Should I Learn Acoustic Guitar Or Electric Guitar?

• What’s the difference between acoustic and electric guitars?
• Electric vs. acoustic guitar – do they feel different to play?
• Should I buy a starter pack or just the guitar?
• Popular beginner electric guitars & acoustic guitars

If you speak to any guitar player, professional or otherwise, they’ll have some advice for you on how to learn the guitar and which type of guitar you should start on. The truth is that it won’t make a huge difference whether you learn how to play on an electric guitar or an acoustic guitar, because they both have their merits.

Ultimately, it depends on why you’re learning in the first place; most people start learning the guitar because it’s fun! And that’s what music should always be about. The most exciting thing about learning to play an instrument is exactly that: the learning. However, we’ve got some tips about learning on an acoustic guitar or an electric guitar.

Let’s start with the basics:

What’s the difference between acoustic and electric guitars?

Acoustic Guitars

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Acoustic Guitar – Acoustic guitars are probably what you picture in your mind when anyone mentions guitars. They are made of wood and generally have a symmetrical, curved, shape, with a narrower ‘waist.’ Acoustic guitars have been around for centuries, and the crucial thing about them is that they do not need to be plugged in to make a sound. An acoustic guitar’s volume is generated by the hollow guitar body itself.

Electric Guitars

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Electric Guitar – An electric guitar is the one you’ll see rockstars playing on stages around the world! It has to be plugged into a guitar amp to be heard and can give you ‘clean’ or ‘distorted’ sounds as well as a whole lot of other effects that you can’t achieve with an acoustic guitar. Guitar solos and heavy riffs will be played on an electric guitar.

Electric vs. acoustic guitar – do they feel different to play?

The short answer is yes. The necks on electric guitars are generally narrower than those found on an acoustic, and the strings on an electric are under less tension. This means that it’s easier to push down on the strings and potentially easier to form chords. That said, it can be quite tricky to learn on an electric because there’s more to take onboard than just the mechanics of playing the instrument. You have to learn to control the strings that aren’t being played so that you don’t create loads of extra noise through the amplifier. The pickups on a guitar are sensitive (don’t know what a pickup is? Click here!) and that means that, if you aren’t careful, you can generate additional noise.

Playing an acoustic guitar requires more strength in your fingers, as the strings will be under more tension and therefore a little hard to press down. The necks on an acoustic are also often wider and thicker than on electric guitars. Moving from one to the other will feel quite different, partly because of the subtly different techniques you have to employ in order to get the best sound out of your instrument.

Acoustic guitar strings – nylon versus steel.

We talked a bit about strings earlier, but now it’s time to mention the two very different types of acoustic guitar strings: steel and nylon. With few exceptions, any given acoustic guitar will be designed to fit one or the other, but not both. This is because the design and construction of steel string acoustic guitars and nylon sting guitars are very different.

Nylon String Guitars

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Nylon string guitars are easier to play because their strings are under less tension and the strings themselves are softer. A common issue with beginners learning on a steel string guitar is pain in the fingertips, due to the harder material and increased tension when compared to nylon. After playing steel string guitars for a while, you’ll start to develop callouses which allows you to play for longer without your fingers hurting. But, until you get to that point, the steel strings on an acoustic guitar might hurt your fingers.

So which is best? Again, it comes down to individual choice. If you want to play rock, pop, blues, or country, a steel string acoustic guitar might be best suited, as they provide more volume, with a crisp and bright tone. On the other hand, if you’re drawn to classical or jazz, nylon string guitars, although quieter, provide a mellower sound. This doesn’t mean that you can’t play rock music on a nylon string guitar, or jazz on a steel string – you absolutely can!

In the end, the answer is that you can’t go wrong. If you want to break into the guitar with less pain on your fingertips, then you’ll want to go for a nylon string. However, learning on a steel string will ensure that you’ll be developing calluses quickly and can potentially move on to harder songs and techniques at a faster rate.

Electric vs. acoustic guitar – what’s more expensive?

Although there are many excellent electric guitars at the cheaper end of the scale, generally speaking, in the long run, acoustic guitars require less of a financial investment. The main reason for this is that an acoustic guitar generates sound on its own, whilst, for an electric guitar, you will need to purchase an amplifier and cable. On its own, an electric guitar generates hardly any noise – these are instruments designed to be played through an amp. However, there are some very good ‘mini’ electric guitar amps available for under £50, and it is possible to put together everything you need for the price of a beginner’s acoustic guitar. Keep in mind, however, that if you aspire to perform in public, you may find yourself needing to upgrade to a more powerful amp pretty quickly.

What is an electro-acoustic guitar?

Many models of steel string guitars are electro-acoustic, meaning that they come with built-in electronics and a standard connection port. This enables you to plug them in to a guitar amplifier in just the same way that you would an electric guitar. Unplugged, they will sound exactly like a normal steel string acoustic. The obvious advantage is that this gives you more flexibility – if you want to invest in an amplifier at a later point, then you can!

Electro Acoustic Guitars

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What if my child wants to learn guitar?

Guitars are a wonderful and versatile instrument to learn and, fortunately, both electric and acoustic guitars come in sizes to fit all. On the electric guitar side, excellent brands such as Fender and Squier produce ‘mini’ ¾ size instruments. On the acoustic guitar front, you’ll find ½ sized and ¾ sized  guitars from popular manufacturers including Yamaha, Valencia, and Admira.

Here’s a rough guide as to which size to buy, depending on age:

• 5-8 Years Old – 1/2 Size Guitar
• 8-12 Years Old – 3/4 Size
• 12+ Years Old – Full size

Should I buy a starter pack or just the guitar?

A starter pack is an easy, no-fuss solution. Starter packs include all the basic equipment and accessories, and there are plenty of options for different players at different price points. If you just buy the guitar on its own, you’ll want to invest in some essential accessories to go along with it. This can be quite costly, which is why starter packs are often a good option. If you’d prefer to buy individual accessories, here’s what you’ll need:

Tuner – This helps you stay tune your guitar up before practising. These days, there are many low-cost, high-quality electronic tuners available. Whether you’re buying an electric or an acoustic, you’ll want one of these to hand.

Guitar Picks or Plectrums – Many guitarists, especially electric guitarists, use plectrums, or ‘picks’, to strum or pick specific notes. The alternative is to play using your fingers alone. This is called fingerstyle. Even if you intend to play fingerstyle, learning to play with a pick will give you more flexibility in your approach.

Strap – If you want to play standing up, you’ll need a guitar strap. Even when sitting, a good strap can do wonders in balancing your guitar so that it sits just right.

Amp – If your guitar is electric, then you’ll need an amp in order to hear it. These range from small practice models to high-end stadium units.

Spare Strings – Strings do wear out over time. Normally, when one string breaks, guitarists replace the entire set so that there’s uniformity across the guitar. Old strings sound different to new strings, so, if you only change one string, it’ll sound much ‘brighter’ than the rest. Strings aren’t very expensive and it’s worth keeping a spare set at all times.

Starter Packs

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Popular beginner electric guitars & acoustic guitars

From entry-level models and small-scale guitars to complete starter bundles, Anderton’s have everything you need to pick up an electric guitar and start playing today!

Starter Electric Guitar Bundles

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Starter Acoustic Guitar Bundles

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Conclusion

People all over the world have learnt on both electric and acoustic guitars, but the more common way is to learn on acoustic guitar first. This will give you greater finger strength and force you to have the discipline to learn chords for songs with strumming in them. This is the foundation of guitar playing and a good way to learn the guitar is by learning rhythm first, which is definitely easier with an acoustic guitar.

Generally, therefore, our advice is to start on the acoustic and work towards the electric guitar, depending on the style of music you like. That said, if you want to emulate rock guitar heroes playing solos, or want to experiment with guitar effects and distortion and overdrive and all of those lovely things, then get to playing an electric guitar right now!

Ultimately, playing the guitar is all about having fun. You’re here to play music! So it doesn’t matter whether you learn on an electric guitar or an acoustic guitar, as long as you’re learning.

Want to find out more?

• Am I Too Old To Start Learning Guitar?
• Beginner’s Guide To Buying Your First Guitar
• How To Get Back Into Playing The Guitar