Guide for New Beginner Guitar Players

So you wanna play guitar, huh?

Congrats.  It’s about damn time.

Just like every guitar player before you…

You’ve finally reached the point where just listening to your favorite songs is no longer enough…

Because you know deep down…the only thing that will make you truly happy in this world…

Is to actually start PLAYING those songs, with your own two hands…on a real guitar.

BUT…

Just like every wannabe air guitar player before you who decides to start playing, but gives up before ever getting started…

There’s a good chance you feel a bit intimidated and overwhelmed by:

1. the absurdly large field of gear to choose from, and…
2. the shameful lack of resources explaining the BIG PICTURE in a way you can easily understand.

And so for this post, the BIG PICTURE is exactly what you’ll get, so you can see that the process of getting started on guitar is not nearly as complex as everyone makes it out to be.

Ready to get started?  Then let’s begin.

First up…

Electric vs Acoustic Guitars

The very first question the every guitar newbie asks is…

Should I start on an acoustic or electric?

And while internet forums are filled with endless debates on this topic…

The truth is that no single answer to this question is right for everyone.

Instead, the better approach is to simply ask yourself the following question:

Who are my heroes?

Our heroes are the reason we all start playing guitar in the first place.

• So if your biggest heroes play electric guitar…Play that.
• And if they play acoustic guitar…Play that.

But what you should NOT do, is try to learn both at the same time.

So then what if your favorite guitar player is Jimmy Page, or Eric Clapton?  Or some other player who might be well known for his work on both instruments?  What then?

Or what if you just like a lot of different music in different genres?

Well in that case, let’s examine each option a bit more, shall we?

Starting first with…

Acoustic Guitar

The biggest advantage of choosing the acoustic guitar is…

There are very few decisions you need to make in order to get started.

All you really need to do is:

• Choose a guitar in your price range
• Make sure it’s strung up and tuned
• Grab a pick (or not)

And you’re ready to start playing.

One common warning you’ll hear online as a reason to NOT start with acoustic guitar is that the strings are much stiffer, and harder to press down upon.

And that is 100% true.

• Your fingers will start hurting quicker
• You won’t be able to practice as long
• And it will be MUCH harder to hold chords at first

But all 3 of these things are actually GOOD.  And here’s why:

Even though things will be harder in the beginning, you need to build up your calluses and finger strength eventually anyway, so you might as well get it out of the way ASAP.

And while it will be harder to hold chords…at first…it will force your hands to find a way to hold those chords in the most efficient way possible.  Using the most leverage, with the least amount of effort.

Many people who start out on electric guitar, and then transition to acoustic guitar, find that they are not even able to cleanly play a simple open chord.

On the other hand…

When you start on acoustic, you’ll find the transition to electric to be much easier, because your hands are stronger, and you’ve already built some good technique.

Makes sense?

And one final argument as to why you should start on acoustic is that you will most likely develop a better ear, early on.

Because you get used to hearing the clean, unadulterated notes, without all the distractions of effects to mask things up.

And now, for some counter-arguments…

Electric Guitar

Unlike acoustic guitar, which is fairly simple to get started with…

With electric guitar, there’s a virtually endless number of gear and effects…

That are really as important to learn as the actual instrument itself.

The major upside here is that your ears learn to be acutely aware of TONE, from the very beginning.

In contrast, acoustic guitar players may never really develop that same ear for tone, because it’s never within their control to actually change.

The downside with electric guitar however…is that all these effects can easily become a distraction that prevents you from actually learning how to play.

And that pretty much sums up all the pros and cons.

So all that’s left to do next is choose one option or the other, and buy something that fits your price range.

Up next…

12 More Things You’ll Eventually Need

Once you’ve finally got yourself a guitar…there’s a few more things you MAY still need…

Sometimes not for a few years, sometimes immediately, and sometimes not at all…

Depending on whether you play acoustic or electric, and a number of other factors as well.

So here are those 12 items:

1. Strings 
2. Tuners
3. Picks 
4. Stands
5. Capos
6. Cables
7. Pedals
8. Amps 
9. Straps 
10. Slides
11. Electric Pickups
12. Acoustic Pickups

And up next, we’ll look at each one in more detail.  Starting with…

1. Guitar Strings

For both electric and acoustic guitar, the very first accessory to worry about is strings.

Initially, you can almost guarantee that your guitar will come strung-up with a brand new set of strings.

It if you bought it at your local guitar shop, they’ll even tune it for you.

However…

One mistake that new players make is…assuming that those strings will stay perfectly fresh and tuned forever.  And they won’t.

Over the years, you will go through dozens of sets of strings, so you might as well learn about them ASAP.

The lucky guys break their first string quickly, and are forced to figure out how to find a new pair and restring their guitar on their own.

The UNlucky guys play that first set of strings for WAY too long, and don’t discover that they need new ones until a more experienced player sees the condition of those strings…

And probably calls him an idiot.

Up next…

2. Guitar Tuners

Once you’ve got a brand new set of strings on your brand new guitar…

The next step is tuning it so you can actually play.

But as you will eventually discover after many years of playing…

Competent guitar tuning is an art form in itself…that needs to be practiced and refined over a long period of time.

So in the beginning, when you first start playing, and your ears can’t tell one note from another…

Tuners are a MUST-HAVE because they are the only practical way to accurately get in-tune.

And even years later, when you’ve refined your ears to the point where don’t really NEED a guitar tuner anymore…

They’re still useful on occasions when you just prefer to use them for whatever reason.

Up next…

3. Guitar Picks

Now when you first start playing…

And EVERYTHING feels uncomfortable…

It can seem next to impossible to tell the difference between one pick and another.

So for the most part, any pick will do, at least in the beginning.

However, as your playing improves over time, and you start to develop your own style and tendencies…

What you’ll notice is that the differences between one pick and another become more apparent.

And certain pick gauges and materials may suit your playing style better than others.

Up next…

4. Guitar Stands

To be quite honest…

Most players will tell you that a guitar stand really isn’t a “must-have” when you’re first starting out playing.

In fact, many folks may never buy one at all until they start playing shows.

After all, if your guitar came with a case, which it almost certainly did…

And you only play at home…why on Earth would you need a guitar stand?

Makes sense right?  And many guitar players might agree with that statement.

But here’s why I think they’re wrong:

The most common reason that newbies do not continue learning to play guitar, is that they simply forget that they have one.  Sounds ridiculous I know…

But we all have busy lives, and when our guitars are stowed away in their cases in the back of our closets, it’s very easy to simply forget they’re even there.

But when it’s sitting on that stand in the middle of your living room…every time you look it, it practically speaks to you, and says…

Play me.

So even though you may not technically NEED one, for this reason, I highly suggest getting one anyway.

Up next…

5. Guitar Capos

If you’re reading this post because you’re just getting started with guitar…

Chances are you’ve seen guitar capos before.  But…

You’re not sure what they are or why you need one.

And the truth is…until you know exactly why YOU need one…you really don’t need one.  Makes sense?

But to satisfy your curiosity, the short answer is that it allows you to change the key of the song quickly, without having to retune your strings.

Up next…

6. Guitar Cables

Assuming you’ve chosen to play electric guitar…

The next thing you’ll need is a guitar cable to plug your guitar into your amp (which we will cover next).

For your first guitar cable, it really doesn’t matter too much which one you get…

So don’t spend too much time on it.  Especially since a half decent cable can be bought for around 20 bucks.

However later, as you get more advanced with your gear and your playing you will definitely want to get a cable more specific to what you actually need and can afford.

Up next…

7. Guitar Pedals

As the most addicting of all guitar accessories…

Guitar pedals are one of things that you always want just one more of…

No matter how many you already have, or how long you’ve been playing.

And that’s mainly because, well…they’re just really fun to play around with.

And in a more practical sense, they are arguably the one element in your setup that is most important in molding and defining “your signature sound”.

And so, some players go through tremendous lengths to mix and match virtually every combination of pedals imaginable, all in the quest for the ultimate tone.

However…for those players just getting started, choosing you very first pedals can seem quite overwhelming, especially if you don’t know the first thing about the different guitar effects yet.

And so in the following post, I explain each of the most popular guitar effects and recommend several of the most popular pedals on the market in each category.

8. Guitar Amps

Perhaps more so than any accessory on this list…

The guitar amp is the item probably MOST important of all.

In fact, one could argue that it is even more important than the guitar itself.

Because the fact is, virtually any guitar, combined with virtually any combination of pedals and other effects…

IF filtered through a shitty amp…Is pretty much guaranteed to sound shitty.

On the other hand, a cheap guitar, played through ZERO effects, still has the potential to sound pretty damn awesome if played through an awesome amp.

And while a big high-end amp isn’t really practical for many of us…

We can still find a suitable compromise that allows us to use the gear we currently have, up to its full potential.

Up next…

9. Guitar Straps

Now you’re probably thinking to yourself right now…

Wait, do straps even matter?

And you won’t be surprised to learn, that the answer to this question is well…questionable.

Because while they certainly DO make a difference…

The difference matters a lot more depending on how much you actually play.

And not to discourage you, but if you’re like most beginners, you probably imagine that you’ll be playing your guitar…

A lot more than you actually end up playing in reality.

And so, if you’re just starting out, just use the strap you have right now and get back to practice.

However…when the time comes you’re positive that playing guitar is actually for you…

THEN go ahead and invest in a better strap to make your practice sessions a little more comfortable.

Up next…

10. Guitar Slides

With 99% of new guitar players…

Slides are a non-issue.

They either don’t care about learning to play slide, or they very likely don’t even know what it is.

However…

Since you’ve made it this far in the post, I might as well cover it now…

Because at SOME point in virtually every guitar player’s career…

Slide playing becomes the coolest thing ever, even if it’s only a momentary fascination.

And if it fascinates you right now, or you’re just curious to learn more about guitar playing in general…

Up next…

11. Electric Pickups

Among the list of “essential” guitar accessories…

The truth is…pickups rank pretty damn low.

Because many guitar players go their entire lives without ever once thinking about switching their current pickups for something different.

Mostly because…the mere thought of opening up your precious guitar and gutting it can feel quite unpleasant if you’ve never done it before.

However…for the brave few that are willing to experiment with this aspect of their sound…

Custom guitar pickups can actually do quite a bit to help you mold your tone in ways you never imagined.

Up next…

12. Acoustic Pickups

In contrast to electric guitar pickups…

Acoustic pickups are one of those accessories that almost all players must explore at some point.

Because if you ever plan on playing in front of more than a few people at a time…

The acoustic guitar is going to need SOME type of amplification…

And acoustic pickups are the only practical solution to this problem.

While some acoustic guitars come assembled with pre-built electronics…

In most cases, they DON’T, and it’s something you’ll have to add on your own when the time comes.

And That’s It

So there you go guys…the complete beginners guide to all things guitar.

Hope it helped you find the answers you were looking for.