Which instrument should you play? | Think Like A Composer episode artwork

EPISODE · May 17, 2026 · 10 MIN

Which instrument should you play? | Think Like A Composer

from TED-Ed · host TED-Ed

Professional musicians share how they chose their instruments, and what you should consider when choosing what to play.--"Think Like A Musician" connects you with working musicians who want to help the music-curious and music-passionate hone and share the gift of music with the world. Part interview, part animated course, our first season "Think Like A Performer" features artists sharing their insight on the ins and outs of fine-tuning your instrument and crafting a great performance. Each episode features free supplemental learning materials developed by Education Through Music (https://etmonline.org) — a nonprofit with over 30 years of experience developing classroom-adaptable curriculum for music educators.Directed by Kozmonot Animation Studio.A special thanks to the musicians who provided their insights and expertise for this video. You can check out their pages here: https://www.youtube.com/user/benharperhttps://www.youtube.com/@NunesBobbyhttps://www.youtube.com/@grace__bowershttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZOWzC1SZPiIRRr52fdabvwhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMZsFzIPvqSsOL_ta-zZq2gSupport Our Non-Profit Mission----------------------------------------------Support us on Patreon: http://bit.ly/TEDEdPatreonCheck out our merch: http://bit.ly/TEDEDShop----------------------------------------------Connect With Us----------------------------------------------Sign up for our newsletter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdNewsletterFollow us on Facebook: http://bit.ly/TEDEdFacebookFind us on Twitter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdTwitterPeep us on Instagram: http://bit.ly/TEDEdInstagram----------------------------------------------Keep Learning----------------------------------------------View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/which-instrument-should-you-play-think-like-a-musicianDig deeper with additional resources: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/which-instrument-should-you-play-think-like-a-musician/digdeeper----------------------------------------------Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Igor Stavchanskiy, James R DeVries, Grace Huo, Diana Huang, Chau Hong Diem, Orlellys Torre, Corheu, Thomas Mee, Maryann H McCrory, Blas Borde, John Hellmann, Poompak Meephian, Chuck Wofford, Adam Pagan, Wes Winn, Conder Shou, ntiger, Noname, Hansan Hu, David D, Mac Hyney, Keith Ellison, robin valero walters, Lynne Truesdale, Gatsby Dkdc, Matthew Neal, Denis Chon, Julian Oberhofer, Monte Carroll, Eddy, Jay M, Constantino Victor Delgado, Andrea Galvagni, Andrew Tweddle, Laurel-Ann Rice, Fernando A. Endo, Helen Lee, pam morgan, sarim haq, Gerardo Castro, Michel-Ange Hortegat, Enes Kirimi, Amaury BISIAUX, ND, Samyogita Hardikar, Vanessa Graulich, Vandana Gunwani, Abdulmohsin Almadi, AJ Lyon, and Geoffrey Bultitude. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Professional musicians share how they chose their instruments, and what you should consider when choosing what to play.--"Think Like A Musician" connects you with working musicians who want to help the music-curious and music-passionate hone and share the gift of music with the world. Part interview, part animated course, our first season "Think Like A Performer" features artists sharing their insight on the ins and outs of fine-tuning your instrument and crafting a great performance. Each episode features free supplemental learning materials developed by Education Through Music (https://etmonline.org) — a nonprofit with over 30 years of experience developing classroom-adaptable curriculum for music educators.Directed by Kozmonot Animation Studio.A special thanks to the musicians who provided their insights and expertise for this video. You can check out their pages here: https://www.youtube.com/user/benharperhttps://www.youtube.com/@NunesBobbyhttps://www.youtube.com/@grace__bowershttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZOWzC1SZPiIRRr52fdabvwhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMZsFzIPvqSsOL_ta-zZq2gSupport Our Non-Profit Mission----------------------------------------------Support us on Patreon: http://bit.ly/TEDEdPatreonCheck out our merch: http://bit.ly/TEDEDShop----------------------------------------------Connect With Us----------------------------------------------Sign up for our newsletter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdNewsletterFollow us on Facebook: http://bit.ly/TEDEdFacebookFind us on Twitter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdTwitterPeep us on Instagram: http://bit.ly/TEDEdInstagram----------------------------------------------Keep Learning----------------------------------------------View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/which-instrument-should-you-play-think-like-a-musicianDig deeper with additional resources: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/which-instrument-should-you-play-think-like-a-musician/digdeeper----------------------------------------------Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Igor Stavchanskiy, James R DeVries, Grace Huo, Diana Huang, Chau Hong Diem, Orlellys Torre, Corheu, Thomas Mee, Maryann H McCrory, Blas Borde, John Hellmann, Poompak Meephian, Chuck Wofford, Adam Pagan, Wes Winn, Conder Shou, ntiger, Noname, Hansan Hu, David D, Mac Hyney, Keith Ellison, robin valero walters, Lynne Truesdale, Gatsby Dkdc, Matthew Neal, Denis Chon, Julian Oberhofer, Monte Carroll, Eddy, Jay M, Constantino Victor Delgado, Andrea Galvagni, Andrew Tweddle, Laurel-Ann Rice, Fernando A. Endo, Helen Lee, pam morgan, sarim haq, Gerardo Castro, Michel-Ange Hortegat, Enes Kirimi, Amaury BISIAUX, ND, Samyogita Hardikar, Vanessa Graulich, Vandana Gunwani, Abdulmohsin Almadi, AJ Lyon, and Geoffrey Bultitude. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Which instrument should you play? | Think Like A Composer

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This episode was published on May 17, 2026.

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Professional musicians share how they chose their instruments, and what you should consider when choosing what to play.--"Think Like A Musician" connects you with working musicians who want to help the music-curious and music-passionate hone and...

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