When I started guitar, everybody said: “Start with acoustic!”

Yes… many people say acoustic first. Sounds normal. Sounds right. But I want to tell truth… acoustic first is not always best.

Cooking & Music — Order Matters

I’m Nino. I play worship guitar in USA. Also… I’m sushi chef too. Yes, cooking and music… very different. But same principle: order.

In cooking, we have “sa-shi-su-se-so” (sugar, salt, vinegar, soy, miso). like a Japanese alphabet.

• Sa (Sugar): first. Flavor go inside. Hard if late.
• Shi (Salt): draw water, make taste strong.
• Su (Vinegar): not too early. Keep acid taste.
• Se (Soy): later. Keep aroma.
• So (Miso): last. Never burn smell.

If wrong order → disaster. I tried making meat & potato stew too fast… taste test last minute… no depth. Sugar too late… flavor no come together. Lesson learned.

Music same. Wrong start → fun not come inside.

Why Acoustic First Makes Many Quit

Acoustic guitar… very hard for beginner.

• Strings hard
• Fingers hurt
• Sound sometimes buzz

Me… I tried acoustic first. F chord… legendary nightmare. 3 months, I quit once. I didn’t learn music… I was “memorizing finger shapes like monk.” Very boring.

Later… I found trick: super thin strings + electric guitar. Save me! But many… give up before this.

Acoustic guitar is not bad. Very good. Campfire, acoustic = king. But… need some skill first.

Why Electric Guitar Is Best Start

Electric guitar = fastest start. Simple reasons:

Quick “I can do it!”

Power chord, 2 strings enough. Play with band. Instant fun. Beginner need success, not pain.

Theory visible on fingerboard

All frets 1–24. Scales, transpose, easy see. Acoustic only 12 frets… hard.

Lead & rhythm both

Melody, chords, rhythm… one guitar = all-in-one.

Toy box

Effects, sound change… world change. Fun. Want all. Must try more.

Start Electric → Then Acoustic

Order matters. Cooking rule same: sugar first.

• Acoustic → frustration → hate music
•  Electric → fun → understand theory → acoustic easy later

No Time? No Problem

Many say: “I have no time to practice.” I understand. Don’t make new schedule. Put music on life you already do:

• Walk? Step 16-beat rhythm
• Try triplet step, odd rhythm
• Always ear training: think chords for song you hear

Music brain train anytime, anywhere. Life = practice.

Final Thoughts

If you start guitar now… I say: Electric Guitar is best. Acoustic later. Fun first. Theory next. Skill naturally follow.

Nino CCM Guitarist / Sushi Chef [YouTube Link] [Patreon Link]