History of the Guitar
The history of the guitar began in the Middle Ages with traveling troubadors
plucking out their love songs on small guitars with oval heads which would
be virtually unrecognizable as guitars today. However, the lute always
upstaged the guitar in this era, and no one then imagined that the history
of the guitar would be at all interesting.
The history of the guitar, in a sense, goes back to Ancient Greek, perhaps
in name only, since the word “guitar” is derived from the Greek
stringed instrument called the cithara. In spite of the fact that both
instruments have strings, they bear little resemblance to each although
the guitar became the ancient Greek instrument’s name sake.
The guitar was invented in 16th century Spain, and was used by young men
to serenade women and also appeared in classical pieces. Although the history
of the guitar would see a radical change in its design, the classical guitar,
like the modern guitar, contained six strings and six frets with a fingerboard.
The strings are tuned in 4ths, except that there is an interval between
the fourth and the fifth string.
Although the history of the guitar saw some notable classical pieces composed
especially for the instrument, the guitar fell into temporary obscurity
during the 19th century, only to be given new life by Antonio de Torres,
who made the body of the guitar larger for optimal amplification. The gut
strings were replaced by nylon strings, and the modern guitar was born.
The history of the guitar is less compelling than its popularity today,
and the guitar unquestionably dominates rock music. The electric guitar
became the feature of heavy metal music, but the “unplugged” movement
altered the history of the guitar, taking it from its status as an instrument
of volume and rebellion, to a pleasant, sounding, laid-back instrument.
