The first guitars on which you are going to learn or teach should be comfortable - sound quality is in second place here. Of course, it is better to stop the choice on the classic model. Such guitars come in different sizes: half (? from the standard size), ? (the string length on such guitars is 650 mm) and standard size. The former are intended for children under the age of 8, and the latter for children aged 8 to 12. Nylon strings spare the fingers of young guitarists and allow them to spend less time overcoming the first chords and scales.
On a classical guitar, it is convenient to perform solo parts that require the guitarist to musical training- it will be useful to know a novice performer. Nylon strings cannot give a bright sound, and on the street such a guitar will require "backup". On the contrary, its quiet, deep sound and soft timbre will look good in a room with good acoustics.
What are the types of guitars
The device of the guitars is varied and corresponds rich history this noble instrument.Guitar classical
First in historical list guitars worth classic model guitars. Her ancestors were plucked instruments with four and five strings. IN early XIX V. the guitar was able to, if not displace them, then gain great popularity. Accompaniment to dances and songs is the original purpose of the “classics”, however classical compositions it is also easy to perform.
The first success of the classical guitar is associated with flamenco - popular dance Latin America. From these southern countries, the success of the guitar migrated to old Europe, where for a long time was a very popular instrument.
The first wood used to make guitars was cypress. This wood is lighter than similar species, but gives a great sound. Modern masters more durable woods are used, and thin plates of cypress in the construction of the guitar can now be seen less often.
The wide neck of the classical guitar is suitable for playing popular and classical works. To install the pegs, two holes were made in the headstock. They adjust the tension of the strings, which are most often made of nylon. The use of synthetics is due to the fact that the tension of the strings directly affects the neck, and it is not so strong on a classical guitar. If the tension is too high, the neck may be deformed.
Acoustic guitar
This guitar is no less popular than the classical guitar. Design features instruments allow him to create a sound richer and louder. This is due to the large drum, the material of which can be not only wood, but also plastic. Our site does not recommend opting for a plastic drum. Its main disadvantage is the sound: it is not as lively and much more muffled than the sound given out by a tree. Although, it must be admitted, practicality and practicality - strengths such a guitar. If these moments are important to you, then the best option there will be a drum made of high-quality plywood.
Folk, country, blues - these directions in music are directly related to the acoustic guitar. The ringing, bright sound is due to the fact that the metal strings standing on them receive full disclosure due to the large acoustic volume.
You can play with your fingers and pick plate. Use - as musical accompaniment solo compositions and improvisations. The acoustic guitar has its own history and its masters who made its sound famous - James Taylor, John Renbourn, Leo Kottke.
Between the electric and acoustic guitars is a guitar designed for jazz. In its design there are signs and elements of an acoustic guitar, but at concerts sound amplifiers join it. They play this guitar mainly with a mediator.
Initially, jazz guitars were used as an addition and the basis of the rhythm section - their loud, recognizable sound was clearly audible, even without an amplifier, but over time, the instrument's potential was discovered by such masters as Django Reinhardt. His solo parts have allowed many masters to take a fresh look at jazz guitar.
A characteristic feature in the design of a jazz guitar is a different kind of resonation holes. It is made, like a violin, in the form latin letter"f". No less influences the sound and shape of the drum: initially, for jazz guitars, it was larger, like the instruments themselves. Tone volume controls, pickups - the modern jazz guitar has many features.
From all of us listed species, the electric guitar differs in the most fundamental way. The fact is that its body is solid and the sound is produced not by the instrument itself, but by a whole complex of special devices, among which there are pickups and amplifiers. It's hard to imagine this instrument without an amplifier.
Pickups work on the basis of electromagnets, which allow you to convert the vibrations of the strings into serial signals. On the panel of the guitar are the volume and tone adjustment knobs. Audio converted to "digital" format is being processed different effects allowing you to achieve an unusual sound. Each electric guitarist has his own settings and the game of each of them can be recognized not only by technique.
The creator of the electric guitar engineering education, but also studied music: Les Paul known as the man who gave this instrument life with his multi-channel recordings.
What guitar should a beginner choose?
If an irresistible craving for this wonderful instrument makes you take up training, but you have never held a guitar in your hands, then the question of choice will be the first thing. Electric and bass guitars, acoustics and classics - the choice is huge, but we may also face the question of price or manufacturer. Don't search the internet for answers or ask your friends for advice - just try it. Quality education is possible only when the student is interested in what he is doing. If you plan to play the guitar, then learn everything about it, including construction options, string nuances, etc.Listen to music played on different types guitars. Your character and musical tastes will become a guide in a huge variety modern instruments. Find music and style that you really enjoy.
If you have decided on the type of guitar, then the question arises of choosing an option. Some may compare the guitar to a girl and prove themselves to be romantics who are more suited to calm acoustics. There are few basic tips for choosing a guitar:
- Find a genre that you like.
- Assess financial opportunities.
Buying an ordinary guitar cannot be called a costly affair, but if you are going to buy an instrument not only for the duration of training, but for the entire initial period, then it will not be superfluous to calculate the budget. Compare prices in nearby stores and average prices online. Honestly answer yourself the question: is it possible for you to buy the instrument that you have chosen. The rule here is ironclad: the less money you can invest in a guitar, the more concessions will be required in sound quality. A good way out would be to ask friends for a guitar in order to practice and understand what you want from the instrument, what you can give up, and what you are not ready to sacrifice.
- Decide on the characteristics of the tool.
- Choose between acoustic and electric guitar.
In order to choose a guitar, a beginner will not only have to learn new information sort out your passions and ambitions. In fact, you have to stop being a beginner and learn a lot, try different guitars and strings. Not to mention making money. Do not despair, this choice is not at all boring, and along the way you will be able to achieve intermediate results and definitely not waste your time,If possible, you should also consider related products. We advise you to take a guitar tuner (or, at worst, a tuning fork) and a case. With the help of a tuning fork, musicians tune the instrument. It is easy to find, thanks to the characteristic appearance- it looks like a fork.
Now all the secrets of this difficult task are revealed to you. As you can see, the choice of guitars is huge, but we have voiced the main aspects and principles that should be followed in the fitting process. Now you can safely proceed to the process itself, although you probably realized that a lot here depends on you. Good luck in going through the basics and mastery.
Are you planning to learn to play the guitar? You are faced with a difficult dilemma. First, you need to decide where and how to study: take private lessons, online or video courses, etc. But it is even more important to decide for yourself what exactly you want to learn to play. All of these are difficult questions. But we will try to figure it out, because it can affect your career in the future and the choice of instrument in the present. For clarity, I will tell you how I myself began to learn to play the guitar.
WITH early childhood I have music in my head all the time. At some point, I decided to take the guitar in my hands and try to play on it what sounds in my head. Even then, the authorities for me were Mark Knopfler (Mark Knopfler, Dire Straits), George Harrison and Robert Smith (Robert Smith, The Cure). And I've had a few favorite examples of guitar sounds, like the Knopfler guitar on "Money For Nothing" and the filthy, fuzzy sound of The Beatles in Revolution. And so I ask my parents to buy me a guitar and my father says to me the words that I already foresaw and which plunged me into endless longing:
“For starters, you can try on acoustics, and if it works for you, then in a couple of years we will buy you an electric guitar.”
Then the following happened. Santa Claus brought me New Year acoustic guitar with nylon strings(apparently, he overheard that conversation), and I began to learn everything I could. I learned quickly, perhaps even too much, because I easily filmed parts by ear and was too lazy to once again look at notes and tabs, as a result of which it took me years to start playing some songs correctly. But I really got it. However, something always pissed me off. Everything I played didn't sound the way I wanted it to. I went to all sorts of tricks to bring my sound closer to the sound of electric guitars that I heard on TV and on records. I have found that the sound will be sharper, nasal, and tighter if the strings are struck very close to the saddle. But still, it was not at all like Bon Jovi's Richie Sambora on Slippery When Wet. I tried to put a microphone inside the guitar through the sound hole and connected it to the amplifier (and who hasn't tried?!), but the sound came out booming and strange and never like Gary Moore's "Still Got The Blues".
Two years later, Santa Claus returned with a new gift. This time he brought me a fairly cheap electric guitar. And it was cool, for several reasons: firstly, the electric guitar itself looks awesome, and secondly, since it was a cheap model, something always fell off from it, thanks to which at the age of 12 I already knew a lot about the device guitar and learned how to fix it. in an amazing way For me, this minus turned into a big and fat plus. Still, my guitar sound did not sound like my favorite records, but I already knew enough about guitars to understand why: my inexpensive combo amplifier had only two knobs - volume and tone. No overload. Overdrive and distortion is what most of us think of when we talk about the sound of an electric guitar. In short, I had to wait for my birthday to get the overdrive pedal. Then, finally, I had the opportunity to play for real. And really loud.
Many years later, when I began teaching guitar, I was often asked by both students and their parents: “Which is better to start learning on - acoustic or electric guitar?” I always answered like this: “Whatever you want to play in the future, learn from it.” An acoustic guitar is not a tricycle, from which you then change to an adult bicycle. This is especially true for nylon-stringed classical guitars, where the height and spacing of the strings, as well as the width of the neck, are like day and night different from what you will have to face when you “grow up” to an electric guitar. On acoustic guitar it is worth learning if you initially plan to play acoustic. Only in this case you will hear from under your fingers precisely those sounds that inspire and guide you. If you see yourself playing the electric guitar in the future, start with it! So your real sound will be much closer to the idea that you have in your head.
I had one student who loved metal, but dad bought her an acoustic guitar with a very high position strings. No matter what she did, the sound still did not turn out the way she wanted. Another student found herself in a similar situation, but after six months of stable progress, she bought herself an Epiphone Les Paul, after which her playing literally changed - for example, she began to shoot Muse songs with ease and actively compose her own. The moral of the story is that if your guitar sounds like the instrument that inspired you to start learning, you are much more likely to develop your own. musical ability and don't get frustrated and quit. But the world so lacks good guitarists!
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What guitar should I buy? Acoustic or electro? this is probably one of the most popular questions on guitar forums among beginners. Members of the forums arrange battles discussing the advantages of acoustic and electric guitars. Adherents of one of the parties, in an attempt to prove their case, can permanently limit their creative potential within the framework of one tool, just not to surrender to the enemy)
I suggest that beginners, before buying a guitar, read a few tips below, read my conclusions and maybe argue with me, yet truth is born in a dispute.
So let's get started. First let's take a look at the question of buying an acoustic guitar, yet this instrument will have a longer history than an electric guitar.
"For" acoustic guitar:
1. The feeling of playing an acoustic guitar.
This is probably the most important point when playing acoustic guitar. The feeling of playing this instrument is difficult to put into words. The moments when you just play and the sound of the strings echo not only into the drum, but also into your body, cannot be expressed in words. For me, this remains the most important plus from an acoustic guitar.
2. Versatility.
The acoustic guitar is perhaps the most versatile instrument. She can sound like a record jazz singer or the king of pop, and early Metallica records. From classical to rock and jazz, an acoustic guitar will sound great in any style.
So if you have not yet decided on the style of music you want to give preference to, an acoustic guitar will good choice, you will be able to perfectly adapt to any style of music with this instrument.
3. Simplicity
Nothing is easier than playing acoustic guitar. You just need to take the instrument out of the case, grab a pick or play with your fingers. That's all you need to play acoustic guitar.
You can play in the alley or in nature, in the apartment or in the country, at a concert or at a rehearsal, just using your hands and a guitar. So an acoustic guitar allows you to concentrate on the process of playing music, rather than switching and tuning. In this regard, the acoustic guitar certainly outperforms the electric guitar.
4. Development of good technique
As a rule, in order to sound good on an acoustic guitar, you need to have certain skills. Here it is not possible to hide performance flaws behind the effects. So if you're looking to buy an acoustic guitar, remember that you have to work hard to sound decent.
If you feel like playing an acoustic guitar is too difficult and painful for your fingers, just buy softer ones, it should help.
5. No need to lug tons of gear to gigs
When you are about to buy a guitar, you have no idea how much equipment you will need. In favor of acoustics, there is also no need to carry a lot of equipment with you. Of course, you will need some minimum in the form of a pair of cords and a tuner. As you become a more advanced player, you may want to pick up an acoustic guitar combo or a processor, but none of these are absolutely necessary. But for electric guitarists, transporting equipment has always been and always will be a problem.
I hope every more or less advanced guitarist can continue this list. But let's take a look at the pros of an electric guitar:
1. Ability to study in silence.
Man is a social being, and there comes a time when even the most infantile of us leave the parental nest and begin family life. This is where the electric guitar comes into play. It is on the electric guitar that there is a great opportunity to practice almost in silence. You can use headphones and a processor, or connect to the output of the amp, or, finally, just play an unconnected instrument.
2. Electric guitar is easier to play
Electric guitars have a narrower neck and slightly less string tension than acoustics, so playing electric guitars can be easier. Although some extreme players like Steve Ray Vaughan have put strings with insane diameters on their guitars, these are just exceptions to the rule. Most guitarists play 9-42 strings.
3. Flexible sound control.
Electric guitar allows you to use hundreds of guitar amplifiers, processors or gadgets. The sound of the instrument can be changed beyond recognition. But even without going into the possibilities of hundreds of gadgets, a guitarist can use the volume knob and tone knob to change the sound of the instrument. Guitarists like Eric Johnson can drastically change the color of their sound with just two of these controllers.
4. Managing the pitch of notes.
Modern guitars are often equipped with so-called "machines", which allow you to adjust the pitch of the notes you play. Leverage extremes like Steve Vai and Joe Satriani have long been guitarists associated exclusively with floyd rose. With the help of a Michael Lee Firkins typewriter, for example, it imitates the sound of slide and pedal steel guitars. This is another plus in the direction of electric guitars, although if you don’t like various “squeals” and want more sustain, you can skip this item.
5. Color
Majority acoustic instruments just varnished, or slightly stained. With the world of electric guitars, things are completely different. Here, each instrument can be painted in any, even completely crazy color. For some, this is not an argument, but for some, shape and color are key when buying an instrument. Of course, I would like you to pay more attention to the content, rather than the form, but it's okay if you suddenly need a horned guitar with skulls. It's normal in the guitar world
So, some of these points turned out to be not quite serious, but I hope they will help you choose and buy the guitar that suits you best.
If you have something to say, as usual, welcome to the comments.
Lemonade Joe wrote, don't miss it.
What to choose acoustic or electric? Many beginners during the purchase think for a long time what is better acoustics or electro. Today I will try to answer this question for you.
Acoustic Guitar or Electric Guitar - Which Should You Choose?
I worked in a very large record store and over the course of 4½ years, I repeatedly met people who couldn't decide which way to go. In this lesson, I will give you some tips that will help you decide between which acoustic or electric guitar to take.
The first thing I usually tell people when they decide between acoustic and electric guitars is to choose the one they like the most (sound or genre).
If you like folk, country or bluegrass music, then the choice definitely falls on acoustics. If you are more into metal and hard rock music, then you should take an electric guitar.
Picking a guitar based on the style of music you like to listen to is a great way to pick an instrument. By choosing a guitar in this way, you can speed up your mastery of the instrument. Believe me, it really is.
Acoustic and electric guitars both have their own unique advantages that you should be aware of. Acoustic guitar is very convenient to use because you can just grab it and play almost anywhere you want. You can go to the transition, to the beach, or to your friends' house to play there. You don't need an amplifier and electricity. But the acoustic guitar is more difficult to play than the electric guitar, especially for a beginner.
Electric guitars are nice because you can play with distortion and effects. It's really handy to have an electric guitar when you want to play more aggressive music like metal and rock. It’s easier to play on an electric one and, in my opinion, more pleasant than on an acoustic one, but you can hardly carry it around comfortably with you like an acoustic one.
If you don't know what guitar you want, I recommend just going to your nearest music store and playing everything on acoustic and electric guitar. Your hands themselves will feel what will be best for them, and you will also feel how the instrument interacts with different styles of music.
Often, before buying a guitar, future musician asks himself the question, which instrument to choose, acoustic or electric guitar? To do right choice, you need to know the features and differences between them. Each of them, due to the specifics of its structure, is used in different styles music, and both are dominated by different playing techniques. An acoustic guitar differs from an electric guitar in the following ways:
- Hull structure
- Number of frets
- String attachment system
- Sound amplification method
- Game techniques
For an illustrative example, compare, What is the difference between an acoustic guitar and an electric guitar on the image:
Housing and sound amplification system
The first difference that immediately catches your eye is the body of the guitar. Even a person who does not understand anything in music and musical instruments, will notice that an acoustic guitar has a wide and hollow body, while an electric guitar has a solid and narrow body. This is because sound amplification going on different ways. The sound of the strings must be amplified, otherwise it will be too weak. In an acoustic guitar, the sound is amplified by the body itself. For this, in the middle of the front deck there is a special hole called " socket”, the vibration from the strings passes to the body of the guitar, is amplified and exits through it.
The electric guitar does not need this, since the principle of amplifying the sound is completely different. On the body of the guitar, where the acoustic guitar has a “socket”, the electric guitar has magnetic pickups that pick up vibrations metal strings and transmitted to the playback equipment. The speaker is not installed inside the guitar, as some might think, although there have been similar experiences, for example soviet guitar"Tourist", but this is more a perversion than a full-fledged electric guitar. The guitar is connected by connecting the “jack” connector and the input to the equipment with a special cord. At the same time, you can add all kinds of "gadgets" and guitar processors to the connection path to change the sound of the guitar. The body of an acoustic guitar lacks the switches, levers, and jack input found on an electric guitar.
Hybrid types of acoustic guitar
Acoustic guitar can also be connected to the equipment. In this case, it will be called "semi-acoustic" or "electro-acoustic". An electric acoustic guitar looks more like a regular acoustic guitar, but it has a special piezo pickup that performs the same function as a magnetic pickup in an electric guitar. A semi-acoustic guitar is more similar to an electric guitar and has a narrower body than an acoustic guitar. Instead of a "socket", it uses ffs for playing in an unconnected mode, and a magnetic pickup is installed for connection. You can also purchase a special pickup and install it on a regular acoustic guitar yourself.
frets
The next thing to pay attention to is the number of frets on the guitar neck. Acoustic guitars have far fewer of them than electric guitars. The maximum number of frets on acoustics is 21, on electric guitars up to 27 frets. This is due to several factors:
- The neck of an electric guitar has an anchor that gives it strength. Therefore, the neck can be made longer.
- Due to the fact that the body of the electric guitar is thinner, it is easier to get to the extreme frets. Even if the acoustic guitar has a cutout on the body, it is still difficult to get to them.
- The neck of an electric guitar is often thinner, which makes it easier to access the nut on low strings.
String attachment system
Also, an acoustic guitar differs from an electric guitar in that it has a different string attachment system. An acoustic guitar has a tailpiece that holds the strings. In an electric guitar, in addition to the string holder, there is often a bridge that allows you to perform fine tuning height, and in some types - and string tension. In addition, many bridges have a built-in tremolo arm system, which is used to produce a vibrating sound.
Game techniques
The differences don't end with the way the guitar is made, it also extends to how it's played. For example, vibrato is extracted on the electric guitar and acoustic guitar by various methods. If on an electric guitar vibrato is extracted mainly with small movements of the finger, then on an acoustic guitar - with the movement of the entire brush. There is such a difference because the strings are tighter on an acoustic guitar, which means that it is much more difficult to make such small movements. In addition, there are tricks that are generally impossible to perform on an acoustic guitar. It's impossible to tap an acoustic because you need to turn up the volume a lot to get it loud enough when you play it, and that's only possible on an electric guitar.
