Which type of guitar – acoustic, electric or nylon-stringed – is best for beginners?
There are advantages and disadvantages to each.
A nylon-stringed is easier to fret than an acoustic which has steel strings. This means that your fingers won’t get as sore.The neck of the guitar can be quite wide which makes fretting more difficult. The softer sound means that It is ideal for finger-picking, but not for heavy strumming. It is definitely a good choice though for the younger beginner.
The electric guitar is easier to fret than an acoustic. Another advantage of the electric guitar is that you can add a variety of electronic effects to create different sounds. Many guitarists get a chance to play an electric guitar with distortion and are smitten! Power chords belted out like this can be an addictive attraction. However, as you need an amplifier, it’s not always practical to play in most houses. You can’t just pick it up and play it without amplification as there is no real sound. The ideal I think is to get an electric guitar after you’ve reached a certain level of proficiency in your playing and then you will have the best of both worlds.
The acoustic guitar is the most popular choice. Because of the steel strings, it can be quite painful in the early stages of learning. However it is very versatile.
Ideally get somebody with some experience of guitar playing to accompany you when buying your guitar. Make sure you get a suitable size if buying for a smaller person.
