Tips For Playing Electric Acoustic Guitar

For the experienced player, an acoustic guitar is an

indispensable songwriting tool, practice partner, and the most

portable means to take your music with you. Here's a series tips

for playing an acoustic electric guitar designed to help you get

the most out of this versatile instrument.

Whether you are a songwriter, guitar teacher, coffee shop

musician, studio musician or someone who just plays purely for

pleasure the sound of an acoustic guitar can enhance your project

and inspire your creativity.

Sometimes, because of the volume of the other instruments in the

band, the size of the venue or particular recording project we're

working on, it's necessary to amplify the acoustic guitar ... it

happens to all of us so we need to be prepared!

Tips for playing acoustic electric guitar: tip 1

If you are buying an acoustic electric guitar there's an

incredible range to choose from, the first thing to keep in mind

is that no matter pick-up, microphone, effects unit, amplifier or

P.A you run your guitar through they can only amplify the

original sound.

That's the key, you should get the best acoustic guitar for your

particular application. The guitar must sound great without the

pick up and amplification, no amount of electrical effects can

save a poor sounding acoustic instrument.

I repeat, if you are considering buying an acoustic electric

guitar make certain that the guitar sounds great before you plug

it in.

Tips for playing acoustic electric guitar: tip 2

What type of acoustic guitar do you need? Do you need a six

string, steel strung guitar? Would a nylon string acoustic guitar

be more suitable? If you are a solo artist maybe a 12 string

acoustic guitar would be best.

Which guitar is best? The answer will depend entirely on your

application. To help you get started here is a couple of general

observations.

(a) The bulk acoustic rhythm guitar that we hear on the radio is

played on a six string, steel strung guitar played with a pick.

(b) Nylon guitars are becoming more popular in pop music due to

their capability to produce harmonic content in a frequency range

that will not affect the lead vocal. In this situation the nylon

strung guitar is generally played with a pick, instead of being

played with the fingers as it would be played in classical music.

(c) The 12-string guitar works most effectively by itself or with

little accompaniment for it takes up a lot of the frequency and

musical range.

Tips for playing acoustic electric guitar: tip 3

What size acoustic guitar will you need? Do you need a Jumbo,

Dreadnought, 7/8 or folk size?

Keeping in mind we want to get the best acoustic sound from the

guitar. Essentially the top of a guitar is similar to the sound

board of a piano, you should avoid guitars with volume/tone

controls etc, mounted on the guitar top. Ideally, we want the

guitar top to vibrate freely, even the wrong type of bridge pins

can significantly effect the tone and projection of your guitar.

A guitar that has brass bridge pins will have far less volume

than a guitar with rosewood bridge pins. Make certain you have a

close look at all these details. It's just common sense, but a

lot of great instruments are over-looked and all they need is a

slight adjustment.

In this situation the added weight of the brass bridge pins would

restrict the vibrations of the guitar top, reducing the volume

and projection of the instrument. Simply by replacing the brass

bridge pins with wood bridge pins would give the guitar a

completely different and improved sound.

In theory a Jumbo size acoustic guitar should give us the best

acoustic sound. In some cases this in not practical because of

the sheer size of the instrument and the size of the person

playing the guitar.

The most popular size is the dreadnaught size acoustic guitar.

However, some players find the sound of the dreadnaught guitar

too "boxy" and prefer the 7/8 of folk size guitars.

Lead guitarists tend to favor smaller body guitars because they

tend to have a more balanced sound to them and are easier to cut

through the band when playing with other musicians.

Tips for playing acoustic electric guitar: tip 4

Do you need a cut-a-way acoustic? This is an important question,

the majority of acoustic electric guitars available in most music

stores are cut-a-ways. Working on our "best acoustic guitar

sound" theory it makes sense that the standard acoustic (non cut-

a-way) guitar will have a fuller, richer sound as the guitar top

is left intact.

If you are playing acoustic rhythm and don't need to play lead

parts up on the 15th,17th frets you don't need a cut-a-way.

Tips for playing acoustic electric guitar: tip 5

Public enemy number one of the acoustic guitar is feedback.

So you go out to the average music gig and hold your beautiful

acoustic guitar up to the average little dynamic microphone. All

is going well until, they turn on the amplification and ... there

it is feedback!

How do we overcome this howling, annoying sound? A simple way to

overcome the feedback issue is to:

(a) use a "feedback buster" this is little rubber plug that fits

in the sound hole of your acoustic guitar, essentially it reduces

the feedback problem be making the top of the guitar similar to

that of a solid body acoustic guitar, whilst it greatly reduces

the acoustic qualities of the guitar, the feedback buster can be

quickly removed without having to loosen the strings.

(b) try and move away from the amplifier/ speakers and definitely

don't face your acoustic guitar into the speakers.

We've now covered some of the basic tips for playing acoustic

electric guitar, take your time a get the best acoustic guitar

without the electronic's and the rest will be a piece of cake.

Mike Hayes is a teacher, author, speaker and consultant. Get his tips and tested strategies proven to boost your guitar playing his membership site at http://www.guitarcoaching.com today.