Guitar Accessories- All You Need to Succeed!

Meet Patrick,

Patrick just bought his first-ever Guitar

He takes it over to his friend Jay’s place to show it to him, and Jay goes, 

“Wow man, sick guitar, can I play it?”

Patrick nods in approval

“Is it tuned?”, Jay enquiries

“I- guess?”, says a confused Patrick, furrowing his eyebrows; “It’s a new guitar!”

“That is not how it works; guitars often go out of tune during shipment”, Jay explains.

And that’s how Patrick learned that he needed to get a tuner to tune his guitar.

Unfortunately for Patrick, the list did not end there, suggestions for guitar accessories flew in from all directions- someone said he’ll need a capo, while someone else recommended a guitar stand and a new set of guitar strings.

To a now overwhelmed Patrick, the joy of owning a new guitar had begun to fade. 

But it does not have to be that way for you! 

Here is a quick guide for all the necessary items one needs to start their Guitar journey, including the problems of not having these guitar accessories to the solution they provide:

Essential Guitar Accessories for Every Guitarist

1. Tuner

As evidenced in Patrick’s Story a tuner is a must-have guitar accessory for any guitarist. 

Problem:

Guitars often go out of tune owing to factors such as:

Temperature and Humidity– It can cause the guitar’s wood to expand or contract, which can alter the tension in the strings.

Act of playing the guitar– When you play the Guitar its string stretches and loses tension over time, affecting the pitch.

String’s age: old strings tend to lose their elasticity and become less capable to hold their tension, as a result, it is common for them to go out of tune.

Bumping/knocking the guitar– Even an accidental bump can change the position of tuning pegs that control the tension of the strings.

Apart from these, there are several other reasons including the way you place your guitar after use that can cause it to go out of tune. 

Let’s face it, sooner or later you will face this problem. It is almost inevitable to have a Guitar that is tuned at all times.

Solution:

A good quality tuner will help you keep your guitar in tune, ensuring that you always sound your best.

There are several types of tuners available, including clip-on, pedal, and handheld tuners. 

We recommend the Kadence Digital Tuner, it’s affordable, accurate and easy to use

Also, as a beginner, you are probably not going to sound very good anyway and an out-of-tune guitar is only going to make it worse for your audience.

Have some mercy for their ears and please get a tuner!

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):

a) 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.

b) 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.

c) 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.