The Most Difficult Style of Guitar to Play, Ranked

Voting rules: Choose the style you think is the most difficult!

Updated on May 8, 2024 06:26

Guitar players often debate which style of playing presents the greatest challenge. This can vary widely from person to person, depending on physical attributes such as hand size, as well as prior musical training. By ranking different styles, beginners can gain insights into what might lie ahead and seasoned players can compare notes on the complexities they've encountered. The dynamic nature of this ranking reflects collective experiences and opinions, providing a snapshot of what the community thinks at any given time. Your votes influence the live rankings, giving you a direct role in shaping the consensus. See how your views stack up against others and contribute to a broader understanding of guitar playing complexities.

What Is the Most Difficult Style of Guitar to Play?

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69
votes
Fourplay · CC BY-SA 3.0

Flamenco guitar

The style is characterized by rapid fire fingerpicking, complex percussive techniques, and intricate rhythms. The flamenco guitar requires a high level of skill and precision to master.
The Flamenco guitar is a specific type of guitar used in the Flamenco style of music. It is known for its unique characteristics and challenging playing techniques.

Body: Typically smaller and lighter than classical guitars.

Top Wood: Cedar or spruce, chosen for its responsiveness and projection.

Back and Sides: Traditionally made from cypress wood, known for its bright and percussive sound.

Neck: Slightly thinner and narrower with a lower action for intricate fingerstyle playing.

Fretboard: Often made of ebony or rosewood, with a flatter radius for easier string bending.
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14
votes
Jazz guitar

Jazz guitarists must have a deep understanding of harmony, improvisation, and complex chord progressions. The style also requires a great deal of technical skill and dexterity.
Jazz guitar is a style of guitar specifically designed for playing jazz music, characterized by its unique tone, construction, and playing technique. It is a versatile instrument that is capable of producing warm and mellow tones, as well as bright and crisp tones required in improvisation and chord melodies. Jazz guitarists often use complex chords and intricate single-note lines to create intricate harmonies and melodic improvisations.

Low Output Pickups: To achieve a warm and mellow tone, jazz guitars usually come equipped with low-output pickups, typically humbuckers.

Hollow or Semi-Hollow Body: Jazz guitars typically feature a hollow or semi-hollow body construction, allowing for greater resonance and acoustic tone.

Floating or Set Neck: Jazz guitars often have a floating neck or set neck design, providing increased sustain and stability.

Floating Bridge: A floating bridge allows for greater control over the guitar's intonation and facilitates easy adjustment.

Wide Neck and Flat Fingerboard: Jazz guitars typically have a wider neck and a flat fingerboard, enabling smooth chordal playing and fast single-note runs.
3

16
votes
Martin Möller · CC BY-SA 2.0 de

Classical guitar

Antonio de Torres Jurado

Classical guitarists must have a strong sense of musicality, as well as the ability to read sheet music and play complex fingerstyle arrangements. The style also requires a great deal of focus and discipline.
The classical guitar, also known as the Spanish guitar, is a versatile and intricate musical instrument played with the fingers or fingernails instead of a pick. It is commonly used in classical and flamenco music and is renowned for its warm and rich tonal qualities.

Body Shape: Hourglass figure with a narrow waist

Strings: Usually made of nylon, sometimes wound with metal

Number of Frets: 19 or 20 frets, occasionally 21 or more

Soundboard: Made of cedar, spruce, or occasionally other tonewoods

Back and Sides: Typically made of rosewood, mahogany, or maple
Classical guitar in other rankings
- Position 10 of 10 in Most difficult art form
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13
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Fingerstyle guitar

Fingerstyle guitarists use their fingers to pluck and strum the strings, creating complex and intricate arrangements. The style requires a high level of finger dexterity and coordination.
Fingerstyle guitar is a technique of playing the guitar using the fingers or fingertips, rather than a pick. It focuses on intricate fingerpicking patterns and allows for the simultaneous playing of melody, basslines, and chords. This style requires precise finger movements and coordination to produce a full, rich sound without the use of additional instruments or accompaniment.

Picking Technique: Fingerpicking using fingertips or nails.

Simultaneous Playing: Ability to play melody, basslines, and chords simultaneously.

Finger Coordination: Requires precise finger movements and coordination.

Independence: Each finger acts independently, allowing for polyphonic sounds.

Thumb Use: Thumb often used for basslines and maintaining a steady rhythm.
5

12
votes
Heavy metal guitar

Tony Iommi

Heavy metal guitarists must have a high level of technical skill, as well as the ability to play fast and precise riffs and solos. The style also requires a good ear for tone and sound.
The Heavy metal guitar is a style of guitar primarily associated with the genre of heavy metal music. It is designed to produce a powerful, aggressive, and distorted sound that complements the high-energy and intense nature of heavy metal music. This style of guitar playing involves techniques such as palm muting, fast alternate picking, pinch harmonics, and complex guitar solos.

Body type: Solid-body

Neck construction: Set-neck or neck-through

Scale length: 24.75 inches or 25.5 inches

Number of frets: Usually 24 frets

Pickups: High-output humbuckers or active pickups
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10
votes
Bluegrass guitar

Maybelle Carter

Bluegrass guitarists must have a strong sense of rhythm, as well as the ability to play complex fingerpicking patterns and solos. The style also requires a good ear for pitch and tone.
Bluegrass guitar is a style of guitar playing that is specifically tailored for bluegrass music. It is characterized by its fast and intricate fingerpicking patterns, rapid-fire chord changes, and melodic solos. The guitar is often used as both a rhythm and lead instrument, complimenting the vocal melodies and providing a driving rhythm for the ensemble. Bluegrass guitar playing requires a high level of technical skill, agility, and a deep understanding of the traditional bluegrass sound.

Body Shape: Dreadnought

Top Wood: Spruce

Back and Sides Wood: Mahogany

Neck Wood: Mahogany

Fingerboard Wood: Rosewood
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12
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Country guitar

Chet Atkins

Country guitarists must have a deep understanding of chord progressions, as well as the ability to play intricate fingerpicking patterns and solos. The style also requires a good ear for tone and sound.
Country guitar is a style of guitar playing that is predominantly used in country music. It is characterized by its fast and intricate picking techniques, melodic chord progressions, and twangy sound. The style often incorporates elements of other genres, such as blues, rockabilly, and jazz.

Body Type: Most commonly solid or hollow body

Neck: Usually made of maple or mahogany

Fretboard: Typically made of rosewood or maple

Pickups: Single coil or humbucker pickups

Number of Strings: Standard 6-string configuration
8

7
votes
Gypsy jazz guitar

Django Reinhardt and Selmer

Gypsy jazz guitarists must have a strong sense of rhythm and melody, as well as the ability to play fast and precise solos. The style also requires a good ear for improvisation and harmony.
Gypsy jazz guitar, also known as Django-style guitar, is a unique style of guitar that originated in the 1930s. It is primarily associated with the music of renowned guitarist Django Reinhardt and embodies the traditional gypsy jazz sound.

Body Shape: The guitar generally features an oval or petite bouche (small mouth) soundhole, giving it a distinctive appearance.

Neck: The neck is usually slim and wider compared to other guitar styles, allowing for quick and precise finger movements.

Fretboard: It typically has a longer scale length, providing more room for complex and fast playing.

Top Wood: Traditionally made with a solid spruce or cedar top, offering a bright and resonant sound.

Back and Sides: The back and sides are commonly crafted from maple or rosewood, contributing to a balanced and warm tonal response.
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8
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Slide guitar

Slide guitarists use a slide (usually made of glass or metal) to create unique and expressive sounds. The style requires a good ear for tone and intonation, as well as the ability to play with precision and control.
Slide guitar is a technique where a guitarist uses a slide (typically a small metal or glass tube) to glide along the strings of the guitar instead of using their fingertips to press down on the frets. This creates a distinctive sliding sound and allows for smooth transitions between notes. The slide guitar technique is commonly associated with blues and country music.

Slide Type: Metal or glass tube

Playing Technique: Sliding the slide along the strings

Tuning: Open tunings are commonly used to achieve specific slide guitar sounds

String Height: Higher action to avoid buzzing as slide is not used to press the strings

Fingerstyle vs Pick: Generally played with fingerstyle technique, but a pick can be used too
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6
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Experimental guitar

Experimental guitarists explore new and unconventional sounds and techniques, often using non-traditional playing methods and instruments. The style requires a high level of creativity and an open-minded approach to music.
The Experimental guitar is a unique style of guitar that pushes the boundaries of traditional playing techniques and sound exploration. It is known for its unconventional design and the use of various experimental features that expand the sonic possibilities for the player. The Experimental guitar is often seen as a platform for musicians to explore new sounds, textures, and techniques, and it allows for a high degree of customization and personalization.

Body design: Non-traditional, often asymmetrical or modified shape

Number of strings: Varies, commonly 6 to 12 strings, but can have more

Fretboard design: Unconventional fret spacing or non-standard materials

Pickup configuration: Unusual pickup placements or combinations

Extended techniques: Emphasizes extended techniques like prepared guitar, bowing, tapping, etc.

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Discussion

Ranking factors for difficult style

Technique

The complexity of the techniques required in a particular style, such as fingerpicking patterns, sweep picking, or tapping, can make it more difficult to learn and master.
Chords and voicings

Some styles may require the use of more complex chords and voicings, which can be challenging for beginners or intermediate players. This includes extended chords, altered chords, or intricate fingerings.
Speed and tempo

The speed at which some styles are typically played can make them more difficult to master. Playing fast passages or solos cleanly and accurately requires greater precision and finger dexterity.
Syncopation and rhythm

Some styles feature complex rhythmic patterns, syncopation, or frequently changing time signatures, which can be challenging for players to follow and execute accurately.
Scales and modes

The use of different scales and modes within a particular style can make it more challenging to learn, as it requires a deeper understanding of music theory concepts and the ability to apply them in a musical context.
Articulation and dynamics

The level of control and nuance required for specific styles, such as producing a smooth legato sound or applying various picking techniques with precise dynamics, can make some styles more difficult than others.
Melodic and harmonic complexity

Some styles are known for their complex harmonic structures or intricate melodic lines, which require a deeper understanding of music theory and a high level of technical proficiency.
Learning curve

Some styles can be more difficult for beginners to pick up than others, as they may require more substantial foundational knowledge and skill before a player can start learning and mastering the style.
Expressiveness and interpretation

Some styles call for a greater level of emotional expression or interpretation of the music, requiring a deeper connection with the instrument and the ability to communicate through it effectively.
Tradition and cultural context

Learning a style that has a deep-rooted tradition or cultural context may require additional study and understanding of the history, nuances, and unique aspects of the music. This can make certain styles more challenging to fully grasp and perform authentically.

About this ranking

This is a community-based ranking of the most difficult style of guitar to play. We do our best to provide fair voting, but it is not intended to be exhaustive. So if you notice something or style is missing, feel free to help improve the ranking!

Statistics

1477 views
164 votes
10 ranked items

Voting Rules

A participant may cast an up or down vote for each style once every 24 hours. The rank of each style is then calculated from the weighted sum of all up and down votes.

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More information on most difficult style of guitar to play

The guitar is a popular instrument that has been played for centuries, and it comes in various styles and types. However, some styles are more challenging to play than others, and it takes a lot of practice to master them. The most challenging styles of guitar include fingerstyle, jazz, classical, and flamenco. These styles require a high level of technical proficiency, as they involve complex finger movements and advanced techniques such as fingerpicking, arpeggios, and chord progressions. Additionally, playing these styles of guitar requires a deep understanding of music theory and a good ear for melody and rhythm. Even experienced guitarists can find these styles daunting, but with dedication and practice, anyone can learn to play them proficiently.