Begining guitar with...?

[mertay]

Even if the kid wants to play electric, their parent sometimes want things to be as affordable as possible.

So its either an acoustic or classical guitar that will be used to start using the basics.

General preference where I live is to start with a classical guitar which personally I can't understand (though I also started with classic guitar but was playing classical music for a long time).

What do you guys prefer for the student and why?

[lespauled]

One of the main reasons is that one of the first things new guitar players want to do is sound good. They usually take the shortcut of getting a distortion pedal, and mistakenly believe they are better than they are when they turn the distortion all the way up. It hides too many mistakes.

Mistakes can become a habit, and habits are harder to correct than mistakes. Thus, the acoustic is the correct choice for any beginner guitar player. Play slow, play clean, until your abilities catch up with your ambitions.

[Guitarchaeology]

The neck on an electric is usually thinner than on an acoustic, so many will go that route for a first guitar because it is less strenuous on the fretting hand.

Honestly it shouldn't matter if the student is enthusiastic or has regular encouragement.

[ohaple]

I would vote there are two sides to this coin. An acoustic will likely be more beneficial to the student, as far as technique. BUT I would suggest that this is a hobby, and a love of ours. If the student doesn't love acoustic, playing it isn't doing him any favors. While technically, playing the Iron Man chords with heavy distortion might not be the best exercise or show his true skill, if it makes him fall in love with the instrument, that is the way to go. If the student enjoys classical and acoustic music, I would vote that as the choice.

I would rather be an average player with love for the art than an expert who feels like its a chore.

[Swirltop]

If I had started on an acoustic I probably would have quit within a month. I absolutely hate playing on acoustics. They are just uncomfortable for me to play, and especially the cheaper beginner "student" varieties that typically have ridiculous action and fret work...

When my 7 year old (at the time) son wanted to start guitar I got him a little Ibanez Micro and set up the action as low as possible. It made it a hell of a lot easier and more fun for him to play than some POS student acoustic in the same price range...

[ohaple]

When I started guitar, I knew nothing about the technicalities, neither did my parents. I got a starter kit ibanez, with the amp and all. In retrospect, the guitar was fine quality, and I sure loved how it looked, but I remember always fighting it. It never was properly set up. No matter what instrument they start on, make sure it is set up properly. When I got my second guitar, which had been set up my the previous owner, I felt like I was a much better player, since I wasn't fighting the high action and all.

[worldrecordholder]

I taught guitar for many years part time in a large music store in Meridian Ms (*the same time I worked at the Peavey guitar plant).

I would routinely see a new student where the parent got them the cheapest guitar they could buy. I it was very frustrating because I (*not to sound like a dick but I have some 'guitar skills') and I couldnt play ANYTHING on their guitar. How the F- was I supposed to teach some kid to play on a guitar that was 100% unplayable???

Inevitably they would get frustrated and quit. It got to the point where I refused to teach someone unless their guitar was good enough to learn on.


-Dont buy your kid a 'classical guitar' unless they want to play classical. If they want to play rock, dont by them an acoustic. A person can learn to play on ANYTHING, get them the guitar that works for the TYPE music they want to play. This will keep them interested....

-Teach things they want to know. Many teachers will force students to learn notes, scales, theroy and other stuff (*mostly to prolong lessons). IMO its much more important to teach them some songs THEY WANT to play and the skills to learn how to teach THEMSELVES the songs they want to play. Theory can come later when they already have the skills and desire to know theory. I remember other teachers would 'Mel Bay' the poop out of their students....You can imagine how pissed the other teachers were when students would quit them to learn from me as my students were learning basic AC/DC, Metallica and blues jams in the first week when after months they had got other teachers were forcing them to learn 'marry had a little lamb' (*and not the SRV version!) and other basic kid melodies.


A person doesnt need to spend a fortune. I see great guitars on CL all the time for less then 250-300$.

-I personally recommend an electric for new students. They can play ANY style of music, are much more comfortable to play and can be played WITH HEADPHONES!!!!!

~JH