How long does one need to learn the acoustic guitar before buying an electric one ??
…….ive been learning guitar for more than a year,but everytime i look at someone play the electric,i feel like buying one right now. It seems so much better and fun to play on (and i know it is cause ive played on my friends guitars). so how long do i ahve to wait ??
October 22nd, 2010 at 9:21 am
Okay
this is when i’m in the Zone. Before buying an electric guitar you should really know all the notes on the fretboard at east up to the 3rd fret down. You should have a good hold on the guitar also it would help if your fingers were nice and tough so you don’t hurt them on the steel strings. i started on a steel string but apparently its harder than nylon.
Also do a bit of research on them and buy a good one the first time.
October 22nd, 2010 at 10:21 am
I was 14 when I started on acoustic and it took about six months to get an electric, but I think you could do so in three or four months. What you need to know/have is:
– the basic major and minor chords….sounding right and you must be able to alternate between them without any effort
– your fingers should have calouses already…so that it doesn’t hurt you when you press the strings…use steel or nickel strings!
– know all the notes on the fretboard up to 3rd or 5th fret (4th fret on the 3rd string is G flat…etc)
This should be enough. It’s also good if you have practised scales on your acoustic a bit, but this is not necessary…you’ll have plenty of time to do so on the electric guitar.
I don’t know how much are you willing to pay for the new guitar, but I can recommend you Epiphone guitars, they are really great for beginners – the price range is from 100USD to 500USD mostly. If it is too expensive, then get Behringer guitar pack – this includes also a quite good amp, wires and the stuff. It costs about 170USD.
As for the strings, I recommend 9 gauge nickel or plain steel for now. Then it depend on your musical style (like blues, jazz etc) to change to harder strings or remain at this gauge (faster stuff, like heavy metal).
Good luck.
October 22nd, 2010 at 10:29 am
If you can switch between chords easily and have good plucking skills, I’d say go ahead and buy one.
October 22nd, 2010 at 10:50 am
I wanted to play the electric guitar so I just went out and bought one. I never touched the acoustic guitar at all.
It is a myth that you should/must learn the acoustic guitar before learning the electric guitar. If you do not wish to play the acoustic guitar then why bother wasting your time playing one ?
Just buy yourself an electric guitar and an amplifier and enjoy yourself. Later , you may wish to explore the acoustic guitar or you may never want to touch one again….the choice is yours.
October 22nd, 2010 at 11:18 am
18 munth minimum and if you play less then two or tree a day then maybe twice that
October 22nd, 2010 at 11:47 am
If you have developed enough discipline to practice, and owning an electric guitar will encourage you to practice more, where is the down side of owning one?
1. Make sure you continue to study the guitar, not just jam on it.
2. Make absolutely sure you are considerate of the living beings in your general area when you decide to practice. Also, be considerate to your ears and avoid exposing them to really loud sounds for long periods of time. Tinnitus is a condition that young people are seldom made aware of and they always regret getting it afterwards! (The ringing in your ears that you get after listening to an ipod or going to a really loud concert can become permanent and you really want to avoid that)
As far as waiting however, you really only have to wait until you have a way to purchase one. Don’t give up on that acoustic because:
1. It does not take electricity and you can practice on it in many more places than a guitar that has to be plugged in.
2. You never know when you are going to be asked to play that “unplugged” set.
3. It is much more portable and versatile in certain situations.
Hope this helps. Now go get your favorite electric model, and don’t forget to get an amplifier for it (at least a small practice amp) a decent cord (the ones that come with them hardly ever hold up for more than a couple of weeks) a couple spare sets of strings (the first few times you rock out, those E, B and D strings are gonna peels like oranges) and some decent heavy gauge picks. (those thin slappers that most acoustic players are gonna tear if you do any serious playing) Remember to stop playing long enough to eat, and please don’t forget that there is a world out there that is meant to be explored in between practicing.
October 22nd, 2010 at 12:31 pm
i started learning on the electric guitar, and never had any problems
id say if you want one, then go get one!
good luck and HAVE FUN!!!!!
October 22nd, 2010 at 1:27 pm
Their is no set rules as to when to buy an electric guitar. I used to teach girls and they always fell in love with electric guitar because of the ease in fingering the chords and notes.
If you like the sound, you have nothing to lose since it is the same fingering.
October 22nd, 2010 at 1:35 pm
You don’t have to wait. Go out and get one now if you have the money. You can learn just as well on an electric as you can on an acoustic.
October 24th, 2010 at 11:34 pm
hey look if it has six strings on it you can learn (as long as you keep it tuned) the deal with most people learning to play an electric is they bypass the basic need to know info to try to get to the cool leads n stuff that everyone wants to know how to do n because they didnt learn the basics they cant understand how the scales truly work i learned on an American made strat. started at 13 or 14 around in there and i didnt get my first acoustic till i was 27 so you dont have to wait just remember to learn the basic notes and scales before you get to deep and do more harm then good wish you the best of luck music will change your life n god bless
October 24th, 2010 at 11:50 pm
ohhh just a few hints on thing i have learned that you may try ernie ball makes the best strings i have ever found i run ernie ball hybrid slinkys on my electric 2 dont touch a capo untill you understand the neck of the guitar without one and 3 if you are buying music equipment remember its not just a name you are buying!!!! you will pay top dollar for quality and if you buy some cheap knock off at walmart or sams club you will get a cheap knock off…. set in a music shop for a while before buying one just because it looks good dont mean it is good plug it in try it out and dont crank the amp up as high as it will go if it sounds crappy quiet it usually sounds crappier loud and a high quality guitar will the same at both levels its usually the quality of the amp that will throw the sound off my best peace of advise is walk throw a guitar shop with the exact amount you want to spend say 500 bucks pick out at least 5 guitars you like the looks of enough to play on stage before you ever play one and go through them one by one n play on them for at least 15 to 20 min. before you choose one thats just some advice i wish someone would have gave me years ago and that is how i look for guitars and i play for a living good luck n have fun