Beginners and non-musicians are often led to believe that they have to choose between an acoustic and an electric guitar. Whether it be when they’re enrolling in a music school, taking lessons online, or when they first hire an instructor to teach them how to play this instrument, one of the first things that greenhorn guitarists are asked is – “Which one do you like better?”.
We’re The Music Box, Tampa’s premier provider of guitar lessons, and we believe in a slightly different approach. We strive to educate our students on their options so they know which type of guitar they’re specializing in while providing them with a robust foundation on both acoustic and electric guitar.
Differences Between Acoustic and Electric Guitar Explained
Whether you’re a parent seeking quality music education for their child or a beginner musician who may wish to further their knowledge and expertise on a guitar, you’ve come to the right place.
The Music Box guitar coaches have created a comprehensive guide explaining the differences between an electric and acoustic guitar so that you know what you’re buying and what you will eventually become an expert in during your time at The Music Box.
Acoustic and electric guitars may look similar, but they are vastly different in terms of sound, design, playability, sonic customizability, and more. The learning curve is also different, although learning how to play one will significantly help you learn how to play the other guitar type on an elementary level.
In the following sections, we’ll describe the main dissimilarities that set electric and acoustic guitars apart, so let’s start from the top.
Playability
Playability can be described as “ease of use”. It reflects the ability of the guitar to “allow” you to play it, which encompasses several factors, such as string action and thickness, the size of the guitar’s body and fretboard, and more.
Acoustic guitars tend to be slightly less “playable” than electric guitars. With large, hulking bodies and the strings being exceptionally far from the neck, not to mention the amount of force that is required to press a single fret, acoustic guitars are generally harder to play for beginner guitar players.
Electric guitars produce sound through electric pickups, which recognize string vibrations no matter how faint they may be. In other words, the guitar player doesn’t need to press the frets as hard and/or strum with too much force to produce a sound.
These differences are somewhat diminished when it comes to customized guitars. For example, if you’ve bought an acoustic guitar and had it set up by a professional, you could reduce the string action, get lighter-gauge strings, or even replace the usual steel strings with nylon ones for increased playability.
Sound
Sound is one of the most important things in music, just like visuals are the centerpiece of any art. That being said, electric guitars are highly dissimilar to acoustic ones in this field. Acoustic guitars are louder but are greatly influenced by the player’s touch while electric guitars mainly rely on the setup for their sound.
Regarding the latter, you can fine-tune nearly everything on an electric guitar. From the soundstage to a countless list of effects that can either augment or completely reshape the tone to powerful amps and more, electric guitars aren’t as reliant on the player.
The most important difference between the sound of an electric guitar and an acoustic one is that you can’t change the tone of an acoustic guitar. The only “parameter” that can be changed is the volume; the player can pluck the strings gently or fiercely, but the same tone will be produced.
On an electric guitar, you can change the pickups, change your amp, and use any number of pedals you want – the tone and sound will be different each time.
Guitar Techniques
When you enroll at The Music Box, you will learn all the guitar essentials, including everything from playing single notes and triples to complex chords, scales, and solos. However, how easy this is will depend on which guitar you wanted to specialize in.
Certain guitar techniques are inherently easier on an electric guitar. For instance, hammer-ons, pull-offs, and slides are extremely simple to execute on thin strings and a smooth guitar neck. Chords, believe it or not, are also easier to play on an electric guitar since fretting notes is much easier and requires less pressure. Chords usually sound better on an acoustic guitar, though.
Guitar effects: Accessories or Distractions?
Many of our students have come to The Music Box to learn how to play their favorite songs. Some were inspired by the tunes they heard on the radio, while others were galvanized by a rock band they recently heard. In most cases, our students heard the amazing power of an electric guitar powered by powerful distortions, overdrives, and fuzz pedals.
When it comes to learning how to play guitar, guitar effects can be a hindrance to the learning process. Crunch pedals, for example, tend to “hide” mistakes in playing. Overdrive allows players to be sloppy. A high-gain distortion can give you the impression that your fast playing is accurate when, in fact, it is not.
At The Music Box, we firmly believe that our students should express their emotions on the guitar they want, but when it comes to learning, an acoustic guitar is usually what sets the milestones. From playing the basic chords to playing in time along to a metronome and hitting the right notes in a play-along, our students would gauge their progress with an acoustic guitar in hand.
Ready to Start Your Music-Learning Quest? Come to The Music Box
Now that you’re more familiar with the two main guitar types, you’re probably eager to start learning. We’re welcoming new students from 4 years old and above, and you can find out offices at 4321 Gunn Highway, Carrollwood, Florida. Visit our website if you need any further information.
