UKELELE, ANYONE?

Which Are The Most Insanely Difficult Musical Instruments To Learn?

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Every musical instrument has its own complexities and requires a certain amount of skill and dedication to master. But, as everyone knows, not every instrument is equally easy or hard to learn. Which of the following would you consider the most difficult? The violin, which requires the player to contort his or her hands in complicated positions for hours, or the theremin, which must be played in the air, without being able to use frets, or keys as a reference? Read on and learn about 10 complicated but ultimately beautiful instruments.

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We will start with an obvious choice here. The violin is a legendary instrument not just because of the range of expressiveness that it can convey but also because of the level of dexterity needed to play it.

One of the reasons behind this is that there are no guides on the violin for finger placement. With the violin, the lack of frets means that the player must rely on muscle memory to know exactly where to put their fingers.

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The french horn is a very beautiful instrument to look at, indeed. But that beauty comes, in part at least, from the intricate pattern of golden tubes and buttons that almost makes it look like a strange and ancient machine.

Playing the french horn requires a great deal of breath control, and it can be hard to figure out how to position the mouth to get the right pitch. The finger position of this instrument is also challenging. The high notes are relatively close to each other, which makes it difficult to tell the difference between them.

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If a piano and a bagpipe had a child, it would probably be an accordion. This instrument uses air pressure to create its notes and tones, which are played on a piano-style keyboard.

The reason an accordion is so difficult to play is that it requires a lot of different actions to happen simultaneously. Also, it can be quite heavy and tiring to play for long periods.

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Anyone who attempted to learn guitar and found it too difficult should steer clear of the harp. If six strings are hard, imagine having to play forty-seven strings, all of which are very close together.

Learning the exact position of each string and how to pluck it without plucking its neighboring strings is not a piece of cake.

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Bagpipes require an extraordinary amount of air, which can be overwhelming for a beginner. Then there is the playing technique.

Grace notes are just about everywhere in Highland pipe music. As for that deafening sound, you’ll need a good pair of earplugs if you want to practice indoors.

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The clarinet is a woodwind instrument, one of the hardest instruments to learn in its class. Its reed opening requires some good tongue and breath control to get a sound out.

Another major challenge many people cite is the finger holes, as closing these properly in time isn’t simple, and when even the tiniest bit of air is allowed in, the clarinet turns from sublime to squeaky or simply won’t make any sound whatsoever.

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As we have seen in the previous examples, if the instrument looks hard to play, then it probably is. The oboe is similar to a clarinet but much bigger and it creates a brighter and clearer sound compared to the clarinet’s mellow tones.

The oboe is a double reed instrument that requires the player to control multiple things at the same time. It demands a lot from the mouth, lips, tongue, and breath because the sound of the instrument’s notes isn’t just controlled by finger placement. Also, an oboe player needs to learn to breathe through their nose while breathing out through their mouth.

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If playing a keyboard instrument is hard, imagine having to play two keyboards and 25 brass pedals, all at the same time. Unless you are a master prog-rock keyboard player, an organ player, or some other virtuoso, the Hammond organ is a beast to be reckoned with.

Most people battle with the overwhelming number of moving parts that are required just to get a sound out of the organ, let alone a tune. This instrument requires a player with profound multitasking abilities, patience, coordination, and mental strength.

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Another instrument whose complexity becomes apparent when looking at it is the pipe organ. An instrument so big that it only fits inside huge buildings and requires intense coordination of the hands, feet, eyes, and ears, to play it effectively.

It takes a really long time to master the organ, and sometimes that mastery can be limited to only one specific machine since almost no two organs are the same.

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Imagine playing an instrument you can’t even see, only hear. That is the theremin. Or, at least, that is the part of the instrument that you are supposed to play. No frets, no keys, nothing. Only the movement of your hands in the air, responding to the eerie sound.

The theremin is an extraordinarily sensitive instrument: the slightest loss of control will show up in the sound, as will any other interference in the instrument's electromagnetic field.

Feeling elated?

Have you got the right words to express happiness? Here are 10 ways!

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Who doesn’t want to be happy? Isn’t that what our journey through life is all about? We’re always after that soothing feeling of happiness, which comes in many forms. Proof of that is the many ways we’ve got to express joy in our language, one more colorful than the other. You can be like a dog with two tails, over the moon, or happy as a clam, but there’s no doubt you’re feeling happy and gleeful. In this article, we’ll see 10 different ways to express joy, are you ready?

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There is a great variety of idioms to express happiness, and what sets each of them apart is the intensity of the feeling. Let’s begin our list with one that describes feelings of extreme happiness or satisfaction, that’s what you feel when you’re on cloud nine.

Now, why nine? There is more than one theory around it, but the most likely is that "cloud nine" refers to an actual classification of the clouds by the U.S. Weather Bureau, where cloud nine was one of the highest clouds. The veracity of this story is debated, but, in any case, the feeling in the expression is quite clear: happiness levels are all the way up there!

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Even if it has changed a lot, happiness is a basic feeling and has been so forever. Considering this, it’s no surprise that a nursery rhyme from the 16th century gave us one expression to describe this.

To be "over the moon" means to be incredibly pleased or delighted about something. This phrase became popular after the nursery rhyme "Hey Diddle Diddle," where the cow jumps over the moon, an impossible feat! It’s used to describe the kind of happiness that makes you feel like you could leap across the sky. And we truly feel that at times, don’t we?

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If it wasn’t obvious before, it is now: Happiness and altitude are inherently connected! "On top of the world" is yet another expression that describes what you feel when you are elated and in high spirits.

When you’re "on top of the world," you feel invincible, as if nothing can bring you down. Have you ever been on top of a mountain? A city is lying right under you, you look down at everything below with a sense of accomplishment and joy.

It’s used to describe the elation that comes with success and even if its origin is not entirely clear, it’s been used for decades!

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In this expression, altitude is only one aspect, religion is the other. The figure of Heaven takes us to a place up there with the God that rules our beliefs. The expression has been around ever since the 1800s and is not exclusive to a particular religion.

To be "in seventh heaven" is to be in a state of perfect happiness, as if you’re floating in paradise. This phrase has roots in ancient religious beliefs, where the seventh heaven was considered the highest, most blissful level of heaven. It’s a way of saying you’re as happy as you can be, living in your own personal utopia. Quite romantic, don’t you think?

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Spring is indeed a joyful time. Flowers bloom, the days are longer, the warm weather combines with the mild wind, and the general feeling that something good is coming our way is always there. How not to feel full of the joys of spring?

When you are "full of the joys of spring," you’re brimming with energy and happiness, much like the lively season itself. This phrase is perfect for describing the burst of positivity and enthusiasm that comes with a good mood. Whether it’s the weather or just life’s little pleasures, being full of the joys of spring is a wonderful way to feel.

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It’s no news: man’s best friends use their tails to express happiness. How cute is it to see our fluffy friends wagging frantically at the sight of a treat or the leash getting ready for a stroll? There’s no topping that feeling for them. Well, there could be a way, maybe if they could wave two instead of the one tail, right?

That’s what the expression describes, the feeling that the ecstasy cannot be any higher, any better, any deeper. To be "like a dog with two tails" means to be extremely happy, so happy that if you had two tails, you’d wag them both!

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Camping is a very popular activity all over the US, especially for kids. Who as a parent didn’t send their kids to a summer camp? Who, as a kid, didn’t look forward to that bus taking them to the camp every summer? Well, one could say, those were happy campers.

A "happy camper" is someone who’s content, satisfied, and generally in a good mood, no matter the situation. The American Slang Dictionary theorizes that the expression comes from the idea that a camper, enjoying the great outdoors, is cheerful and easygoing. It’s a simple, lighthearted way to express that you’re feeling good and have no complaints. Are you a happy camper?

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Can anyone measure how happy clams are feeling? We certainly don’t believe so, yet this is a very popular expression. Let’s see why.

To be "happy as a clam" means to be perfectly content and at ease. One could say the simile originates from thinking that a clam that’s safely hidden away in its shell is extremely happy.

Linguists believe the phrase comes from a longer version that goes "happy as a clam at high tide," when clams are harder to find and disturb. It’s a cozy, comfortable kind of happiness, where everything feels safe. Now it makes more sense, don’t you think?

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Idiomatic expressions are created in all sorts of ways. The simplest of them, are usually created organically. There’s no complex twist in their form or meaning. That is the case for this expression.

It is quite straightforward: When you’re "grinning from ear to ear," you’re so happy that your smile stretches as wide as it can go. It is the kind of happiness that shows on your face for everyone to see. The downside? It is impossible to hide too! But then again, who would want to hide their happiness?

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We don’t know about you, but we’ve never been able to see a whale and immediately state they were feeling ecstatic. They don’t precisely portray the image of happiness. So how did this expression become so popular?

First, let’s talk about the meaning: To "have a whale of a time" means to enjoy yourself immensely, to feel delighted, big time! Big as a whale? Possibly.

This expression has been around since the late 19th century and the whale metaphor has to do with how much you’re enjoying yourself. It’s not just about having a good time, it’s having the best time you could have!