The guitar is a versatile and fun instrument to learn how to play. A lot of people who decide that they want to learn how to play the guitar choose the acoustic guitar as a starter. The acoustic is great to practice with, doesn't require a lot of extra equipment or accessories.

If you're thinking about buying your first guitar, putting in the time to research your options and ask questions will help you find the right guitar for you.

Here are a few pointers to get you started out while you're getting ready to buy your starter acoustic guitar.

Acoustic Guitar Basics

When you begin learning to play the acoustic guitar, you'll need to begin building up a lot of different skills. Like learning anything new, there's a learning curve at the beginning.

Here are just a few skills that you'll need to begin developing:

• How to hold your guitar properly
• Learning the order of the strings
• How to tune your guitar correctly
• Learning correct finger placements
• Reading chord diagrams
• How to play a few simple chords

Along with these skills, you should also have a basic understanding of your guitar. It's important to be able to recognize if something isn't quite right. That way, you will avoid potentially damaging your instrument by fixing it as soon as possible.

The acoustic guitar has a few main components: the headstock, neck, body and bridge. The headstock is where the tuners are, the neck of the guitar has the frets, the body is the main part, and the bridge is the piece near the opening of the sound hole.

Finding the Right Beginner Acoustic Guitar

When you're ready to buy a new acoustic guitar, you're making an investment. You can certainly find a good deal on a guitar, but you want to ensure you're picking the right one.

Here are a few things to look for while shopping for your new acoustic guitar:

• Size: While you're shopping for your guitar, try testing them out to see if you can comfortably handle the instrument before you buy it.
• Brand: While big names in guitars make quality instruments, don't count out guitars made by brands you haven't heard of yet.
• Strings: Different types of strings will give your instrument different tones. While you're learning, you may want to consider getting a guitar with lighter strings, or even nylon strings, while you're learning.
• Extras: There are a few other things that will make learning your new guitar a lot easier. Picking up a beginner's book, a tuner, some extra strings, and an assortment of picks really help a lot in the beginning.

 At Bananas at Large®, we have the selection and knowledgeable staff to help you pick out the perfect beginner acoustic guitar. If you're wondering how to buy an acoustic guitar for a beginner, check out our inventory of Martin guitars online or stop into one of our two locations in the San Francisco area.