When many new guitar players first go about figuring out how to play guitar, they often face the task of trying to find out what guitar is right for them. This is a pretty hard choice and if you’re completely new to the guitar you may be confused about what you should pick. Hopefully by the time you are done reading this post you will know what type of guitar is right for you.
Although it is a bit of a complicated matter if you organize it into a few things you should be able to figure or what kind of guitar is right for you in no time. Than once you figure it out you will be able to really starting learning to play guitar.
What Are The Three Basic Types Of Guitar?
The first step on choosing which guitar is right for you is to figure out what options you exactly have to choose from. There are basically 3 different types of guitars that you can learn to play on. These 3 types are the electric guitar, the acoustic guitar, and the classical guitar.
It is important to note that each one of these different guitar types vary in their own different ways. Whichever option you choose will greatly determine how you learn to play guitar and what type of guitar player you will be. The technique, sound, style and music for each type are very different.
Electric guitars are the usually the grand daddy of guitars. They are seen the most in the media and are usually the first thing to come to mind when someone says the word “Guitar.” The typical rock star will be seen holding one of these guitars.
These types of guitars are usually built for light and speed. They are usually designed to look cool and allow the guitarist to do some really neat and creative things with it. Electric guitars have some of the most creative designs and paint jobs.
Out of all of the types of guitars, electric is generally the easiest for a beginner to start with. Technique and style is a totally different story but for the aspiring guitarists this is usually recommended. The reason why is because the strings are lighter and this requires less muscle memory building on your behalf. A beginner will learn to play guitar faster on an electric guitar ideally.
The biggest downfall about starting with an electric guitar is the cost to afford one. These are not generally cheap and there are multiple costs to consider here. My first electric guitar came to a total of $350 and this is not including an amp which you must have.
If you can afford the price for an electric guitar than you should consider taking this path, it will be much worth it in the end.
Acoustic guitar are seen usually as a calm mellow type of instrument. They do not produce the loud screams and squeals that electric guitar can produce but they are a different style all together. When thinking acoustic guitar, think country music which is uses it almost exclusively.
These types of guitar are more clunker and are usually bigger than electric guitars. They are used to produce nice calm tones and chords. They are usually used in quieter or calmer arrangements in music.
It’s hard for a beginner to start off on an acoustic as the strings are generally harder to press down. This will require a longer period for you to build muscles in your fingers and joints so it will take you longer to learn. The flip side though is that you will in the long run have stronger fingers. When it gets to the point that you switch over and try the electric guitar it will be much easier to play. Try to associate acoustic guitar as lifting weights in learning how to play guitar.
Acoustic guitars aren’t usually too pricy. It only costs a few hundred dollars for a really good one and you don’t need accessories except maybe a few picks. If you have a lower budget than an acoustic might be the right choice for you.
Classical guitar is mostly used in well classical music. It is usually showcased as very technical and is very impressive to the viewer to see. Classical guitar is used very much in all styles of music whether you may be aware of it or not.
These guitars are similar to acoustics but are much smaller and compact. Classical guitars range in price depending on what specific kind you are buying. I haven’t bought or done the researching on classical guitar so I can’t really give you a general answer.
Classical guitar is usually taught in schools and is mixed in with guitar theory very much. This means that if you are taking the path of learning classical guitar you are going to have to back it up with some knowledge of basic music theory as well.
What Is Your Preferred Genre?
What you like in music is going to influence your playing heavenly. It’s also wise to know what you need to get the effect that you are looking for. If you want to play those heavy metal riffs than an acoustic guitar isn’t going to give you what you want.
It is quite common though for many genres to mix different styles together. Many rock and metal bands use acoustic and classical arrangements in their music. Often bands will stick to one style but add other elements from different styles as well to keep things interesting
When you are learning to play guitar it is best to know what type of guitar is generally used in each genre. Acoustics are usually used in country, while electric is seen more in rock, metal, blues, and jazz. While classical is almost strictly seen in classical music.
What Guitar Have You Chosen?
Take all of these suggestions and details into consideration when you go out there to buy your first guitar. The type of guitar you buy is going to determine what type of guitarist you are going to become, so keep this in mind when you are choosing the guitar that is right for you.