But I definitely agree, its almost impossible to compare the two. You could look at it a couple ways though. For example, how many hours of practice does it take before you could perform simple rock music live on guitar or drums? In that case, I would probably say that guitar is "harder."

But its not really, because all we established is that have a slightly steeper learning curve in terms of what people commonly perform. You can practice both instruments eternally, and still have more to learn. And all along the way, there's very little (if anything at all) that you can benchmark and say, "Well, I'm a guitarist and I can play this, and a drummer who has practiced an equal amount of time cannot!"
 
Re: Which is harder to play drums or guitar?!?!

If the difficulty of the instrument determined its value then all anyone would ever want to hear or play is the Theremin.
 
Re: Which is harder to play drums or guitar?!?!

A smart person once said:
Drums are the easiest instrument to learn the basics, but the hardest to master.

I've actually heard that same anonymous quote before except it was describing the guitar.

I've been playing drums for about one and a half years and I've been on the guitar for eight. I've had private instruction on both and gigged with bands on both. Honestly I'd have to say they're the same difficulty to learn but they're VERY VERY different. Learning the drums has been easier because I already play several instruments and have a practical goal to work up to. That's not to say that one is easier than the other. Guitar requires an understanding of melody, intervals, harmonies and basic rhythm. Drums calls for a STRONG understanding of rhythm, meter, time signatures which I suppose could all be the same thing but it doesn't feel that way when you're learning it.

As a fellow drummer though I'll give you this fun piece of advice. If you want to settle this and mess with your friends ask them to play a riff to a click track. Guitarists can only do that if they're shredders working on building speed. For drummers that's Thursday night practice.
 
Re: Which is harder to play drums or guitar?!?!

I've been playing guitar since the age of 7. I went on to study at music school and guitar was my principal instrument. It's a relatively easy instrument to learn, but a hard instrument to master. That's why there are millions of guitarists who can strum chords to a few songs, but few with the skill and musicianship of, say, Pat Metheny or Bill Frisell.

Granted, the same can be said of any instrument - mastery takes years of dedication - so for that reason I can't say that Guitar is harder to learn than drums, but, in my experience, it involves a hell of lot more effort to advance to a professional standard.
 
Re: Which is harder to play drums or guitar?!?!

I've always found limb independence and coordination a lot easier on the guitar, especially the feet.
 
Re: Which is harder to play drums or guitar?!?!

Depends on the person maybe? I tried to play guitar for years but reached a plateau and it never felt very 'natural'. Been at the drums for four months and I'm way more competent in a band setting than I ever was on the guitar
 
Re: Which is harder to play drums or guitar?!?!

It's kind of a pointless question but there are difficulties in both instruments.

In my experience playing rhythms is slightly easier on guitar. When it comes to drums you have a 16" drum stick to factor into your estimations. It's only a small thing, but it takes years to make that stick "an extension of your arm" whereas fretting on the guitar is immediate to the touch.

Obviously drummers don't need to understand harmony etc. but at the end of the day it's each person that places the limits on an instrument.
 
Re: Which is harder to play drums or guitar?!?!

Guitar. Too many chords to remember and with my short fingers I can't manipulate the fretboard. Drums you have to learn rhythm and the guitar rhythm and melody.
 
Re: Which is harder to play drums or guitar?!?!

Far more good guitar players than good drummers....'nuff said
 
Re: Which is harder to play drums or guitar?!?!

Like Liebe Zeit, I tried for years to pick up guitar and never got there. I could never hold down all the strings to play bar chords except on electrics with a super sleek action and light gauge strings.

On guitar you have to make the notes whereas on drums or keys the notes are right there for you. Of course, notes aren't just notes and drummers with great feel and control can pull things out of kits that less skilled players can't. I personally found drums much easier and more natural, but that's just me.

I don't think it's a stupid question ... it's very pertinent for those looking to choose an instrument.

BTW, since astronauts have to be accomplished scientists and face extraordinary mental and physical challenges and have great courage and just about live like a monk for extended periods, I'd say it's MUCH harder than being a monk, where all you need to do is know a bunch of highly speculative texts and behave yourself :)
 
Re: Which is harder to play drums or guitar?!?!

Playing a basic rock beat is pretty darn easy.

Playing cowboy chord folk songs is easy too.

They're just really different instruments. Drums have less theory going on, but you have to be able to have that independence (or interdependence) and stay in time doing it. I think the "easy to pick up, hard to master" is a good slogan. Drums require technique and ability to sound good at.

Guitar is also "easy to pick up, hard to master"... but I think less of it is on technique. You can learn alot of guitar's techniques (hammer on, slides, tapping, pinch harmonics, etc) fairly easily. Your limbs aren't that independent either, your picking hand is always related to the fretting hand. Guitar's biggest hurdle is using your ear, knowing what notes to play, and being able to play what you hear in your head.
 
Re: Which is harder to play drums or guitar?!?!

I find it harder to play the guitar personally. Though I would suspect some find it harder to play the drums. At an absolute beginner level? Drums are probably easier. At an advanced level? A toss up - both instruments have their intracacies. Regardless, this sounds like a "better than you goading" so I'll say this:

I find it harder to sidestep left than I do sidestep right.
 
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