Acoustic Guitar or Electric Guitar, Which Is Harder to Learn?

Which is Better, Acoustic Guitar or Electrical Guitar?

Stand at types of guitars, we just want to compare acoustic guitar and electrical guitar to share our opinion about which one fits for beginners better.

In our opinion, learning acoustic guitar is a bit harder than electrical guitar. We say this mainly from the properties of strings like gauge and action (height of string). The acoustic guitar normally has heavier gauge and higher string height. Because it needs a certain tension to make the sound. From this point of view, it is harder to play than electrical guitar.

On the other hand, from skill point of view, we think begin from acoustic guitar is greatly helpful. This refers to the feeling of rhythm, flexibility of finger, etc.

Although acoustic guitar and electrical guitar shares something in common, the technique requirement of playing is different mostly. Thus, once you really don’t know what to play firstly, it is better to begin with what you love mostly.

In this article, we will discuss from different aspects and hope to help you to make the right choice.

Acoustic Guitar String is Stronger

Well, it is actually not right to use word “strong” to describe the strings of acoustic guitars. When we say it, we mean acoustic guitar string has heavier gauge than electrical strings. Why this happen? Mainly because the sound making principle is different.

Since acoustic guitar produces the sound through the resonance of string and body (see more in our article: What is Acoustic Guitar), the acoustic guitar string needs heavier gauge to bear stronger tension. This makes the fingers of both left and right hand don’t feel so comfortable at the beginning. And the string height is higher than electrical guitar strings, that means it is harder to push acoustic guitar strings down against the fretboard on the neck.

Technique Difference Between Acoustic Guitar & Electrical Guitar

Although players sometimes use picks to pluck the strings, beginners start to learn the playing by using their fingers. Thus, almost practicing skills of acoustic guitars or classical guitars requires flexibility of both left hand and right hand. For left hand fingers (or right hand for left-hand players), when pressing the strings, it requires different gestures of fingers with the requirement of electrical guitars. For right hand fingers (or left-hand fingers for left-hand players), besides last finger, it requires to practice all other fingers to obtain more flexibility. And since the acoustic guitar strings has heavier gauge, it is harder to pluck. Thus, it will make beginners uncomfortable to play at the beginning. But, plucking electrical guitar strings is easier.

Gesture to hole the acoustic guitar has relatively strict rules to protect your body from any injuries. To hole electrical guitar is somewhat more relaxing.

Why Learning Acoustic Guitar Improves Electrical Guitar Skill

Rhythm.

Many beginners, as our observation for years, think speed is critical for practicing. But it is actually not. And we have found many of those who always focus on the speed of playing, are more easily get their fingers injured.

Rhythm is critical, even the speed is very slow. Keep right rhythm when practicing will not only make beginners to have a better feeling about playing, but also make them to relax the fingers. As for speed, step by step, it is very easy to speed up. Protect the fingers from injury and be relaxed is the most important thing at the beginning.

And when players have right feeling about pressing and plucking strings, and their fingers can be totally relaxed during playing, it is easier to learn everything.

Once after learning of acoustic guitar skills, when move to learn to play electrical guitars, it is easier to handle everything fast and correctly.

But it is very difficult for an electrical player to learn acoustic guitar skills, if they learn electrical guitar firstly. Interesting, isn’t it?

Our Thought

Unless you are not interested in learning acoustic guitar or classical at all, we suggest to learn guitars start from acoustic type.

But don’t think it is not right to begin at learning of electrical guitar.  We just said there are advantages about learning acoustic guitars, we are not saying it is wrong to begin at electrical types.

Just figure out which one interested you firstly. Then, think about the advantages of acoustic guitars, if you are not interested at all, move to electrical guitars directly. Otherwise, you are wasting your time.

However, for children, we really suggest to start at acoustic guitar, or if you choose to learn classical guitar at the beginning, it is the best choice.

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