can a beginner go straight to electric guitar? or must they start with acoustic?

Answer 1

No, you don't need to start with acoustic. However, learning on an electric guitar may "spoil" you, should you later want to play acoustic - electric guitars can do many things acoustic guitars can't.

Another down-side is that electric guitars require additional equipment (amps, speakers, cables, etc.), in addition to just the guitar.

Answer 2

you can start by going straight to electric guitar, but doing so can limit your general dexterity on it. the general idea is to use the acoustic or classical guitar to build up your finger strength and flexibilty while learning. i strongly recommend starting on classical if possible, as it pays off in the long run. i know some very good guitarist who simply can't play acoustics for too long because of lack of finger strength.
your mistakes are also more noticeable on the acoustics, so you wind up beating out some bad habits while playing too. nothing can really be faked acoustically, so overall your technique improves far more than on an electric.

Answer 3

Acoustic definitely makes you work harder. I started with acoustic and electric was then a breeze. It's just you and the instrument (not a bunch of distortion and effects) so you can't really fake it. There's no "must" to music. Do what you want, and if it sounds good, good for you.

Answer 4

yes,,actually electric guitars are often easier to learn on since the strings are usually much lighter (and easier on the fingers) and the action on the neck (the height of the strings from the fingerboard) is usually better as well

Answer 5

i agree with the others... start with whatever you want... electric is easier to play, because the strings are lighter. if you start with acoustic, you will be able to do both with no problem.

Answer 6

I started out on electric., so start out however you feel comfortable with using

Answer 7

start with whatever you feel comfortable with