Learning to play guitar is an exciting moment in any musician’s life. So, you’re ready to roll up your sleeves and start strumming – but first, you must answer the age old question: Should I choose an acoustic or an electric guitar? You may hear a ton of arguments from folks advocating for one versus the other. However, the choice is up to you.

Not to worry! In this article, we’ll arm you with all the info you need to help you choose a guitar that’s right for you. We’ll cover the similarities and differences between acoustic and electric guitars, as well as some of the benefits and drawbacks of learning to play on each of these instruments.

Want a quick primer on acoustic vs electric guitar? Watch this video with Fender instructor, Dr. Molly Miller as she breaks down some of the features of acoustic and electric guitars.

Sure, both acoustic and electric guitars are both, well… guitars. While they share quite a few similarities, they also have some key differences that make them appealing to musicians across the board.

SIMILARITIES BETWEEN ACOUSTIC AND ELECTRIC GUITARS

Let’s start with the more obvious similarities between acoustic and electric guitars. If a four-stringed bass guitar is a close cousin to these two instruments, then think of the acoustic guitar and electric guitar as siblings that share much more common DNA.

Both an acoustic and electric guitar have:

• Six strings

• Tuning pegs that allows you to alter the pitch of each of those six strings

• A fretboard

• Frets, which are small strips of metal that indicate sound intervals

The biggest similarity between acoustic and electric guitars, however, is that both require a commitment to learning and practicing. Regardless of whichever variety of guitar you choose, you’ll adopt a new vocabulary of chords, scales, and techniques that can be applied to both acoustic or electric guitar.

Whether you love the rich resonance of an acoustic guitar or the blast of power that comes from plugging in an electric guitar, practice is essential to improving your prowess as a player. To make the most of your practice sessions:

• Be consistent. Create a practice schedule and stick to it. Whether it’s 15 minutes a day or 30 minutes every other day, practicing and playing a little every day will help you to level up faster than going for long stretches without picking up your guitar.

• Record yourself – and your progress. Persistence pays off. But sometimes, it can be hard to gauge just how far you’ve come without having a look back. Record one of your earlier practice sessions on your phone. Then play it back a month or two later to see how you’ve improved!

Fender Play can help make it easier to commit to regular practice sessions and track your progress. Bite-sized video lessons are designed to make it easy to practice regularly – for as long or as little as you can fit in your day. Built-in features like the Chord Challenge mode help you measure your progress. See if you can beat your high score as you develop speed and accuracy transitioning between chords.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ACOUSTIC AND ELECTRIC GUITARS

Going back to the analogy that, if the bass guitar is a cousin, then acoustic and electric guitars are siblings. And like siblings in any family, there are some key differences between them:

• Hollow body vs. solid body: Acoustic guitars are easily recognizable by their sound hole, often placed directly in the center of its hollow wooden body. This sound hole is what helps create the vibration, volume, and resonance needed to create the sound of an acoustic guitar without amplification. On the flipside, electric guitars have a solid body that houses the electrical mechanics that produce its unique sound. Instead of a sound hole, an electric guitar uses pickups, metal bars on the body of the guitar to “pick up” the vibrations of the guitar strings and convert them into electrical signals played through an amplifier.

• Body size and lap comfort: Acoustic guitars are a bit thicker and bulkier in their construction, whereas an electric guitar is flatter. An electric guitar may weigh slightly heavier on your lap compared to an acoustic, but it can still lay closer to the body without having to drape your arm over the guitar in order to strum.

• Neck size and string width: Often, an electric guitar has a thinner neck and there is less space between the strings and the fretboard, as well as less distance between each of the six strings. By comparison, the neck on an acoustic guitar is often thicker compared to its electric sibling. As a consequence, the strings are spaced further apart and there is greater distance between the fretboard and the strings. That means you’ll need to press down harder on the strings of an acoustic guitar in order to fret a note.

• Portability: With an acoustic guitar, all the gear you need is contained within your guitar itself. Simply pick up your gear bag and head out to a practice session! While an electric guitar is certainly just as portable, you’ll also need to carry an amp, cables, and pedals with you in order to plug in and play.

When it comes to practicing and playing, there are some key differences between acoustic and electric guitars.

• Power chords vs. traditional chords: Acoustic guitar lends itself to big, beautiful chords comprised of three notes played together across multiple strings. While you can certainly play standard chords on an electric guitar, it’s more common to play two-note power chords that deliver more punch – perfect for heavy, amplified sound and the perfect way to spice up a riff!

• Rhythm vs. lead guitar: Building off of the differences between standard chords and power chords, you’ll find that electric guitar is often a better fit for musicians who love to play the riffs and solos associated with lead guitar. Rhythm guitarists, on the other hand, have more of a focus on playing chords beneath the notes and riffs associated with lead guitar. With that in mind, acoustic guitar is well-suited for players who want to build their chord vocabulary and make use of the rich tones of their instrument. That’s not to say that acoustic guitar is only for rhythm players. Just take a listen to the arpeggios and fingerpicking styles heard on flamenco guitar or classical guitar!

• Finger playability: As mentioned before, due to the differences in the width and circumference between acoustic and electric guitars, there are differences in string width and distance from the fretboard. Because acoustic guitars typically have a wider, thicker neck and the strings sit higher above the fretboard, it requires more pressure to fret a note. On the flipside, because electric guitars have a thinner neck, less distance between strings and the strings sit closer to the fretboard, it requires a lighter touch and less pressure in order to play a note. Having a shorter distance between strings means it can be easier to play a lightning-fast solo on an electric guitar than it would be to play on an acoustic.

GENRES FOR ACOUSTIC VS ELECTRIC GUITARS

You know it when you hear it. From the squeals and string bends of heavy metal, to the lilting harmonies of folk music, to the twang of bluegrass, there are just some instantly recognisable traits of different genres of music. Your favorite genre may give you a nudge to start your musical journey with either an acoustic or an electric guitar.

Here are some of the genres most commonly associated with each type of guitar, although there are some areas of overlap between the two.

You might want to play an acoustic guitar if your favorite genre of music is:

• Folk

• Country

• Singer-songwriter-driven

• Bluegrass and fingerpicking

• Blues

• Classical guitar

• Flamenco