Easy instruments?

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I used to play guitar when I was younger, gave up, but always had a special approach to music, so now I want to go back... I'm not the most creative one, but I do tend to notice theory behind songs I like, so I want to further that.

I like playing electrical guitar with a clean sound, as playing funky chords, and was always fascinated by bass, and really enjoy slapping. I also have a harmonica and keyboards in my home. I mostly like compositions in which the instruments relate to each other, I appreciate the harmony. I also like tracks in which instruments do little but add a lot.

So basically - I'm searching for an instrument that's easy to play, so I can master it technically and develop my understanding. I'm interested in all kinds of music, so I plan to master other instruments anway (if I succeed...) - so really, just looking for something easy.

Any recommendations for some instrument to focus for now, other than my guitar?

In my experience drumming is incredibly fun to learn if you're teaching yourself.

Get a nice small basic kit (an electronic one if you don't have a space to be loud), watch a youtube video on how to keep it tuned to your liking, get a headset, and start playing along to your favorite music. Solo play or with music to play to are both fun, I love pulling patterns out of things so drumming was a natural first instrument for me to learn. It also helped me to learn bass and some piano seemingly a lot easier. But yeah, you said you like how instruments relate to each other; rhythm relates to all of them

Cheap but not so easy instrument is your own voice - the best wind instrument in the world!

The piano and violin.

Those are my favorite instruments and I use to teach piano.

I'm hoping I can learn more on guitar.

nintendo ds with korg ds 10.

check it out on youtube.

I like keyboard instruments, and recording myself with Audacity, so if I hit a
sour note then I can just feel around for the best note and cut out the mess
later on.

As for voice, I have an ongoing project to improve or alter my own with
electronics because I never liked the sound of it from a playback. That is
because of an illusion caused by the way sound goes from the vocal tract
to the ears, and lack of voice training, but these days almost anyones
singing voice can be "fixed" with autotune or melodyne or other voice
processors, and I think most of the songs on the radio sound better than
the voices of those who sung them because of those machines.

The triangle is pretty simple. Or why not try the kalimba?

Rock Band(TM)

My first suggestion would be the cello, but that's not exactly easy.

Try a brass instrument!

I find that the drums are very easy to play. I don't have to read any words, or memorize and chords.

In terms of easy instrument, may I introduce you to the monophonic synth. One note at a time, it makes lovely sounds, it rocks!

In all seriousness. Bass is easy, synths are easy. Piano, guitar, violin and cello are all more difficult. I would say a big thing most people do not consider is hand size. Bass guitars come in short scale versions such as the classic hofner beatle bass and the fender mustang bass. Double bass instruments are a little harder.

Synths. Monophonic analog synths are great. They sound unique. Whether it be a Moog or something by Dave Smith Instruments. They also are really fun. Playing with the knobs can keep me amused for hours. (I play a polyphonic Virtual Analog, still a blast).

another vote

As a kid I started playing music on an electronic organ, a melodica (if you don't know what that is, see: wikipedia - melodica (link)) and a recorder. They were easy to learn, in my opinion.
I think I would try a keyboard or a wind instrument if I were you.

This probably isn't the style of answer you were looking for... But:

[aspie obsession]
The computer based DAW(digital audio workstation), and their various accompanying VSTi's(virtual studio technology instruments).

The more time goes by, the more I feel that I am in fact a form of instrumentalist due to the technical depth, the learning curve, the potential expressiveness, and more. I feel that the computer is as much of a valid musical instrument as any.... And it is by far the most versatile, various, and deep. The learning process never ends. Mastery isn't actually mastery - you can always learn and improve more, and more, and more, and it never stops.

My recent song, posted in the stickied showcase thread, has a section near the end where I go nuts with my synth's automation, and take very, very meticulous and precise care, so as to give it a 'vocal' or 'talking' quality. Not only is that accomplished by the initial patch I put together, but by very specific, not-at-all-random movements of the various filter and distortion parameters. I included a screenshot of it for fun & profit, though it's probably unintelligible if you're not into synths and DAWs...

It took a lot of Asperger's-Style hyper-focus and time to get that good with my synthesis and sound design. However, due to my ability to grind it through with such focus, I was able to go from 'synth noob' to 'extremely competent' within about 2 years. That's pretty damn good.

So.... Why am I listing it as an "easy instrument?"
Because it requires zero manual dexterity and muscle memory!
You play it purely with your mind.

Seriously, what's the difference between a crazy synth solo and an Eddie Van Halen guitar solo? Manual dexterity. A physical trick. THATS ALL.
Respect for guys who can do those physical tricks, but personally I'm more interested in the creative elements.
>Very Mild But Fun Example<
But there's way better examples out there... Just can't think of a cherry one at the moment. It's late.

[/aspie obsession]

the traps are easy mainly for somebody for whom multitasking is second-nature. i would define an "easy" instrument as one which doesn't require multitasking [each limb doing something different simultaneously], is easy to learn and is easy to play. maybe an individual drum or percussion instrument, say a bongo drum or a vibraslap.

Ukulele