Tool and Gear You Need to Practice Electric Guitar

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

There is something rather magical about electric guitars. Although it takes many years to become proficient in most instruments, including guitar, there is that air around the normally 6-stringer that anyone can give it a go.

Whether you want to learn to play like Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, Prince, or even someone like Taylor Swift, it would require practice, yet getting the basics right is achievable. In addition, there are more complex instruments out there to master, such as pianos.

One thing you can’t escape when learning a musical instrument is investing in some good quality equipment. While we are not suggesting you pay for those hefty Marshall stacks just yet, there are some items you should consider buying if you are serious about learning to play the electric guitar.

Guitar Strap

It may seem like a lame place to start, but unlike an acoustic guitar, where you may be more at home sitting down and playing your favorite tracks or creating your own compositions, with an electric guitar, you are going to want to get up on your feet and move. That is why you must choose a good quality adjustable strap.

You want one that you don’t need to even think about when you are wearing it. If you are always having to adjust it and change how the guitar is sitting against your body, it will ruin your practice time.

Guitar Amp

Okay, so although we said you don’t need a Marshall stack like you are in Guns ‘n’ Roses or AC/DC, to really get the best experience out of learning electric guitar, you need to have something to plug it into.

There are plenty of small-sized starter guitar amps out there. In the beginning, it shouldn’t worry you too much about the reproduction of sound or the different tones and other aspects you can control.

You just want to be able to hear what you are doing, so you can finetune your techniques and skills. When you are more proficient at guitar and have mastered the basics, then you can move on getting better sound from your six-stringer and amp.

Headphones

Before you start complaining that “if the whole purpose of buying a guitar amp is to get the benefit of hearing how your guitar sounds, then why would you want to wear headphones?” it’s possible that you have not thought about one thing. Unless you live alone, you probably share your household with your parents, roommates, siblings, partner, or spouse.

While those kinds of people will be thrilled that you are learning how to play guitar, they may not want to hear it all the time, especially in those early days of bum notes and badly timed strums. Considering the number of hours you need to put into guitar practice, it will be fairer to wear headphones to ensure your practice sessions remain focused and uninterrupted. Besides, if you are a bit of an early bird or night owl and don’t want to wake up the neighbors or flatmates, wearing headphones gives you the freedom and flexibility to do it whenever you want.

Plectrums

Whether you know them as plectrums or picks, the name is not really important. It is important that due to the sharpness and firmness of the strings normally found on an electric guitar, you are best at avoiding strumming with just your bare hands.

Like most things in the world of guitar, plectrums, or picks, come in a variety of different styles, shapes, and materials. However, what’s really important is finding the right style that is best for you and helping you practice your guitar playing.

Although you can buy them online in bulk quantities for incredible prices, you might be best visiting a bricks-and-mortar musical instrument or guitar shop to get a feel for the different sizes and styles.

Buying a bulk load of the little diamond-shaped things is also advisable because they are very easy to lose, and it can be frustrating when that happens, and you just want to get on and practice and don’t want to bash your knuckles.

Electric Tuner

One of the things you will learn as part of learning to play guitar is how to tune it properly. While it is better to learn to do it without the aid of anything, in the beginning, it is best to use an electric tuner. These are not very expensive and are always handy to ensure the notes and chords you are playing sound right.

With any hobby, there is a lot of upfront investment you need to make. If you want to learn how to play the guitar, this is no different. It should be noted, though, that you can get a beginner guitar and everything else you need to get started for a very reasonable price.