“Let the Music Play: How the Guitar Changed Music History”
The guitar has been a vital part of music history for centuries. From the traveling musicians of the early days, to modern day indie rock stars, the guitar has been at the forefront of many genres, ushering in new sounds and styles. Its iconic status and versatility has shaped the way we listen to music today.
From its beginnings in the hand-made instruments of the early Spanish vihuelistas and the modern classical guitar of the 19th century, the acoustic guitar has taken on many forms over the centuries. Its adaptable nature has seen it traverse different styles and genres, whether its country strumming, flamenco’s intricate fingerpicking, or heavy metal’s distorted power chords.
The roots of the guitar can be traced back to the lute and early sitar-like instruments from the Middle East and India. After pianos and harpsichords were developed for the first part of the 18th century in Europe, the popularity of the lute fell from favour. This encouraged the invention of the 6-string guitar, which was originally more closely akin to the lute in its construction.
The modern classical guitar, however, was first developed in the early 19th century in Spain. After several decades developing the instrument and finally perfecting the design, the modern classical guitar was officially recognized in 1883. This new model was designed with a narrower body, longer neck and varying number of frets. It featured a modern truss-rod, allowing it to be built larger with an adjustable neck, a feature that is still present in today’s guitars.
The steel-string acoustic guitar, often called a “dreadnought” because of its shape, was developed a few decades later, spurred largely on by the emerging country music genre. The development of the steel-string guitar, or “country guitar,” allowed for a greater flexibility in the type of playing and sound that could be achieved, allowing for a greater variety of music to be made. This newfound freedom saw the guitar expand into different genres.
The electric guitar was the next instrument that changed the music landscape. The invention of the electric guitar in 1931 saw it quickly become a must-have for popular music. The sound of an electric guitar had a much more distinctive sound and style, allowing for more experimentation and the use of electrical effects like distortion and reverb to further reinvent the sound of the instrument.
The introduction of the electric guitar was largely due to the development of solid body playback. This style allowed for greater precision in the type of sound required, and as a result of its adaptability, the electric guitar was able to be embraced by many different genres of music.
The 70s saw the development of the first synthesizers, which allowed for even more electronic experimentation. Synthesizers quickly became an integral part of many records in the modern-day, particularly those in the electronic and synth-pop genres. The 80s and 90s saw the rise of heavy metal and hard rock, who both embraced synthesizers and electric guitars as a way to push their sound to its limits.
Since the introduction of the electric guitar, the rhythm style of playing has also evolved over the years. Once largely seen as a ‘strum along’ instrument, the guitar has become far more complex in its playing and with the ever-growing popularity of the two handed tapping style of guitar playing, the complexity and versatility of what the guitar can do continues to grow.
Whilst we may have modern-day electric guitars, the classic acoustic guitar may be just as important in today’s popular music as it has always been. Bands like Mumford and Sons and Coldplay, who rely heavily on acoustic guitars, prove that the acoustic guitar is still very much a vital part of music today.
In summary, the guitar’s versatility and adaptability are just some of the many factors that make this instrument such an integral part of today’s popular music. Many genres of music that were inspired and further improved by the electric guitar and what it can do are now some of the most popular and influential styles in today’s music. The guitar, in all its forms, will always remain an iconic instrument, and its influence will be heard for generations to come.
“Let the Music Play: How the Guitar Changed Music History.”