Best Must-Have Guitar Accessories for Beginners 2023

Beginner Guitar Accessories

In case you’ve been inspired to begin learning the acoustic or electric guitar, or bass guitar these days, there are a handful of essential guitar accessories for beginners you need to think about investing in to assist your playing guitar development, take care of your instrument, and guarantee your playing pleasure stays at the same level for years to come.

The truth is, what we’re recommending right here isn’t just reserved for the beginners out there – you’ll discover intermediate and professional players using most of the gear we recommend in this guide too.

In fact, the first thing you will need to decide on is the guitar itself. Choosing the proper one for your skill, playing style, and price range might be difficult unless you already know precisely what you’re searching for. It’s additionally necessary to use guitar accessories for beginners that feel comfy and delivers a sound that keeps you excited to play.

To get you up and running quicker, we’ve compiled a listing of the must-have guitar accessories for beginners, whether you’re in the market for an awesome beginner acoustic guitar to get you began, an accessible beginner electric guitar, or a reasonably priced beginner bass guitar, right up to the top guitar strings, guitar cables, picks and more for the entry-level guitar player on a budget.

Guitar Tuner

You most likely guessed this one could be right here! In case you don’t already have a guitar tuner, that is an important guitar accessory to purchase. We do know it is a boring accessory, but it’s hard to emphasize to a beginner the significance of being perfectly in tune.

The quick clarification is that as you learn guitar, your ears are learning as well and need to hear an in-tune guitar. Your ears try to determine what sounds good and what doesn’t. Lots of frustration beginners experience is just because of being out of tune and not realizing it.

The worst scenario we’ve seen is when a beginner learns on an out-of-tune guitar and their ears learn to accept that out-of-tune sound as regular. Then once they try to play in a band they can’t comprehend why they suddenly sound horrible.

They then blame the other guitarist or blame their guitar and purchase a brand new one only to have the identical problem. Learning guitar when it is out-of-tune can actually screw up your sense of pitch.

In case you own an electric guitar, we like to recommend buying a guitar tuner pedal such as the PolyTune 2 Mini by TC Electronic. The benefit this tuner has over other tuners is that you would be able to strum all six strings and immediately see which guitar strings are out of tune.

The chances are if you purchase a modern guitar amp that it will have an inbuilt guitar tuner. We still suggest shopping for a dedicated pedal for several reasons. Probably the most useful reason is that it provides you with a quick and easy approach to muting your guitar which comes in very handy if you want to perform in the future.

For those who own an acoustic guitar, a clip-on tuner is your best choice such as the PolyTune Clip by TC Electronic. It’s basically the same as the pedal above, only you’ll be able to clip it onto your guitar. In fact, you can use it on an electric guitar as well.

There are cheaper tuners out there, but shopping for a probably inaccurate guitar tuner isn’t worth it. Get an excellent one that will last.

The bottom line is that playing in tune is essential to your growth as a guitarist. A great high-quality guitar tuner helps your ears develop and removes frustration from playing out of tune.

Guitar Maintenance Kit

Shopping for a guitar is a big investment and you have to care for your guitar and guitar accessories if you want to play guitar and perform well in the long run. Over time it has become clear that students who maintain their guitars develop faster. We don’t know why, but our guess is that in case you take your guitar seriously, you’ll take your playing seriously as well.

There are guitar toolkits you should buy such as the Ernie Ball Musician’s Tool Kit which contains most of what you’ll need to maintain your guitar in good condition. We like to recommend buying a kit so you’ll be able to preserve all the things together in a carry bag.

Kits just like the one above normally include the next tools:

• Wire cutters – make it simpler for you to change guitar strings without damaging your guitar
• Microfiber cloth – maintain your guitar clean and polished
• String winder – takes the pain out of winding new guitar strings tight
• Screwdriver & hex wrench set – helpful for adjusting intonation and action

Along with the above tools, we additionally suggest shopping for cleaning products to maintain your fretboard clean. Over time your fretboard will build up grime and gunk across the frets. Giving your fretboard clean each time you change guitar strings is a good behavior to get into.

Cleaning your strings will prolong their life, so it’s worth having a string cleaner and cloth handy to wipe your strings down frequently. The oil in your fingers will corrode the guitar strings which degrade your tone. It only takes a couple of seconds to wipe your strings after each practice session and it makes a giant difference to your tone.

A kit just like the Dunlop 6504 contains all the things you’ll want to keep your guitar clean. Once more, it is a boring accessory to purchase, however, it might make an enormous difference to how your guitar feels and looks which will affect how you are feeling whenever you play it.

Spare Strings

Possibly you broke a couple of nylon or steel strings while tightening your tuning pegs. Or you’ve seen rust build up along them. Or possibly they’re beginning to sound twangy. These are all indicators that it’s time to swap your old strings for brand-new ones.

Even skilled guitarists can forget to purchase guitar strings until the final minute. However, by keeping at least two additional sets available, you won’t need to frantically search Amazon for the quickest delivery date every time you hear a twang or a snap.

Even as a newbie, it’s better to spend a bit extra on high-quality strings that preserve their tune and last for months on end. This way, you won’t have to change your strings as often, and also you’ll lower your expenses in the long run!

Like picks and other accessories, strings are extremely subjective. What one guitarist loves, one other will hate. So, try a couple of different gauges and coatings to see which ones work best for you.

Picks

In case you’re a classical guitarist or a finger-picking acoustic guitarist, you won’t have to fret about picks. However, for most newbies, they’re important accessories to have available.

Guitar picks, additionally known as plectrums, are the best accessories to assist beginners to learn how to strum chords and pick individual notes.

Picks come in all sorts of shapes and thicknesses. That’s why I like to recommend buying a 12 or 24-pack, so you’ll be able to try totally different kinds and see which ones you like best.

Or, depending on what style you play, you could be okay with a single type. For example, soft picks work the finest for guitar songs, whereas hard picks are a must for metal.

No matter which type you choose, be sure you keep as many as possible in your case and around the home. You’d be shocked how easily picks disappear especially after you begin jamming with friends or performing at gigs.

Capo

Sooner or later, you’re probably going to want a capo. Some songs can only be performed with a capo, while a capo makes other songs simpler to play. A capo is basically a clamp you place on the guitar that lets you play chords and songs higher up the neck and is easy when you start a song with a barre chord. You will notice countless acoustic guitar players use capos, but even in case you don’t play the type of music that typically uses a capo, it’s still a great tool to have.

The reason we feel a capo is a must-have for newbies is that it will probably make chords dramatically easier to play whenever you’re getting started. That is very true for children or individuals with small hands.

By placing a capo someplace on the neck, you’ll be able to basically move all the open chords you learn into a higher position. You’ll have noticed that the higher up the neck you move, the closer the frets are. Because of this, it’s far less of a stretch to play a chord high up on the guitar in comparison with the open position.

In case you experience pain in your hand while you try to play open chords, playing the same chords with a capo higher up the neck can fully take away that pain and make it simpler on your fingers. You won’t need to push down as hard or stretch as far.

This implies a capo lets you ease into playing chords. You can begin in a high position and work your way down the fretboard till you’ll be able to comfortably play all chords in the open position. It is a use for a capo a lot of guitar teachers don’t take into account, so keep this in mind whenever you practice.

Metronome

Out of all the guitar accessories we’ve lined in this guide, a metronome can have the greatest impact on your playing. A metronome can actually take years off of your growth time and may strengthen your rhythm skills in ways that aren’t possible without one.

The very best metronomes you’ll discover available aren’t hardware metronomes. The most effective versions are apps you’ll be able to download for iPhone, iPad, and Android devices. These apps have a far better range of features, flexibility, and precision than any hardware metronome you can find. Most apps will help you set totally different time signatures, rhythm patterns, accents, and completely different sounds.

You possibly can even take it further and get a programmable drum machine app such as the DM1 on iOS. The benefit a drum machine has over a metronome is that you would be able to set it to play back a selected rhythm you wish to work on.

So in case, you have a chord progression with a pattern you’re struggling to master, simply enter that rhythm in the app and you’ll practice it at any tempo you need. Or if you want to practice a piece of a tune, you’ll be able to enter the drum beat (in case you can figure it out) into the app to play together with.

For those who’re hesitating with my advice of getting a metronome, as a result, it sounds boring, get a drum machine. It provides you with identical advantages however will sound extra ‘musical’.

When you don’t have a smartphone or tablet or for some reason need a physical metronome, there are alternatives available. Just keep in mind that you’re going to be missing out and paying much more than you need to.

When you purchase a physical metronome, buy a digital one. Don’t purchase an analog one with the swinging pendulum. Despite the fact that they are going to be labeled as ‘highly accurate’, a digital metronome will always be more accurate as you’ll be able to set the precise tempo.

One of the best physical metronomes we might discover at a good price is the DB-30C Dr. Beat Metronome by BOSS. It provides you with a range of features and control. It’s additionally a dedicated metronome so you won’t have to fret about it doing a poor job of two things (like most tuner/metronome combos).

Alternatively, in case you play an electric guitar, you’ll be able to take things in a different direction. There’s now an excellent drum machine guitar pedal out there known as the BeatBuddy by Singular Sound. Along with typical drum machine features, you’ll be able to actually create and load full songs onto the pedal using their software program.

A metronome/drum machine will give your rhythm and growth a massive boost, so ensure you get one and use it.

Strap

Regardless of how careful you might be, everyone by accident drops their instrument sooner or later. But as long as you could have a sturdy guitar strap, you don’t have to fret about it. Especially for heavy acoustics, guitar straps ease some of the weight from constantly holding up your guitar’s neck and body. Plus, they encourage you to sit up straight, which helps prevent back pain.

Though they can be hot once you’re playing under bright lights, we choose leather-based or suede straps for max comfort. In case you’re on a budget, however, you would possibly wish to buy a cotton strap.

As a beginner, you might be able to get away with an affordable strap in case you only intend to practice for a couple of minutes daily. But for additional long jam classes, your shoulders will thank you in case you spend money on a comfortable strap to keep your guitar in place.

Case

Guitar cases are must-have accessories for beginners and professionals alike. They protect your guitar whether you’re storing it at home or traveling to a gig. Plus, they provide a useful place to store your tuner, additional strings, and other accessories.

Hard-shell cases are the best choice for protecting your guitar from dust, dry air, and potential bumps or falls. They usually include locks for additional security. Most manufacturers additionally design specific cases for each of their models. This way, you should buy one that matches snugly around your guitar’s body and helps its neck in the proper place.

In case you purchase a one-size-fits-all case, your instrument might either squeeze out of the padding or rattle against the sides. You additionally risk putting an excessive amount of pressure on the neck by storing it at an odd angle. Still, for widespread models like Les Pauls or Telecasters, you can usually find a case that’s particularly designed for these proportions even if it’s not made by Gibson or Fender.

After we purchased our Yamaha APX700, the shop didn’t have a hard-shelled case designed specifically for our guitar. Although we needed to wait a couple of weeks to have it delivered, it was worth it to get one that match perfectly.

Though they provide less protection, soft-shell gig bags are lighter to hold than hard shells. These backpack-type accessories are the finest for traveling short distances, like to a music lesson or a nearby venue. Gig bags additionally don’t have to suit your guitar as perfectly as hard shells. As long as you purchase one that’s roughly the same dimension, you shouldn’t have any trouble with it.

Other Guitar Accessories

The above guitar accessories are all must-haves for all beginners. All newbies want a metronome or guitar tuner no matter whether you learn on acoustic guitars or electric guitars. There are different guitar accessories for beginners that are good to have but depends upon your situation.

We’ll list a couple of optional guitar accessories for beginners to think about below and clarify who should think about them and why.

Humidifier

In case you own an acoustic guitar, it’s actually necessary to think about a humidifier. There are numerous types from guitar humidifiers that you place in your guitar’s soundhole or case to room humidifiers that take care of your complete room. The best possibility for you depends on where you place your guitar, the place you live, and how many acoustic guitars you own.

We’ll need to revisit this subject in a guide, so for now, we like to recommend trying out the Music Nomad Humitar.

Slides

If you wish to learn blues then a guitar slide is a must-have, but for everyone else, they’re a fun little accessory to play around with. Playing with a slide can be an effective way to develop your sense of pitch.

There are two fundamental types of slides you can buy: glass or metal. Metal slides could be steel or brass which additionally contributes to tone. As you can think about, there may be quite a difference in tone between a glass slide and a metal slide.

A slide is just like a capo in that you may use it sometimes, or you could use it on a regular basis. It actually depends on what guitar. Give one a go and see what you think of it.

E-Bow

This final accessory is only for fun. You most likely won’t have much use for it depending on what type of music you play, but it’s a good way to experiment with new ideas and give you interesting sounds.

If you need infinite sustain, then the EBow is a cheat approach to getting it without cranking your amp up to earsplitting levels. You simply maintain the E-bow over your string and it’ll vibrate your string constantly.

You definitely don’t need this accessory, but seeing as a lot of the different accessories are pretty boring (but helpful!), we needed to offer you at least one interesting one!

So we summarized what we thought are some of the best accessories for acoustic and electric guitars. When it comes to guitar gear, there are many more, such as extra strings, guitar amps, sheet music holder, gig bag, lei for guitar’s headstock, guitar cable and etc.

Guitar Stand

There’s an excellent purpose why you need to have your guitar on a stand – you’re far more likely to choose the guitar up and practice when you will have it on an easily accessible stand.

We can let you know that students who place their guitar on a standing practice significantly more than students who hold it in a case or bag. It’s night and day. If you wish to turn into an excellent guitarist, purchase a stand and place it somewhere within arm’s reach of where you spend most of your time.

We like to recommend a stand just like the one above because it’s so compact and durable. You’ll be able to easily take it with you to band practice or gigs in comparison with other awkward-shaped stands.