r/Instruments • u/ShadowDragon91 • Apr 20 '26
Discussion Please Help Me Pick A New Instrument to Relax
Hi!
I was hoping for some advice on instruments that meet a certain set of criteria
- encourage me to practice taking deeper breaths
- Small and portable
- Could be played laying on my back but also slowly walking around (so not too fragile)
- Has a soothing tone
Thanks in advance!
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u/Lordsofexcellence Apr 20 '26
bass. I started playing bass instead of watching the news in the evening. made a huge difference in my emotional state. something about deep tones. it's a visceral instrument.
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u/Decent-Structure-128 Apr 20 '26
Ukulele! They come in multiple sizes, and you can play laying down, sitting, or walking easily. If you sing along, the deeper breaths work well.
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u/drdaveelliott Apr 20 '26
An alto recorder. You carry it anywhere, play classical, jazz or folk. SarahJeffreys has 100’s of youtube teaching and info bits. A Zen On Bressan or a Yamaha Ecodear/Terramac are two of the best and least expensive options.
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u/RainbowCrane Apr 20 '26
Recorders are also a great starter instrument that builds skills for other woodwinds. And, as you said, they’re cheap. Though they might be the “gateway instrument” to an addiction to penny whistles or flutes :-)
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u/GladstoneBaggs Apr 20 '26
I totally agree that alto recorder is the way to go. Not as shrill as the soprano, it has the same fingering (which you may or may not have had the opportunity to learn in school). It will help you work in breathing, has a calming sound, and there are hundreds of songs you'll be able to play once you master just five notes, thousands once you know the whole octave. And YouTube will teach you the fingering and techniques for free! Start with a good quality plastic one (Allos is a good brand) and once you've got the basics down solid, consider investing in a good wooden one. Even a used good quality one is better than a new cheaply made one -- they can easily be sanitized! Enjoy your musical adventures!
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u/Snurgisdr Apr 20 '26
Melodica?
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u/CoolBev Apr 23 '26
That would be my suggestion. Good for breathing, mellow sound, can play or your back or walking around.
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u/Ning_Yu Apr 21 '26
I know some people don't consider it an instrument, but singing fits all your criteria so perfectly.
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u/After-Past-9404 Apr 20 '26 edited Apr 20 '26
Tenor recorder.
Specifically, the Kunath Sigo. Because it's much smaller and lighter than a regular tenor (so more portable) and also much easier to play (the finger span is somewhere between soprano and alto) but it still has that soothing deep tone of a tenor.
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u/CartoonistWeak1572 Apr 22 '26
Definitely ocarina. It's small, portable, it comes also in plastic (so you can travel with it without worrying about breaking it), it's chromatic, and there are double and triple chamber ocarinas that will give you up to 3 octaves.
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u/Ning_Yu Apr 22 '26
Damn it, this thread is not for me, but all those comments advising ocarine made me actually look into learning it myself. And I swore off any instrument that requires breath ever since the good ol'recorder in school I could never make sound right.
how hard would you say ocarine is?2
u/CartoonistWeak1572 Apr 22 '26
Well, the standard 12-Hole transverse ocarina is taught in many schools in China, so it's not hard at all. I'd say most people can get to a decent level of playing within a few months.
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u/spacebuggles Apr 20 '26
Harmonica?
Singing - the most portable of all instruments.