If you've ever tried to pick up a musical instrument, you know it takes hard work and dedication to fully master. Some people are naturally gifted, but for most of us, there are hours of practice required to play even a simple tune. But if you need a bit of motivation to dust off your guitar or those old piano keys, keep in mind that certain instruments make you more appealing to others. You read that right: Aside from the joy of jamming with a band, entertaining friends and family, or just playing for yourself, there are musical instruments that are considered "the sexiest" to play. Read on to find out which instruments make you the most attractive, according to data.
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One instrument was the clear winner.
ShutterstockA poll conducted by 60 Minutes and Vanity Fair in 2014 asked 1,017 American adults about their music preferences—including which instruments they think are the most attractive.
The instrument at the top of the list shouldn't come as a big surprise: It's the guitar. Approximately 26 percent of respondents said the guitar is the sexiest instrument someone can play.
According to Tom Fontana, guitarist, teacher, and owner of TheGuitarLesson.com, this may have something to do with emotional connections, confidence, or even associations with famous musicians.
"Playing the guitar has been seen as cool for decades, thanks to iconic bands and artists," Fontana tells Best Life. "I think there's a certain mystique to it, and it just gives people who play guitar (or any other popular instrument) an extra burst of awesomeness, like you're part of some legendary club of rock stars. Playing cover songs of popular bands has the added effect of directly tying you to the greats."
The saxophone wasn't too far behind.
ShutterstockJust behind the guitar was a more unique choice—the saxophone—which 25 percent of respondents said was the sexiest instrument someone could play. Next up was the piano (21 percent), followed by the violin (14 percent), the drums (7 percent), and the flute (5 percent).
However, it's worth noting that perceptions were affected by respondents' gender and age. In fact, women found the guitar to be sexiest (28 percent), followed by the saxophone (25 percent), but for men, it was the reverse. While 25 percent of men thought the sax was sexiest, 24 percent thought the guitar should take the top spot.
When it comes to age, younger Americans again preferred the guitar, but they "appreciated the sexiness of the saxophone more" as they got older.
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Playing an instrument requires dedication, which is a desirable characteristic.
The poll didn't ask how or why respondents selected the most attractive instrument, but experts say there are a few plausible reasons. While these instruments fall into different families, from percussion to strings to woodwinds, they all require a certain level of skill.
"Playing a musical instrument is appealing because it exhibits creativity, ability, and devotion, all of which are desirable characteristics," says Jason Shiers, certified transformative coach and certified psychotherapist of United Recovery California. "The 'sexiest' instruments are undoubtedly popular owing to their flexibility and presence in popular music."
If your instrument didn't end up on the list, fear not. Shiers says these five may be conventionally attractive, but they're not the only ones that can land you a date.
"Other instruments that are less traditionally appealing to play may exist, but it ultimately comes down to individual preferences and cultural context," he shares.
Another study found that musicality itself is attractive.
LightFieldStudios / iStockSpeaking to Shiers' point, a small experimental study published in Aug. 2022 in Frontiers in Psychology found that musicians in general may be more desirable, giving weight to Charles Darwin's hypothesis about musicality's association with evolution.
Researchers found that men who were presented as performers of music were rated as more attractive and more desirable to date by women. On the flip side, women who were presented as performers were rated as more desirable to date by men.
"Mate choice and dating behaviour are determined by a wide range of factors," lead study author Manuela M. Marin, music psychologist, researcher, and lecturer at the University of Vienna, told PsyPost. "The human face is an important biological and social cue in any dating scenario. Musicality may be another relevant cue because researchers have proposed that musicality is a signal of intelligence and enhanced motor skills.”
Interestingly enough, results once again differed across genders, as men didn't necessarily find women presented as musicians to be more attractive (although they were more inclined to take them on a date).
