The guitar has been around for a long time. It is estimated that stringed instruments that are similar to modern guitars have been a part of the music scene for 5,000 years. The oldest picture of an instrument that had the basic elements of a guitar was a Hittite stone carving that was carved 3300 years ago. The very ancient sitar that came from India is one of the ancestors of the guitar family.
The English word "guitar" comes from the Spanish word "quitarra". Quitarra comes from the Latin word "cithara." Cithara comes from the Greek word "Kithara" which may have come from the Persian word, sihtar. This word bears a remarkable resemblance to the ancient Indian instrument, the sitar. These name progression shows the evolution of the instrument as well as the spread of the instrument across the ancient world.
The guitar normally has six strings, but there are versions with four, eight, ten, and even twelve strings. It is the primary instrument in blues music, country music, flamenco, rock, and pop music. There is also solo classic guitar music. The guitar is one of the most popular instruments for beginners. One of the reasons for this is that it is fairly easy to learn how to play it, at least at the early stages.
A luthier is a person who builds or repairs guitars. In Europe, during the development of the modern guitar, there were families of luthiers who passed their expertise down from generation to generation. One such family was the Vinaccia family of Naples, Italy. Although they are mostly known as the developers of the mandolin, they might also have made the very first six string guitar that has the characteristics of modern guitars.
Today, the electric guitar is quickly becoming the most popular guitar. An electric guitar may have a solid, semi-hollow, or hollow body. They also make very little sound without amplification. The electric guitar was first developed in 1936 by a man named George Beauchamp. A company named Danelectro is credited with making the electric guitar widely available to the public.
Source: EzineArticles
