Acoustic or Electric. What should beginners play?

Beginning guitar players are often faced with the dilemma of choosing the type of guitar to play first as they begin lessons. Many people love the looks of the electric guitar but heard somewhere that you should always start out playing the acoustic guitar. Other people have heard that you always want to start on the electric guitar because string tension is less than an acoustic guitar and thus it will be easier to play. I think if you examine this closely you will find that there are many things to consider before making a choice. I will break it down to the most important considerations for someone who is serious about learning to play. If you’re just into collecting guitars then none of this information will matter.
Acoustic and Electric Guitars share the same tuning and have the same number of strings. All of the fundamentals of guitar playing can be taught on either instrument. As a beginning instrument they are essentially the same. Acoustic guitars typically have a bit more tension on the strings but if they are properly built and set-up, it will be nearly the same as the tension on the electric guitar strings. If you’re looking for an approach to learning that is more focused on note-reading, song playing, and music fundamentals, then the acoustic guitar will be your best choice for several reasons. The number one reason is that you don’t need an amplifier. An acoustic guitar is easy to pull out of the case or take off the stand and start practicing. Electric Guitars have volume knobs, tone pots, pickup selectors, tremolo arms, and sometimes other gadgets. The amplifier has volume, treble, bass, middle, gain, reverb, and sometimes other knobs and buttons. The acoustic guitar is just a body, neck, and six strings. It is clearly the more basic of the two types of six-string guitars. I would encourage you to play the acoustic first if you intend to practice routinely. Some people, especially young children, envision themselves as a guitar player with a colorful and dazzling look about it. They may also be very keen to the sound of the electric guitar. If this is the case you may want to consider going the route of electric guitar. I would still be cautious because the flashy looks tend to wear off and you quickly realize that you’re still gonna have to practice chords and scales to get better. In a nutshell I’m saying that you should start with acoustic guitar. Find one that is sized for comfort and set-up properly whether it’s new or used. Guitar Union, inside Grosse Pointe Music Academy, will do a free evaluation to see if you’re guitar needs a set-up. Just bring it by during normal hours. If you like to practice and do it often, you will soon progress and see the need and function of both acoustic and electric guitar in modern music. I hope this was helpful to making your decision easier. Be sure to comment below.