Electric Or Acoustic Guitar Lessons
Electric or acoustic guitar? What’s right for you?
If you are a beginner guitarist you may be asking yourself which is the right guitar for you? To answer that question depends on a couple of things: budget and what style of music you are most interested in learning.
Budget
What is your budget? If you need to stick to the cheaper side, an electric guitar may be the better option. The reason for this is that cheap acoustic guitars are just that: cheap. With a cheap sounding guitar, a new guitarist may think there is something wrong with them when it’s really the guitar. If you want an acoustic guitar, something in the $300+ range will work better than something you found in a thrift store. However, if you can’t spend $300 or more on your first guitar, get an electric guitar at a lower price point.
Style of music
If you are into folk, country, pop or singing/songwriting, an acoustic guitar is more suited to those styles. If you are into metal, rock, alternative, blues, etc., an electric guitar is more suited to those styles. Eventually, if you are very serious about your guitar playing, you should have at least one of each. You can, after all, never have too many guitars.
Electric and acoustic guitars also have different playability as well. Below are some pros and cons of both electric and acoustic guitars:
Pros of acoustic guitar
- Large hollow body does not require amplification
- Thicker strings mean calluses develop faster
- Makes playing anything on an electric guitar that much easier
Cons of acoustic guitar
- Thicker strings mean it’s harder to play
- Big body can sometimes be uncomfortable for smaller individuals
Pros of electric guitar
- Thinner strings make playing easier
- Wider variety of styles and colors
- Easier to do bends, slides, and solos
Cons of electric guitar
- Often requires amplification to hear well enough
- Develop calluses slower
- Often needs to be set up to stay in tune better
Whichever guitar you choose to learn to play, make sure you pick one that is comfortable for you and within your budget. It is also imperative to get a great guitar teacher to help you along the way. Even if you haven’t purchased a guitar yet, start lessons. This way both you and your teacher can figure out your budget and desired learning genre. Then you can make a more informed decision about the type of guitar you want to play. There is no wrong answer here. Only what is right for you.
If you are in the Philadelphia area and are interested in take lessons, give the David Joel Guitar Studio a call. Whether you take lessons in person or online, you will be doing so with one on one lessons so that you receive individual attention. This will help you learn much better and give you more stability.