Top Tips on learning Acoustic electric guitar

Posted by Guitars 4U on February 10th, 2021

Deciding to play an acoustic electric guitar opens the door of many opportunities, the following tips will help you playing properly and avoid some bad habits.

Equipment

Getting the right equipment at the start will make the exercise of learning to play an acoustic electric guitar mush easier and more enjoyable

•        Acoustic Electric Guitar

Take a bit of time to find an acoustic electric guitar that feels comfortable and sounds good to you

•        Guitar Amp

Although an acoustic electric guitar can still be played without an amp. To get the most benefit an amp gives your acoustic electric guitar it’s best sounds

•        Instrument Cables

You will require a cable from your guitar to the amp, the better-quality cables you invest in the better the sound you can produce

•        Guitar Tuner

Once you have mastered playing the guitar you will be able to tune your guitar by ear, but for a beginner a guitar tuner makes it much easier. You can find an inexpensive model at your music shop or online

•        Strap

While a guitar strap is not strictly necessary it helps new players support their acoustic electric guitar so there is one less obstacle to overcome and they can concentrate on their finger work as their playing experience will be more enjoyable

•        Picks

Knowing how to use a guitar pick is essential for learning the acoustic electric guitar. It’s usual for a beginner to use a pick of about 0.65 to 0.73 thickness’s although picks come in a whole range of shapes and sizes.

•        Capo

A capo is a device that clamps tightly over the strings allowing you to change the key you’re playing in quickly. This has an advantage for beginners because it minimizes the amount of finger stretching you are required to do

•        Learn Chords

You first need to learn the different chords; these are formed by using your fingers to hold down string in determined sequence and patterns.

Bar cords are played in any key by moving your hand up or down the guitar neck.

Open Chords don’t require all strings to be fretted at one time to make a required sound.

You can play using one style or the other but most people tent to use a mixture and this helps them get the individual sounds they like and become known for as well as producing a more multidimensional tone.

•        Your fingers

Until your finger strength and muscle tone develop you can expect your fingers to be a little sore. When this starts to happen take a break for a while then try again. Very soon your will overcome this difficulty.

•        Practice

The more you practice the better and quicker you will develop finger brain coordination. When this happens, you will start to play without having to think so much about chords and strumming, your brain will recognize the sounds you want to make and your fingers will reproduce them for you

Learning to play the electric acoustic guitar is supposed to be fun and enjoyable so don’t stress just take it at your own pace.