The Player’s Shelf / Articles / Should you learn piano or guitar first?
Should you learn piano or guitar first?
Affiliate links: some buttons on this page are affiliate links. If you buy, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. #ad Product notes are based on each vendor’s own description, not hands-on testing.
Pianoforall
A chord-and-rhythm-first piano course designed to get adults playing songs early, according to the vendor.
Is piano or guitar easier for beginners?
Neither is “easy”; they’re hard in different places.
- Piano is easier to start. Press a key and you get a clean note. The notes are laid out in a straight line, so patterns, scales and chords are easy to see. The challenge comes a little later: getting two hands to do different things at once.
- Guitar is harder to start. Pressing strings hurts until calluses form (usually a few weeks of regular practice), and your first chords will buzz. But once you can change between four or five open chords, you can strum along to a huge number of songs, often within a couple of months.
For adults, the deciding factor is rarely the instrument. It’s whether you keep practising after the first month. See our guide on how long piano takes to learn as an adult for realistic milestones.
Piano vs guitar: side-by-side comparison
| Piano / keyboard | Guitar | |
|---|---|---|
| First week | Clean notes immediately | Sore fingertips, buzzing chords |
| Main early challenge | Hand independence | Chord changes and finger strength |
| Music theory | Very visual; easier to understand | Shape-based; theory is less obvious |
| Reading music | Usually learned with standard notation | Often tab and chord charts |
| Starter cost | A weighted 88-key digital piano costs more than a beginner guitar; a smaller keyboard is cheaper but limits you | A playable beginner acoustic or electric (plus amp) is usually cheaper |
| Portability | Low | High |
| Playing with others | Accompaniment, bands, worship, solo | Campfires, bands, singer-songwriting |
| Practising quietly | Easy with headphones on a digital piano | Easy on electric with headphones; acoustics are loud |
Prices vary widely by country and shop, so compare a few retailers. Buy the best instrument you can comfortably afford: a badly set-up guitar or a keyboard with unweighted keys makes learning harder.
Pianoforall
A chord-and-rhythm-first piano course designed to get adults playing songs early, according to the vendor.
Which instrument fits the music you want to play?
- Pop ballads, film music, classical, jazz piano: piano.
- Rock, blues, folk, indie, singer-songwriter: guitar.
- Accompanying your own singing: both work well. Guitar is easier to take anywhere; piano gives fuller harmony.
- Writing songs or producing music on a computer: piano, because almost all music software uses a keyboard layout.
- Not sure: make a list of ten songs you’d love to play and see which instrument features in most of them.
What about age, hands and health?
You can start either instrument at any age. Many people take up piano in their 50s and 60s (see can you learn piano at 50 or 60?). Small hands manage both; on guitar, a shorter-scale or three-quarter guitar can help. If you have arthritis or joint pain, piano tends to put less pressure on the fingertips, but ask your GP or a physiotherapist if playing hurts, and take regular breaks.
Do skills transfer from one to the other?
Yes. Rhythm, ear training, understanding chords and the habit of daily practice all carry over. Many guitarists find piano clarifies the theory behind the shapes they already play, and many pianists find guitar easy to strum once they know what a chord is. Learning the second instrument is usually faster than the first.
If you go with keys, our beginner piano chords guide and keyboard vs piano article are good next steps. If you go with guitar, start with open chords and then our guitar scales for beginners.
How should you practise in the first month?
Whichever you pick, the first month is about building a habit, not talent. Aim for short daily sessions rather than one long weekend session: 15–20 minutes most days beats two hours on a Sunday. Warm up for a couple of minutes, work on one new thing (a chord change, a scale, a hand-coordination exercise), then finish by playing something you enjoy so you end on a high.
On guitar, keep sessions short while your fingertips toughen up, and stop if anything hurts beyond mild tenderness. On piano, keep your wrists relaxed and your shoulders down, and take a break if your hands feel tense. Record yourself once a week on your phone: hearing progress you can’t notice day to day is one of the best motivators there is. Our guide to practising guitar efficiently has a sample routine that works for piano too.
A simple way to decide (checklist)
- List ten songs you want to play. Count which instrument leads them.
- Check your space and budget: do you have room for a digital piano?
- Will you practise at home only, or want to play anywhere?
- If you can, try both in a shop for ten minutes.
- Commit to one for three months, 15–20 minutes a day, before judging.
- Pick one structured course or teacher, rather than random videos, so you know what to practise next.
Common questions
Should I learn piano or guitar first?
Choose the one that plays the music you love. Piano is easier for theory and first sounds; guitar is cheaper, portable and fast for strumming songs.
Is guitar harder than piano?
Guitar is usually harder in the first few weeks because of sore fingers and chord changes. Piano gets harder later, when both hands do different things.
Can I learn piano and guitar at the same time?
You can, but most beginners progress faster by focusing on one for the first few months.
Does piano help you learn guitar?
Yes. Understanding notes and chords on a keyboard makes guitar theory easier to follow.
Which is cheaper to start, piano or guitar?
Usually guitar, though a basic keyboard can be inexpensive. A full-size weighted digital piano costs more.
What we’d look at next
Pianoforall
A chord-and-rhythm-first piano course designed to get adults playing songs early, according to the vendor.
Singorama
If you want to sing along to whichever instrument you choose.
Minor Pentatonic Guitar Course
For later, not day one: once you know basic guitar chords and the first pentatonic shape, this course covers soloing across the neck, according to the vendor.
Not sure which fits? Take the 30-second quiz or see our comparisons.
Related comparisons: Pianoforall vs Singorama · Best online music courses for adult beginners
More articles
- How long does it take to learn piano as an adult?
- How to sing better: 9 tips for beginners
- How to start soloing with the minor pentatonic scale
- Piano chords for beginners
- The best way to learn piano online as an adult
- Keyboard vs piano for beginners
- Can you learn piano at 50 or 60?
- How to expand your vocal range
- How to sing on pitch
- How to sing from your diaphragm
- Guitar scales for beginners
- How to practise guitar efficiently
Get the free PDF
A 4-week practice plan for piano, guitar or voice: how to split 15 minutes a day, warm-ups, a metronome routine and a progress log.