Playing Guitar

History

Guitars are part of the stringed-instrument family, which includes a variety of instruments developed in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The guitar is the result of centuries of experimentation with the basic stringed-instrument design.

The tanbur, of ancient Egypt and Persia, and the kithara (cithara), of ancient Greece and Rome, were important forerunners of modern stringed instruments. It is believed that the word "guitar" is derived from the Greek word "kithara." Although these ancient instruments were superficially similar to the modern guitar, they are more closely related to the harp.

The Arabic oud and the European lute are considered the most direct ancestors of the guitar. By 700 CE, both instruments were common in Europe. People who made lutes were called "luthiers," a word that now refers to craftsmen who make any type of stringed instrument.

The vihuela, a stringed instrument developed in Spain, became common in Europe by the fifteenth century. Unlike lutes, which are played by "plucking" individual strings with a plectrum, vihuelas could be strummed.

Luthiers experimented with different combinations of components from the lute, oud, and vihuela, until they arrived at the basic guitar design. There were two types of early guitar that became popular in Europe: the guitarra morisca, which had an oval body and several sound holes, and the guitarra latina, which had a flattened body and a single sound hole.

Luthiers continued to refine the design of the guitar by changing the profile of the body and the width of the neck, and by adding or removing strings to alter the instrument's range. By the 1800s, luthiers in Spain and Italy were creating instruments similar to modern classical guitars, with six strings, a "pinched" waist, and a flattened back.

In the mid-1800s, luthiers created a system for bracing the wood on the top of the guitar (the soundboard). With bracing, luthiers were able to increase the guitar's volume by building thinner soundboards. With braced soundboards, guitars were loud enough to play with other instruments in an orchestra, and composers began to include the guitar in classical arrangements.

In the 1920s, engineers George Beauchamp and John Dopyera created a new method for amplifying guitars by using aluminum disks to resonate sound from the strings. Blues and country guitarists began to use resonator guitars for playing slide guitar, and the instrument became popular for its unique sound.

Beauchamp went on to experiment with using electric currents to amplify sound. Along with engineer Paul Barth and craftsman Harry Watson, Beauchamp developed the first electric guitar, known as the "Frying Pan." Beauchamp enlisted the engineering company of Adolph Rickenbacker to mass-produce his invention. Rickenbacker electric guitars became world-famous and led to the invention of a new kind of guitar music.

Advances in guitar amplification continued from the 1930s to the modern era. Although the basic design of the guitar has remained essentially the same, luthiers have experimented with different body designs and combinations of wood to enhance the sound and function of the instrument. Guitars have become popular in all types of music, including classical, jazz, country, blues, rock, and pop.

Anatomy of a Guitar

The sound of a guitar is produced from vibrations along the guitar strings. The guitarist hits, plucks, or strums the strings to create vibrations. Guitarists then manipulate the tension on each string by manually depressing the strings (fretting), and by tuning the strings at the head of the guitar.

Electric guitars use electrical signals to amplify vibrations through a speaker, while acoustic guitars amplify sound by allowing sound waves to resonate through an internal chamber (classical and acoustic guitars) or a system of metal disks (resonator guitars and dobros).

Head: The head or headstock of a guitar contains the tuning apparatus and anchors the strings at the top of the instrument.

Neck: The neck contains the fretboard, which is the area used to alter tension on the strings. Manually depressing the strings along the fretboard alters the tone of the string when the guitar is played.

Body: The body of a guitar may be either solid or hollow depending on the method used for amplification. Hollow-bodied guitars use an internal chamber for sound amplification while solid-bodied guitars use an external amplification system. Semi-hollow-bodied guitars use a combination of internal and external amplification.

The wood under the strings of an acoustic guitar is called the soundboard. Some luthiers see the shape and quality of the soundboard as the most important component of the instrument. Most folk, blues, and rock guitars have flat soundboards, while jazz guitars sometimes have convex soundboards called "archtops."

Types of Guitars

Nylon- or Gut-Stringed: The first guitars were hollow-bodied, wooden instruments that used animal intestine for strings. Modern guitar strings are made of synthetic materials, like nylon. Nylon stringed guitars include classical guitars, baroque guitars, and flamenco guitars.

Steel-Stringed Acoustic Guitars: Steel-stringed acoustic guitars are made of wood and have an internal resonating chamber. The neck is reinforced with metal bracing, which enables the instrument to withstand the tension of metal strings. Steel-stringed acoustic guitars include country or folk guitars, twelve-string guitars, archtop guitars, and parlor guitars.

Resonator Guitars: Resonator (resophonic) guitars may be made of wood or metal, and use a system of aluminum disks or cones to amplify sound. The metal resonators serve the same function as the hollow body of other acoustic guitars, but produce a different sound quality. Resonator guitars are popular in bluegrass, blues, and country music.

Electric Guitars: Electric guitars may be made of wood or synthetic materials and generally have a solid-body design. The instrument's sound is largely determined by the quality of the electronic amplification system that is built into the body of the guitar. Electric guitars are used in all types of guitar music including rock, jazz, blues and country.

Trends

In the twenty-first century, some acoustic guitar manufacturers have started using graphite, in place of wood, in the construction of guitar bodies. Because graphite is more flexible than wood, graphite guitars are capable of increased volume. Graphite guitars are also more resistant to temperature and humidity changes, and may even be played in the rain. Though graphite has some advantages over traditional materials, however, many guitarists prefer the sound and appearance of wooden instruments.

Techniques

Picking: Picking the guitar involves playing each string individually or in patterns. Picking may be done with the fingers or with a plectrum. Picking with the fingers is popular in bluegrass, blues, folk, and jazz music. Picking with a plectrum, sometimes called flat-picking, is common in bluegrass and traditional Irish music.

Strumming: Strumming involves brushing the fingers or plectrum across the strings in quick succession. Strumming is often used in rock, folk, and pop music and produces a different sound than plucking or picking. Musicians have developed a number of basic strumming patterns, which are set combinations of up and down strokes used to create a rhythmic sound.

Slide: Slide guitarists use a smooth object pressed lightly against the strings to alter the pitch of the instrument. Using the slide creates a different sound than manually fretting notes with the fingers. Slide guitar has become popular in the country and blues genres.

Playing Guitar for Fun vs. Profit

Advanced guitarists may choose to teach guitar through a music school or other institution. Many guitar stores and other instrument vendors offer guitar lessons for players of various skill levels. Some professional concert musicians supplement their income by giving private lessons.

Many guitar players make money by performing at special events. Some guitarists specialize in playing at weddings, funerals, or private parties. In some metropolitan areas, guitar players can earn extra income by becoming street performers. Laws governing public performance can vary widely, and those seeking to play in public venues should research the laws pertaining to their city or state.

Learning More

Books

Denyer, Ralph. "The Guitar Handbook." New York: Random House Press, 1992.

How to Play Guitar Step by Step: The Complete Guide to Mastering the Guitar. Dorling Kindersley, 2011.

Kober, Thorsten. "Guitar Works: A Comprehensive Guide to Playing the Guitar." Milwaukee: Hal Leonard Press, 2003.

Noad, Frederick. "Playing the Guitar." New York: Music Sales Corporation, 1997.

Noble, Douglas J. "The Beginners Guide to Playing Guitar: A Simple A-to-Z Guide for Beginning Musicians." Guilford: The Lyons Press, 2004.

Organizations

NAMM Foundation <www.nammfoundation.org>

Guitar Society of Fine Art (GSFA) <www.facebook.com/Guitar-Society-of-Fine-Art-114674188593789/>

The Guitar Foundation of America (GFA) <www.guitarfoundation.org>