There's a kind of electric violin that actually is rather quiet, and in addition to the strings being quieter (there's no resonance chamber) you can plug headphones in (yeah, plug) and have it sound loud to you. Electric or "silent violin" should probably lead you in the right direction!
I learn the sax, you pick up the keytar. Then we take over the stages of every major festival with dual soloing to smoke machines and neon lights until the groupies carry us off stage. Deal?
There are precisely two instruments on this world I would try to learn:
the bag pipes
Because, to my knowledge, it it the most annoying instrument known to humanity. It's loud, it's screechy, it's haunting, it's everything hateful in a music instrument and yet it is so damn epic sounding.
the hurdy gurdy
Silly sounding name for an instrument capable of sending shivers down your spine.
It is also ridiculously cumbersome and unless you know what it is, the basic reaction to it is wondering if a piano, an accordion and a jack-in-the-box had a threesome and nature decided to create the musical instrument equivalent of the platypus.
I like this instrument so much I created a character for a story that is a necromancer bard, that conveys spells through the music of the hurdy gurdy.
This makes me want to learn the hurdy-gurdy even more! I mean, in reality, I'm never putting in the time to learn to play it anyway. So, in the fantasy of me being dedicated enough to learn to play an instrument, the added fantasy of me maintaining a finely tuned instrument is just added appeal.
Cello. I really think there is no greater instrument (maybe the church organ). It has such a range, from quick and frantic to dark and brooding. Forreference, check out anything composed by Gabriel Saban.
Bagpipes, they are the most beautiful sound to me and the most horrific to everyone else! Also a hurdy gurdy, because it is a interesting sound and I could probably make one and will hopefully do so when I have the time
I have a deep love for Halloween season. I always wanted to get a waterphone. They are just a little to expensive for something that would 100% be a novelty.
Thank you for reminding me that this exists. FYI, it is out of patent and Mr. Waters is now deceased so, one could ethically and legally make a copy. (Patent no. US-3896696-A)
I'm intending to make one for myself at some point, as I THINK I have all the necessary tools at the Makerspace.
EDIT: Just investigated a bit. I absolutely do have access to the tools!!! Now, just to get in to practice TIG welding so that I'm not terribad at it.
You're way ahead of most people learning guitar even if none of those instruments are fretted. Give it a go, I'll bet you'd surprise yourself with how capable you are after a couple of days!
I really like folk instruments. I've been working on learning accordion, but I've put it down for a while. I'm going to make serious study a goal in 2024. Although I don't know what I'd do with it!
Anything. I absolutely love music and the thought of being able to make it myself has always been a dream of mine. However, I can't hold a beat to save my life. I've tried playing the piano, guitar, trumpet, and baritone at stages of my life, never with any success. I can't even play Guitar Hero past medium difficulty.
You don't need a physical keyboard to use MIDI technology. Many audio production programs have a virtual keyboard that will let you play basic stuff with your computer keyboard. However, I sequenced my entire metal album's drum track by just clicking and dragging all the notes in the editor. (Not gonna post it because I don't want to dox myself.) You can get Ardour (which can sequence MIDI amongst other things) for free through your Linux distribution, and I believe it can be found for Windows. Else, Reaper is technically not free, but you can use the demo for as long as you want.
All of this is to say that you don't need any training or equipment to start playing electronic music, particularly that using MIDI technology. A couple hours here and there will be enough to start producing competent music.
Piano. I actually can play it a bit but I'd need 10000 more hours and space and time and motivation to do that. I wish I could just sit down and play, without disturbing the neighbors or limiting my living space or cutting down on my other hobbies. But piano is really nice. I guess I'll stick to listening to it.
You could get a keyboard and use headphones if the noise is the most significant blocker. That can help with the space, too, since you could fold up the stand and put it away when not in use, unlike a piano which is furniture as much as a musical instrument. Unfortunately, there's no helping with the time part unless you're lucky enough to be born with talent, though even then it just means less time rather than little time.
There are two instruments that I would like to learn.
Drums: so I can take out some of the anger and frustration and make it into a melody.
Bass guitar: I have always liked how they sound and when I played any Guitar Hero or similar games, I always played the bass. I could imagine laying in bed and playing a melancholic tune until the sadness goes away. Or just play whatever fits my mood at the moment.
I have also thought that violins look and sound interesting, but they seem pretty complicated to play.
I picked up a cheap acoustic u-bass during the Covid years just to be able to play along with old songs and some soothing melodic solo bass laying on my couch. They are pretty quiet, enough for solo playing without disturbing the neighbors, but the vibrations from the instrument body travel really nice on top the belly. Also it sounds nice and boingy like an upright bass. Perfect for faux jazz and blues.
I guess piano, because I got a free piano off the streets. I could look up videos and lessons, but I'm kind of self conscious about practicing on a real whole god damn piano in an apartment building with neighbors in every direction. I also just don't like to make a lot of noise. I should price an electronic keyboard I can pair with Bluetooth headphones to practice in perfect silence and privacy sometimes.
I would buy some cheap second hand yamaha keyboard and set it up on a table. Something like this:
RockJam RJ761 61 Key Keyboard Piano with Keyboard Bench, Digital Piano Stool, Sustain Pedal and Headphones https://amzn.eu/d/6uVi2Yu
They go a bit cheaper than that too. But anything with over around 66 keys would work.
See how that feels first. If you get into it and enjoy it then move over to the piano you have or spend more money on a proper electronic piano that you can use with headphones.
"closed hole" flute: I have a tendency to pick up loud and obnoxious instruments. trumpet. diatonic harmonica. penny whistle. it would be cool to have a genuinely soft instrument. also, having skills that would transfer to piccolo:D
Piano! I like the way they sound. Other instruments, up close kind of irritate me. I don't really enjoy listening to someone play the guitar or the violin. Fuck the violin.
A dizi (chinese flute). I got two of them at home but never managed to get any good at playing.
Like most hobbies in my life, it's something I get super excited about for a weekend and then completely drop again for half a year or so.