The Stick Diagram of the Smiling Boy
Patrick recently purchased his very first guitar. Excitedly, he brings it over to his friend Jay’s place to show it off. Jay admires the guitar and asks, “Hey man, can I play it?” Patrick agrees with a nod. Curious, Jay asks, “Is it properly tuned?” Confused, Patrick furrows his brow and replies, “Um, I think so. It’s brand new!” Jay explains, “That’s not how it works. Guitars often go out of tune during shipping.” This is when Patrick realizes that he needs a tuner to properly tune his guitar.
Unfortunately, the list of necessary guitar accessories doesn’t end there. Suggestions start pouring in from various sources. One person suggests a capo, while another recommends a guitar stand and a new set of strings. Overwhelmed, Patrick begins to lose some of his initial excitement about his new guitar.
But fear not! It doesn’t have to be this way for you.
Here is a handy guide to all the essential items you need to embark on your guitar journey, complete with the problems that arise from not having these accessories and the solutions they provide:
Essential Accessories for Every Guitarist
1. Tuner
As Patrick’s story demonstrates, a tuner is a vital accessory for any guitarist.
There are various factors that can cause a guitar to go out of tune. Temperature and humidity, for example, can lead to the expansion or contraction of the wood, altering the tension in the strings. When you play the guitar, the strings stretch and gradually lose tension, affecting the pitch. Additionally, older strings tend to lose their elasticity and struggle to maintain their tension, resulting in frequent tuning issues. Even a small bump or knock to the guitar can disrupt the position of the tuning pegs, which control string tension. Furthermore, the way you store your guitar after use 
lso contribute to it going out of tune. Let’s be realistic, it’s inevitable to encounter this problem at some point. Keeping a guitar consistently in tune can
be quite the challenge.
2. Strings
Strings are another crucial guitar accessory that every guitarist needs. Strings are to guitar what a bullet is to a gun- one is incomplete and useless without the other.
Problem(s):
Over time, guitar strings can become dull and lose their tone. It’s essential to change your guitar strings regularly to maintain a fresh and bright sound.
Besides, it is always preferable to have a few sets of extra guitar strings as they are infamous for breaking at the wrong time. This can be due to wear and tear, aggressive playing, or over-tightening.
Imagine that you are invited to your crush’s birthday party and are expected to play there, and as you are warming up for it, your string breaks.
Wouldn’t you have wished you had spare strings on hand?
Solution:
Having an extra set of guitar strings helps you combat the problems listed above, and we recommend the Kadence Strings for Acoustic and Electric Guitar for this purpose. These strings are affordable, high-quality and more importantly, long-lasting.
3. Picks/Plectrums
Guitar picks are an essential guitar accessory for guitarists who prefer playing with picks rather than their fingers. While they are not mandatory guitar accessories, they are highly recommended for the following reasons,
Problem(s):
- Playing using your finger (fingerstyle) can be more demanding for a beginner and might take more time for one to master, it requires enhanced finger dexterity and greater coordination.
- Fingerstyle playing can also produce a less defined, softer sound than when using a pick. This may not be suitable for certain styles of music.
- Your fingernails can wear down from plucking the strings and it is not uncommon to have calluses or soreness on the fingertips when not using a plectrum.
Solution:
Guitar picks come in different shapes, sizes, and thicknesses, and each one can produce a different sound. They are easy to use, they do not hurt your finger or fingernails and can help you produce defined sounds.
We recommend the Kadence Picks for Acoustic and Electric Guitars. They come in a variety of sizes, thicknesses and cool designs.
4. Strap
A guitar strap is a type of guitar accessory used to support the guitar while playing. It gives mobility to the guitarist while also enhancing the guitar’s overall appearance.
Problem(s):
The main issue with not having a guitar strap is that it restricts your ability to play. If you don’t have a guitar strap, forget about playing the guitar standing up.
Solution:
A guitar strap is a guitar accessory that helps support the guitar frame for ease of playing it. It helps to distribute the weight of the guitar evenly across your body, making it more comfortable to play for long periods.
We recommend Guitar straps from Kadence, their guitar straps are affordable, durable and come in a variety of designs.
They are so good-looking that the only thing you have to worry about is people asking you where you got them from. It’s a good problem to have.
5. Capo
A capo is a guitar accessory that clamps onto the neck of your guitar, allowing you to shorten the length of your strings, thus raising their pitch.
With a capo, you can play different keys without having to change your guitar’s tuning or learn new chord shapes.
Problem(s):
Not having a capo as a guitar accessory can limit the number of chord voicings and the range of keys that you could otherwise play with the help of the capo.
Without the capo, you might have to improvise and use more complex chord shapes or a different tuning to achieve the same desired sound. This requires practice and more finger strength.
Solution:
It is advised to get a capo before starting your guitar journey since as a beginner you will already have enough on your plate to focus on, and not having a capo will only add to your misery.
Take one step at a time and get yourself a capo!
Capo is a handy tool for guitarists who want to play in different keys without learning new chords. We recommend the Capo by Kadence. It’s affordable, easy to use, and fits most guitars with ease.
6. Finger shaker
A finger shaker or a percussion shaker is a tiny portable device that you can wear on your finger to add a rhythmic element to your performance.
It is a guitar accessory that can complement your music, making it sound unique while also giving you that cool, professional look while playing.
Problems(s):
A finger shaker is intrinsically an optional guitar accessory. You will not face any major problems as such without a finger shaker.
However, not using a finger shaker can limit the range of sounds you can play.
Solution:
With a finger shaker, you can enhance your performance and develop your own unique style of playing.
It is safe to say that a finger shaker alone can set you apart from other guitarists. This is a device that is sure to make people remember you!
You can find the coolest assortment of finger shakers at Kadence. These shakers not only look cool but are designed to have functionality such as hands-free action.
7. A Guitar learning kit
A guitar learning kit is a handy guitar accessory that assists a beginner to learn the guitar faster. It helps you play chords with a simple pressing of buttons.
A guitar learning kit is essentially for beginner guitar players, pro players can skip this section.
Problem(s):
A beginner guitar player has to learn to deal with perfecting their rhythm pattern while simultaneously learning to play chords. It takes a lot of practice to be able to do both and this is a common cause of frustration.
As a result, a lot of beginners quit playing the instrument altogether.
On top of that, a lot of people find it difficult to hold the strings down to the fretboard initially. It is common in the case of children and people with finger disabilities trying to learn to play the guitar.
Solution:
Getting a learning kit allows you to learn the guitar more effectively in a systematic manner.
With this guitar accessory, you can first focus on getting your strumming patterns right along with the luxury of playing the chords with ease.
When you perfect your strumming, you can remove the detachable learning kit and focus on learning to play the chords with your fingers.
Perhaps the most important advantage that the learning kit provides is to keep you motivated and engaged during the entire guitar learning process.
Shuffling two things at a time and the initial difficulty of not being able to play your favourite songs can cause beginner guitar players to lose motivation.
Therefore, the learning kit is a guitar accessory that kills two birds with one stone.
You can get a super-affordable Guitar learning kit by Kadence, for all age groups, here.
8. Guitar stand
A guitar stand is a guitar accessory designed to hold your guitar safely when it’s not in use.
Apart from its functional use, a guitar stand also enhances the look of the room and gives it an artistic accent.
It gives you a reason to be able to flaunt your guitar and let people know that the instrument forms a part of your rich personality.
Problem(s):
Without a guitar stand you do not have a proper structure to keep your guitar.
If you leave your guitar leaning against the wall or a piece of furniture, it stands the risk of falling (pun intended) and getting damaged.
Moreover, storing a guitar in inaccessible places like inside a cupboard or under the bed can get in the way of your learning. If it takes additional effort for you to take the guitar out, you are more likely to skip practice sessions and that can delay your progress.
Solution(s):
A guitar stand holds your guitar safely and it makes your room look more organized.
With a guitar stand, you always have your guitar within your sight and reach, this will encourage you to pick the instrument more often.
In case you do not have enough space in your room, a wall-mounted guitar stand can help you save space as it latches onto the wall while also giving your room that artsy feel.
You can find various types of guitar stands (long neck, wall-mounted, foldable) at Kadence. Our guitar stands are not just about great looks, they also provide exceptional functionality.
These stands are made using high-quality, sturdy materials with a quality rubber grip that will hold your instrument securely without compromising on looks.
Last but not least, you might also want to get a gig bag as our final recommendation for this guide on guitar accessories. It helps you carry your guitar to different places safely and acts as a dust cover for your instrument.
However, you get a gig bag free along with other guitar accessories every time you purchase a guitar from Kadence.
Hope you enjoyed this article; feel free to let us know in the comments below what topics you want us to cover next, and do not forget to share this guide on guitar accessories with all the troubled “Patricks” you know.
