heyhey,
this here might contain two questions actually.
- got an idea, what instrument might suit me?
- how, actually learn?
background
i am not new to learng stuff by myself, mostly languages in the widest sense. the only thing i can’t really get my head around is music. i know rudimentary how to read notes, but ofc don’t really grasp what they mean. when i learned a bit about electronics, that explained a lot more about music for me. i tried to learn the recorder (bc its was there) and keyboard (bc super versatile). by now, that all didn’t work. i am a beginner.
i guess that is abt how these are played. i am used to grab a book sit down in a comfy position and read. keyboards need setup and are relatively large. the recorder is small and portable, but you need a decent body position, to control your breath.
i was thinking about some kind of ukulele, maybe? how do i build a habit, that works for practice?
update
ty all! all your comments really helped a lot to think clearer abt the why qnd what. i am a little overwhelmed and can’t answer each of you. but tyvm! in some cases i feel like there is an answer that needs to get out. in others i don’t know what to say other than “ty for sharing!”
i grabbed a guitar from a friend, now my fingies hurt. but i am also surprised of how quick you can get interesting results from such an instrument. i will try it out a bit longer and then maybe try a ukulele. i know they are quite different, but more similar to each other tgan to flute or keys.
maybe there’s a journey starting. :)


really you should pick an instrument that you are excited about and we can’t know that.
I loved playing piano as a kid, and when I became a teen I wanted to play bass, then in my 20s I wanted to learn clarinet so I’d have a well-rounded experience with different instruments.
The best way to learn is classes, the best way to practice is scales. Anyone who has the fortitude to play the 24 scales every day and maybe a few modes before an hour of practice will become better than most people, faster.
Being able to see I-V-vi-IV in F and being able to instinctively play it only comes from hours of drilling scales.
when Im in a music-heavy space, I have some music dice that I roll and make it into a chord progression and play that. I also try and memorize a new song a week til I can play it without looking at the music and without a backing track (but, crucially, with a click track or metronome)
What are the 24 scales you mentioned?
12 keys (A, Bb, B, C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G#) major and minor. 36 if you count melodic minor and harmonic minor separately.