Starting guitar?

Question

i am a teen and wanting to start guitar , should i go electric or acoustic. do i have to have lessons to play good. do i need a $500 guitar. please help

Answer 1

Buy any piece any piece of crap and get a teacher.
Speaking from experience you will know when you need better gear for now stick to the bare necessities and GET A TEACHER, I can't stress that more. Good Luck

Answer 2

I'm not sure why the majority thinks that electric is better then acoustic for beginners...I think the exact opposite. Buying an electric guitar means MORE MONEY SPENT. You'll have to buy the guitar ($100 - $300) and you'll have to buy an amp ($80 - $200). So you're spending anywhere from $180 - $500 on a guitar and amp (plus you'll need a couple picks, guitar strap, capo, new stings at some point, and a tuner. You can get a good acoustic guitar for $100 - $200 and you won't need to spend the extra money on an amp. Plus, with an acoustic guitar you can take it anywhere and not have to worry about having to lug around an amp and always having to find an electric outlet to plug your amp in.

Answer 3

Hi,
I've played for years and no, you don't need a lot of expensive gear to get started. My advice is to pick up an good used acoustic guitar and a chord book.This will give you the basics. Just practice making
good, clean sounding chords, strengthening and stretching your fingers. You may want to find lessons after that, or you may want to continue on your own. If possible, it's great to have a buddy who is also a beginner that way you can learn together...and if you do decide to go electric. The Squire Stratocaster (made by Fender) is a good, inexpensive guitar. You should be able to get one pus an amp for around $200, new.

Answer 4

I started playing guitar when I was about 14. I started with an electric guitar because it's easier to get the chords sounding clear. With an acoustic guitar you have to press down much harder to get a clean sound. So for learning to play I would recommend an electric guitar. You can get lessons if you want to but you can also learn like I did on the internet, pick a song you like that doesn't sound too complicated, search for it's chords or tab on a guitar site and practice the chords with the song until it sounds right. You can learn to play pretty good like this but the downside is you won't learn to read notes. Good luck.

Answer 5

-If you want to play rock, get an electric guitar.
-Lessons will help you get better a lot quicker if you find a good teacher. Ask around your area to find a good one. A good teacher will help you spot and correct your bad habits, and explain a lot of concepts that might be harder to learn without some interaction.
-No, you don't need a $500 guitar. I bought both of mine used for less than $300 each, and they go through two rehearsals a week and several gigs per month. But you do need to spend enough to get a guitar that's not so low-quality that it won't make playing harder for you than it already is (learning to play the guitar is hard, so you don't want an instrument that just makes it even harder). Head to your local music store and try a few.

Good luck and have fun!

Answer 6

Get an inexpensive Fender electric and amp kit all together.
Get: "Ralph Denyer's Guitar Handbook" (and no other.)
Get the sheet music for your favorite SLOW band.
Tune the guitar (see handbook.)
Pick a song you love.
Play the first little bit super slowly. Super Super slowly, so slow that you make no mistakes (refer to handbook, it is ALL in there.)
Play it until you hear it when you sleep.
learn the song, bit by bit, slowly. If you practise a mistake, you do harm, not good.
Gradually speed it up, phrase by phrase, line by line.
This will take the time, repetition, and effort that it takes, not what you estamate it will take.
When you think that it is good, record it and listen.
Clean it up.
Play it for an understanding friend, and listen to comments.
When ready, play it in public at a party.
Clean it up.
Join a band. Write your own songs with what you have learned from learning many.
Study music law so you don't get screwed.
be on Rolling Stone cover.
Help me get there.
http://www.guitarcenter.com/
http://www.amazon.com
http://www.ebay.com
http://www.musician.com/
http://www.guitarplayer.com/
http://www.rollingstone.com
Ask a lot of questions like you are. Email me if you wish.
Go and do it!

Answer 7

grab an acoustic first. price doesnt really matter. I started on a $80. Electric your paying for both the guitar and the amp and ect. Also, beginners can always fake on an electric but with acoustic you play less and work on skill more. plus your fingers will callous over quicker so when you make the jump to electric their will be no pain envolved.
besides, acoustics can be taken anywhere

Answer 8

it depends on the style you want to play, but i prefer electric...it's smaller and you can do a lot of different tecniques with it, but you'll be able to learn on either guitar

you dont need lessons, i was self taught, but they might be a good idea to get you motivated or if you dont have a lot of musical background

and definitly no to the $500 guitar...im not sure if you have one where you live, but try a SamAsh music store, they're awesome

its so much fun to play so stick with it if you enjoy it! good luck =]

Answer 9

You can learn yourself, i did.

All u need is music and you can jump right in.

smoke on the water is really easy! (if u no the rhythm)

035 rest 0365 rest 03530 on each string starting w/ low E (the one closest to you when you play.

it might also help if you buy a book, they r cheap and really help!

i got my guitar from ebay. it was free cuz i have some money in the paypal account, but those are like under $30! check it out.

Rock on!

Answer 10

i disagree with isa, i can play any yngwie malmsteen guitar solo(yngwies solos are HARD!!!) and i am self taught. i taught myself by getting tabs to smashingt pumpkins songs. you do learn the notes, chords, phrases, and sometimes naunces, form god tabs, so that is why i strongly disagree with whoever said tab wont let you learn the notes. ps, there are 12 pitches in music, learn the pentatonic scale, learn to play the blues, classic rock, then harmonic minor, the melodic, then spanish guitar, then your ready to take on yngwies songs, then with lots of practice, learn far beyond the sun. that song will literally kick your ***.