Learning Guitar

The guitar is one of the most popular musical instruments today. There are many different kinds of guitars are available, each suiting different guitar players. Guitars can differ in terms of playability, overall appearance and sound quality.

Here are just a few different types of guitar you might want to consider:

Acoustic guitars are great to learn with.

Acoustic guitars are dependent on their structures and body shapes in resonating sounds. Unlike electric guitars, they don't rely on an amp to play. The natural vibrations of the strings are resonated by the body of the guitar.

Acoustic guitars are generally made out of wood. The neck is usually made from mahogany and the fret board is made out of maple or rosewood. There are many kinds of acoustic guitars, here are some of them:

1) Classical

Classical guitars are very popular. They are usually the choice guitar for beginners. The strings are usually made from nylon. These are usually played in a standard sitting position and used in playing classical music. Classical guitars produce think and whole sounds which are very warm to the ears.

Flamenco guitars are almost similar to the classical guitars; however, these guitars produce crisper and thinner sounds than the classical ones.

2) Steel-top

Steel-top guitars are much similar to the classical guitar. These, however, are constructed to be more resilient. The parts of the steel-top guitar are reinforced and their bodies are significantly larger than the classical guitars. They produce a warmer tone than the classical guitar.

3) 12-String guitar

A normal guitar usually has 6 strings, but the 12-string guitar, as its name implies, has 12 strings. Each string is accompanied by another string with the same note but is usually tuned in a higher octave. This kind of guitar produces a semi-chorus effect which is very pleasant to the ears.

4) Resonator

This type of guitar is similar to the steel-top guitar, but the steel in the middle of the soundboard is used to resonate the sound from the vibration of the guitar strings. This produces a very thin and distinct sound. These guitars are usually used in playing the blues. There are also variations of the resonator guitar; the square-neck resonator guitar is played on the lap like a piano or organ. The round neck resonator guitar is played like a common guitar. Resonator guitars work very well with glass or metal slides.

5) Archtop

The archtop guitar is inspired by other instruments such as the violin and the cello. An archtop guitar usually has the f-hole design. Jazz players prefer archtop guitars. Some archtop guitars can reach prices of about $25,000 USD.

6) Acoustic Bass

Acoustic bass guitars are bass guitars without electronic pick-ups. The body of the guitar is used to produce the sounds. These are usually 4-stringed guitars but there are acoustic bass guitars which have 5 or 6 strings.

If you are a beginner and your ear has not yet developed to the point where you are able to tune to ear, then the best way to start tuning your guitar is to use an electronic guitar tuner. They are not that expensive to buy and really speed things up. Some electronic tuners use a microphone to pick up the sounds then tell you if the string is in tune, but I prefer the ones that clip to the headstock and use vibrations to do my tuning. I personally use the
Intellitouch PT1 Tuner
(the one in the picture). There is also a barebones version (the PT2)that does not have all the features like backlight etc.. if you cannot afford the standard PT1

When you are about to learn any new instrument, the purchase price is bound to be a factor. Should you spend top dollar, only to find you have changed your mind a few months down the line?

With the advent of online guitar lessons appearing all over the internet, a lot of beginners think that a cheap acoustic guitar will do the job. It won't.

One reason some guitars sell at a premium is the material used to make it. The type of wood used for the case is a significant part of the cost. You can buy guitars that aren't made of wood (graphite and plastic are common alternatives), however, the wood is also what makes even a cheap acoustic guitar have the sound you're looking for.