Difficulty Playing the Acoustic?

Tips on Learning the Acoustic Guitar

by Neil Whitford

The steel string acoustic guitar is a good instrument to start learning on for its unique sound, but it can often be a challenge because it requires more hand strength then an electric or nylon string guitar.  Some guitar students will complain of sore fingers and discomfort, and this can sometimes turn into frustration the feeling of putting it down for good!  Don’t fear – this discomfort will go away in time as you build strength and calluses, but there are some things you can do to make it slightly easier on your fingers as they get used to the guitar:
- Make sure the guitar is properly set up.  If the action (height of the strings off the fretboard) is really high it is going to make things that much more difficult for you.
- Try a lower gauge of strings.  Most acoustics come set up with 12 gauge strings, which are pretty much the standard, but you can definitely move down to 11, 10 or even 9 gauge acoustic guitar strings for starters and then move your way back up.
- For chords that are difficult, start by practicing the chord using a capo on the third or fifth fret.  This will lower the action of the strings, and it will allow you to play the chord in a location where the frets are much closer together so the fingers will not need to stretch as much.

Neil Whitford offers private guitar lessons at Elite Music Academy. To book a free consultation with this outstanding musician contact us at 416 406 5355 ext1. Neil also offers rock jam sessions and jazz ensembles in our brand new studios at 2007 Danforth Avenue. Call us today and book your first free appointment.