I am often asked if it is better for kids to start with acoustic guitar, if they express interest in the electric guitar. If a young student is interested in the electric guitar, I advise for that student to just start with the electric guitar. The instruments are identical in terms of essential architecture - the tuning is the same, the frets are the same, as are scale patterns, chord structures, etc. The only appreciable difference is timbre, which affects what kind of music is most likely to be played on it. But if a guitarist can play a Bach Prelude, a Wes Montgomery tune, and a Led Zeppelin riff on one type of guitar, they can play it on another type of guitar. One advantage of the electric guitar for beginning-level students is that electric guitars tend to have lighter strings than acoustic guitars, making them easier to play.

If a student is interested in acoustic guitar, then by all means, this is an excellent choice. The choice then becomes whether to select a nylon string instrument, i.e. a classical/flamenco/Spanish guitar, or a steel string guitar, which is usually associated with folk, blues, and popular music. Unless a parent is committed to their child learning classical or flamenco guitar, and is prepared to supervise a highly structured at-home practice regimen, purchasing a nylon string guitar is likely the first step in eventually giving it away to someone else in the future. Classical and flamenco guitar are highly satisfying to learn and study, however one is more likely to pursue this after establishing an affinity for musical study in the aggregate. I would equate it to inspiring kids to read by giving them a Walt Whitman compendium.

For both acoustic and electric guitar, I incorporate digital recording to some degree as the student develops. This serves two purposes. The primary benefit is that a recording is akin to a performance, and an hour of performing is worth ten hours of practice. Secondly, audio and video production is becoming as ubiquitous today as word processing became by the 1990’s. It is a skill that applies in multiple areas; especially in music.