Where would the world be without the development and production of a guitar? The guitar is a musical instrument from the chordophone family. The guitar is distinguished from other chordophones by its structure and tuning. A guitar is made from different wood, materials and has nylon or steel strings. There are many shapes, colors, tunings, and sizes. The guitar is very versatile and can make an infinite amount of sounds. The timeline of the origin of the guitar dates back 5000 years ago in Mesopotamia. The history of the guitar is intriguing and long and the modern guitar has been pivotal in a variety of music genres. I sincerely enjoy playing and learning the guitar every day. The following paragraphs will help describe the history, evolution, and innovations of the guitar.
Acoustic Guitar
Two instruments that are the predecessor of the modern acoustic guitar
are the European lute and the Moorish Oud. The lute and
Oud are played by being plucked or strummed to create sound and they both have
a hollow box that aids in producing sound. Guitars that resemble the acoustic
guitar today came into existence during the renaissance era. In the 16th
century, an instrument called the baroque guitar became popular in France, Italy,
and Spain, surviving up until modern times. The early acoustic guitars had many
designs and modifications to the instrument as they changed the number of
strings, tunings, shapes, and materials.
This is an example of an Oud and Lute being played.
Adel Salameh & Jacob Heringman (oud &
lute) Cantiga 353
Electric Guitar
During the
1920’s the guitar players playing in big bands with loud horns and other
instruments drowning out the rhythm guitar led to eager innovation to get a louder
guitar volume. The technology for the electromagnetic pickup and amplifiers
was around before the electric guitar and musicians and inventors went to work
to develop a guitar to produce a louder guitar sound. In 1931 the first
manufactured electric guitar was built by Adolph Rickenbacker. An
electromagnetic pickup was installed on a lap steel guitar called
“The Frying Pan’. Since the electric guitar's development, there have been
many technical improvements and sound engineering enhancements. Electronics
have allowed the guitarist to improvise an infinite number of sounds.
Les Paul is known as the inventor of the solid-body electric
guitar, which he designed in 1941. Gibson introduced models based on his design
in 1952. The other early pioneers, designers, and electric guitar inventors were Leo Fender and Paul Bigsby. Bigsby is best known for his
development of the vibrato tailpiece. Leo Fender introduced the Fender Stratocaster,
and this iconic guitar has been used by many great modern musicians.
1952 Gibson Les Paul Gold Top
1957 Fender Stratocastor
Electric Guitar Elements
In 1983 Stevie Ray Vaughan released his song “Pride and Joy”.
Can you imagine the first time listening to the music coming across the airwaves with him doing an intro riff on his Fender Stratocaster? The unique tones
achieved by Stevie Ray Vaughn were his using heavy gauge open strings and standard
Eb tuning. The music’s power blues caught people's ears, along with intense
note bending, light distortion, gusty sustain, and short fast vibratos made
his signature style.
The electric guitar is can produce a lot of different articulations
using different amplifiers, effects, pedals, and modulators. Some guitars can
have up to 8 strings that can make more range of sounds. Electric guitars are
being modified to now tune themselves automatically if the guitar is detecting
it is out of tune. With technology and electronics advancing it will be interesting
to see what a guitar looks and plays like in the future.
This is an
example below of how Stevie Ray Vaughn can play a Fender Stratocaster and make
the guitar rock!
Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble - Pride And
Joy (Live at Montreux 1982) USA
I personally enjoy the history of the guitar. The sounds, dynamics,
tunings, and versatility have intrigued me to learn every day how to be a
better guitar player. The innovative minds and experiments have put America on
top of the music charts.
The electric guitar quite possibly
is the most significant and popular instrument of the last half-century in
American music. The introduction of the guitar and the innovations that produce
the plethora of sounds brought a major alteration to American musical
technology and shaped the culture and direction of modern musical genres.
Works Cited
“Gibson Les Paul.” Wikipedia, 24 Dec. 2022,
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibson_Les_Paul.
