Practicing on acoustic

[E-money]

Is there any advantage to practicing exercises on the acoustic guitar?

 

I'm thinking that getting fingering exercises nice and smooth and tight on the acoustic would make electric playing even easier, because of the extra resistence involved in playing the acoustic.

 

Anybody have opinions?

[babybatter]

I think its good for breaking things down, slowing it down...


but if youre trying to work on arpeggios or anything that requires a light touch, you probably wont find it as transferable as youd hoped.

I spent a lot of time back on an acoustic when i got frustrated on electric.

As long as it seems like something new or interesting is going on, go ahead.

But im all about paying attention to how i control a guitar with my palm, hands, forearm and body. all about positioning. And the positioning is very different IMO.

[Dtmodttl]

I agree with the above. I add, however, that playing on an acoustic will get your fingers (and ears) used to the different qualties of it---which is a good thing. Playing an acoustic well really requires a different touch. Some of the technique is transferrable from electric, but some is definitely not

[Dubb]

I'm thinking that getting fingering exercises nice and smooth and tight on the acoustic would make electric playing even easier, because of the extra resistence involved in playing the acoustic.

I've heard this idea before. It sounds good on paper. But the above guys are right. Logic tells us that we don't play basketball to improve our baseball skills; similarly, we don't play acoustic to get better at electric. Not that you won't get better at playing electric by practicing on an acoustic - they're both guitars after all, and certainly more similar to each other than baseball and basketball - but whichever one you play most is the one you will be better at playing. So if electric guitar is your main thing, that's what you should mainly practice on.

[astring]

depends on what you play

[Knottyhed]

Is there any advantage to practicing exercises on the acoustic guitar? I'm thinking that getting fingering exercises nice and smooth and tight on the acoustic would make electric playing even easier, because of the extra resistence involved in playing the acoustic. Anybody have opinions?

 

 

My opinion is that the technique required to play them both is actually quite different. Playing electric is almost about controlling noise and acoustic is about generating it.

 

I took an acoustic on holiday for 2 weeks and played about 3 hours a day on it. I played acoustic much better by the end of those 2 weeks, I was even generating better tone... but found my picking and technique had become too ham-fisted for the electic guitar, which needs a lighter touch from both the picking and fretting hand.

 

So in my opinion there's not going to be much benefit developing technique on acoustic in regards to electric playing.

[EC1000]

I took an acoustic on holiday for 2 weeks and played about 3 hours a day on it. I played acoustic much better by the end of those 2 weeks, I was even generating better tone... but found my picking and technique had become too ham-fisted for the electic guitar, which needs a lighter touch from both the picking and fretting hand.

QUOTE]


I had a similar experience and had to go to 12s on my electrics for awhile to compensate

[Dimebag666]

I just put electric strings on my acoustic. Barely feels like there are any strings at all

[jonnythesaint]

I think maybe the acoustic takes more to hold down the strings, after a few possibly hours of practicing scales, my hand wasn't feeling so well.

[captain average]

one quality on an acoustic is that the strings kinda bounce back if you pick them, so you can get a real percussive attack. with an electric, you'll just float through the string if you try it. personally, i play the two very differently most of the time.

[animl]

I've heard this idea before. It sounds good on paper. But the above guys are right. Logic tells us that we don't play basketball to improve our baseball skills; similarly, we don't play acoustic to get better at electric. Not that you won't get better at playing electric by practicing on an acoustic - they're both guitars after all, and certainly more similar to each other than baseball and basketball - but whichever one you play most is the one you will be better at playing. So if electric guitar is your main thing, that's what you should mainly practice on.

Agreed, but also consider that to increase your batspeed you DO swing a heavier bat in warm-ups / practice than you do in a game

[Knottyhed]

I remember being on Nuno Bettoncourts website and reading that he recommends this to build up finger strength... but as I say, my personal experience would suggest it's not going to improve your chops, in fact quite the reverse.

Having said that I do play both, I just don't play one in the expectation that it'll make me better at the other - whenever I've played one or the other exclusively for any period I've become worse at the one I don't play.