 |
The Guitar: Its History and Construction |
|
|
Navigation |
|
The Guitar: Its History and Construction |
Playing Percussion Instruments Learning a new musical instrument is tough and percussion instruments require you to use several skills at once. For this reason alone it is best to...Read more on Music Woodwinds are the Heart of a Band Buying a musical instrument is a large investment, especially when you are not sure your child is going to stay with it. If you school has a music...Read more on Music 3 Secrets To Understanding What Music Is Made Of It’s no secret that virtually everyone loves music in some form or other. After all, it is the universal language, and we all participate in it to...Read more on Music The absolute worst way to download music on the internet You get into the online music world. You've had this song playing in the back of your mind all day and now you've decided that you want to download...Read more on Music Elvis on my Mind It was Christmas time, and in the local paper there was a short article about an old woman in North Memphis, it was near the area where Elvis lived...Read more on Music Jazz Goa Jazz Goa is formed by a group of musicians and music lovers to promote jazz in and out of Goa. The club's principal aim is to improve the lot and...Read more on Music Suzuki Violin Vs Traditional Violin The Suzuki violin method has come to dominate the way violin is taught in America and throughout much of the world. Mention the Suzuki violin method...Read more on Music Cleaning Your Guitar If you could play your guitar without touching it you wouldn't have to clean it. Just take some time to clean your guitar each time you play it. This...Read more on Music |
|
The guitar is one of the most familiar and common instruments the world over. It is descended from other stringed instruments that were common in Greece, in India, in Mexico and in Africa - in fact, throughout the known world. It's descended from such instruments as the sitar, said to be sacred to the Hindo goddess Saraswati, and the lute, which Greek mythology claims was invented by the god Apollo himself. It's no wonder that the guitar has a history of association with the divine. The range and styles of music that can be played on the classic stringed instrument is incredible. From the intricate fire and beauty of classical Spanish and flamenco guitar to the down-home country sounds of good finger-pickin', the guitar is a versatile and beautiful instrument. Modern-day guitars have a hollow or solid body, a neck with frets, and a tuning mechanism that is called the machine head. They may be acoustic, or electric, and are one of the most popular instruments in the world. Guitar bodies for acoustic guitars are made of wood, often spruce, red cedar or maple. The face of the guitar, or top, is one of the most important factors in its sound quality. It is carefully engineered to a precise thickness, and braced by a variety of materials. The most important piece of the guitar is the face, or top. Its composition, shape and engineering will determine the final sound of the guitar. The back and sides also make a difference, but not so much, and often, luthiers will choose the wood for the sides and back with an eye to appearance rather than sound quality. Electric guitars are solid, though they are rarely made of a single solid piece of wood. Instead, most are created of many layers of different kinds of wood laminated together. This gives the guitar both strength and sound quality that wouldn't be possible in a single piece of wood. Often, the electric guitar is made of a 'good sounding' wood like ash or poplar, with a laminated top of a more attractive wood for appearance. It's hard to believe that the same instrument is capable of creating such wide and varied styles of music. It's even harder to believe that only a few hundred years ago, the guitar was considered the instrument of peasants, lesser than the noble violin and organ. It was considered so much lesser that across the United States, older generations boycotted Catholic churches that used guitars to celebrate faith in folk Masses. Nowhere else will you find the variety of guitars that you find in a typical Mexican mariachi band. A typical mariachi band will include at least three kinds of guitar - a classical guitar, a vihuela and a guitarron, a large guitar that is nearly the size of a cello. Mastering the guitar, however, takes years of practice. The difference between a three-chord strummed song and the intricate finger picking and speed of a flamenco guitarist is unmistakable.
From divine beginnings, though its history as the music of peasants to its elevation again as the king of instruments, the guitar has been a beloved instrument of people the world over. If you choose to learn only one instrument, the guitar is the perfect choice. Courtney Pancost is the owner of
|
|
Copyright 2006 HouseholdWealth.com Music |
|