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Should someone just starting out learning how to play begin with a classical guitar or steel string acoustic? |
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I would suggest an absolute beginner use a classical (nylon string) guitar. It is easier to hold nylon strings on to the frets, so your fingers don't hurt as much (they will probably still hurt a bit if you play for a while.) As you get used to it you will develop calluses on your fingertips which make it a lot easier to hold down the strings. When I started learning, after just a few weeks I tried to play a steel string for the first time. I sounded awful because I had deep lines across my fingertips which stopped me holding down the strings properly. I'm pretty much used to it now, my fingertips are hard enough that steel strings don't leave huge ruts that last ten minutes. Classical guitars are also cheaper a lot of the time and most people don't want to invest $400-$1000 in an instrument they can't play yet (which is what most really good steel strings will cost.) |
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If you are trying to learn classical, the choose the nylon string for sure. If not, then there is no reason, as far as I am concerned, to struggle with one as a beginner. I find the nylon string guitars have thick, wide necks which can give the beginner a hard time. A steel string has a smaller neck, and that helps for learning those tough chords while building finger strength . Actually you might think about learning on an electric (people are gasping right now). When I first started playing years ago I almost quit because my crappy acoustic was so hard to play. Then my friend brought over his electric and it was so easy to play. It got my spirit going again. I love acoustic guitar too, that's why I have three of them (two others not in pic). Just go into a music store and try each, and see which one is more fun. You may like the wide neck.
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I'm a classical player myself, but I'm not going to automatically suggest that you start classical. It all depends on what you like. What are your musical tastes? Make a list of 10 songs that you would like to learn to play on guitar. From there determine what you need. If your 10 songs are mostly pop, rock, folk, then I would say to get a steel string acoustic. If your choice of songs are from classical music, then I would suggest to get a classical guitar. I suggest this for the following reasons. Trying to play pop/rock/folk on a classical guitar doesn't sound good. Nylon strings are difficult to make them sound nice if you plan to play pop/rock/folk because a pick strumming on the strings displaces them far enough that they won't intonate well and will sound out of tune. Fingerstyle classical on the other hand is easier to play in tune because plucking with your finger doesn't displace the string as much. Some classical guitars may be cheaper than steel string guitars, but they are cheap for a reason. They are poorly made, they don't stay in tune well, they sound bad, and high action can be just as difficult to play as a steel string. Believe me you won't be happy or motivated to learn with a bad classical guitar. Either way, choose the right tool for the job and don't spend under 350 USD for a guitar. Any cheaper than that for a beginner guitar will just be counter productive to your goals and more likely to quit. |
