guitar lessons acoustic
acoustic guitar lessons
acoustic guitar strings
Questions & Answers with Neil Hogan #14.3.1
Q. I am looking for new acoustic guitar strings. What should I be looking for?
A. When you are looking for acoustic guitar strings there are many things you need to consider. One of the first priorities is how your guitar is set up. The action, which is mostly about the angle of the neck and the height of the strings, is a big factor. The gauge of the strings is another and they are related to each other in that if you have a light gauge of strings the action must be a little higher than if you have a medium or heavy set of strings.
Another important decision is the composition of the strings. Some common choices are: bronze, phosphor bronze, and coated strings. Each of these offer their own advantages and disadvantages.
Many people like the coated strings because they don’t need to be changed as often. A disadvantage to coated strings is they are not as bright sounding out of the box as regular phosphor bronze strings. Some people don’t like the new sound of phosphor bronze anyway, feeling that they are a little harsh as it is. I happen to like that sound.
You are pretty safe with most of the well-known brands, although I am a little partial to D’Addario, as they have held up well over the years. My personal preference is the J-17 set but much of this is due to my guitar and the way I play.
More information about acoustic guitar strings is available at Totally Guitars; check the lessons acoustic guitar link.
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guitar lessons acoustic
Questions & Answers with Neil Hogan #14.3
Q. I have been thinking about taking guitar lessons on acoustic guitar but I really want to play electric. Can I just start on electric or do you think it would be better to start my guitar lessons on acoustic?
A. I usually recommend to everyone that it is better to get started with your guitar lessons on acoustic guitar. When you start on the electric guitar you don’t get a good representation of the amount of work you will have to do to play the guitar. The strings are easier to press down than on an acoustic and you don’t have to strike them with much force to get sound out of them.
This can lead to a guitar student getting very lazy and never developing the proper techniques and skills to play the acoustic guitar. That is why I usually recommend starting on acoustic and getting comfortable playing notes and chords, as well as playing with your fingers or a pick.
I have seen too many good electric players come to me saying they really wanted to learn some acoustic songs and techniques, then a few weeks later saying never mind, it’s too difficult.
When you start on acoustic you build a solid foundation that will make it easy to branch out in lots of other directions (electric included) relatively effortlessly. I think all guitar students need to be prepared for any direction their musical paths might take. Starting on the acoustic, or even classical guitar is the best way to make this happen.
This link has more information- lessons acoustic guitar.
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