Explore the Guitar
Q: How far back can the roots of the guitar be traced?
A: The guitar’s roots can be traced back to around 3000 BCE, based on ancient artwork and archaeological findings.
Q: What was one of the earliest known ancestors of the guitar?
A: One early ancestor was the tanbur, a stringed instrument from Egypt and Mesopotamia with a long neck and a rounded, hemispherical body.
Q: What materials were used to make the strings of the tanbur?
A: The strings were made from animal gut.
Q: Did the number of strings on the tanbur remain constant?
A: No, the number of strings varied based on the musician.
Q: Are tanbur-like instruments still played today?
A: Yes, variants of the tanbur are still played throughout the Middle East, Central Asia, and South Asia.
Q: Were there any other early predecessors of the modern guitar?
A: Yes! The lute was another important predecessor, dating back to around 1500 BCE.
Q: Where was one of the earliest lutes discovered?
A: It was unearthed at the burial site of King Harmose.
Q: How did the lute resemble the modern guitar?
A: It featured three gut strings, a wooden and rawhide body, and a plectrum attached to the neck, making it more guitar-like than the earlier instruments.
Q: When and where were the first modern guitars developed?
A: The first guitars, as we know them today, were developed in Spain during the early 15th century.
Q: What instrument inspired the design of the early Spanish guitar?
A: The design was inspired by the vihuela, a popular Spanish string instrument of the time.
Q: How did the early guitar developed in Malaga differ from modern guitars?
A: It had a bulged waist, was deeper and narrower overall, and used a different tuning system.
Q: What was the original tuning of the early guitar?
A: It was tuned to C, F, A, D, spread over three courses of strings and a single top string.
Q: What major changes occurred in guitar design between the 16th and 19th centuries?
A: A fifth course of lower strings was added before 1600, and a sixth course by the late 18th century. Eventually, double courses were replaced with single strings.
Q: When did the guitar adopt the modern standard tuning?
A: Before 1800, the guitar adopted single strings tuned to E-A-D-G-B-E, which remains the standard tuning today.
Q: What types of guitars do musicians commonly play today?
A: Modern players can choose from acoustic, electric, or bass guitars to perform in virtually any genre of music.
Q: How does an acoustic guitar work?
A: An acoustic guitar is usually held flat against the player’s body, and the strings are plucked and/or strummed by the dominant hand, which makes them vibrate. Simultaneously, the opposite hand is used to press down selected strings against the frets. These vibrations are transmitted from the bridge to the top, side, and back of the guitar’s body, which is a hollow chamber that amplifies the sound.
Q: How many strings does a guitar have?
A: Guitars usually have six strings; though there are 12-string and 7+ strings available on the market, featuring round-wound/flat-wound steel or nylon strings.
Q: What’s the difference between types of guitar strings?
A: Nylon strings have taken the place of the earliest strings which were made of animal gut, and are typically used on acoustic guitars playing classical music, though they have been featured in most other genres of music. Flat-wound strings have more tension due to a larger and heavier core, and have been featured predominantly in jazz as well as early blues, country, and rock ‘ n ‘ roll records on acoustic as well as electric guitars. Round-wound strings have lower tension than flat-wounds, and are the most popular string choice due to their brighter tones and vast versatility.
Q: What does a guitar do?
A: In a group setting or on its own, a guitar can equally play an accompanying role and or a leading role, and is one of the few instruments that can provide both roles while being incredibly portable.
Q: Who are some guitarists I should listen to?
A: A concise and eclectic list of famous guitarists:
- Andre Segovia
- BB King
- Wes Montgomery
- Scotty Moore
- George Harrison
- Jimi Hendrix
- Frank Zappa
Interested in learning guitar? Visit our Music Teacher page to find more about our instructors and how they can help you achieve your musical goals.
About the Author
Our Explore Musical Instruments series of articles were written for and contributed to Note-worthy Experiences® Music Studio by current and past music instructors. We appreciate their generosity in sharing their experiences and expertise!
