How to Play Acoustic Guitar: Tips, Tricks, and Myths

• October 18, 2016
• Guitar Acoustic Beginner

One of our contributor’s got a call from an old guitar student this week. Of nearly 1,000 people he had taught how to play acoustic guitar (and electric), this guy was one of the best. Now an adult making a career as a musician, the former student shared “Man, I’m playing acoustic guitar a lot now, and I LOVE it! I never realized how different it was from electric.”

Is it, though? While each style of guitar has its distinctions, can it really be that much of a change? In this post, we’ll tell you how to play acoustic guitar and how to confront a few myths associated with the instrument. Maybe we’ll even convert a couple of electric guitarists to at least give the acoustic a(nother) shot.

Acoustic guitar is not the enemy-- ahem, no one ever said it was. That would be ludicrous. However, some instructors might have inferred it to at least a few hundred parents of young musicians. Here's why they might do such a thing.

Acoustic guitar is harder to play than electric guitar. Seems counterintuitive to many pedestrians (those who can't play guitar) but it really is. The reason for this is threefold: the strings are thicker, they’re further from the fret, and the body of the guitar is bulky.

Listen, guitar is difficult enough to learn on a contoured strat with gauge 9's and low action. When a student is first picking up this rather difficult instrument it's best to avoid anything that stands in the way of them sounding good.

If you really want to play acoustic first, have at it. We will teach you how to play acoustic guitar and frame it in a fun, but challenging, way while giving you a healthy dose of your favorite songs and technical exercises that will help you achieve your goals. But just know why you're doing what you're doing and avoid the frustration that ensues when you pitch your tent in the wrong camp.

Three Camps - How to Play Acoustic Guitar

Besides the previously mentioned physical differences, there is an important psychological difference between acoustic and electric guitar. Oftentimes guitar instructors see kids with GnR, Green Day, or Metallica T-shirt as a tell tale sign that this whole "you have to master the acoustic first" mentality was being forced on them.

As a parent, it’s understandable. Kind of. You want your kids to learn real music and just chill a little. The time of life when most kids get interested in playing guitar, is about the same time they get super angsty and show signs of unprovoked aggression. You can either try to squelch it, let it go unchecked, or give them an outlet for the aggression.

You might want to find a healthy outlet and try to steer the ship in a positive direction. Some of the best guitarists ever are totally in love with Jesus...and heavy! Check out Noah Henson of Pillar or Marcus Curiel (P.O.D.) for healthy alternatives to the really heavy stuff.

Then, there were the other parents who had bought into the misnomer "acoustic guitar is easier to learn then electric.” You've been fleeced, partner. It most certainly is NOT easier to learn. Please jot down the name and contact info for the purveyors of these vicious lies. We will email them right now.

In the third "acoustic first" group were kids and adults who genuinely seemed interested in acoustic guitar. That's cool too, just so long as you're in it for all the right reasons. We've seen too many musical desires get crushed by ideologies that are incorrect or just plain pedestrian.

Just as it’s okay to be more inclined toward electric guitar, it’s perfectly alright to want to learn how to play acoustic guitar.

Best Way to Learn - How to Play Acoustic Guitar

Now that we're in it for all the right reasons, let's make the most of our time here together. Whether you've been playing for hundreds of years or you're just picking it up, there are a couple of fundamental differences that make acoustic guitar different and awesome.

1. The Open Chords - How to Play Acoustic Guitar

On electric guitar, you've got all of that electricity working for you. Play a single note riff loud enough and it sounds like all of the angel armies are engaged in a full out holy war.

Not so much on acoustic. Learn all of the basic open chords and then branch out into really cool alternative open chords ASAP. You need the volume that multiple ringing strings can provide.

2. Hit Your Guitar - How to Play Acoustic Guitar

Go ahead and slap it around a bit. Take a cue from Nuno Bettencourt and add a little rhythm to your playing. The build of your acoustic guitar provides you with the opportunity to play two instruments at once. As great as electric guitars are, you won’t get that nice sound from hitting a Les Paul.

Not feeling it yet? Check out Phil Keaggy's slap guitar lesson or watch the movie August Rush.

3. Now Caress It - How to Play Acoustic Guitar

Learn some finger-style acoustic guitar songs. You know, the ones that play arpeggiated chords.

Check out "Stairway to Heaven" or "Heart of Gold" for classic examples or James Bay's phenomenal album for a newer sound. Sure, he's got a pickup strapped to his hollow body guitar but don't let that throw you off. His songs translate extremely well to acoustic guitar.

Well, that about does it for learning how to play acoustic guitar in one blog. Time to get your hands involved. Pick up your favorite acoustic and head over to the videos on Pro Lessons for a multitude of lessons on how to play acoustic guitar.

These lessons range from absolute beginner --check out the Adam Stark videos for his fluid approachable style to learning guitar-- all the way up to crazy, ridiculously advanced acoustic guitar techniques. There's also a healthy dose of music theory lessons taught on acoustic guitar, if you're in to that sort of thing.

All of these wonderful tips and techniques brought together by some of the best guitarists since guitar, without all of those pesky misnomers and fallacies that throw so many off course.

After all, If you want to play like the pros, learn from the pros.

Click on the link below to find out how you can start taking affordable online guitar lessons.