I made the mistake of choosing the wrong guitar to learn on, and wasted years of not being able to play.
Some obviously manage to learn on an acoustic, but why have extra pain, when there is no need?
My experience with guitar pain.
A regular guitar is full size, and the junior, as it implies is smaller in length, making it a three-quarter size.
Be careful though, as the guitar neck will be wider. Do not buy a classical/Spanish guitar, unless you want to play classical music, as these are very wide necked.
To buy a first guitar, which you can play quickly, will make you want to stick at it. You will need to find the thinnest neck, so your fingers do not have too far to stretch. An electric guitar, no matter how cheap is better than trying to learn on an acoustic whose ‘action’ of the strings will be higher, and need more pressure to make a decent sound. Also the frets will be further apart.
It will take time for this suppleness and strength to happen in your fingers, but practise every day, and suddenly you will be doing it well. Accuracy, no buzzing and take it very slow at first. If you do not do it this way, you will make bad habits for yourself, not easily corrected! Beware of impatience.
I tried several acoustic guitars at first, to learn on. I kept giving up as the pain was too great in the tips of my fingers, and I still had not heard any resemblance of a tune.
Years later, when wanting to join my ‘then’ partner who was a drummer, he bought me an electric very narrow necked guitar. That same day, I was able to play A D E, which makes up the chords for hundreds of songs. I was buzzing a bit, but I could HEAR a tune.
I was so enthralled that I played every day, learning other keys also, and by ear, tried to play along with songs I knew. Singing and changing the chords at the same time, helped make my progress to be really fast.
Within three weeks, the lead guitarist in my partner’s band left suddenly, and I was asked to join the band. I was scared but went for it. I learned 40 songs, working hard at it, in two weeks. So within a month of learning to play I was up on stage, plunged in at the deep end! I only played rhythm, but it filled a gap for them.
The moral here is; PRACTISE and go through the pain barrier. With a narrow necked electric guitar, you will succeed as I did! Have fun, not frustration!
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