Playing guitar is one of the easiest instruments to pick up and learn quickly. It is one of the most diverse instruments that can be used to play any genre from rock, folk, classical, pop, blues, and all music styles in between. While we can play a lot just with a basic guitar, there are also some accessories we can pick up online or at our local music shop to make our musical journey easier or more interesting. In this article, I will discuss the most common guitar accessories that I recommend getting your hands on.
A Sturdy Guitar Case
Sounds pretty straightforward, right? However, do not underestimate a good case for your instrument. A guitar case helps to protect your instrument when traveling, or it helps to protect it from the elements. If you play a really expensive guitar, I highly recommend getting a hard case for it. The hard shell outside helps to protect from damage if someone trips or drops something over the case, and many hard cases also help to control the humidity (this protects the wood from cracking!). I can’t imagine putting my $3,500 flamenco guitar in a soft case! However, if a soft case is all you can afford, this will work well to get you started. However, soft cases are great for traveling on the road and are much easier to carry around. Look at both options and decide what suits your needs the best!
Extra Packs of Strings
Inside your case, it is very helpful to have an extra pack of fresh guitar strings inside one of the pockets. You never know when you will break a string! There are hundreds of different options out there for both steel string and nylon string guitars. Many brands of strings may have different tensions, colors, and prices. Here are some recommendations for fairly priced guitar strings…
- Steel Strings: Ernie Ball, D’addario, Elixir
- Nylon Strings: D’addario, Luthier, Savarez
If you are unsure of what strings to get for your guitar, ask your local music shop or your teacher for their recommendations!
A Capo
Definitely the most common and widely used guitar accessory! A capodastor, also called a cejilla (“little eyebrow” in Spanish) by classical and flamenco guitarists, is a tool that clamps onto the frets of your guitar to shorten the length of your strings. Why would we want to do this? Well, one reason is that it puts the guitar in a higher pitch, which many musicians use to accompany their voice when singing. If you play classical guitar, you might use a capo to make your guitar sound more like a lute or baroque guitar! As a flamenco guitarist, I use the capo a lot to accompany the flamenco singers as well as get a more interesting tone to my music. There are many different kinds of capos out there, but I’d recommend starting with a standard Dunlop capo.
Guitar Picks
If you play either electric or acoustic guitar, you will probably develop a fairly large collection of guitar picks. They are cheap and typically come in packs. There are also many different types of picks, so you will end up experimenting with them and finding your favorites. I have also seen products that punch-out guitar picks out of your old gift cards! You will go through many picks throughout your guitar journey. If you study either folk, classical, or flamenco guitar, I recommend skipping this accessory as most of your study will revolve around fingerpicking. Try not to drop those picks inside your guitar!
Nail Care Products
No matter what genre of guitar music you play, it is important to take care of your nails. I recommend getting a few of each of these; one for at home, and then keep some in your case for gigging and traveling…
- Nail Clippers: It is important to keep the nails on our fretting hand short. If they are even very slightly long, you will notice that playing the most basic of chords can become challenging. I suggest getting two so you can keep one in your guitar case in case of emergencies when performing. If you are like me and play classical/flamenco styles, you will not cut your picking hand nails!
- Various Nail Files: Once you cut your nails down, it helps to file them smoothly so there are no rough or sharp edges. Again, if you are a classical or flamenco guitarist, you will spend a lot of time filling your picking hand. This allows your nails to glide through the strings making it easier to fingerpick. I have multiple kinds of nail files as well; my favorite is a 7-sided file which has many different consistencies of files on them. I go in order of the sides to get my nails as smooth as glass. As mentioned earlier, always keep a spare file or two in your guitar case!
- Acrylic Gel or Nail Powder: Sometimes, I like to paint my nails with a clear acrylic gel, which helps to make my nails stronger. I especially do this when I perform in concert, as I know I am going to be playing harder than I typically would at home. Some people like nail powders which also makes the nail thicker. This is a good solution if you do have brittle nails. This isn’t a necessary product, but you may want to try it!
A Guitar Display Stand
One of the best ways to stay motivated when practicing any instrument is to be able to see it displayed in your home! There are many ways one can proudly display their guitar. You may want to get a simple floor stand that keeps the instrument sturdy and close by when practicing, or you may prefer to hang the guitar on the wall (especially if you have small children or animals). When you see your guitar on a stand, it makes you more likely to pick it up and play!
In Conclusion:
As you can see, there are lots of accessories out there. If you walk around your local guitar shop, you will definitely see more than I mentioned here! Try them out and see which ones work best for you!
Maria Kusior