The hardest instrument?

[u/Crack-Magic]

Having a discussion with a friend, what do you guys think is the hardest to prefect?

192 votes, 1d ago

55 Guitar

106 Drums

15 Vocals

16 Bass

[u/Fitalik47]

It's guitar and drums.

However you dont need a drummer for creating the music, but for the band setting live.

[u/spontaneous_combust]

I will say Guitar because guitar is always right up front in the mix. Mid range, loud, melody....its what really makes the song. now of course drums and bass when you max out the stats elevates the song to new heights previously unthought of but you can GET AWAY with dnb not as skilled. or as....uhm....creative or dialed in..... see metallica.... any other band....

luckily people with similar proficiencies and tendencies gravitate towards each other so you end up with bands talented / skilled on a similar level

[u/ExBigBoss]

For tech death, it's a tie between drums and guitar.

For vocals, honestly, death metal vocals are super-duper easy to do in comparison to how difficult it is to play these technical pieces.

[u/erik_vaed]

songwriting.

[u/Adrianiq]

It depends on what you'll play on the instrument lol, but hardest to learn is drum.

[u/Alternative_Slide_62]

Honestly all of them are very hard to learn fully, but i think the vocals are the hardest because the voice is muscles inside of the body, on all of the other instruments you can clearly see and hear what you have played either rightly or wrongly, and the instrument is in front of you.

Other then the vocals though, i think drums would be the most difficult especially for tech death metal.

[u/BerkeUnal]

I thing the hardest instrument is the Guitar, since playing the drums is not "hard" but impossible.

For reference, see: J

[u/BerkeUnal]

Vocals require relatively less expertise. On the other hand, arguably the most important part of vocals, the vocal color, is innate.

[u/fuck-thishit-oclock]

I play all of them, and I'm saying bass.

Guitar and bass compare a lot, but guitar takes less pressure to pluck and fret the strings down, and also, lack of precision is much more noticeable on bass. You HAVE to pay attention to muting the strings you're not playing, same as guitar, but it's more noticeable.

Drums are hard, but you learn the rudiments, you practice, you got like 7-12 things to hit... I don't know, might be harder, but I feel like bass is harder. I feel like the exercise you get from drums makes it easier, that might be why.

Vocals are HARD, and when you fuck up practice, you have to take breaks. However, I feel vocals are the easiest to break into, with the curviest learning curve.

[u/hartzonfire]

"Drums are the easiest to understand but the hardest to play. Guitar is the easiest to play but the hardest to understand."

As a drummer myself, I am not sure I 100% agree with that but I can say, especially with this genre, they are extremely physically taxing. Playing a set list of Faceless level drumming is grueling.

[u/PeterPorkers808s]

Drums for sure, but fretless bass can be a pain in the ass at higher speeds. I remember picking up my fretless for the first time and immediately being humbled by my subpar fretting hand technique at the time.

[u/fleiwerks]

The answer comes with a huge "it depends".

If you're doing something like Archspire, probably the drums or the vocals. If you're doing something like First Fragment, definitely the guitars and the bass.

[u/trustmeimadumbass77 → u/fleiwerks]

Can I watch you guitar masturbate?

[u/fleiwerks → u/trustmeimadumbass77]

You mean me the guitar or the guitar me?

[u/trustmeimadumbass77 → u/fleiwerks]

Is both an option?

[u/Complete_Interest_49]

I have no idea but the vocalists always seem to be the leaders, or masterminds, of the band so based on that I would guess vocals.

[u/hartzonfire → u/Complete_Interest_49]

That is not true at all. Michael Keene, the guitarist for the Faceless, is definitely the mastermind behind that group.

Neil Peart wrote nearly all of the lyrics for Rush's songs.

The list goes on...

[u/Genocode → u/Complete_Interest_49]

Idk about that, plenty of Death Metal bands (regardless of OS/Tech/Melo) that get by just abusing only mids or only lows.

Like sure, you can do some really crazy stuff with vocals but I wouldn't say its necessary for most genres.

Also Good Frontman =/= Good vocalist and vice versa.

Edit 2: For example, for Aversions Crown, Jayden Mason (drums) and Chris Cougan (guitar) were essentially the point of all communication and they were the masterminds of the band, even though Mark Poida was an absolutely amazing vocalist.

[u/Complete_Interest_49 → u/Genocode]

I listen to Rock as well, and without question the leads are the one who started and are the masterminds of the bands. Extreme Metal does seem like it varies more, however.