An Easy Guitar to Play Makes It Easier to Learn to Play

They call it "playability". With an easy guitar to play it's easier to hold chords and it's easier to play single notes faster.

If you're a beginner, it's easier to learn how to play. If you are an experienced guitarist already, a guitar with good playability allows you to move more quickly and confidently around the fretboard, to master new chords more easily and to play faster.

Playability is largely to do with the distance from the strings to the fretboard. The lower they are, the less pressure is needed to play notes and chords. Of course lowering the strings can bring buzz problems, but a good guitar technician or luthier can usually adjust the set up of the guitar to overcome these problems.

Then there's the distance between the strings. If the strings are too close together any player's fingers can accidentally mute a string when it is supposed to be heard. A guitar with good playability will have enough space for even thick, clumsy fingers like mine.

The width of the neck on the guitar is very important. For the most part, for most people, a narrow neck is best. Some cheap guitars, and some not so cheap, have wide necks that, I think make it virtually impossible for a beginner to learn to play.

As a guitar teacher, I have had students whose guitars are almost fighting against them. They have wide necks, the strings are way too high and it's no wonder the students find learning hard. The guitar is, to tell the truth, not all that easy an instrument to learn, and I think it's a shame when a poorly chosen instrument makes the job harder or even impossible.

I would say that an easy guitar to play, a guitar with good playability, is the most important thing to consider when buying a guitar, and I don't just mean for a beginner. Good playability makes anyone a better guitarist than they might otherwise be. It helps the experienced guitarist master new, difficult chords, and to play faster and for longer periods.

To a beginner I say forget about the look of a guitar, the fancy look of an instrument will not help you learn. I say forget about the sound quality too, for a beginner any sound at all is good enough. But in my experience guitars with good playability also have good sound, they're generally better made all round.

Guitars with good playability are not usually at the bottom of the price range, but they don't have to be at the top either. You can find excellent guitars, with good playability and good sound, for a very reasonable price.

For an easy guitar to play I often refer people to Zager Guitars in Nebraska, their business is customizing guitars for maximum playability. The strings on their guitars are so low you can barely slip a piece of paper under them, they're unbelievably easy to play.

I'd say get a Zager guitar for a trial and if it doesn't suit you can send it back for a full refund. Zager Guitars are at [http://www.zager-guitar.info]

Mike Edgar is a guitar teacher.