Guitar is an interesting and popular musical instrument today. Most different types of guitars are easily distinguishable. However, folk guitar and acoustic guitar is the exception.
Many people mistakenly think these two guitars are the same. So, what’s the difference between a folk guitar and acoustic guitar? Find out with us in this article!
What’s the difference between folk guitar and acoustic guitar?
You can rely on some of the following characteristics to distinguish the difference between folk and acoustic guitar
- Size
- Adjustment pin
- Sounds and Melodies
Except for professional guitar players, most people think these two guitars are the same. They have a lot in common.
Both acoustic and folk guitars have similar shapes to each other. To learn more, follow the information we share below!
Reasons for confusion between folk and acoustic guitar
As everyone knows, acoustic guitar is the most popular type of guitar today. It has penetrated many different genres of music. Besides being great soloists. Acoustic has also integrated very harmoniously with other musical instruments.
The acoustic guitar is a lightweight, non-electrical instrument, usually made mainly of wood, which is easy to carry.
Its strings are either iron or nylon strings. The acoustic guitar can perform in many different genres of music, from classical, country, jazz to flamenco, with great expressiveness.
Folk guitar is a type of guitar that people know more vaguely. Although it appeared quite early, people were not really impressed. Part of that might be because it’s too acoustic.
Many people think that a folk guitar is a small acoustic guitar. But the truth is different. Every aspect, from structure, tone to appearance, is also very similar.
Any non-electric guitar can call an acoustic guitar. And acoustic guitar will also divide into many different types of guitar.
People often use folk guitar to play folk songs. In fact, folk guitar is also an acoustic guitar. However, they belong to the musical genre and the tone is clearer. An acoustic guitar can also do it.
In many cases, players use acoustic guitars to play folk songs. And it makes almost no difference. However, it also has many differences of its own.
Difference between folk guitar and acoustic guitar
To find the difference between these two types of herd requires quite meticulous observation. Between them, you will hardly notice the differences.
1. Size
The first point you can easily recognize is their size. Most folk guitars are smaller in size than acoustic guitars.
It would be best if you also were careful because acoustic guitars come in many different sizes. Some of its smaller sizes may be equal to folk guitars.
You can rely on other characteristics.
2. Adjustment pin
In addition to being smaller in appearance than an acoustic guitar, each guitar has a different tuning peg at the top.
You can notice the difference between them when you look at the tops of these two guitars.
3. Sounds and Melodies
Folk guitars are said to have a softer and more “folk” sound than acoustic guitars. This result is because folk strings are slightly thinner than acoustic strings.
The body of the folk guitar is smaller than the acoustic one, so the ability to emit sound is also more limited. Because of this, listeners will have a rather gentle folk feeling.
It’s the reason acoustic guitars often play modern and classical music. The folk guitar will perform classical and folk songs.
You can use an acoustic guitar to play a folk song. Although the sound is not perfect, it is possible. However, it isn’t easy to use folk guitar to play a completely modern piece of music.
Should you choose acoustic guitar or folk guitar for beginners?
Someone who wants to learn guitar is going to be an interesting start. There is not too much difference between acoustic guitar and folk guitar. As a result, you can start based on the kind of music you love.
If you love true folk songs, folk guitar will be the best choice for you. On the contrary, an acoustic guitar will give you a wider musical world. Of course, starting with acoustic is really hard.
Some tips to help beginners learn guitar effectively
1. Learn music theory
Theory is an important part of any subject. Once you have mastered the basics. You will recognize the “shortcuts” that music theory can give you.
2. Tuning the guitar correctly
This is one of the very important operations for learning electric guitar effectively. You can prepare your guitar by asking a guitarist at an instrument store or a professional musician. A good guitar will improve your playing.
3. Practice listening and repeating
Don’t just focus on listening to guitar solos. That’s always good for learning guitar though. You should listen to more diverse genres of music.
For example, improvisations or arbitrary combinations of sounds from guitar players. Whatever you hear helps, the simpler, the better because you’re still learning.
Let’s learn guitar alternating difficult and easy passages.
This will give your fingers regular practice. It motivates you to make steady progress and keeps you from getting discouraged.
Conclusion
Folk guitar vs acoustic guitar has quite a few differences. Therefore, it is easy for us to confuse these two types of herds. Hopefully, through our sharing, you can distinguish these two types of guitar! You need to notice the small details and their sounds to distinguish them.
Reference: “Is folk guitar different from acoustic guitar?”, www.quora.com
