Guitar Begginer! Looking for advice/no "how to play fast" questions!

[bebemaster]

Ok...so after a long time of thinking...me, a 14 year old guy from Colombia, South America have decided to start playing guitar.

I mostly listen, and plan to play, metal; proggresive, power and death most of all.
So i asked my dad; he told me that yes i could play, but start in acoustic and then move on to electric. The price is almost the same since he aggreed to buy a GOOD acoustic.

My argument is, well, why start on acoustic, if the electric, as i've read, its easier; meaning that acoustic is harder to learn and i wouldnt be really using it for the music i really want to play.

So, any advice, on how should i start, and what arguments could i use to convice him that starting in electric is a better option?

[Peeb]

Welcome, bebemaster!

I think most folks start on the acoustic, but I'm not an instructor so I can't tell you whether or not there is any theoretical advantage to that.

I many ways, I've always found the acoustic to be a little easier to play, since it's less likely to accidentally bend the strings out of pitch when just learning a chord. Just me.

[tbman]

If you learn on acoustic, when you finally do get an electric, you will fly on it. You're dad is right.

[bebemaster]

OK thanks guys; any one else?

[lufc71]

The electric is much easier to learn on for 2 reasons:-

1) They usually have lighter gauge strings (so they dont hurt your finger tips so much)
2) The necks are usually smaller and therefore are easier for the beginner to get their hands around.

Having said all that, I would recommend learning on either. When you are starting out, there are loads of basics that must be learnt irrespective of the instrument that you play. The most important thing at the moment for you is to do it i.e. practice as much as possible.

As for the style that you want to play, again I would say learn the basics and forget your favourite music as you aint going to be able to play it for a while even if you buy the most expensive guitar in the world. Whatever style you play, you must learn all the basics first, and then progress on to playing in a certain style/s.

As for what basics, there are loads of threads on the subject on here to get you started.

Whatever you decide, good luck, and I hope you enjoy it. :)

MOT

[Strat Rat]

IMO
If you plan to play electric guitar there is no need to start on acoustic.
I dont agree with the concept of making things harder than they need to be
on a new player. I guess If my goal was to get them to quit I would go that route.
I say make it as easy and enjoyable as possible. You will find plenty of ways to challenge yourself
by choice

When I was a kid there was a common beleif that you should start a kid on a cheapo
instrument. Usually acoustic to see if he is going to stick with it.
Needless to say a lot of people got frusterated with instruments that would kill your hands
and sounded horrible no matter what you did. Honestly I think taht was just a good
excuse to not buy an electric back then as they were very expensive. Today they are ultra cheap.

P.S none of my friends or students have ever come back and complained because
they were not made to suffer on an acoustic first. LOL

Either way I wish you luck and hope you hang in there no matter what,

Take Care

[jimifan]

for my two cents if your really interested in death metal electric is the way to go however that means buying an amp too so that is a factor. In the end though if your committed to learning either instrument will suffice for a start.

good luck and have fun - you only get to pick up your first guitar once enjoy it - and don't sell it. Cheers.

[Dude Absher]

Hello and Welcome to Jam Session.

Take Care:

[elguero]

Bienvenido a la mejor pagina para aprender la guitarra. Espero que disfrutes la pagina. Buena suerte :)

[logjon]

mexi strat and and a g-dec jr for under $500 usd
both are fender, practically made for each other
i'd say best case could be made at the music shop.
kpersonal reference

[fishndag]

I am very big on buying a classical guitar first...
So you'll give your fingers a real workout at the very begining...
everything else will come real easy if you start on a big wide neck and chunky nylon strings...
and its cheaper... so you dont have to commit

[logjon]

Why not just have him get a GBME?

[/sarcasm]

My G-DEC is ******** out on my already.

I am very big on buying a classical guitar first...
So you'll give your fingers a real workout at the very begining...
everything else will come real easy if you start on a big wide neck and chunky nylon strings...
and its cheaper... so you dont have to commit

[Luthdrix]

I started on a classical. I didn't like it then. I would dream of getting an electric but my parents didn't get me one for the whole first year I played. It's funny because I was 13, and really into metal at the time, and I would be sitting there with this classical guitar shredding out these power chord rhythms. Looking back, I am sooo glad that I had a classical. I had a buddy from Guatemala who played in a gypsy style, so I started picking up on other styles too. You never know how much your musical tastes will change over the next 10 years if you stick with it. It made me a better musician over all rather than having exactly what I wanted right away (an electric). Now I feel well rounded and I get more gigs because of that, and I thoroughly enjoy both instruments. On a classical you can explore: Latin, Jazz, Metal, Pop, Rock and Blues, but all without the distortion so that you can actually hear what you are playing. Then a year from now you go and buy your electric and you have a whole new world to explore with all the good Ear Training you get from your classical. Hope this helps.

Luthdrix

[freetime]

I started out on an electric and its was good because I could play a lot of power chord rock songs. The worst thing you can do is get a poor quality instrument like Strat Rat said.

If it was me, I'd take the nicest guitar he's willing to buy regardless of personal preference. :)

Toodles

[Zaius]

I started on a classical guitar. It was all right.. I played very infrequently over a span of about 5 years, just a few songs that my dad taught me, and a couple of modern licks I learned myself. But I didn't really get into guitar until I got an electric and played music that I wanted to play.
So looking back, I suppose it was a good learning experience, but I wish I had gotten an electric a lot earlier. Being able to play the type of music you normally like to listen to is a big motivator.

[logjon]

why do you want a guitar?

?por que quieres una guitarra?

[logjon]

actually my strat for some reason works perfectly with the amp. it was just the gbme crap that was cracking,

[elguero]

why do you want a guitar?

?por que quieres una guitarra?

porque es necesario tener una guitarra para aprender tocarla :D

[AngryHatter]

They are two different instruments - like learning the violin so you can later move to the double bass.
Why start learning apple when you will move to oranges?

[Tdanger]

well if you play on the accoustic for a while, and get good at it, then your skill level with electric will skyrocket once you move onto the shredding machines we have all come to know and love

welcome to the forum!

[telecasterred]

I have been playing over 40 years, I started on an arch top acoustic that my grandfather put a pickup in, he also built me a solid state amp, this was in 1966 and solid state technology was new! That guitar was a Harmony with a big fat neck and I was trying to wrap my 7 year old hands around it! I played that guitar for several years, put a crack on the top (of the body) in a fight with my brother, I busted the headstock clean off twice and reglued it both times, and now I'm 48 years old and have no idea what ever happened to the guitar!
Anyway enough about you let's talk about me!
No Really you can learn on either acoustic or electric, the electric will be easier on your hands, but the acoustic will help you to build strength quicker. Ultimately having both would give you the best of both worlds. As for the guitar the nicest inexpensive guitars I have seen lately are the Deans, $160 gets you acoustic or electric and these guitars are very playable, I have a Dean acoustic/electric I use for acoustic gigs I paid $120 cause it had a buff mark on the body, I bought it because it was inexpesive and was much more comfortable than my Aria. As for an amp I prefer tube amps, but if your going solid state the roland cube is a great sounding amp!
Best advice!! NEVER GIVE UP! EVER!

[enigram]

Acoustic is teh way to go. I practiced my bends on a crappy Yamaha acoustic and now they are super easy to do on electric.

[logjon]

funny...what's spanish for smartass? :D
it's definitely more fun to learn on an electric

porque es necesario tener una guitarra para aprender tocarla :D

[Tingly]

bebemaster, you are lucky that your dad will get you a guitar! The best strategy would be to do exactly as he says and score an electric after you've been playing a couple of months. Voila! Ya got both!

Not all, but most guitarists, nowadays, have both types. Using an electric guitar is like driving a car with power steering. It makes it "easier," but you have know how to "handle" power steering, too.

One the other hand, almost any simple six string is good for "learning guitar."

Some students do better starting on electric because that is what they really want to play (secretly, subcounciously, or otherwise). Later, as they do get better, the electric guitar begins to present challenges itself, that an acoustic would not.

Get an electric, if it will keep you interested and learning. Too many students try to play acoustic, but really dream about making feedback and growing their hair 3 feet long. They finally get bored of the acoustic work, and stop playing.

And then they are really stuck because they look older, have 3 foot long hair, but can't play guitar anymore.

So, dont' be one of those...

[elguero]

funny...what's spanish for smartass? :D
it's definitely more fun to learn on an electric

haha I don't know but whatever the hell it is, You're right about that :D

[logjon]

a mim strat and a g-dec jr, both made by fender, can be acquired fairly cheap, and i love the combination

[fireburstles]

i started on electric, but i only really play acoustic now. if you want to play death metal, i wouldnt start on an acoustic if i were you. im pretty used to the 12's i use on my guitar. when i go to an electric, i just mash them strings to bits, bending them all out of tune and whatnot. learn to play what moves you, then youll be a better guitarist.(youll want to play more) good luck! :)

[logjon]

I started on acoustic, now I just use amp settings/fx to get an acoustic sound from my strat for those certain situations when I need the acoustic sound.