Starting off with Guitar

by Olly Fallon


The guitar is a fantastic instrument to learn to pay. It is totally portable, it is really easy to get started and start playing music and it also makes you look totally cool.

If you are new to the guitar there are a few things to consider before you jump in and buy. Firstly you need to identify what guitar style you wish to play. Primarily there are three standard guitar types. Acoustic, Classical or Electric.

Acoustic guitars are the ideal choice for beginners as you can pick up something half decent for a reasonable price and that's it. This is all you need to unleash your guitar potential. The great thing about the acoustic guitar is that you do not need an amp, you do not need effects and you do not need a power supply. You can pick it up at any moment and start strumming.

When guitarists first start out they generally learn some simple songs to strum and sing along to. The acoustic guitar is perfect for this. When you have your mates round you can all sing along and it provides many hours of entertainment even at the most basic level of playing.

The Classical guitar is very similar to the acoustic but generally it has a much wider neck and usually has nylon strings. The classical guitar can be much harder to play on and you need to learn a lot of techniques to really get into it. Those who are looking for a lifelong hobby in guitar, this is a great choice as the skills you learn on this will be used on any guitar. It is not quite so simple to start with but later down the line it will make you a much more versatile player. The classical sound is extremely nice as well.

The electric guitar is of course what most people who dream of rock stardom want to purchase. There are a lot of cheap starter kits out there that will help you on your way but also there are a lot of substandard guitars out there than can take away some of the enjoyment of playing. With the electric guitar you need to consider not only the quality of the guitar but also the quality of the amplifier, the leads you use as well as any effects you may require to get the sound you are looking for. This can end up being a very expensive hobby!

The electric guitar is usually much easier to learn to play that the other guitar types. I personally believe starting on the electric guitar can be limiting for the new guitarist as a lot less effort needs to be put in to form decent sounding chords. Someone who has learnt on the acoustic guitar will instantly be able to transfer their knowledge and skill to the electric guitar. Those who have only played electric guitar may struggle to transfer back to the acoustic. This is just my opinion though and some may have no problem at all.

If you are going to go down the electric guitar route then I would suggest that you do not opt for the absolute cheapest guitar. It is worth going for something that has a good reputation as being a solid instrument. Do not spend a fortune at this stage as often, despite best intentions, many people give up the guitar when they realise that you have to put practice in to get sounding really good. Even though the guitar is simple to get started with, it is not as simple as the skilled guitarist makes it look!