Guitar vs. Piano: Which One Should I Learn? Learning Curve
Friday, June 4, 2021 by Chandra Davis | Guitar vs. Piano
In a previous article, I discussed the layout of the piano and guitar to give you a comparison of how the notes are arranged. In this blog, I will talk about the learning curve for both instruments and how they differ.
If you or your child has very little time or patience, then the piano may be the way to go. Learning piano generally provides faster results than guitar for most beginners. Once you learn the proper posture along with the correct finger and wrist technique, all you need to do is simply press a key to make a sound. Typically, beginners start off using one hand at a time. As the student progresses, piano does become more challenging since the student is having to play different notes and rhythm patterns while using both hands simultaneously.
With the guitar, it is important to note that it does not give you the instant gratification that piano does in the beginning. Since one hand is responsible for strumming and the other hand must fret the strings, the first note or chord that a student plays may not be pleasant. It could take a few lessons to develop coordination with both hands for the sound to ring out nicely. Beginners may start off learning a few single notes one at a time or a few simple chords that require the use of only one or two fingers. Over time, the guitar does get easier to play. Once you have a few chord shapes under your belt it is possible to learn your favorite songs faster than on a piano. The final article in this series will consider how a student’s desired musical preference can influence their rate of success.
