Guitar: the Instrument of Legends.
When one hears the word guitar, many things come to mind—songs, melodies, passionate strums and clever fingers plucking away. But what is the history of this beloved instrument? How did it go from a few wooden planks with strings to one of the most iconic instruments of all time?
Guitars have a long and fascinating history, dating back over five thousand years. The earliest versions of the guitar were developed in ancient Greece and Egypt. These instruments were stringed instruments with a soundboard, known as the kithara in Greek and the lyre in Egyptian. These ancient instruments were primarily used to accompany singers and had three or four strings.
By the 16th century, the four-string guitar gained popularity in Spain. This instrument was known as the quatro. The quatro was the first instrument to combine all the features of a modern guitar, including its fretted fingerboard, tuning pegs, and strings.
Over the next few centuries, the guitar evolved rapidly. By the 19th century, it had taken on an iconic shape that is still recognizable today. The first guitars produced during this period featured fan-style fretboards and were made with a combination of woods, including rosewood and maple.
In the early 20th century, electric guitars began to appear. The first electric guitars had been produced in the 1920s, but it wasn’t until the 1950s that their popularity began to skyrocket. By 1959, the Fender Stratocaster had become the most subscribed guitar in the USA.
The Stratocaster’s popularity blossomed in the 1960s, when rock, metal and blues music become dominant. Today, it is one of the most iconic instruments of all time. Players such as Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page made use of the instrument to create legendary riffs and songs.
Aside from the Stratocaster, there are a number of other designs of electric guitar. The Les Paul, for example, is a classic Gibson model, designed in the 1950s. It is a solid-body guitar, meaning that it has no hollow chamber. This design adds sustain and clarity to its tone, making it a popular choice for blues, jazz and rock guitarists.
The acoustic guitar is another popular instrument and is arguably the most iconic. Although it is often seen as the “traditional” guitar, it has been around for centuries. The earliest acoustic guitars were six-string instruments, often with a hollow body and a short neck. As it evolved, the acoustic guitar increased in size, with a longer neck and a larger, more resonant body.
Guitars have been a part of popular music for well over a century, and continue to be an important part of many styles today. Whether you are a fan of jazz, rock, metal, blues or even pop, chances are you have heard a guitar. The guitar will always have an important place in our musical culture, as the instrument of legends.