Do you play acoustic or electric guitar?
That’s a question I get a lot, and it often goes hand in hand with, “What’s the difference between Blues Guitar Unleashed and Acoustic Blues Guitar Unleashed? Can I do Blues Guitar Unleashed on an acoustic guitar? And could I do Acoustic Blues Guitar Unleashed on an electric guitar?”
Well, here’s the thing… the difference between what most people think of as “acoustic blues” and what people think of as “electric blues” has very little to do with the instrument itself. It has everything to do with how you approach the music.
One way to explain is, electric blues is generally played with a band. In that context, you’re filling a role as one member of a group, rather than playing by yourself.
In that context, an electric guitar makes sense because you usually have to amplify it to be heard… but with modern acoustic guitars and pickups, there’s no reason you can’t play in a band on an acoustic guitar (check out Keb Mo on youtube if you don’t believe me…)
When you play in a band, things like the Little Chords and the 2 Note Chords really come into play because you have to stay out of the way of other instruments and players.
On the other hand, when you play acoustic guitar (or what we commonly call acoustic guitar) you tend to be playing alone, or maybe with one other person. So you’re holding down all 3 elements of music (harmony, rhythm, melody) which is GREAT for your guitar playing, no matter what type you play.
Does that mean you can’t play acoustic blues on an electric guitar? Of course not… and does it mean you can’t play with a band on an acoustic? As long as you can amplify it to be heard you should be just fine.
Blues is blues… the notes don’t change.
So when you hear someone talk about acoustic blues, keep in mind they are probably talking more about playing solo (solo, as in, alone, not with a group) than playing with a band.
And don’t believe for a minute that the type of guitar you play will dictate which type of music you are able to play. While it might be difficult to perform bends on an acoustic because of the thicker strings, most anything else is totally within reason on either type of instrument.
47 replies to "Acoustic Vs. Electric…"
are you the big three griff ?
I have 5 guitars(woo hoo, not bragging)and I circulate through them. 3 acoustic and 2 electric. All have funny(ha ha) stories about acquiring them. I try to play all so I play each 3 days then move on to the next. I have the goal of playing basically by myself. A Busker, I guess. A blues busker. And when I reach that I will probably rely most on my Epi Ultra 339, an semi-hollow body electric that has both an acoustic pickup and 2 PAF electric pickups. I hope I can eventually make it sing and I can do justice to it, skills wise.
I started at fifteen with an old Stella acoustic. Upgrade to a Kay acoustic. Those are what I taught myself to play on. Played rhythm with our ranch hand. Old time bluegrass! Bought a guckert chords for the guitar book. Learned bar chords and such! My first electric, I don’t think it had a brand name. I went through a number of guitars. Even a six string acoustic bass. not many around! I settled in 1961 on a Fender Telecaster which I am still playing. I also have Garamine & Co. acoustic (you probably never heard of!). Plays real nice. Puts me in mind of a Martin or Gibson. Bottom line, I play both. Your Videos are incredible and have helped a picker who had NO formal lessons. I did play an instrumental in Globe Arizona at the Sunset bar with an old group (Gene Estes, he has a web site) I made this song up and and was broadcast on radio station KWJB. Four months later, my song was published by another group and was on the top 40!! Lesson learned. Again, I must say how your blues licks have helped me! Where were you 40 years ago? (I am 72)
Thanks, Harold Montgomery (Vietnam Vet 67-68)
I am missing 1 forth of my index finger and manage a whole step bend on the second fret. Hurts like heck but sounds so cool on acoustic.
As a late-in-life returner, I am trying lots of new things – thanks to all@ Griff, I frequently play alone so for me the sound is the difference in acoustic vs electric blues. I love my little parlor’s tones, but I love the effects I add to my electric(s) as well. Thank You!
Hi everyone,I would like to thank you all,as you have taught me a few things just by reading your responses. Like a few of you, I started very late in life learning to play guitar. It’s no easy task at 67 but I really enjoy playing or should I say making a noise. Learnt so much, but it is the tip of the iceberg. Dave Doherty,Lincolnshire, England
Hey Griff,
You’ve got the BGU Gang talking on this one. Basically, it’s music and how you feel. I have a few electric guitars and 1 acoustic electric which can travel easily around our house and to other family or Friends homes and out in the park for picnics, on the train etc it is the Mobile Blues Guitar that fit’s in whereever I want to be with a musical mind. At Home try to mix them with a Looper, Strumm some great chords on your acoustic and then play over them with an electric in the same key! You will get a sound as if you are playing with another guitar player.
I stick to the Electric Acoustic strings as generally not looking to play any fancy sounds just get my musical blues feelings across to my friendly audience and see if they like it!
Thanks
Michael-Sydney-Australia
I play both some things you do on electric don’t sound as good as they do on acoustic
lectrick, amplified acoustic, willie nelson hole in the body, don’t matter it’s all music and if it’s good music, meaning done well, I love it. Can’t play any more because of a stroke but working at it. Grif told you I’d get around to telling you why I haven’t ordered any of your lessons. If only you and this technology had been around 62 years ago when I was ten, Mr. BB would have been king in name only. Anyway thanks for all you do for us and if I live long enough and get my left hand going again you’ll be shipping me lots of stuff. I’m already sold on your teaching being the best available.
Sam, I’m 66, recently retired, and I second the motion!
So, by your comment “While it might be difficult to perform bends on an acoustic because of the thicker strings” is it just a matter of string thickness?… and if it is can one simply change the Acoustic Strings to Electric [guitar] strings in order to create more pliable/playable bends?
This lil-trick [if you may] is what has been so difficult to learn/know/find-out… dumb me.
I started on acoustic, moved to playing in a band with mostly SG or strat electric, or a 335 for ‘acoustic’ sound, and have now moved back to mainly acoustic. Two different disciplines which cross over, however I have tried in the past putting extra ultra light electric strings on my acoustic but find they jangle too much so just learned to bend with the lightest half wound acoustic strings I can get.
I play both, but I play the majority of my practice time on my Gibson ES-335, 1959 model.
Playing good acoustic blues alone is a lot tougher than electric with a band. You have to mix rhythm and riff which is no easy task and, to be honest, is beyond me. That, plus the increase in string diameter makes it a real struggle for this old timer. If you want to see a genius in action on acoustic blues without a word being sung look out for Tommy Emmanuel.
After 50 years of singing and accompanying myself on the guitar with “main stream” songs from folk to rock to country I didn’t realize until getting BGU how much blues influence was involved in the music I was playing. I am certain that “the Blues” is where I want to be whether acoustic or electric. I haven’t proceeded as far as I would like on BGU but winter is coming and it’ll be time to get back at it!!! Thanks Griff!
Anyone from the Newmarket, Ontario area that is 60 plus in age wanting to play some Blues for fun?
Mike S.
YOU KNOW BY NOW I HAVE BEEN PLAYING GUITAR FOR 40+ YEARS. I WAS UNDER A RECORDING CONTRACK WITH THE OLD A&M RECORDS. AFTER WE GOT SCREWED, WHICH HAPPENED A LOT IN THE 60’S. WE DID HAVE A SONG ON THE TOP 40. AFTER THAT I GOT WIT A GOOD FRIEND WHO PLAYED BASS GUITAR AND WE DID A DUET. I PLAYED ACOUSTIC GUITAR AND ALSO IN BETWEEN THE CHORUS AND THE LAST VERSE I WOULD FINGER PICK THE TUNE SOME WHAT. I PLAY THE WAY YOU LOOK TONIGHT ON ACOUSTIC AND DO ERICS LICK AT THE END IN HARMONEY NOTES. I THINK ELECTRIC AND ACOUSTIC ARE TWO DIFFERANT WORLDS. BUT I PLAY THE HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN IN A BLUES STYLE ON ACOUSTIC. ELECTRIC, I JUST GO WILD.
What we do know by now is the capitals are stuck on your keyboard.
Fascinating topic. I kinda identify with the comment left by Howard Kleine. Along with good ‘ol Blues I play a lot of Neil Young, who is a poster child for the acustic/electric thing. Some days playing my acustic are just what the Dr. ordered. But as the mood dictates, you just have to plug in and turn it up to 11 :-). I never thought of putting electric strings on my old acustic. Gonna try that next time around. Thanks for the tip.
if u r serious about trying electric strings on an acoustic, don’t do it. The electric strings may pull the bridge off.
I don’t see that. Electric strings would have far less tension. It’s so much easier to bend a note on an electric guitar.
If anything, you would have to back off the relief on the tension rod on the guitar neck to stop the buzzing. My guitar teacher used electric strings on his acoustic. He had less volume of course, but he could bend just like on an electric.
Just to clarify, I’m speaking about acoustic Nylon string “classical” guitars. I know a friend who put electric strings on his classical guitar and it caused the bridge to pulled off … I am not sure if a steel string acoustic would fail as well with electric strings.
Heu Pete, I am from philly too. I would like to play guitar with you sometime. I am an intermediate player so please get send me an e-mail and hopefullt get together soon. Thank you.
@Bill Varanes; sounds good to me Bill. Need your e-mail.
I’m up by NE airport. I work a lot but allways make some play time. Talk soon.
Just for fun…awhile back, I tossed a set of .010 electric strings on my Ovation CS 257, electic/acoustic….plugged into the PA via a Boss ME 80 and CS 3 Comnpression/sustainer…. WHAT FUN!!!!!
I notice that players who only play an acoustic guitar tend to mostly stick to the first 6 frets. Playing electric opened up the rest of the neck for me, and more varied chord forms, which I now also play on my acoustic. The advent of acoustics w cutouts may reflect electric players who want a bigger range on an acoustic.
I play nylon acoustic, steel acoustic and my Fender Strat. I play only classical music on the nylon although I did write one song for nylon but I didn’t like the result. I play the blues the same on the acoustic as I do on the Strat. I enjoy it more on the acoustic, but every once in a while I’ll pick up the Strat and play blues for a half hour. I like to crank it on the Strat, but I keep the acoustics unplugged. I don’t play in a band. That’s why I favor the acoustic.
I haven’t played in a band since my teens, so been exclusively acoustic until BGU, just felt I needed the better action to learn (especially 4,5,& 6) I borrowed a knock off tele from a friend Had alot of fun with jam tracks and so on,still do
Ultimately my goal was always to be able to play the blues I was hearing in my head BGU & now the major/minor course is getting me closer.It is so true that you never know what you don’t know.If I did early on I never would have started, it would have seemed so far away
I guess I could say I play guitar but I prefer the electric love the whole locking trem thing screams and howls via Joe Satriani but I also love the blues and sometimes it’s just great to sit down and play on the acoustic it’s all guitar and it just takes you to a place that I love !
Yes I agree with what you have to say regarding the two types of guitars. There is one other thing that I find regarding the electric verses the acoustic guitar. And that is the different types of sounds that I can get using the electric guitar.
I play both. I love my Rick 330 (fireglow, hey it’s bragging rights for my “girl”, but I also have a Gibson J35. I grew up in the Buffalo Springfield/ CSN era and I identify the acoustic music more than electric. Maybe it’s the sweetness of the acoustic or just that I love the folk/rock era. Whatever it is,music is what is important, not the style.
Griff thank you for all the time you spend for us I appreciate it I have must your CDs have not yet bot any acoustic but I plan to thanks again we appreciate it
Griff you are the best guitar teacher I have ever heard!! It takes a lot of time to do what you do in your email lessons!! Thanks for doing what you do!! BGU DVD’s are great also!! I have only bought 1 to date I plan to buy a lot more!!
I started out on acoustic and stayed there for many years, then I just wanted to be louder. So I went electric which opened up a whole bunch of new possibilities for me both musically and personally. I enjoy your blog and like to see what others are saying as well. Anyway my point is, I like both. I also like to practice more on the acoustic because it makes playing the electric that much easier.
I have both, but find myself playing my acoustic more. I just Love the sound of it. The collaboration of wood and strings is magic!
Hello, This I my take on this matter, if one learns all the licks from the new blues players, EC,SRV,JH, one has never really learned the Blues,
or understands it for that matter. As with any endeavor it takes an interest in the genre and where it originated before one attempts to make it his or her own. Electric or acoustic does not matter if one takes the time to learn…
I play both as much as possible. Nylon and steel. The Elixir 80-20, 12’s really help get and keep the fingers in shape and they sound great. I tried using light gauge electric strings on the steel, it does work but I don’t get the “benefits” from the guitar that I’m looking for. I’ve also found that I tend to play different material and I play the regular material differently on the acoustics and the process of just playing the thing(s) is a good change of pace and work-out. And, I don’t have to turn on an amp and I can outside and play… until the howling dogs drive me back inside.
I have been, for the last year at least, playing strictly acoustic guitar to build strength in my fingers, and do all the normal things I would do on an electric guitar. If I can get clean legato speedy runs on the acoustic I will surely have the speed for an electric guitar. I have the money set aside to get a new guitar and keyboards, but as I have been working with the acoustic I have been leaning toward getting an electric acoustic guitar, as I love the sound and I really like the lushness of jazz chords on an acoustic guitar. I have been going to the music store more and more and looking at new guitars and keyboards so a big day is coming…
I am currently working/playing my way through the 52 Variations supplement. At the end of the 1st section he puts together a composite exercise that includes most of the fills that he demonstrated in that section. It is SO COOL it sends happy chills down my spine! He demos the tune on an electric but he says that you can play it on an acoustic and it will sound great. So I have learned it on acoustic and the sound and the feel of it literally takes me to another place! So I have given it a name:
“Old black dude sitting’ on the back porch of his cabin on the edge of an alligator infested swamp in the Mississippi Delta picking’ on his old beat up acoustic guitar while watching the red glow of the sunset playing off the Spanish Moss hanging from the cypress trees with his old hound dog laying at his feet blues”.
It’s magic! BTW it sounds great on the electric too.
well heres the thang really . acoustic v/s electric . i play both but play electric mostly. my buds and i play one night a week acoustic . if i were to bring my acoustic there would 5 guitars not one please . my acoustic never leaves my house its a avalon and can not be replaced . we get a bit juiced if ya know what i mean . any ways i can play ohio better than most . its a neil young tune along with alabama . actually the whole harvest album. now when we do electric nite its a strat style guitar i play but also have one les paul style also depends on type of music we are doing . the best of acoustic is this its kinda like if you play alone it resembles a drum sound . add 5 guitars in there and wow. like i say the eagles play four at once its on the long road from eden album . great musicians great concert moheagen sun 2008 . now the electric guitar can be very verisital. thats it . need a bottom and a drummer . but alone with a fav track kool . pratice on . listen without straining to do so think crowd of poeple or as you listen to a tune play a diffrent one at the same time i think you hear more of whats going in the other tune . just my opinion . quadrafonic man is helpfull seperate the channel bring up the guitar . nothin like a avalon acoustic van the man plays one tom petty good ole marty too. later brah get the swarts back .
I like both styles and play both. If I had to pick one, and only one to play to the exclusion of the other,(which I don’t) I would play acoustic. I play acoustic style on my acoustic and sometimes on my hollow body electric. I play electric style on my electric and electric hollow body, mostly. But sometimes I play electric style on the acoustic (without bending the strings too much). My acoustic is acoustic/electric but it doesn’t lend itself well to string bends.
Hi Griff! I received my blues unleashed course and like it. It’s true about talking out loud with the count, ’cause when I don”t, I tend to get in my own beat and that would make difficult to follow other band members. That”s Y I played solo so far. I have ADD so I get bored quick and don’t stay on the same tune 2 long.
Anyway, I like your 4note lesson and still need 2 work on it. I lost the video so I could use another download if U don’t mind sending it.I also really like your opening tune at the start of each lesson in “Blues unleashed”. I’d like 2 play that some day. That’s the type of Blues I want 2 learn. Thanks 4 all the E-mails.
Gaston
Hey Griff, I have been playing both acoustic and electric guitar in small groups as well as groups as large as 12. When we gig at nursing homes I amplify when playing lead and solos..I prefer electric for the ease of playing plus I get the sounds I want from my hollow body instrument. When I noodle at home I like to play my Yamaha nylon acoustic electric..What I am trying to say is that anything goes and it comes down to personal preferences. I sure appreciate all your articles and I follow your musings on a regular basis due to your generous blogs. Keep up the wonderful work!
Have learned a lot at my old age of 61.only been playing about 8 months my fingers don’t work like you young guys,but it’s still fun. An thank you
Finding the switch to acoustic more difficult than I thought. Put .009 strings on the get started and found that helped. Playing barr chords on the acoustic to save my fingers!
Griff’s lessons are magic. In the fact he’s a right nice guy but the lesson’s are slow which every other teacher to me seems far to quick apart Griff puts his heart into what he is doing , all the best Griff a student David Sharkey – Scotland thanks
I often put electric strings on my acoustic guitar,makes for some interesting sounds and possible big bends. Zeppelin did also.. been doing it on and off for years.