Acoustic Vs Electric For A Beginner

[Whitey#1]

Which is better for a beginner? Which one is easier to learn to play on if you are a beginner?

r/Mike

[Rodger Knox]

Acoustic or electric doesn't really matter, playability does. Electrics are more easily adjusted for optimum playability, and can use lighter gauge strings, so that's the easy way out.

On the other hand, if you learn on guitar that has poor playability, you'll be able to play on anything. (I don't recommend it.)

[FwL]

Electric guitars "usually" have lower action, lighter strings and a slimmer neck profile. In this respect learning on an electric is easier on the left hand at first.

That said, if a person wants to play electric they should just learn on an electric. If they want to play acoustic then learn on an acoustic. There's no point in messing around with an instrument you're not really excited about. These are plenty of other hurdles without adding more.
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[Tone Monster]

Doc Watson once told me electric

Keith Richards has said acoustic

[LSemmens]

We only had that discussion at music practice the other night. It has already been said, if you want to play electric, then that is what you should learn on. I f you want to learn acoustic, same. The advantage of an acoustic over electric are portability and, with experience, you can certainly get far better "tone" out of an acoustic.

[JonPR]

Electric is physically easier (on average), but then you also have to learn about amps and all that other stuff.

Acoustic is better for two reasons: good sound without having to plug anything in, and better training for your fingers.

But - I agree with the above - learn whichever one you really want to learn. If you love electric guitar (rock of any kind) and don't much care for the unplugged sound, then go for electric right away.

If - as yet - you have no real preference either way - you like most kinds of music, and any guitar music - then I suggest starting on acoustic. But get a good one, not a cheap one - or at least if it must be cheap, pay to have it properly set up (doesn't cost much). It shouldn't really be a whole lot harder to play than an electric.

[Cameron_Talley]

One thing to consider: If you learn on an acoustic (especially when you start getting to Barre chords), when you play an electric you will find it takes no pressure at all to fret the strings.

[perttime]

Originally Posted by JonPR

...

But - I agree with the above - learn whichever one you really want to learn. If you love electric guitar (rock of any kind) and don't much care for the unplugged sound, then go for electric right away.

If - as yet - you have no real preference either way - you like most kinds of music, and any guitar music - then I suggest starting on acoustic. But get a good one, not a cheap one - or at least if it must be cheap, pay to have it properly set up (doesn't cost much). It shouldn't really be a whole lot harder to play than an electric.

Agreed.

One thing that sometimes happens with electrics is that people get overly obsessed with the gear and effects, instead of actually playing. Of course you could consider the effects of a modeling amp an instrument - but you still need to play it, and the guitar is the interface.

[Tritone Sub]

Depending on style which you 'd like to play, if you'd like to play solo or with the band.

If you learn acoustic first you'll have easier transition to electric if needed some day.

[mr. beaumont]

For an teen/adult, start on the kind you want to play more of.

For a kid, acoustic--less items to invest in and eat the cost of later should they not stick with it. But for the love of God people, stop buying 10 year Olds drednaughts!

[sirwhale]

I started on a steel string acoustic, and now that I have a crossover, I still play the same songs, I think they sound better, and they are so much easier to play.

With carbon strings on a crossover, you play better, longer, louder, and it sounds great (and I mean for the "steel string songs" that I play - John Fahey, Blues, Bert Jansch...)

I wish I'd started on this guitar.

[JeffreyAK]

I started on a cheap nylon-string acoustic, which isn't a bad place to start - low tension, easy enough to play once you get used to the thick strings, and forces you to be precise with finger positioning. But I really wanted to play electric, so after a year or two I convinced my parents to buy me an electric guitar, and I made my own amp out of an old tube-powered record player. Nowadays you'd probably start by plugging into a computer, which just requires an interface.

[KDepew]

Tons of great advice on here already. My two cents....if you want to play acoustic, learn on acoustic. If you want to play electric, learn on electric.

I have found with my students that starting on acoustic is best. Many never go to electric. But those that do find the transition pretty easy.

I have not seen it the other way around though....

[Fairlight]

Easier? Fret hand, either. Probably electric. Overall experience, acoustic. I started as a kid on my dad's uke. Moved to nylon and eventually steel. Didn't get my first electric until High School. All the while I took piano lessons for theory. A good combination for me at the time. Electric is different in a few notable ways. It's usually heavier, flatter, requires an amp to hear, can't play it solo like you can an acoustic. Why not learn using both?

[BFD]

Originally Posted by Whitey#1

Which is better for a beginner? Which one is easier to learn to play on if you are a beginner? r/Mike

I agree w/those who generally advise learning on what you want to play, but I think CHOOSING based on which is easier is the wrong approach. Any beginner guitar (acoustic or electric) should be 1) easy to tune and 2) easy to play (& 3)per Jeff, a good fit). Doesn't need to sound great, look fancy or be expensive. If the difference in playing ease between a well set up beginner electric & acoustic is an issue for someone, then they very likely lack enough motivation to stick with it.

It's the differences between electric and acoustic, and there are plenty, that make it wise to start on the instrument you really want to play. Whenever I hear a person experienced on one but not the other, play the other - it's usually pretty obvious and not very compelling. Kind of like hitting the 'Translate' button on a foreign webpage