How and what guitar to choose a beginner

The first serious question that aspiring guitarists and guitarists face when they come to a music store is: "Which guitar to choose and what are the differences?" Often this situation makes you seriously reconsider buying a guitar and spend another couple of weeks on the internet looking for the right instrument. To save your precious time, in this article we will provide all the necessary information on how to choose a guitar for a beginner.

Guitar Types

The first thing you need to know is what guitars come in. Otherwise, what is there to choose from? J

Guitars are divided into 3 kinds:

classical;
acoustic (pop, western, folk, concert);
and the electric guitar.
If the difference between electric and acoustic is immediately clear, the question, "What is the difference between the first two?" causes confusion among beginners. "After all, they both have six strings and look the same!"

Well, they look very different, you can see that in the photo below. As you can see, the bodies are different. The classic has a rounder and smaller body.

Besides, only nylon strings are put on the classical guitar, which is convenient for still delicate fingers of beginners, besides the fingerboard is wider and shorter than the acoustic one, which makes it easier to learn. Combining these factors (body size, string material) we get a completely different timbre and purpose of the guitar.

Acoustic Guitar
The acoustic guitar has metal strings, which makes it have a tinkling, rich timbre and loud sound. If your goal is to learn to accompany yourself on songs, acoustic is ideal. The metal strings are great for playing with a plectrum, and the narrow fingerboard makes it much easier to play barre chords.

Of course, "strumming chords" is not the only purpose of an acoustic guitar. Thanks to its sonorous and rich sound, it is good for jazz, blues, rock, pop music, chanson, etc. In fact, the instrument is versatile and you can play anything on it with the exception of classical pieces and flamenco. So, if you see yourself as a performer or performer of pop genres - feel free to buy an acoustic guitar.

But keep in mind that it's much harder and sometimes even painful for untrained hands of beginners to learn finger techniques (i.e. without a pick) on acoustic guitar. That's why many professionals think that it's better to learn classical first and then acoustic.

Classic
With its wide fingerboard and soft nylon strings, the Classica is ideal for beginners:

It's comfortable to strum;
Fingers get used to nylon more easily.

What to play on the classics? Traditionally, classical music, flamenco, romances and other lyrical compositions are played on it. But things change over time, and today the classical guitar is as versatile as the acoustic guitar. It is used to play booming, rock, jazz and blues. The only fundamental difference is the timbre and the number of frets. Classical guitar has a soft, deep sound, for which it is appreciated by many musicians. But it is inferior to the acoustic guitar in the number of frets (18 vs. 20 or 21) and volume.

Electric Acoustic Guitar
This is an intermediate option between acoustic and electric guitars. It is essentially the same acoustic or classical guitar with a pickup. You can connect the instrument to speakers and amplify the sound and in some cases you can change the timbre. This is the guitar to buy if you want to play loud or perform.

Electric guitar
Designed instrument to play through an amplifier (without it you practically will not hear yourself). Most often this guitar is purchased for playing rock music, but it is also suitable for other genres. Now it can be heard in folk and ethnic music, pop, jazz and blues. And thanks to various special effects, with electric guitar you can realize almost any idea.

Hollow electric guitar
This is a synthesis of acoustic and electric. It looks similar to an acoustic guitar, only instead of a "rosette", it has "ephs" as resonating holes, like a violin. The body can be completely hollow or partially hollow. Due to its specific soft timbre, the instrument is used to perform jazz, blues and rock 'n' roll music. And of course, it can be connected to an amplifier.