If I have an acoustic guitar and an electric one, does it matter which I practice on?

Question

I have both an electric guitar and an acoustic one, and I play both.

For various reasons, playing the electric guitar actually is really bad and annoying right now (I'm fixing it up bit by bit),

and so I practice on the acoustic.

Does it matter if I don't practice on the electric?

Answer 1

It really depends on the guitars you are using. Acoustic guitars generally have much heavier strings, so they will be harder on your fingers after a while as opposed to using an electric, which typically has much lighter strings. This is because electric guitar playing generally utilizes more technique, such as tapping or bending, which are much harder on heavier strings. Therefore, if you plan on practicing songs that have leads or are more than just chords, I would go with an electric.

Acoustics, however, are easier to carry around and have a much warmer sound (assuming that you use distortion on your electric), so if that's what you're looking for, stick with that. Some acoustics have really nice action, which basically means that while at rest, the guitar's strings set relatively close to the neck. This will make it easier to play higher notes.

By not practicing on the electric, you are only missing out on the dynamic possibilities that distortion effects possess. It will give you more crunch, sustain, and volume. This gives way to a lot of different techniques.

Answer 2

It is better to practice on the acoustic.  You can cheat using an electric.  You really have to work harder on an acoustic to get the sound to ring out while playing.  You barely have to hold strings down and an electric to get sound.  So you can tell on an acoustic when you are not holding chords right, etc.  (especially bar chords)

Answer 3

Well, if what you're practicing involves playing at the higher frets (12 and up), then it's not possible on an acoustic. Other than that, there's no difference.

Answer 4

acoustic is easier on your fretting hand so i think it would be better to practice on the electric to strengthen your hand

Answer 5

Practice on the acoustic.  Any song you write or anything you play can always be converted to electric, but NOT vice-versa.  Also, acoustic strings typically break less and wear down slower, so it's a money saver as well.

Answer 6

No it doesn't matter which one you practice on. It just depends on what you want it to sound like. The electric guitar is more like a scratchy sound and you can also have distortion (with an amp)  the acoustic is like a warmer sound. If you need to play on higher frets such as 12 and up you can't play it on an acoustic guitar. But as far as learning a song you could learn it on either one and play it on either one.You could also make a warmer sound on the electric guitar. Hope I helped!