The style of music you want to play should be kept in mind when shopping for a beginner acoustic guitar. A nylon-stringed guitar is best for those wishing to play Latin, classical, and certain types of folk or pop music. A steel-stringed guitar works better for rock, country, and other types of pop or folk music. For beginning guitar players, it’s recommended to play the different types before making a final decision as to what sound you prefer.
Most teachers will recommend purchasing nylon guitar strings for the person just learning to play as they are a little easier on the fingers. However, this may not be a good idea if the student wants to learn to be a rock star or if they don’t care for the classical style music as the nylon string will never sound just right.
Music intended for steel-string guitars obviously sounds better when played on a steel-stringed guitar. On the other hand, if you are dreaming of learning how to play classical guitar music, a steel-string guitar is not the right instrument for you to begin practicing on. Either way, you’ll eventually develop calluses on your fingers after about one to two months of steady practice.
If you are shopping for a more classical nylon-string guitar, you should remember that these guitars are called classic for a reason – they all have the same relative dimensions. Their bodies are smaller and their fingerboards wider, which produces a distinctive classical sound. It is the feel and the tone to these classical guitars that varies. As is true when buying any guitar, you need to try out several of them before choosing the beginner acoustic guitar that you are going to buy. The steel-string model of beginner acoustic guitar that people usually start out with is the six-string dreadnought guitar. There is only a slight variation between dreadnought guitars and they provide a sound that novices are often seeking.
The wood your beginner acoustic guitar is made of is significant as it will affect the tone of the sound the instrument makes. You will soon learn that most beginner acoustic guitars consist of a spruce top. Make sure your new guitar has a solid spruce top rather than a two-piece one. This will increase the durability of your new guitar. Your choices of wood for the back and sides will likely include mahogany, rosewood and spruce. Mahogany produces a light tone. On the other hand, rosewood results in a heavier tone.
The space between the neck and the strings is called the action. Low action is one thing a beginning will want to consider in a beginner acoustic guitar. Action that is too high makes for difficult playing. This will just be another hurdle to overcome in the learning process.
An accessory you need to buy along with your beginner acoustic guitar is a good electronic tuner. As a novice you haven’t yet developed an ear. If you have the ability to easily tune your guitar using the tuner it will give you more time to spend practicing and playing.




