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If you have decided you would like to learn to play a musical instrument and have specifically chosen the guitar, you have most definitely clicked on the right article.
In an effort to aid your search for the perfect style and brand of guitar for you, continue reading for some comprehensive assistance in choosing the right style of guitar to learn how to play.
The Different Types of Guitars
Essentially, there are three main types of guitar :electric, bass, and acoustic.
However, within these three categories are several different styles with significant variations. For example, acoustic guitars come in different sizes, from jumbos and dreadnaught acoustic guitars to the more articulate in tone and substantially quieter auditorium and parlor styles.
Below are the three main types of guitars and an outline of the differences between each style.
Begin with an Acoustic Guitar
Even if you have the ultimate goal of learning the electric guitar, although playing an acoustic style is by no means easy, it is certainly easier, especially when you are learning basic chords. Brazilian Rosewood acoustic guitars are an excellent example of an affordable, impressive, and aesthetically pleasing style.
There are several advantages to learning to play an acoustic guitar over an electric one, including the following:
- Fingerpicking on an acoustic guitar is easier than on an electric one
- You will not need to invest in an amp for your acoustic guitar
- The use of a capo is possible on the acoustic style
- A variety of different tunings are catered for
- Acoustic guitars are generally considered to be easier to practice on
Acoustic guitars are also somewhat easier to hold and manage, so they make an ideal first guitar for beginners.
Bass Guitars
Bass guitars, certainly several decades ago, were only in the style of a large double-bass guitar that would definitely be more at home in a jazz band or professional orchestra.
However, the bass guitar is now not only the ‘coolest’ style of guitar to learn and master; the low, deep, and often earth-shattering sounds are entirely unrivaled.
Bruce Foxton, the bass guitarist from The Jam, played a Rickenbacker 4001, and Sir Paul Mccartney favored the Hofner Violin. Learning to play the bass guitar would be an excellent idea for individuals interested in collaborating with other musicians, namely the drummer, as the two instruments work in perfect harmony.
Think John Deacon and Roger Taylor from the rock band Queen!
Electric Guitars
By far the most recognizable sound of perhaps all the musical instruments and certainly the loudest and most dramatic is the electric guitar.
However, without the use of an amplifier or ‘amp’, electric guitars are perhaps the quietest of all instruments (aside from, perhaps, the triangle), and as such, electric guitars are more expensive to learn.
The styles of electric guitars that you will have seen famous and highly talented guitarists play include famous makes such as the Fender Telecaster, the Fender Stratocaster, and the Gibson Les Paul.
