Read this article if you are unsure about choosing between acoustic and electric guitars.
Choose the type of guitar you like to play.
As a beginner player, your first experience is very important in order to succeed in the future. Picking the right guitar means picking a guitar that you enjoy playing yourself. Which type attracts your attention more? This will be the type of guitar that you will be motivated to learn and play.
Get your budget right.
It would be ideal if the choice between acoustic and electric guitars was limited only by your desire. However, it can be very limited by the budget. Buying an electric guitar is, in general, a big expense. it needs an amplifier and other gadgets. If you still really want an electric guitar, then it's better to wait a bit and save up more money than to buy an acoustic guitar instead.
Playing the electric guitar is a little easier.
Electric guitars have smaller bodies, thinner necks, and less string tension. The pickups and amplifier process the sound, so only small touches are needed to lightly enough stretched strings to get good sound. However, not everyone likes to connect the guitar to the amplifier every time and turn it on, which, in turn, can kill the desire to play.
Acoustic guitars have more string tension, so more force is required to play with your fingers or a pick.
The top soundboard, made of wood, must vibrate in order to produce sound. This requires more string tension and slightly stronger picking or finger plucking. The body of an acoustic guitar is much larger than that of an electric guitar. The neck is usually thicker in order to withstand more string tension. But the acoustic guitar does not require an amplifier, just pick it up and start playing.
Over time, you may want to play a different type of guitar.
Do not assume that choosing one type of guitar, you become attached to it for life. Many players eventually begin to strive for a different type. This happens as your skills develop and your desire to learn and play becomes more confident. In this case, you will most likely improve the ability to play both acoustic and electric guitar, while affecting different styles music.
It is very important to choose a well-made guitar that you feel comfortable playing.
A lot of serious problems when playing, they rely on the quality of the instrument and its suitability for playing. There is no greater obstacle to the development of playing technique and the enjoyment of learning than a poorly made or poorly tuned instrument. Playing both acoustic and electric guitars will feel easy if the instrument is comfortable for you.
If you have been burning with the desire to learn how to play the guitar for a long time, the first step should be to buy the instrument itself. It is easy to get lost in a wide range of music stores, and there are a lot of nuances in choosing the perfect instrument for your needs.
In this article, we will tell you in detail how to choose a guitar for beginners, tell you about the features of each type of guitar, and will definitely help you make a choice based on the purpose of using the instrument.
The guitar is a string-type musical instrument widely known throughout the world. The advantage of the guitar over other instruments is its mobility and the ability to "realize" a wide range of musical genres.
The guitar has many subspecies: a small Hawaiian ukulele, which can be played not only by children, a gypsy seven-string, sometimes even a double-necked one with 12 strings under different brands.
We will look at more classic and common versions and answer the question of how to choose an acoustic guitar, electric guitar or bass guitar.
First you need to figure out what type of guitar you need in order to understand which guitar to choose. An acoustic guitar is self-sufficient, while an electric guitar (like its bass varieties) needs electricity.
Along with the electric guitar, you need to purchase an amplifier. Electric guitar strings are made of metal, while acoustic guitar strings can also be made of nylon.
Acoustic guitar pros and cons:
- + "live" sound and velvet sound;
- + independence from the power supply;
- + the ability to put nylon strings;
- + fairly wide arrangement of strings;
- + the ability to play anywhere - at home, away, in the park, in nature;
- - the volume of the instrument is low compared to the electric guitar;
- - on classical guitar With nylon strings you can not put metal.
Advantages and disadvantages of electric guitar:
- + the ability to adjust the volume and sound;
- + a large number of additional accessories to help diversify the sound;
- + more sound possibilities due to additional equipment;
- + more soft strings located close to the neck;
- + more compact case;
- — more artificial sound;
- — binding to electricity and amplifier;
- — it is preferable to play at home or in the studio;
- - higher cost due to the need for additional equipment.
How to choose an electric guitar? First you need to decide conventional electric guitar you need or bass. The bass guitar is the same electric guitar, but it sounds an octave lower than usual, has an increased scale and four strings instead of six.
Their order is the same, the two lower (highest sounding) strings are missing. Most often, the bass guitar is used in groups with other instruments, as part of the rhythm section.
If when choosing strings for an electric guitar, the only question is choosing a manufacturer, then how to choose strings for an acoustic guitar? Here it is important, nylon strings on it or metal.
The classical acoustic guitar is designed for nylon strings only, less classical versions allow the use of metal strings.
Nylon strings will be good for a child's guitar as they are less likely to injure fingers. However, their main drawback is a deaf and insufficiently “rich” sound. If for a beginner this is uncritical, then amateurs can significantly cut their hearing.
Metal strings are less gentle on the guitarist's fingers, but produce more ringing and loud sounds.
Choose strings according to your preferences. It is worth remembering one thing - if you purchased a guitar with nylon strings, you should not pick up metal ones on it. Guitar with metal strings- reinforced, since it needs to withstand three times the load.
What guitar material should I choose?
The question of how to choose the right guitar rests on its material. Any tool good brand made only of wood, in no case of plywood, or wood veneer. This is especially detrimental to the sound of acoustics: such material does not create the necessary resonance and the extracted melody turns out to be “flat”, quiet.
The more expensive the guitar, the better the material used for it, the deeper the sound of the instrument will be. Therefore, how to choose a guitar for a beginner is important: even for learning to buy a cheap guitar (up to 4-5 thousand rubles) is not worth it - playing such an instrument is unlikely to bring pleasure.
Choose good tools the best manufacturer for amateur use costing from 6 to 15 thousand rubles. Tools of the highest price category are designed for professional musicians who know what they want.
If you are asking yourself the question of how to choose an electric guitar, then you should immediately think about choosing a guitar combo amplifier, which is affectionately called “amp” by the people. Its task is to make up for the lack of a resonator and expand the capabilities of the guitar.
It consists of an amplifier, speaker and can even add some effects to the guitar sound. There are transistor (inexpensive, but not distinguished by the purity of sound), tube (expensive, but the sound quality is on top) and combined.
So your budget will suffer to a minimum. If you are wondering how to choose an electroacoustic guitar, then in addition to it, you need to choose special amplifiers for electroacoustics.
Guitar processors are quite complex devices and are used to digitally process signals from a bass or electric guitar. Their task is to expand the possibilities of the musician. A beginner guitarist can do without it.
Which brand of guitar should you choose?
How to choose the first guitar in a wide range of brands? They can be confusing for a beginner guitarist, so we've rounded up the most popular brands that you can vouch for. This:
- Yamaha– Japanese corporation, Japanese quality;
- Gibson- world music giant;
- Epiphone is a subsidiary of the Gibson Corporation;
- Ibanez.
Taking into account all the above nuances, you can easily answer the question of how to choose a bass guitar or any other in a specialized store.
You should choose based on:
- sustain - the decay time of the sound, the longer it is, the better;
- the general appearance of the guitar - without chips, protruding screws, deflections, bulges;
- the style of music you want to play;
- where you will play.
Choosing a guitar for yourself is not easy, just like choosing a guitar for your child. Look for a guitar based not only on budget, playing type (fighting or fingerstyle) but also on appearance – good tool will soon become not just a guitar, but also your friend. It is important that everything in it pleases you.
So, today's agenda is very popular question among beginners: what to buy, acoustics or electric? Friends as one repeat out loud that in order to learn how to play non-electric guitar, you must first master the acoustic one. And the more broken it is, the better. Some even say why the electric pipe is needed, it is loud and you can’t take it to nature by the fire.
And someone even said that the guitar is very difficult and after a month of ordeals, you will still give up. Yes, advisers, one more beautiful than the other. In fact, I heard all these phrases when I was just thinking about buying a guitar. Who are the advisers? Ordinary people who did not hold the instrument in their hands. But then I did right choice, purely intuitive. In this article, I will try to put you on the right path, newbie. And I'll tell you how to do it.
In fact, the choice here is quite simple. Buy exactly what you want this moment. These two are perfect different instruments With different techniques games and for various purposes. If you want to cut wild solos and carve brutal metallic riffs - feel free to take an electric guitar. And you don’t have to master acoustics first, you won’t learn electric guitar technique on it. Maybe you are more attracted to classical music, then classical or Spanish guitar your choice. But of course, I do not exclude the situation that you do not know what suits you best (this is rare, but it happens). Then, we will list several criteria for selection, and I think after them you will definitely have no doubts about what to buy. Or maybe change your mind =)
These were the main 3 criteria for choosing a tool. In general, of course, if you really wanted to make music and buy yourself a guitar, then such a question should not arise. Well, only if the unfortunate advisers have confused your whole head. By the way, if you don’t know which guitar to choose for a beginner, then I advise you to read. In any case, the main thing is that the first guitar for a beginner is comfortable and makes you happy when you play it. In general, be guided by your tastes and good luck in buying and mastering!
When potential students contact me, they usually give some brief backstory about what it was that brought them to the teacher. All these stories are quite different, however, during their professional activity I began to notice them common features. In this article, I would like to dwell on one of the situations often described by potential students: “I really want to learn how to play the electric guitar, but I have a problem. I have never played an acoustic (classical) guitar, and many people say, and I myself have read various articles that Before learning to play the electric guitar, you need to master the basics on acoustic or classical. But acoustic or classical guitars do not attract me at all, but the electric guitar is the opposite. How critical is the lack of ability to play acoustic (classical) guitar in order to start learning electric guitar?
The fact is that the classical guitar, acoustic guitar and electric guitar are three completely different musical instruments that differ not only in sound, but also in their functionality. Consequently, they also differ in the technique of sound extraction. To make it clearer, I will give a couple of analogies as an example. If a person wanted to learn how to drive a car and for this purpose came to a driving school, it is unlikely that the local teachers will offer him to learn how to ride a motorcycle or a dump truck. Despite the fact that these modes of transport travel on the same roads, they are still fundamentally different from each other. In the same way, people who want to train in boxing are likely not to go to a boxing trainer. Greco-Roman wrestling, since it is obvious that these two are absolutely different types martial arts. And if these statements almost no one doubts, then with guitars, the situation is completely different.
Unfortunately, quite a lot of people don't really understand the difference between classical, acoustic and electric guitars. Of course, quite a lot of people are aware that the above tools have little to do with each other. However, among them there are those who are convinced that it is impossible to start learning to play the electric guitar without learning how to play acoustic or classical. With all responsibility, I dare to assure that these beliefs are only a stereotype and do not represent any informational value. Following these unfounded speculations is a gross mistake that will lead to nothing but wasted money and time. Where does this stereotype come from, the second question. Someone read it on the Internet, someone guessed it himself, someone explained it to a teacher who is either incompetent and believes in this nonsense himself, or just a scammer trying to keep a student as long as possible at any cost.
In fact, there is not the slightest connection between acoustic, classical and electric guitars, except for the number of strings (and even then not always). As mentioned earlier, each of these musical instruments has its own specifics and functionality, which impose certain features on it, expressed in the sound production technique. That is, if a musician is good at, for example, an acoustic guitar, this does not mean at all that he will be able to master an electric guitar or a classical guitar without training.
Differences between guitars in terms of picking technique
What is the difference between an electric guitar and an acoustic guitar? Take, for example, such a parameter as the purity of sound extraction. Electric guitar, unlike acoustic or classical, in fact, is a hypersensitive instrument, as in the vast majority of cases it is used when playing overdrive. It is so sensitive that it requires constant total control over the muting of extra strings. Pronounced dirty playing on an acoustic or classical guitar involves the direct attack of extra strings instead of/together with the play strings. With an electric guitar, everything is much more complicated. Even if the mediator hits the playing strings perfectly accurately, the extra strings will still resonate in the absence of muting, which will instantly be heard from the amp speaker in the form of a pile of dirt and all kinds of overtones. That is why one of the main problems encountered in the path of beginner electric guitarists is pure sound production. On acoustic and classical guitars, this situation is also possible, but it will not be as obvious to people with undeveloped hearing. To learn to hear on acoustics and classical music the resonation of adjacent strings and the imposition of out-of-sonance (dissonant) notes caused by side vibration of extra strings, you need a certain experience in playing these musical instruments, which beginners, of course, do not have. Consequently, hands when playing different types of guitars will work in a completely different mode.
Obviously, count on clean game on the electric guitar, while learning only on the classics or acoustics, it is not worth it. This does not mean at all that an electric guitar is better than an acoustic or classical guitar - they are just different. But which one is better (or rather, I like it more), everyone should decide for himself, relying solely on taste (musical) preferences. There is no other way to answer such a subjective question.
On the universality of teachers
The example of pure sound production is just one of many parameters, one way or another, interpreted in its own way when playing different types of guitars. And each parameter makes significant adjustments to the technique of playing these instruments. I personally felt the significance of these differences in 2003, when, having studied for three years in the specialty “classical guitar” with one of the best teachers in Russia, Leonid Reznik, I could not cope with the electric guitar, spending a lot of time on futile attempts self-development of this musical instrument. Subsequently, between 2004 and 2006, I managed to pass full course learning to play the electric guitar with one of the best and most sought-after teachers in Moscow, Yuri Sergeev.
In life, I always try to be wary of universal solutions. No matter how great modern smartphones are, they will never record sound like a separate good microphone will, they will never take pictures as well as a decent SLR camera will, they will not sound like an adequate speaker system, etc. d. No matter how cynical it may sound, in my opinion, the situation is similar with specialists. The more versatile the specialist, the worse he performs each of his functions. This applies to both musicians and teachers. However, in this rule there may be exceptions (and I know people who have demonstrated this by personal example), but they are possible only if a number of certain requirements are met.
Of course, one of the necessary requirements is the ability to adequately play a musical instrument. But, as you know, a good musician is not always a good teacher. In my understanding, the competence of a teacher lies, first of all, in the presence of a program for teaching him to play exactly the musical instrument, the lessons of which he offers. Let me remind you that under training program in my understanding, it means a whole range of educational and methodological elements, the implementation of which is aimed at achieving specific results in mastering a particular musical instrument. It is not difficult to guess that since the classical, acoustic and electric guitars are so different from each other, then the training programs for playing these instruments will not coincide much.
Quite a long time ago I decided to connect my professional career with the electric guitar. A few years ago, I managed to compile and skate my own training program, which is the basis of my current teaching activity. Development of a training program in my understanding is a painstaking work that requires a certain amount time, teaching experience, stable flow of students, collection of statistical data, systematic analysis the results obtained, on the basis of which the program will be modernized, etc. and so on. It is my deep conviction that in order to teach on another musical instrument without turning into another “universal” specialist in a bad sense of the word, it will be necessary to go all this way from the very beginning.
Conclusion
It is no secret that the work of a handyman is paid much less than the work of a specialist in a narrow profile. Coincidence? No, rather an objective pattern. A boxer should teach boxing, ride passenger car- an instructor with the rights of category "B" ... Absolutely, music and even more so teaching activities is no exception here. Therefore, if you want to learn acoustic guitar, I highly recommend contacting an acoustic guitar teacher. If you want to learn classical guitar, look for a teacher who specializes in classical guitar. And if you want to learn how to play the electric guitar, then I am at your service!
IN social network"Vkontakte" very often asks questions about acoustic guitars, semi-acoustic guitars, electro-acoustic guitars and electric guitars. Everything would be fine, but often novice guitarists try to learn some points, having already initially distorted knowledge about the types of guitars. Especially often there is a confusion between electro-acoustic and semi-acoustic guitar. In this article, I will try my best in plain language talk about the types of guitars written above with illustrated visual aids.
So, our first type is an acoustic guitar. This is the most popular view guitar, which also has a specific classification and is divided into classical guitar, western guitar and jumbo guitar. You can read more about this typology, but for now let's deal with the standard components of an acoustic guitar. The picture on the left shows the most simple acoustic guitar. It does not have any unnecessary electronic parts (however, they can be supplied additionally) and is intended for playing without connecting to equipment. This guitar has a rich and resonant sound. These guitars are played in the yard, on a hike, etc. Performing in front of an audience with such a guitar is not very convenient, since a separate microphone is needed to amplify the sound, placed in close proximity to the drum of the instrument.
If the acoustic guitar is supplemented with an in-body piezo pickup, which allows you to amplify the sound of the guitar by connecting it to a combo amplifier or any other amplifying equipment, then such a guitar is called an electro-acoustic guitar (figure on the right). In addition to the piezo pickup, electroacoustics incorporates a sound preamplifier, which is already built into the guitar. On such preamps, as a rule, there is a tone control of various types and an equalizer. This allows acoustic sound to be transmitted through the equipment, amplifying the sound. This guitar is perfect for concert performances. In all other respects, an electro-acoustic guitar is similar to the “previous version” of a musical instrument and is able to “sound” even without access to the equipment. Without a cord, this is ordinary acoustics with all its properties and capabilities.
Quite often, an electro-acoustic guitar is called semi-acoustic, implying that these concepts are synonymous. However, this is a misconception! It's absolutely different types guitars. 
If an electro-acoustic guitar refers more to an acoustic guitar with additional devices, then semi-acoustic is already a synthesis of an electric guitar and acoustics. Visually, it can be seen in the figure on the right. Externally, a semi-acoustic guitar is similar to an acoustic guitar. There are two types of semi-acoustic guitars: hollow body and partially hollow. The first type has a one-piece body, the second - a solid middle of the body and cutouts on the sides (efs). Semi-acoustic guitars are equipped with electromagnetic pickups, most often these are humbuckers. Such guitars are quite often used in jazz, blues, rock and roll, etc., because they have a soft sound. Based on the name, it becomes clear that such a guitar can be used both in acoustic mode, although with a quieter sound, and in electric mode.
The last type is the well-known electric guitar. I think everyone knows what it looks like, but I'll still point out the presence of a picture (on the right). This type of guitar is intended only for playing to a sound amplifier and it is in no way possible to play like an acoustic guitar. The physical meaning of the sound of such an instrument is the conversion of string vibrations into electric current oscillations using electromagnetic sound amplifiers. The sound of these guitars is very powerful and piercing. Most often, electric guitars are used to play solos or rhythm parts in rock music. However, quite often you can find the sound of an electric guitar in other musical genres.
