The guitar is a commonly used musical instrument, played by a wide variety of musicians worldwide. The guitar is used in most popular music played and performed today, and is an important instrument in almost every type of genre from blues to folk and jazz. The guitar is categorized in the group of string instruments. The number of strings can vary between 4 and 18, but the most common guitars have 6 steel strings. The two major types of guitars are electric and acoustic guitars.
The Difference Between Acoustic and Electric Guitars
The three most popular types of acoustic guitars include: classical, steel-string acoustic and archtop guitars. With an acoustic guitar, all of the sound is created by the instrument without any sort of electronic amplification. Electric guitars create sound via electric amplification. There is also a third type of instrument, known as the acoustic electric guitar. As the name implies, this instrument is an acoustic guitar outfitted with an electronic package, and can therefore be played acoustically or with electric amplification. Because there are so many types and styles of guitar to choose from, selecting the proper instrument can be a somewhat daunting process for a new or beginning guitar player.
Selecting a Good First or Beginner Guitar
Choosing a Quality Instrument
If you have ever visited a guitar store, you probably know and agree that selecting your first guitar can be a somewhat intimidating and time intensive process. Many first time players are looking for an instrument on a budget, which is understandable, as many new players are “testing the waters” with their first guitar purchase. Picking out your first guitar or a decent “learner guitar” is a very important process, because the instrument you select may very well determine your eventual love, or dislike, for playing the guitar. Let us explain a bit more. The setup of the instrument, the string height, even the string type can all influence your ability to play an instrument. Poorly set up instruments are hard to learn on, and can hurt your fingers more than a properly set up instrument. Additionally, some less expensive instruments lack the sound and tone of finer instruments, and thus don't sound great. If you are learning how to play the guitar, and you don't like the way you sound and the instrument is uncomfortable to play, your chances of continuing to play may decrease significantly. Fortunately, all Breedlove instruments are designed and crafted with meticulous attention to every detail. Every instrument we offer is set up to our high performance standards for optimal playability and sound quality.
Body Shape
So, we've addressed the need for a quality, well playing instrument. Ther are a few other factors worth considering. The shape of the body can be an important factor in the sound, tone and performance of an instrument. Guitars come in a variety of sizes and the way an instrument feels when you play it can influence your overall experience and ability to learn. We suggest taking some time to learn about the different body styles, and trying a few different types until you find the body shape that works best for you. Learn more about the body shapes here.
Tonewood Combinations
Now, this may be a little advanced information – but it's valuable to understand the relationship tonewods play in the sound of your instrument. Each tonewood used in the build of an instrument contributes an aesthetic value, but more importantly, the woods used actually influence the sound your instrument produces. We've created a tremendous amount of information on the various tonewoods, and that information can be accessed here. Understanding the tonewood combinations to suit your playing style may be a little advanced if you are just learning, but sounding the best you can certainly helps during the beginning of a player's musical journey.
A Few Instrument Recomendations
Like we mentioned before, many new players or folks looking for a good beginner guitar are on a budget. Our Discovery models are ideal first guitars or learner guitars. They are also great beginner guitars for kids. They are priced appropriately for new players, but perform wonderfully as intro level instruments. All of the instruments undergo a rigorous set up and inspection process at our shop in Bend, OR to make sure they play, feel and sound beautifully.
For player with a slightly higher budget, it's hard to beat the Pursuit Series instruments. As you'll recall from reading above, tonewood combinations can greatly influence the sound and tone of an instrument. The Pursuit models offer a wide selection of stunning tonewoods. As with all Breedlove instruments, they are also setup and dialed in in Bend, OR. The attention to detail, design and craftsmenhsip is second to none.
Popular ways to learn to play the guitar
- GuitarLessons.com: This site has been designed to help beginners start the learning process. It also has a vast series of tutorials for intermediate learners. It focuses on teaching the rhythm guitar, lead guitar and much more.
- Your Guitar Sage: The YouTube channel,”Your Guitar Sage” is also a very good option for learning guitar. It also has a song channel attached to it, which covers more than 600 song tutorials. This channel is ideal for anyone who doesn’t only want to learn the techniques of playing a guitar, but also develop creative ideas for music.
- You Can Learn Guitar: It is a great channel to begin your guitar tutorials with.
- 101 Guitar Tips: Stuff All the Pros Know and Use (A Guide Book): This book is ideal for intermediate level learners. It focuses on a lot of tips and techniques which are best to be learned at the middle stage. Most of the lessons are focused on very minute details for improving the performance. The book largely concentrates on giving advice that is usually missed by many guitar teachers. The book also gives tips on several genres of music.
- The “First Stage” Guitar Book: It is a great guide for learners in the beginning stages. The instructions are well defined and illustrations are used to make the point more clear. The book introduces the reader to the world of playing a guitar and recommends various useful materials and guides for learning. The book focuses on simple tips and techniques to avoid complicating the beginner’s learning process.
Tips from the Pros
We interviewed Breedlove artist Mikey Rogers on the topic of learning to play the guitar. Here’s the Q&A from a pro!
Q. When did you learn to play the guitar, and what was your first instrument like from a playing perspective?
A. I started playing at age 5… My first instrument to me was amazing!!! It was a knock off D 28 Martin but wow I loved it!
Q. How does the quality of your instrument influence how you learn to play?
A. The better the instrument the better sound you'll achieve.
Q. What is a good style or type of instrument to learn on? What attributes does that instrument have?
A. Acoustic guitars are great to learn on… Breedlove especially:-)
Q. What advice do you have for new players who are just starting out?
A. Keep playing as much as you can… Stay positive about your playing and take it as serious as you can…
