Here are some accessories for guitar that will make your life a little easier when learning. I've done the hard work for you and compiled a list of the very best essentials on a budget. I have put links to a variety of the best products below:
1. Tuner
If you were to buy only one thing on this list, this is thing you should buy. This tuner simply clamps on to the headstock of your guitar and you can leave it there for quick access and tuning. Nobody wants to hear an out of tune guitar, so do yourself and everyone else a favour...keep your guitar in tune.
2. Capo
You may not need one right now but you will eventually and inevitably come across some songs that use capos on particular frets. What this does is barre a fret so you can play your basic open chord shapes in higher keys. This make transposing songs very quick and It's also great to experiment with. It's hard to explain but there is something about using them that inspires creativity. Essential gig bag item!
3. Music Stand
You may think that this isn't essential, but trust me this will help your learning more than you know. Learning off computer screens and printed music scattered across a table does the job but if you take your practice seriously then you will immediately see the benefits of using a stand. You can adjust the height and angle to a comfortable position which means you don't have to strain your neck or change your posture to read the music. What I like to do is set it up, print out music that I'm learning/would like to learn, put it on the stand and leave it there so I have set things to work through away from the distractions of a computer.
4. String Winder & Cutter
If you play guitar you should learn how to re-string it. If you have ever re-strung a guitar you will know that winding the strings up is a tedious task. String winders make quick work of this and will literally half the amount of time spent re-stringing. The cutter tools usually come with a pin puller to get those pins out of your acoustic guitar without damaging your guitar. Makes re-stringing a dream...well not quite, but get one!
5. String Cleaner
After time oil and skin will build up on your guitar strings. You will see this by the strained look on the strings, not only does it dull the sound of your guitar but it also makes the strings rough which in turn makes playing a little more difficult as well as creating string noise during changes. String cleaner helps to maintain good string condition, which means less money spent on new strings. It also feels like you can play faster as there is little friction between your fingertips and the strings after applying. If you've never used it before I recommend giving it a go.
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