Each year on May 22 we observe National Buy a Musical Instrument Day. It is unknown when the first musical instrument was invented, but historians believe that flutes made of animal bones date back 37,000 years. Today there are 6 main instrument categories – percussion, woodwinds, brass, strings, keyboard, and electronic.
Playing a musical instrument is a fun and engaging activity for people of all ages. Celebrate today as you learn to play a new instrument.
The most played instrument is the piano, followed by the guitar and the drums. 21 million Americans play the piano – that's more than all other instruments combined. Other popular instruments include the flute, ukulele, saxophone, clarinet, trombone, and violin. Not only is playing a musical instrument fun, it can also increase abilities in other areas. Children who play a musical instrument are shown to read at advanced levels, have larger vocabularies, and work better in teams.
