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Acoustic vs Electric
I am in week 2 of the 30 Days To Play. So far, the chords aren’t very difficult for me…on the electric guitar. I am still struggling to make clean chords on my acoustic guitar. What I’ve been doing is playing the acoustic for 10-15 minutes, then switching to the electric so that I feel a sense of accomplishment. Does anyone else find making clean chords difficult on the acoustic guitar?
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19 Replies
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My first guitar that I purchased almost 2 years ago (2/28/24) was electric. I began using my wife’s acoustic when I started TAC on 7/3/24). Since then I have bought 2 more acoustic guitars. I use all of and I know many here in TAC play electric also. Yes, the electric is easier due to the lower action on the strings but over time as your proficiency improves you might find the acoustic less difficult. I have played on 5 different acoustic guitars and all of them feel different to play. Getting a good setup by a luthier will definitely make your acoustic easier to play also.
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Pete, I have taken my acoustic to a specialist and had it “tuned up”. I like the weight of it better than the electric. I still find the electric easier to fret because it is easier to press down the strings. If I can figure out how to post a picture of my left hand on my electric guitar neck, you will be able to see how crooked my ring and pinkie fingers are (bicycle injury 50 years ago) and why it is so difficult for me to make decent chords on the acoustic.
I have looked into getting a smaller guitar, but quite frankly, I really can’t afford to buy one. I have seen children as young as seven years old play full-sized guitars, so I know it’s not impossible for me to do…just kinda difficult at this time.
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Smaller gauge strings on the electric make it easier to pick sometimes. I’m not bad on an electric guitar and just a little better than mediocre on the acoustic guitar. I like the portability of the acoustic instrument and after many hours of practice I can get nuances out of the Acoustic guitar that I like the tone of better than that electric picking.
I get much more enjoyment out of acoustic accomplishments. You can get a good set up done on your acoustic guitar. Drop the strings down to a more comfortable size, though you do lose a degree of tone. I use 12/57 or 12.5/53 strings on my acoustic instruments. But started at 10/53 ‘s and worked up to the 12’s every other string change to reach what works for me. To avoid a lot of finger tip soreness every time I increased string gauge I would tune down to the tuning I describe below, for a week or two and then increased the pitch a half a tone at a time until I was picking on “normal” tuning of the larger gauge string set.
If you find your current guitar string choice hard to play just lower all of the strings down a full tone, treble to bass string tones D, A, F, C, G, D. This makes the strings easier to hold down. Or find a model that suits you better in all of the after holiday sales. If you are playing with others just capo on the 2nd fret to return to regular tuning. Acoustic seem much more personal so, for me, it is a personal preference choice.
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Jorge, I also like that the acoustic is more portable and I don’t have to carry an amp with me (I have an electric-acoustic, so I have the choice of playing it as-is or amplifying the sound).
Two of my fretting fingers are crooked. It’s very difficult for me to make the stretch that requires skipping a fret and still get a decently clear sound out of my instrument.
I will confess that when I get frustrated, I put the guitar down for a while and pick up one of my ukuleles (either the concert or barritone) and play them for awhile. The nylon strings are much easier to press and I feel somewhat accomplished when I can create a recognizable tune. After about 15 minutes of playing one of those, I go back to the guitar and play it/them. I usually do better then. I think the ukulele provides and warm-up and a confidence builder for the guitar…for me, at least.
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@CamiB I love it! Whatever it takes to get your spirits up and make it fun again! Just try to keep a lid on your expectations, acoustic guitar is hard and it will take time to learn. How long? That varies from person to person and how much time you devote to it. Keep your sessions short though! Four 15 minute sessions spread out, with at least a 30 minute break in between will benefit you much more than playing for an hour. I’m retired so I spread my sessions throughout the day, I will often play 5 times or more and rarely fewer than twice daily.
Wow, your injury was 50 years ago. I’m no physician but something tells me it’s going to be a lot harder to get your left hand going than if it was only 10 years. I suspect that guitar exercise is good though, also the stretches that are in the skills section might be useful, but perhaps a bit more targeted therapy would be in order. Wish you all the best on your journey!
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I have 3 hybrid nylon string guitars that I do play as well as my steel string guitars. You might check some of them out . Las Vegas has a bunch of guitar and music stores, I’m sure. They are definitely easier to play than the steel string guitars and the better models do have decent tone. Some are acoustic electric. My favorite hybrid is the Taylor 712 that I bought used a few years back. I also Have a Takamine P3FCN that is a mid level price instrument that you can check out.
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I’m familiar with the Taylor brand. I will see what I can find (and afford). Thanks for your reply.
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The Taylor Student model nylon string guitar gets a lot of good reviews. I haven’t played one but let me know if you find and have a chance to pick it.
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The Taylor is around $800…not affordable for me. I have yet to find a used one for sale…maybe in the new year. Keep your fingers crossed for me.
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Hi Cami! Welcome to the TAC family!
Acoustic is more difficult.l to play than electric. There’s no reason why you cant practice.on your electric. I like your routine of trying first on the acoustic, and then you switch to electric.
The classical/nylon is another great suggestion, but you have 2 guitars that are great tools to learn on. Keep trying on the acoustic, but absolutely go to the electric for practicing. My old guitar teacher had me use the electric for practice between lessons. I was able to build up skills, feel confident, and eventually able to play mostly acoustic.
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Loraine, thank you for your reply. Tell me, how are you doing with the power chords? I am not able to make them even at the upper end of the neck (acoustic or electric). It looks like I will be sticking with the easier to form standard chords.
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I don’t usually buy new guitars. The used instruments have usually been played some and are closer to being broken in. Most of the time new guitars sound new and don’t have much of a personality. Used instruments that have been played regularly give you and idea of how the guitar will sound. Playability and tone are the most important aspects of a guitar, to me. If the instrument looks a little rough, well, so do I. So, it fits my personality better.
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Jorge, I absolutely love reading your replies! Where do you suggest I find good, used guitars? I live in Las Vegas.
BTW…Happy music-filled 2026!!
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@CamiB, I’m here in Salt Lake City, Utah, and have spent a lot of time in Vegas. There are a bunch of good guitar stores there, and most will have a selection of used instruments. Guitar Center may have the best deals, however their salespeople aren’t the most knowledgeable, and most of the Guitar Centers I’ve been in, don’t seem to keep consistent humidity in their guitar rooms. Not hard to find cracked or warped instruments there. Check a few out, and play some guitars. My first real guitar was a Taylor Big Baby. It’s a 3/4 sized guitar, and is very easy to play. The sound is pretty amazing for a cheap guitar. They can be found used for around $300. I had a Taylor GS Mini that was a great little guitar, better build quality that played well. The sound wasn’t as good as the Big Baby.
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Hi Skyman. I’ve never heard of the Big Baby, but I will investigate it. I agree that the Guitar Center salespeople aren’t as knowledable as I would hope, especially for someone new to playing an instrument. I will, however, check them out for used guitars. Thank yoiu for the heads up! Happy music-filled 2026!
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Hey Cami, Since you are retired you should have plenty of time to browse different guitar stores. In the old days you could find good used instruments in pawn shops. Google las Vegas guitar shops/stores.
I’ve picked up a beater before at thrift shops, estate sales can be great for finding a jewel, or some yard and garage sales, have fun with the search but you need to research buying a used guitar, probably google again. Again, I prefer guitar tone and playing action over looks . If anyone in your retirement community plays, check with them.
Things to check when looking for a used guitar.
Does the neck have a truss rod so you can adjust it? Is the neck warped?
How worn are the frets? Is the bridge loose. How much of the bridge saddle is showing?
If only a little of the saddle is visible make sure it has a truss rod so you can adjust it. You might be looking at a neck reset , again$$$.
Any body or neck joint cracks? Most of the time these can be repaired but that does cost $$$. How long has it been since it was played regularly? Is the case in good shape?
Buying a used guitar Is like that 1st date. You have to be really careful that you examine everything to see if you want to go on a 2nd date.
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Jorge, I wish there was a dating website for guitars! I really appreciate all of the tips for finding a good, used guitar. Like you, I don’t really care if it has a few scratches and dings (so do I)…I just want it to be playable and sound good.
This is a “low-spend” year for me, so my search will be serious. Thanks again!
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Remember to tune the strings down whole or half of a note to make it easier to press them into chord positions. Today I am playing on a treble to bass tuning of C#,G#,E, B, F#, and low bass string C# or a note and a half down from regular tuning. It just has a magical tone to my ears.
The ol Texas blues legend Lighting Hopkins voice changed as he aged into his 60’s and 70’s, so he Just tuned his guitar down to accommodate that aging cracking voice change. Smart man…
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Jorge, I shall give the alternate tuning a try. Thanks.
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