The acoustic guitar is a very popular instrument in modern music. While they can be played solo, a lot of the time acoustic guitars are used as part of a band.
What Instruments Sound Good With An Acoustic Guitar?
There are a lot of instruments that sound good with an acoustic guitar, like the piano or percussion. Or with other string instruments like the ukulele or the banjo.
It also depends a bit on your musical taste and style. The instruments that I think sound good with an acoustic, may not be the instruments you think sound good with it.
The main thing to remember when playing any type of music is that the other instruments should compliment each other and not cover up what the acoustic guitar was meant to do.
For example, if you have an acoustic melody section, then try adding some percussion or light bass tones to give it more life without overpowering the melody line on the acoustic guitar.
If you’re looking for great tone combinations for your next gig, here are some recommendations:
Another Guitar
This is a no-brainer. An acoustic guitar is often used as part of a band, with another electric or acoustic guitar to compliment it. If both guitars are playing in unison and harmony this will add depth and excitement to your music and the sound created by the two instruments together.
If you’re playing solo, you could try to use a loop pedal and play in some basic chords then fingerpick a melody on top to create some contrast and diversity in the song.
Harmonica/Mouth Organ
The harmonica can be a great instrument to play along with an acoustic guitar. It’s very versatile and you can get some very nice sounds.
There are a lot of great songs that are played with an acoustic guitar and a harmonica. Like Neil Young – Heart of Gold, there is just something about the combination of an acoustic guitar and a harmonica. It gives off a certain ambience that just sounds great.
You could also get a harmonica holder and play the harmonica yourself while playing guitar. This can be a lot of fun and gives a totally new experience to playing music.
The Piano
The piano and acoustic guitar is another combination that just works. It can be a bit tricky to get this sound together but once you do, it sounds gorgeous.
Generally, the way to play is to have the acoustic playing chords or rhythms while the piano goes off on melodies and solos.
This combination has been used by many bands over the years including, Coldplay, James Blunt, and Dotan.
Any Form of Percussion
Acoustic guitars are versatile instruments that work well with many different kinds of percussion. And generally, the more you have going on in a song or piece, the better it sounds.
Drums are always a great option to add some life to an acoustic guitar song. Or something like a jambee could sound really good. My father used to play one and we always had some great jamming sessions with the combination of an acoustic guitar with a jambee!
You could also try playing some basic rhythms by tapping on your guitar with your fingers or using a pick. It can sound great and is a nice change to the standard strum pattern you hear in most songs.
Another thing you could try is adding some light hand percussion like tambourines or shakers.
The Banjo
The banjo is a great instrument to add to your acoustic guitar songs. It can add some nice variety and dynamics in the music.
The best way to play it is when you have an acoustic guitar playing melody or strumming chords while the banjo either picks out notes or plays rhythm patterns in the background.
It’s a great combination that works really well.
The Ukulele
The high bright sound of a ukulele in contrast with the deeper fuller sound of an acoustic guitar can work really well together.
It’s a great way to add some dynamics and diversity to your music. The ukulele has a nice jangly sound and can give a different texture and tone when compared with an acoustic guitar.
The best thing to do with the two is to strum on the uke then play chords or a rhythm pattern on the acoustic guitar.
The Bass Guitar
A Bass guitar and an acoustic guitar is a great combination. The bass has a very powerful and impactful sound that works well in many different genres of music.
Since you’re looking for an instrument that sounds good with an acoustic guitar you could also try adding an acoustic bass guitar! It creates a classic and rich tone that can add some depth to an acoustic guitar.
The best way to use the two is to have the bass playing chords or rhythms while you play melodies and solos on top of your acoustic guitar.
Just don’t go too fast otherwise, it might get a bit confusing for the listener!
Conclusion
There are a lot of great combinations when it comes to playing music with an acoustic guitar. You can experiment and find what works best for you.
There are so many different instruments out there that you can try adding to your acoustic guitar songs.
The important thing is to have fun and be creative. Don’t be afraid to try something new. Who knows, you might come up with the next big hit song!
Thanks for reading!