Getting an acoustic guitar is hard, but learning it is even harder. Most new guitar learners always ask why is acoustic guitar harder to learn than electric guitar? It is something that all of us face, but the reasons and solutions are still ambiguous.
So, to clarify things, here we will introduce you to some of the main reasons that make acoustic guitar harder to learn than an electric guitar. Whether it is about the size, the strings, or the neck of the guitar, there are a lot of factors that we will bring into your account.
Today, we have come up with some of those factors that make an acoustic guitar much harder to learn than an electric guitar. Along with it, we will also school you some impressive methods that might help you learn an acoustic guitar with ease and comfort.
Therefore, to get answers to your question and to learn some useful means to play an acoustic guitar with ease, follow this article religiously.
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4 Reasons Why Acoustic Guitar are Hard to Learn
There’re a lot of reasons why you find it hard to play an acoustic guitar when compared to an electric one. Also, people will tell you a lot of things about it. But, below, we will tell you four of the most common reasons why on earth it is harder to play an acoustic guitar than an electric one.
1- Acoustic Guitars Have High Action
The most important reason for finding an acoustic guitar hard to play is the high action. If you compare the action of an acoustic guitar and an electric guitar, you will notice that the worst electric guitar has a lower action than one of the best acoustic guitars.
However, if you do not know, then the action of the guitar is the gap between the strings and the fretboard. This action is the reason why most beginners fail to learn guitar easily. On acoustic guitar, due to high action, it becomes hard to press the strings against the fretboard, and thus you create a buzzing sound while playing.
It is something that most of us face while learning a guitar. While if you see on an electric guitar, the action is quite low. It is as low as you can press it with just a slight finger touch. So, if you were wondering about the main reason behind acoustic guitars being so hard to learn is that they have high actions as compared to an electric guitar.
2- Acoustic Guitars Come Up With Heavy Strings
Along with high action, one of the major reasons behind acoustic guitars being hard to learn is that they come up with heavy strings. Here, the heavy strings do not mean heavy in weight. In guitar terms, a heavy string is a thick string that is usually used in an acoustic guitar.
On the other hand, in electric guitar, light or thin string is used that is much easier to press. So, the reason why the acoustic guitar is hard to learn is that first of all, it has high action, and then the same high action is complimented by heavy strings that make it even harder to press them.
So, two of the main reasons behind an acoustic guitar being so hard to learn are the high action and heavy strings. Even if any one of these two things is present, you will find it hard to play an acoustic guitar as a beginner.
3- Acoustic Guitars Have a Big Body
Now the reason that annoyed me most while learning guitar is the body of the guitar. If you know even a bit about guitar, then you will admit that guitar is one of those stubborn instruments that challenge you the most.
And, to overcome these challenges, the first thing you need to do is overwhelm the guitar body with your hands and body. You cannot let the guitar sit over you. Instead, you need to bend a bit over the guitar and put your pressure over it. This is the way that you can have control over your guitar.
But, the irony with acoustic guitars is that they come up with a huge body, and it is quite hard to bend over an acoustic guitar with your body. On the other hand, electric guitars have a very small body when compared to acoustic guitars.
You can put them in your lap and easily bend over them to play. They are some of the easiest types of guitar to play. All in all, one of the main reasons that make acoustic guitar hard to learn is the body of the guitar.
4- Electric Guitar Offers Narrow Neck
The neck is one of the main reasons that you find it hard to learn an acoustic guitar. If you notice, then you will find out that the neck of an acoustic guitar is way thicker and wider than an electric guitar. So, when the neck is wider, as a beginner, fingerpicking becomes even harder.
While if we talk about an electric guitar, then almost all of them come up with a narrow neck that is easy to grab and practice. So, one of the most common hurdles while learning an acoustic guitar is the wide neck of the guitar.
How Will You be Able to Learn an Acoustic Guitar With Ease?
Well, as a beginner, learning guitar is never going to be an easy nut to crack, but we have some methods that can make learning guitar a bit easier. So, follow the below-given methods to learn an acoustic guitar with ease.
1- Get a Student Guitar First
So, if you’re an absolute beginner and learning an acoustic guitar has become a really hard nut for you to crack, then we suggest you get a student guitar first. A student guitar is a short acoustic guitar that most guitarists use while learning guitar.
The number of frets is less; the neck is a bit narrow, and the body of the student guitar is short. Along with it, the size of the fret of a student guitar is also less when compared to a regular acoustic guitar. So, if you want to learn an acoustic guitar and it is getting hard for you to learn on a regular guitar, then learn on a student guitar first.
We bet our words that learning on a student guitar will make life easy for you, and you will be able to learn acoustic guitar with ease.
2- Lower the Action Of The Guitar
As we have discussed above, the main reason why an acoustic guitar is hard to play is the high action, so you can lower the action of the guitar. For this, you need to check whether or not your guitar has a truss rod. A truss rod is a metal rod implanted in the neck of the guitar. It is used to lower the action of the guitar or to bend or straighten the neck of the guitar.
If the guitar has a truss rod, then well and good, but it has no truss rod, then things will get hard for you. With no truss rod, you will have to remove the strings, then the guitar nut, and then the saddle of the bridge. After it, you will have to sand the saddle and the nut as per the requirement and then place them in their place.
Doing this will also allow you to lower the action of the guitar. But, if you are going to lower the action of the guitar with no truss rod, then it would help if you are an expert.
3- Get a Narrow-Neck Acoustic Guitar
One of the best ways to learn acoustic guitar with ease is by getting a narrow neck guitar. A narrow neck guitar is one of the most favorite types of guitar that people have. So, if you are not getting the guitar tunes right and you need to learn it quickly, then bet on a narrow-neck guitar. It will help you a lot.
4- Replace Your String Set
We told you that heavy and light gauge strings are the reason why some guitars are easy to play and some hard. So, if you’re finding it hard to learn and play an acoustic guitar, then we would suggest you replace the string set that you use.
If your guitar supports steel strings, then we ask you to replace it from heavy gauge to light gauge. But, if you are using a light gauge, then move on to the ultra-light gauge strings. However, we know people who cannot even play with ultra-light gauge strings. So, for them, we would suggest nylon strings. Try this out, and your playing style and ease of playing will surely change.
Why should I start to learn with an acoustic guitar?
Well, the answer lies in the toughness of learning an acoustic guitar. A man who is trained to do difficult tasks can easily perform easy tasks. But, someone trained to perform easy tasks can never perform difficult tasks. The same theory applies here.
Undoubtedly acoustic guitars are more difficult to learn than electric guitars. There is more than one reason why you should start with the acoustic guitar.
Firstly, acoustic guitars teach you to discipline the hard way. When your fingers pick the strings of the acoustic guitar, it greatly familiarizes you with the art of pressure and vibrations. How much pressure will produce what intensity of vibrations?
Plucking on the rough surface of acoustic strings will make it easy for you to handle electric guitar at the wizard level.
Another reason why you should start with an acoustic guitar is that they are relatively cheaper than electric guitars available in the market.
Can an acoustic guitar player play an electric guitar?
Certainly, an acoustic guitar player plays an electric guitar. Although there is a change in pattern in the notes of an acoustic and an electric guitar, the basic pattern of playing is the same.
Yes, an acoustic guitar player can play an electric guitar. Even many professionals suggest starting with an acoustic guitar. It is because acoustic guitars strengthen and build your grip for electric guitars.
At the same time, many guitarists may face some difficulty while switching from acoustic to electric guitar. It is because the plucking style for acoustic and electric guitar differs. Acoustic guitar depends upon the hollow body of the guitar to transmit vibrations and generate output. Hence greater pull is needed while plucking the string.
On the other hand, electric guitars work on pickups to generate the output. Soft pluck will produce a significant vibration. A learner may face difficulty adjusting to the new routine of pickups and transistors. But with time, soon you will be able to practice hassle-free electric guitar sessions.
Are our electric guitars more expensive than acoustic guitars?
Yes, electric guitars are significantly more expensive than acoustic guitars. There are various reasons for that. Firstly, acoustic guitars follow simple principles of reflection and vibrations within the hollow body.
On the other hand, electric guitars work on an advanced level utilizing pickups and transistors. The infrastructure of an electric guitar is a bit pricy as compared to acoustic guitars.
Another point that adds to the price of an electric guitar is expensive amplifiers. An acoustic guitar can work well without an amplifier as the sound is within the earshot.
On the other hand, the electric guitar produces sound at minimalistic levels, which requires an amplifier to boost the volume of the output. If you are considering a good quality amplifier, it will cause you some good dollars. The price you will pay for electricity is yet another factor.
Conclusion
If you have been through the above draft, then we are sure that you need not ask why the acoustic guitar is harder to learn than an electric guitar. Above, we have answered all of your questions about the difference in learning between an acoustic and an electric guitar. The article has taught you some of the reasons behind acoustic guitar being hard to learn.
Not only this, but we also told you some of the main tricks and methods that will allow you to learn acoustic guitar with ease. However, if you have got time, then we would suggest that you never choose a shortcut while learning a guitar.
As a guitarist, I know that learning guitar is hard, and you love to choose shortcuts. But, always keep in mind that shortcuts will never make you a good guitarist. Do try some methods for easy learning, but never choose shortcuts.
To end, if you have any questions left about the title, do let us know. We would love to assist you.