If you want to keep practicing your music with the guitar peacefully, you must know how to play electric guitar with headphones. Playing guitar out loud during performances makes sense, but it might bother people around you when played inside the house.
I will discuss three tried-and-true methods of playing electric guitar with headphones in this article. Read on; this article might be the solution for peaceful private practice and a good relationship with family and neighbors. Happy focused guitar practice!
Why Guitarists Use Headphones with an Electric Guitar?
The simple answer is to practice quietly. Guitar practice can be noisy and irritating sometimes. Imagine you are preparing for an important exam and your guitarist brother is jamming on his guitar in the other room. You would hate that, right? Your brother needs to play his electric guitar with headphones to avoid a nighttime sibling WWE match.
Other than to practice silently, guitarists prefer headphones for multiple reasons.
During the composition period, headphones help guitarists focus on the tune rather than being disturbed by ambient noise. They help them create soulful symphonies without any distraction from the guys next door.
Another reason to use headphones is their portability. Guitarists can easily take their headphones with them anywhere, and they have the freedom to practice anytime they want.
How to Play Electric Guitar with Headphones
- Use a Guitar Amplifier with a Headphone Jack
Amplifiers are commonly used for listening to guitar output loud and clear on loudspeakers. Guitarists often attach their headphones to their amp. This lets them hear their tune loud and clear inside their ears.
Back when the use of headphones for guitar practice wasn’t very popular, guitarists attached their headphone wires to another audio jack to make it fit for their amplifiers.
Nowadays, amp manufacturers build headphone output to make it convenient for musicians.
Modern amps have made it easier for guitarists with their direct connectivity and multiple amp settings.
Vox VT40X 40-watt Combo Amp
- Use a Multi-Effects Pedal or Audio Interface
Using multi-effect pedals or audio interfaces to play electric guitar with headphones provides more sound effects, and it is easy to connect with computers and tablets. These pedals and audio interfaces have built-in headphone outputs.
Note: It requires a proper setup and extra equipment to pair up with it.
Focusrite Scarlett Solo – 4th Generation USB Audio Interface
- Portable Guitar Headphone Amplifier
Headphone amplifiers solve the portability issue with other options for playing, making them convenient for guitar with headphones. Portable Guitar Headphone Amplifiers are small devices that allow you to plug your headphones directly into your guitar’s output. They are compact and powered by batteries, hence convenient to use on the go.
ammoon Electric Guitar Headphone Amplifier
Best Headphones to play electric guitar with headphones
| Pros | Cons | Recommended | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open-Back Headphones | Sound is more natural | Some noise is still leaked into the environment | Sennheiser HD 650 |
| Closed-Back Headphones | Good Sound isolation | Sound can feel “stuffy” | Beyerdynamic DT 240 Pro |
| Wired Headphones | There is no sound latency.Sound fidelity is better. | Sony MDR-7506 | |
| Wireless Headphones | Convenient Bluetooth connectivity | May face latency issues | Audio-Technica ATH-M50x |
Impedance Considerations for Headphones for Guitarists
When attaching headphones directly to the guitar, use headphones with low impedance (below 50 ohms). High-impedance headphones (above 100 ohms) go with amps and audio interfaces.
To Get the Best Sound Quality
To get the best out of using headphones with your guitar, you need to consider the following important things:
- The most common issue faced during guitar practices using headphones is voice distortion. To make the sound clearer, adjust volume levels to your liking. Adjusting the volume makes the audio output clearer and more precise.
- I would suggest experimenting with your EQ settings a bit for that balanced tone you like.
- Amp modeling software can help make your guitar sound more realistic when played through headphones with an amp.
- Also, consider reverb/effects for an additive audio experience.
Fix Common Problems of playing guitar via headphones
- To fix no sound in the headphones, check the headphone’s connection and volume settings.
- If audio is distorted or very low, try adjusting EQ settings
- Always check the compatibility of your headphones with your guitar before buying them.
- Check the headband size to avoid any clamping pressure.
- Replace worn-out earpads with new ones to avoid ear irritation and infections.
Final Thoughts
Amplifiers, portable amps, and different audio interfaces are all suggested methods of incorporating headphones into guitar playing. Finally, you should experiment with different setups to play electric guitar with headphones to decide which one best suits your practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are In-ear monitors good for electric guitars?
Yes, in-ear monitors are good for electric guitars. In-ear monitors provide sound isolation as well as precise and controlled audio sound. Their use is quite popular during on-stage live performances to block out noise from the crowd.
Do expensive headphones make a difference for practicing guitar?
As the saying goes, “Buy once, keep for decades”. Expensive headphones do make a difference for practicing guitar as they are specs-loaded and offer a dynamic range of frequency response to work with. It depends on the specs they offer and their performance, if it is good, people don’t mind paying an extra penny as nobody wants buzzing headphones.
I am Michael a Texas-based recording engineer and sound enthusiast. I contribute to Headphones Pedia’s efforts to educate readers about intriguing new devices and other audio-related issues by drawing on their experience working on several sound projects. I also use AI tools to assist with content creation.
