This is no competition by any stretch of the imagination, but rather my take on why guitar attracts so many people worldwide. But let’s be clear about one thing folks, if it were a competition…then guitar would be standing on the podium accepting awards by the minute!
So without further ado, let’s find out why guitar is the best instrument.
Affordable
Compared to many other instruments the guitar is very affordable. You can lay your hands on a playable acoustic for less than $100, which makes this wonderful instrument of awesomeness accessible to just about everyone.
I’m sure you could grab a didgeridoo or a pair of bongos for even less money than that, but why would you?
You Can Take It Anywhere
As the good spirited guitar player takes his guitar with him to the beach to join his friends for an afternoon of absolute joy and delight, his drummer-friend is less fortunate and will have to make a choice. Remain in the basement to practice or not. Try lugging your drum-kit around for a casual jam with friends…yeah exactly.
Sure, there are many other neat wonders of music that come in small packages, but they probably won’t tick a whole lot of the other mind blowing advantages on this list.
The Guitar Is Expressive
Belting out high gain power chords on your Marshall amp, or bursting into a soaring blues solo with some crazy bends and slides will send a tingling sensation down your spine the way a flute never will.
If you have a personality, the guitar is guaranteed to bring it out. The vast array of techniques, tools and sonic enhancers at your disposal will leave you with more ways of expression than you have emotions for. How cool is that! And that brings us to the next point.
The Guitar Is Versatile
Now, this is a big one along with being expressive. You can play just about any music genre on a guitar. Period. Whether you’re into metal, blues, pop, jazz, classical music or reggae the guitar can do it all.
In my view, this makes the guitar the ONE instrument to rule them all, and it’s really hard to find another instrument that covers so many different styles of music. Try to go full metal with a french horn in your hand…not that easy. Some days you wanna be Tommy Emmanuel and others you wanna be Zakk Wylde. The guitar is truly the only instrument that can make those leaps.
It’s Great For Songwriting
There are primarily two instruments that are widely used for song writing, and those are guitar and piano. No matter which one you prefer, there is no denying the potency the guitar has for unleashing those creative juices. Just consider the entire rock scene with bands like Led Zeppelin, AC/DC and Van Halen and you’ll appreciate just how influential the guitar is for songwriters.
Also, writing songs on a guitar is something you can do very early on, as soon as you have those first open chords under your belt. Many also feel that being able to sing along as you create helps greatly with writing lyrics and finding good melodies.
It Doesn’t Require Your Breath
I know, this one’s a bit silly. But seriously, any instrument that requires breathing into it misses out on some great advantages.
Resources For Playing Guitar Are Everywhere
The amount of material available to help you further your development is staggering. Almost limitless.
You can find books, online tutorials and YouTube lessons to no end. And my guess is you probably know a few people that play guitar. There is literally a whole world out there just screaming to help you be a better player. To my knowledge no other instrument comes even close.
Gear
Mmm…gear! Who doesn’t like a smorgasbord of stuff to go with your favorite instrument? The fact is that most guitarists are like kids in a toy store as soon as they walk into a place that sells guitars. Amps, pedals and accessories everywhere to keep you occupied for a day.
It actually goes hand in hand with versatility, since all this different gear will turn your electric guitar into a tonal beast, with almost endless sonic possibilities. Come on, you gotta love it!
Therapeutic
Being able to express emotions often helps overcome adversity. Playing guitar does that very well. In fact any kind of musical activity will do that, whether it be singing or playing other instruments. However, the guitar is a particularly expressive instrument. It has countless ways for making those notes come out, and that really speaks to our creative side. To find out more about the benefits of playing guitar check out our guide 17 Amazing Benefits Of Playing Guitar
Playing can therefore sometimes be likened to therapy, and many musicians play and create music as an emotional outlet to create more balance and harmony in their lives.
Welcome To The Family
One of the coolest things about playing guitar is all the like minded people you’ll bump into on your journey. Playing guitar will introduce you to many new people, and as you start jamming with others you will realize that you’re now part of a musical community.
And as a conversation starter? Phenomenal! When you meet a fellow guitarist at a social gathering you’ll immediately bond and start sharing war stories. And you’ll know you’re part of the same family.
You Don’t Need A Band Or Orchestra
If you wish to sing and perform solo with an instrument, there aren’t that many choices. Apart from a few exceptions it usually comes down to either piano or guitar.
And of course, out of the two the guitar offers more freedom since it’s more portable. Take busking for example, or if you just feel like showing off at a party. In fact, the ability to entertain people with nothing but a guitar is what makes this instrument so appealing to many people.
You Can Practice At Low Volumes
Imagine you’re a tuba player. Sitting at home practicing before your concert is probably going to make your neighbors wish they lived somewhere else.
Playing an instrument where you can use earphones is the way to go. It’ll allow you to practice any time of the day without the risk of being evicted.
Learning Guitar Opens Doors To Other Instruments
Yup, that’s right. For instance, the bass and guitar have a lot in common. If you understand the fretboard on a guitar you’ll understand the bass as well. So switching over to bass is not going to be much of a leap. The same can be said for ukulele or banjo.
Also rhythmic instruments like drums or percussions will be easier to grasp and understand, as playing guitar means you’ll learn much about rhythm and time signatures.
It Looks Awesome
Finally, let me point out the obvious here. The guitar looks cool, ok. No one ever looked less attractive while holding a guitar. To strap on a guitar is to feel yourself awash with a level of cool only afforded to rebels and mavericks of the highest order. Compare that to strapping on an accordion and you’ll see what I mean.
Rock ‘n roll was built around guitar, also scooping up blues, hard rock, metal and jazz. By picking up a guitar you’re essentially stepping into the realm of the untouchable heroes who went before you, and you’re being handed the baton by the likes of Slash, Jimmy Page, Zakk Wylde and Jimi Hendrix. Just check out this list of influential players and you’ll see what I mean!
That’s pretty damn cool if you ask me. And now you know why guitar is the best instrument.
Final Words
I know I’m biased, and that this article is leaning towards guitar in a big way. But I also know that there is a lot of truth to all this. Not to say that other instruments don’t fit the bill to any of these advantages, I mean guitar is hardly the only portable or affordable instrument.
There are of course instruments that will share many of these features, but it’s the combination of all of them that makes the guitar stand out. And that’s what makes the guitar such an attractive instrument to such a large group of people.
