Essential Guitar Accessories For Playing The Electric Guitar

In today's lesson, we will learn about essential guitar accessories for playing the electric guitar. Things such as picks, straps, amplifiers, and effects pedals. When learning to play the electric guitar, selecting the right accessories can significantly enhance your playing experience.

This guide will cover some essential accessories: tuners, picks, straps, amplifiers, and effects pedals. Understanding how each of these items can benefit your practice and performance will help you make informed decisions as you progress.

Guitar Tuner

The very first thing you want to make sure you have is an electronic guitar tuner. Without this, no matter what other accessories you have, you will not sound good. These come in many different sizes, shapes, and colors. The most common are the types that clip onto your headstock.

As you can see from the picture above, you have a large display to allow you to see the string name along wth its pitch. When it gets to the center, it indicates that it is in tune. This is by far your most essential tool to have in your guitar learning toolbox.

Here are a few benefits of an electronic guitar tuner:

• Pitch accuracy: These devices allow you to tune the string to an accurate pitch. Each string must be tuned in this fashion to sound in harmony with the other. Having a quality guitar tuner will allow you to do this every time.

• Convenient: Electronic tuners like the one mentioned above are very popular. They are readily available and can be easily placed on your headstock when in use. This makes them very convenient and easy to use.

• Versatility: They can help you with alternate tunings as well. The guitar is commonly played in more than one tuning. Having a nice guitar tuner can easily allow you to alter the pitch of the string to compensate for this. Making them very versatile.

• Portable: Since they are small enough to clip on your headstock, they are highly portable and don't take up any space at all. It can be left on the guitar when not in use, or taken off and tossed into your guitar case for the next time you need it.

• Ease of use: What makes them so popular is the ease of use. You turn it on, pluck the string, and watch the arrow. Too far to the left, (flat) the string needs to be tightened. Too far to the right, (sharp) the string needs to loosen. When it gets to the center and turns green, it's in tune.

Guitar tuners are an essential tool to have when playing the guitar. So, take some time to find one you like. Once you do, learn how to use it and make sure that your guitar is in tune every time you play it. This will make your playing sound pleasant to the ear.

Guitar Picks

Guitar picks are small, yet crucial accessories for electric guitar players. They come in various shapes, sizes, and materials, each affecting your playing style and the sound produced. It is highly recommended that you try out a few different ones.

Here are a few things to consider with guitar picks:

• Size: Picks come in all different sizes. Some are big, some are small, and some have different shapes. Be sure to find one that works for you. The right-sized pick can make a world of difference. Try out a few to find the right one.

• Thickness: Picks range from thin to heavy. Thin picks are more flexible and produce a lighter sound, ideal for strumming. Medium picks offer a balance of flexibility and control, while heavy picks provide precision and a strong attack, suitable for fast, intricate playing.

• Material: Common materials include plastic, nylon, and celluloid. Each material affects the pick's grip and tone. It's a good idea to experiment with different picks to find what feels most comfortable. As you go through this process, you'll discover what works best.

Using the right pick can improve your technique and help you achieve the desired sound, making practice more enjoyable and effective. Once you find the one you like, purchase a few and have them on hand, as you never know when you might lose one.

Guitar Straps

A guitar strap is essential for playing while standing. It supports the guitar's weight and position. Allowing you to focus on playing rather than holding the instrument. A quality guitar strap can make a huge difference in this type of approach to playing the guitar.

• Comfort: Look for a strap that is wide enough to distribute the guitar's weight evenly across your shoulder. Padded straps can add extra comfort, especially during long practice sessions or performances. Heavy guitars can feel heavier as you play them for long periods of time. A good strap can help with avoiding fatigue and pain.

• Adjustability: Choose a strap that is easy to adjust the length. This will ensure your guitar hangs at a comfortable height, facilitating better access to the fretboard and allowing you to play both rhythm and melody.

• Strap locks: If you are going to play standing up for long periods of time, you might want to look into strap locks. These devices allow you to lock the strap to the guitar while playing it in this fashion. That way, your guitar won't accidentally fall while playing it. I've seen this happen more than once.

Having a comfortable strap and one you like the look of will inspire you to want to pick up the guitar and play it. A quality guitar strap can improve your posture and playing endurance, making learning more enjoyable. So, if you choose to play standing up, be sure to get a good quality guitar strap.

Amplifiers

An amplifier is crucial for electric guitars, as it amplifies the sound produced. With various types available, choosing the right one depends on your needs and preferences.

• Practice Amps: These are smaller, more affordable amps ideal for beginners. They often come with basic tone controls and are suitable for practicing at home. An ideal choice for just getting started.

• Combo Amps: These include both the amplifier and speaker in one unit. They offer good sound quality and are versatile for practice and small gigs. These make a nice step up. Especially if you plan on playing in a band and performing on stage.

• Modeling Amps: These amps can emulate the sound of various amplifiers and effects, providing a wide range of tones. These are a nice option if you plan on playing a wide variety of songs, as they allow you to produce many different tones.

Using an amplifier introduces you to the dynamics of electric guitar sound, helping you understand how volume and tone affect your playing. With the right type of amplifier, you will be able to not only emulate your favorite players but also create your own signature sound.

Just like guitars, amplifiers are all made a bit differently and are designed for certain purposes. So take some time to think about yours, and choose the amplifier that best suits your needs. Just about every amp manufacturer makes an amp like the ones mentioned above.

So do some research, listen to some amplifier demos, and find the one that is right for you. A great place to start is to look at your favorite players, see which ones they play through, and go from there.

Effects Pedals

Effects pedals are accessories that allow electric guitar players to create sounds unlike any other instrument. They can add layers of sound to your playing, transforming your guitar's tone and allowing for creative expression to soar. Once you get a handle on the basics of the instrument, you might want to look into these fun little gizmos. They can be a lot of fun to play with.

Here are a few common ones to get started with:

• Distortion: These pedals add grit, aggression, and sustain to your sound. They can sculpt your overall tone, emulate cranked tube amps at low volume, and create a wide range of tonal textures that allow you to shape your sound. They are iconic in rock and metal genres.

• Overdrive: These are similar to the distortion pedal, but not quite as aggressive. They allow the signal to be pushed to the point of slightly breaking up to add a slightly more overdriven tone. Great for playing guitar solos or adding another texture to the rhythm.

• Chorus: These can create a nice watery effect when played with a clean tone to add a liquid, dreamy quality to the tone. You can adjust the rate of the signal to add vibrancy to the tone, like multiple singers in a choir. As well as fatten up a distorted sound with harmonics to make it sound fuller and richer.

• Flanger: These can produce a dynamic sweeping sound that moves through the tone spectrum. Often being compared to a jet engine taking off. With the manipulation of the knobs, you can also create a pronounced phasing effect.

• Delay: This effect is how you get an echo sound to your guitar signal. It also adds depth to your sound, creating atmospheric tones. And with a manipulation of the knobs, you can create a very spaced-out guitar tone. Perfect for enhancing your guitar solos.

• Reverb: This is probably the most common guitar effect. It sometimes comes with the amplifier. A nice addition to any tone, whether you're playing clean or with gain. It adds depth, space, warmth, and fullness to the overall tone.

• Wah: This pedal has a simple application. You just rock it back and forth. When it's back, it gives you a bassy tone, and forward gives you a trebly tone. A nice addition to playing rhythm or solos. A nice addition to your pedalboard.

Experimenting with effects pedals can inspire new musical ideas and enhance your understanding of sound manipulation, making learning more interactive and fun. You can also find these in the effects processor format. This is where the pedals come in a single unit, instead of individually.

Incorporating these accessories into your electric guitar journey can greatly enhance your learning experience. By improving comfort, sound quality, and creative potential, they help you progress more efficiently and enjoyably.

What is great about the electric guitar is that the accessories come in all different sizes, shapes, and colors. Allowing you to find what fits your style and personality. This is the true joy of playing the guitar. You get to infuse yourself into the music. You get to develop your unique personality and let it shine through.

One more accessory

Once you have all that in place, you can then look for a good way of learning. This can be done by finding a good guitar study group, a private teacher, or a trip to YouTube. These are all great options, and they should be explored individually.

Another great way of getting started is with a good method book. These can work wonders because they allow you to learn what you need in the exact order you need to learn it in. This is how I got started, way before YouTube. I got a book I liked, and followed the steps.

Just like following a cooking recipe. You follow the steps, do as instructed, and before you know it, you've reached the final result. This is why I have authored method books. Because I know this way of learning works.

Here are a few to look into:

• Learn Guitar Simple Method: A simple step-by-step method book that walks you through everything you need to get started. With pictures, diagrams, and easy-to-understand notation.

• Rhythm Guitar Alchemy: A method book focusing on playing rhythm guitar. Chords, progressions, strumming, theory, and timing. All designed to be a great rhythm guitarist.

• Lead Guitar Wizardry Volume 1: Teaches the fundamental principles of lead guitar playing. Finger exercises, scales, lead guitar techniques, improvising, and more. Everything needed to excel in this area of guitar playing.

• Learn Guitar Chord Theory: This book teaches the inner workings of guitar chords. What they are, how to form them, and why they are named as such. Majors, minors, suspended, alternates, and everything in between.

These books and many more that I have authored are all designed with simple-to-follow step-by-step lessons that build on one another. Allowing you to excel in your learning. Just choose the one that interests you and where you are along your journey, and you'll be set to go.

And what's best about these particular books is that if you have any questions or get stuck on a lesson, you can reach out to me, and I will be happy to help you personally. My way of saying thanks for the purchase and supporting my lessons.

Thanks for your time today. I hope you felt like you learned something about accessories that can enhance your guitar playing and use some of these tools to do so. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at my website, and I will be happy to help.

Sincerely, Dwayne Jenkins

Dwayne's Guitar Lessons