Learning the Guitar

 

 

The guitar

“ A chunk of wood with strings”

In its simplest form is just that, however there are hundreds of shapes, colours and sizes that make the guitar one of the most versatile instruments around. You can play it with fingers missing like the famous Jazz guitarist ‘Django Reinhardt’ or the heavy metal legend Tony Iommi. 


         

Tony IommI                                       Django Reinhardt

 

There are two main Types of guitar the Electric guitar and the Acoustic guitar. Both have the same amount of strings and the same notes, both are played the same however each has separate Guitar techniques that are used to achieve specific sounds.

The basic function of a guitar is that when struck the strings vibrate, that vibration is then picked up by either a magnetic pickup on an electric guitar or a sound is produced via the sound hole chamber on a acoustic guitar thus creative the sound we know and love.

The guitar is an icon in its own right and can just as inspiring to a beginner as the player who plays it, in a lot of cases they go hand in hand. 

 

Types of guitar

Buying your first guitar can be quite a daunting task with all the options available to you online and in music stores. In order to get one that suits you perfectly, I recommend going into a music shop such as Music Room and trying out a few different shapes and sizes to find one that suits you best. Don’t worry about the price, buy the guitar that fits into your budget and feels comfortable for you to play and hold. 

 

Below is a brief guide to different types of guitar that are available.

 

Acoustic Guitar

Steel strung acoustic guitar is the general guitar used in most popular music and when you say acoustic guitar this is what people think of. It’s a great choice for a beginner with many shapes and sizes available. These guitars are very versatile and can cover all styles of music.   


 Steel String Acoustic guitar

 

Classical Guitar

Generally given to children in schools as they come in set sizes of 4/4 full size, 3/4 and 1/2 size. They have three steel strings and three nylon strings. These string types make the guitar a great choice for beginners, as the strings are along softer on your fingers, great for children. Theses guitars are generally associated with classical and flamenco music. Despite the styles they are associated with they can still be used to learn any style.

 Nylon String Classical guitar

 

Electric Guitar

One of the most versatile instruments of all the guitar types. There are many shapes available, however the main differences between them can only be heard when amplified. The electric guitar is extremely versatile and is a great choice for a beginner. Picking the right electric guitar is slightly trickier than any other as it will depend on the genre of music you want to play. Some of the most versatile are the Fender Strat and the Yamaha Pacifica, which make for great beginner guitars.