So you've made the decision to take up the guitar but you can't decide whether to learn electric or acoustic. Some swear by electric, while others swear by acoustic. It can be a tough decision but with a few pointers you'll be able to make an educated decision. The truth is that this is a highly personal matter and there are a few factors that you should take into consideration when making your choice.

Stick to Your Style and Tastes

Some people are inspired to learn guitar because they love rock music. Rock music fans would most likely learn electric to start so they can play the style of music that brought them to learn guitar in the first place. Other novices might have gotten the urge to play guitar from listening to folk or classical styles of music and naturally they would start off learning acoustic. Keep your tastes in mind when deciding whether to learn electric or acoustic.

Decide Which Learning Curve is for you

Acoustic guitar strings are harder to press down and bend, therefore the first few weeks of learning can be painful. If you look at the fingers of anyone new to the acoustic guitar, you will see calluses on the tips of their fingers. For that reason the learning curve is considered steeper to learn acoustic. The upside to starting with acoustic is that it will be much easier to learn electric afterwards because of your calluses and know-how. If you learn electric first, you may find that it is harder to transition to acoustic.

Further, it may be easier to press the strings down on an electric guitar but there are also a lot more bells and whistles on an electric. An electric guitar lesson does not solely consist of learning chords and scales. You also have to deal with amps and pedals. If you decide to learn electric to start with, on top of learning how to play in general you will have to learn how to adjust tone and sound effects on the amp and pedal.

Elect What is More Convenient for You

Another reason why some people prefer acoustic guitars is because they are portable and convenient. An acoustic guitar doesn't require an electrical outlet, amp, or pedal and simply strumming it sounds beautiful. You can take an acoustic guitar just about anywhere with you and if you want to whip it out quickly and practice you don't have to worry about plugging it in and making all of the sound adjustments.

Choosing whether to learn electric or acoustic depends on a variety of factors and all of them have to do with personal taste. Rather than letting an 'expert' decide for you, think about what aligns with your needs and interests. Your goal should be to explore your options and settle for what suits you best!