The guitar comes to mind first when people think of music
Core finding
Verasight surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults from August 13 to 18, 2026. 48.5% of Americans think of the guitar first, followed by the piano (28.5%) and drums (11.7%).
The violin follows at 3.8%, the trumpet at 2.6% and the cello at 1.0%. Another 4.1% named another instrument or don't know any.
Topline distribution
The guitar comes to mind first when people think of music.
When you think of music, what is the first instrument that comes to mind?
n = 1,000 · Aug 13–18, 2026 · MoE ±3.2%
Methodology
Full methodology →| Mode | Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting |
|---|---|
| Population | US adults age 18+ |
| Field dates | Aug 13–18, 2026 |
| Base (unweighted) | 1,000 |
| Margin of error | ±3.2% |
| Module | Verasight JSM and Quirk's Omnibus Survey |
| Sponsor | Verasight |
| Weight variable | weight |
| Weighting targets | age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status |
Sources
- reports.verasight.io/r/jsm-quirks-2026
When you think of music, what is the first instrument that comes to mind?
Cite this question
JSM and Quirk's Omnibus Survey, fielded August 13-18, 2026, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.2%.