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In today’s article, we will teach you how to choose the best guitar for beginners. If you want to learn to play this instrument or that someone close to you take their first steps in music, stay with us and read the next lines carefully!
Playing the guitar can be a great hobby, helping to de-stress and pass the time, or even become a professional activity. To have an adequate start with the instrument, it is necessary to choose the correct model. Learning tends to be a lot of fun for both adults and children!
Summary
- Playing the guitar is an activity that can be a lot of fun and also helps to relieve stress and improve self-confidence. Learning is fun, but requires dedication.
- Children can also play the guitar and there are exceptional models designed exclusively for them.
- Acoustic guitars are usually better suited for beginners, as they are cheaper and have easier strings to play.
The best guitar for beginners: Our picks
Buying guide
In the next few lines, you will find answers to all these questions!
Is it easy to learn to play the guitar?
Despite having complex techniques and ask for mastery of rhythms, finger coordination and muscle memory, learning the guitar can be achieved quickly with dedication and study.
As muscle memory is something that is acquired with practice, those who wish to learn to play the guitar need to practice often. We recommend that a few minutes a day are set aside for this. It does not have to be a long period of time, but just something that creates habit.
Dedication should mean that in a maximum of one month some easier songs can be played with ease, and that in up to six months more complex techniques can be learned.
Did you know that the guitar is not eight-shaped by chance? The idea is precisely to have an entrance so that it can fit into the body, making it much easier to play.
What are the advantages of learning to play the guitar?
The guitar has a great ability to de-stress people. For those who enjoy the activity, the daily moment of doing it represents calm and tranquility. In addition, it improves concentration, brain activity and self-esteem.
Self-esteem, by the way, is an important point: people with low confidence or social difficulties tend to feel more secure when they master the instrument. It can even help when making friends.
Even physical benefits, such as improved heart health, have been linked to the guitar. And of course, if you’re really good at it, you can even start making money playing the instrument!
Check out the table below the main advantages and disadvantages of learning to play the guitar:
What should a beginners guitar offer?
However, you can pay attention to some features when choosing your first guitar. We list some of them below:
- Price: It is common for a beginner, for not having the necessary technique, to wear or damage the guitar while learning. It is not worth buying a very expensive model to begin with.
- Musical style: The wood, body and composition of the guitar make it suitable for lighter or heavier sounds. If you know what style you want to play, buy a model suitable for it.
- Separation between strings and neck: The more separated are the strings of the neck of a guitar, the more difficult it is to be played. Opt for a model that has the most together to start.
- Size: Smaller guitars are also easier to learn, especially for children
Start with electric or acoustic guitar?
The main difference between the two types is that electric guitars can be amplified and connected to sound systems, being ideal for presentations, while acoustic guitars do not offer this possibility.
But the most important factor here is that electric guitars have steel strings, which produce a more beautiful sound but are much more difficult to play. Meanwhile, acoustic models have nylon strings, which do not give as many calluses and are great for learning.
Considering the greater difficulty and higher price of electric guitars, we recommend that you start with an acoustic model.
See the table that we prepared comparing the two types:
| Electric guitar | Acoustic guitar | |
|---|---|---|
| Main feature | Can be connected to amplifiers and sound systems | Cannot be connected to amplifiers and sound systems |
| Strings | Made in steel | Made in nylon |
| Advantages | Produces a much more beautiful sound, can accompany you in future performances | Allows better learning, has the lowest price |
| Disadvantages | Can hurt the fingers and cause calluses at first, high prices | Can hardly be used in presentations and shows |
Are there good guitars for children?
For a child to learn to play the guitar, he needs the right instrument. There are several models made for the little ones and they have quality. Adaptations in size, material and hardness of cuts, wood and body make it easier.
The most important thing is to get the size right: guitars for children between the ages of two and five are a quarter the normal size, for those between five and eight, half, and for those between eight and twelve, three quarters. This way, the fit between human body and instrument is perfect.
If you know a child who is interested in guitar, the instrument can be a beautiful gift!
Purchase criteria: Factors for choosing a beginners guitar
If you have already decided to buy a guitar for someone who is learning, you still need to consider some technical criteria. We have selected four:
Below, we talk more about each of them!
Wood
There is not just one type of wood that guitars are made with. In fact, the variation is quite reasonable and has direct implications on the sound produced.
The most common wood is spruce, which has a brighter tone and reaches high volumes. The cedar type is capable of delivering stronger and livelier tones. Mahogany is recommended for those who like blues and jazz for its more aggressive sound. Maple, on the other hand, is the most transparent tone.
It is possible to study what each wood offers you and choose the one which produces sounds closer to what you want!
Body
The same thing that goes for the wood, goes for the body: There are three variations that suit different styles and deliver sounds that are different from each other.
We call a classical body one that is closer to the eight-shape, always linked to guitars. It produces a very clear sound and can deliver a good balance between highs and lows and highs and lows. It is highly recommended for beginners.
The second type is called dreadnaught, but also known as folk guitar. With adaptations on the top, it is great for rock ‘n roll. Finally, the jumbo guitar is a combination of the two, bringing together the best of each type with a very elegant design.
Dimensions
For adults, there is a standardized guitar size, but for children you can find many variations. We have already talked about recommendations by age, but it is important to think about the comfort of the instrument when close to the body.
Even if you are an adult but have not grown so much, having a smaller guitar is a good idea. During the learning process, it is necessary to achieve the maximum possible comfort when playing the instrument.
Left-handed or right-handed
You don’t have to worry if you are left-handed: there are guitars designed entirely for left-handed players!
If the purchase is for yourself, opt for a model that fits your dominant hand. If you are giving a gift, do not buy it without knowing whether the recipient is right or left-handed! This information is fundamental for successful learning.
(Featured image source: congerdesign / Pixabay.com)
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