Why You Need To Learn Both Acoustic & Electric Guitar

Rhett, Dave and I discuss the most important skill to master as a musician. Hint: (it’s not making beats :)

——————————————————————————————————————

My Links to Follow:

Follow On Twitter - @rickbeato

——————————————————————————————

Special Thanks to My Supporters:
Robert Hickerty
comboy
Alan Nance
Peter DeVault
Bill Grubbs
Phil Mingin
Tal Harber
Rick Taylor
Dennis Lukas
Bill Miller
Gabriel Karaffa
Brett Bottomley
Matthew Porter
Frederick Humphrey
Frederick Humphrey
Paul Noonan
Mansel Ismay
James Jourdan
Terry Van Belle
Stephen Morris
Hans Vilu
Ian Chumakov
Ilya Kravchenko
Nathan Hanna
Thom Theriault
Jason Johnson
David Wilkinson
Chris Scrivo
Kai Ellis
Josh Lawrence
Zack Kirkorian
Ray Rossetti
Evgeny Teilor
Joe Ansaldi
David Fugit
Jonathan Wentworth-Linton
Harry Brocious
Pzz
Marc Alan
Rob Kline
Tim Wilson
Calvin Wells
David Trapani
Abel James
Will Elrics
Hector Medina
Joe Elrod
Chris Defendorf
Debbie Valle
maydad meiri
JP Rosato
Scott Rance
Dave Hawkey
Roger Frankham
Orion Letizi
Mike Voloshen
Ashley Thompson
Matt Pauley
Peter Pillitteri
Jeremy Hickerson
Travis Ahrenholtz

[mhystro]

Just ran into Rick at Guitar Center...such a humble friendly guy.

[paulgrant]

Another advantage of starting with acoustic- you are not distracted by endless exploration of tone. The tone is limited by technique. Forcing you to focus on rhythm and melody

[awglasgo]

When I took guitar lessons in college, my instructor would ask why I insisted on playing rock songs on my acoustic guitar? I stated that "If I can play it on my acoustic, I can damn sure play it on an electric". I've been playing for 20 years. I still enjoy the hell out of it.

[welcometothejazz]

Not only is fingerstyle an important skill to learn, it is one of the most liberating things a guitarist can use. Thanks for the reminder to pick up my electric more often!

[patrickcrowther]

Most important skill - listening to other musicians while they’re playing and not being egotistical.

[gregorymccasland]

Hearing you guys talk about Chet makes me miss my Dad. I lost him just last summer. He was 88. He was very particular about music he liked. He wasn’t a fan of rock at all. He was old school. He absolutely loved Chet Atkins. I got a cassette back in the day with Chet and Mark Knopfler. I finally got him to listen to Dire Straits. He loved “Walk of Life”. I finally found some common ground musically with Dad. I began collecting music that he loved. I could finally sit down and listen to music with dad. As a lover of most genres it was very special to get him interested in it with me. He finally wanted to have the radio on when we rode together. We did a trip from northern NY to Houston when I moved back here in 2009. He was 78. We had to drive straight through 28 hours. He was too old to do that. We had 2 dogs and 4 cats with us so we couldn’t stop. He came along so I wound the have to do it alone. We listened to so much music on the way that he could appreciate. It was like I finally got in tune with my dad. Every time I hear anything relating to Chet or Knopfler I remember that horrible trip with my dad. Horrible only because of the circumstances. We really loved our time together. He did it with me the first time in 95 too. My best memories with my dad came at the hardest times in my life. Thanks for the memories of dad guys. Miss you dad.

[MartyDadRiffs]

Opeth, Opeth, Opeth. They have always had a clever mix of acoustic, electric clean and dirty tones.

[ElrohirGuitar]

What a great discussion. I kept thinking of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers as a good example of so many of these points.

[MainesOwn]

5:45 "You can do heavy music on Acoustic" - which is an excellent point and a great idea for a dedicated video on its own

[Subparanon]

As a guitar player, it's a sad fact that every acoustic player can play electric, but not every electric player can play acoustic. The action on many acoustics is much higher, the string tension as well, and it requires much more fretting and string pressure to get clean notes. If your finger tips are not made of stone, and your fretting hand isn't strong, acoustic can humble even an accomplished electric player. It's like the difference between power steering, and manual steering. Driving a car is the same, but the guys with manual steering have forearms like Popeye.

[kirtb]

My first gig is in ten days, I’m 51. Power trio, and our music spans 4 decades. I’ll just add that it’s learning whole songs, lyrics, rhythm and a little bit of dynamics that will get you headed in the right direction to actually go out and play it. This works best with acoustic guitar. Know the song at its foundation, memorize it.

[HeadbangersLocal]

Tons of 80’s power ballads had acoustic. Poison, Cinderella, GnR just to name a few. That’s what got you laid back in the day, learning acoustic.

[pauljoslyn]

I could listen to you guys all day. Common sense, experience and entertaining. Keep them comming

[MatteoSpedicati]

it's a couple of months that i'm basically closed home learning how to play guitar with zero social life and suddenly you guys are my best friends

[ejw]

Exactly Right! I'm somewhere just behind you in age, but, I often find it odd when folks are surprised that I play 6, 12 str acoustic and electric. I see it as I play guitar - albeit, different kinds, but all are the essentially same register and fret the same. I understand when non-players say this, but it really shocks me when guitar players say this... I'm like WTF?

[MARK-FX]

"Traditionally" you're supposed to start on acoustic. Acoustic is unforgiving so you develop accuracy. And finger strength.

[noodleandfriends]

I'm a month into learning. Multiple people said Acoustic was harder, so that's where I'm starting. Literally just learnt yesterday what muting even is and how to do it. At the end of each week I take a video of something new I have learnt that week, and something old that I have improved on during that week. It's an outstanding way of tracking progress and self-motivating.

[chrisslyfield]

Just play music and don't worry about boxes to put yourself in. I started on trumpet at school, played in an orchestra, was lead guitarist in thrash metal band, also own and play synths, piano and bass guitar. Just started singing (lol). Used to worry that I perhaps would suffer by not dedicating to a single instrument but now can play anything I need to in my own compositions apart from drum kit. I am never going to be virtuoso or session musician on anything but what I have perfectly suits my needs and means I am for the most part independent although it has taken me 25 years to get there!

[marcoshreds]

I love both electric and acoustic guitars <3

[charlesbranch]

Explaining strumming patterns sounds like Big Bruce explaining his harmonica instruction book (remote area of Alaska): Blow, blow, blow, blow, blow, suck, blow... As I've started learning to play chords on acoustic, I've added a semi-hollowbody electric, and "Wow!" lighter strings and it sounds good unplugged, too. 12-53 acoustic strings, 10-46 electric strings (stock 10-52, but I asked and was advised 10-46 strings are OK). Plugging in to a modeling (practice) amp with a little analog delay sounds great! Working tech for musicians is an oh yeah, been there, that happens... Computers will fail (usually it's a software failure, rather than hardware), and I've come to expect it. Paper always works! I always sing along behind the sound desk, which really helps with the changes, page turning or lyric slide changes in projection. Thanks, guys! Loved the intro(s) and the outro, too! The important thing: "Always have fun!" Ladies in their 80s and 90s will tell you that, and I tell them that they're the rowdiest people I know.