Guitar: history, video, interesting facts, listen. A Brief History of the Guitar How the guitar appeared

The guitar is one of the most popular musical instruments. Comprises:

• hollow inside the body made of wood, acting as a resonator;
• elongated neck;
• strings.

As a solo instrument or accompanist, the guitar can be used in almost any musical genre.

The guitar is one of the most ancient instruments!

The rise of the guitar is rooted in thousand years of history. Documentary references that have come down date back to the era before our era. For the first time this musical instrument appeared in ancient India and Egypt. The guitar is also mentioned in biblical texts. The parents of the instrument are nabla and cithara.

They consisted of a hollow body inside and an elongated neck with strings. The material was a specially prepared pumpkin, wood of a certain shape, or tortoise shell.

The history of the origin, creation of the guitar also applies Chinese culture- there is an instrument similar to a guitar - zhuan. Such devices were assembled from two various parts. It was the juan that served as the parent of the Moorish and Latin guitar.

On the European continent popular instrument begins to appear only in the sixth century. The Latin version appears for the first time. According to scientists, the guitar, like the lute, could have been brought by the Arabs. The word itself probably arose from the combination of the two concepts "tar" (string) and "sangita" (music). According to another version, the word "kutur" (four-string) served as the basis. The very designation "guitar" begins to appear only in the thirteenth century.

Her beauty is like a luxurious girlish figure, and the sound is able to silence even the most passionate talker. It's about the guitar, which today is called the most popular musical instrument in the world.

According to statistics, only one in three of those who wish is able to learn how to play the guitar, for the rest it is not possible. They even talk about a genetic predisposition to owning this musical instrument, but in fact, anyone can learn to play the guitar. And our mission is to help you with this.

But there are many facts that confirm that the history of the guitar is complex and multifaceted, which is why it is interesting and even instructive to some extent.

Where did this beauty come from?

The history of the guitar originates long before our time. The prototype of this musical instrument appeared as early as 2 thousand years BC. That guitar was not like the modern one. Although the principle of the game was somewhat similar to the present. The guitar of ancient people also had strings, a round body and a kind of neck, on which the strings were attached.
As time went on, the development of the guitar continued. She was loved and respected by the ancient Chinese. In the 3rd century BC, they made such a tool from tortoise shells and even pumpkins, which were previously soaked in saline, and then carefully dried in the sun. It was believed that only then the guitar would sound perfect... The recordings of those guitars have not survived to this day, so the poet can only rely on the honesty of those who lived in the past and described the sound of such a musical instrument.

The guitar, which is very similar to what we use in the 21st century, goes to the Ancient East. There, almost 2 thousand years ago, prototypes of a modern musical instrument appeared. The lute also appeared there - it is the great-great-grandmother and 100 times the great-grandmother of the modern guitar. It developed and grew, at first it had 2 strings, and by the 16th century it already had 4. It was played with the hand and the prototype of the modern pick.

In the 17th century, the so-called Spanish guitar appeared. The instrument already had 5 strings. Only a select few could play it. The melody turned out so sonorous that the kings adored it and ordered it for any ball and even a meal!

The five-string Spanish guitar existed for nearly a century until one craftsman did not dare to add another string to the design. So, the guitar became a six-string. The Spaniards were the first to learn to play this, and then everyone else.

History of the name of the guitar

The very word "guitar" is not Russian. Before moving on, it is necessary to understand its origin.

The word came from Central Asia. Then it was transformed in Greece. In Spain they said - guitarra, in Italy - gaytar. The modern "guitar" came from England. This is the word we use today.

Acoustics and guitar

The history of the acoustic guitar completely repeats the history of the guitar, because it is. Her closest relatives and even parents are called:

• vihuela;
• cello.

There are 3 known species in the world today. acoustic guitars. These include:

• classical;
• jumbo;
• dreadnought.

A little about the classics

The classical guitar is the oldest and most familiar to us. It is used at various concerts, as well as in music schools. Children and adults learn to play on it, it is sometimes filmed in video clips and films. In general, classical is the guitar as we are accustomed to seeing and knowing it. At a modern string from nylon. It is an inexpensive and practical material that can be quickly replaced. The body is made of wood. This, of course, in a simple way, but understandable and familiar to everyone.
Almost every one of us had a tool in our hands. It is quite heavy, otherwise it would not be able to produce such sounds that catch!
The classical guitar was created by the Spaniard Antonio Torres. He came up with the idea of ​​adding a sixth string, gave the instrument its final form, and for the first time played a classical piece on it himself.

Oh, seven-string guitar...

This is absolutely true, the modern seven-string guitar is called Russian. Sometimes also gypsy. Vysotsky loved it so much, Jimi Hendrix played it ... The seven-string guitar is so ours and so dear.
Andrei Sikhra invented the seven-string guitar. He was a virtuoso of this musical instrument and dreamed of teaching everyone and every inhabitant of our country to play it. This was not possible, but thanks to him we use the seven-string guitar.
It is believed that it is the seven-string guitar that has the most ideal sound, it is suitable for any music from classical to modern in rock processing. That is why today they make seven-string and electric guitar.

A seven-string and classical guitar is a whole storehouse different facts. Here are some of the more interesting ones:

• a seven-stringed instrument has the thinnest strings, which is why the sound is so high.
• Previously, strings were made from the intestines of animals, it was believed that such strings were the most resonant and strong.
• Those who make guitars are called luthiers.
• The most expensive instrument in the world costs almost $3 million.
• The smallest seven-string guitar– only 10 microns in length. It was collected under a powerful microscope.
• In England, you can marry the guitar or marry it.
• The guitar has 4 octaves.
• The largest guitar is 13 meters long.
• Gypsies know how to guess on the guitar.
• Only 6 percent of the world's people can play such an instrument.
• The guitar used to be played only with a bow, touching the strings with your hands was considered bad form.
• There is a guitar in the world that has as many as 15 strings. It is not often played, but it has more than enough fans!
• Those who dream of a guitar are promised new acquaintances.
• It is easier for girls to learn to play the seven-string instrument than for boys.
• beautiful female figure compared to the guitar.

But the following fact is not the history of the creation of the guitar, but it can be called curious for general development. For those who are single and looking for their other half, scientists advise picking up a guitar. For what? To attract members of the opposite sex. Our brain reacts to a guy or a lady with a guitar in a strange way. Such a person seems to us attractive, active and very ... kind. A person with a guitar in their hands is five times more likely to be met than someone who does not have a guitar. Plus, you don't have to play the instrument!

Musical Instrument: Guitar

Guitar… What associations arise when you hear this word? A passionate Spaniard dances an incendiary dance, playing along with her castanets. Noisy gypsies singing their cheerful songs. Or maybe a quiet summer evening, a river bank, where a soulful song sounds under the glow of a fire. Everywhere we hear the captivating timbre of the guitar - an instrument that has conquered the peoples of the whole world. She is trusted soul feelings and share their joy, poets dedicate poems to her. Many celebrities loved to listen to the guitar, I. Goethe, J. Byron, A.S. Pushkin, M.Yu. Lermontov, L.N. Tolstoy devoted many lines to her in his great works.

The history of the guitar and many interesting facts about it musical instrument read on our page.

Sound

« ... The guitar has a gentle sound, like the touch of hands. The guitar has a quiet sound, as if a friend is whispering!... » - this is how the wonderful Spanish virtuoso guitarist F. Tarrega wrote about his favorite instrument. Velvet and soft guitar tone harmonizes perfectly with the sound different instruments, For example, mandolins, balalaikas, violins.

The sound on the instrument is the result of the vibration of the stretched strings, pressing them with the fingers of the left hand on the frets, the performer receives the desired pitch.

guitar range is almost four octaves (from "mi" of a large octave to "si" of the second octave).
System: 6 string - "mi" of a large octave; 5 - "la" of a large octave; 4 - "re" of a small octave; 3 - "salt" of a small octave; 2 - "si" of the second octave; 1 - "mi" of the first octave. The instrument sounds an octave lower than its actual musical notation.

The basic ways of extracting sound on the guitar are plucking and hitting the strings. There are two types of pluck: apoyando (leaning on the lower adjacent string) and tirando (without stops).The blow and pinch are performed with the fingers of the right hand, as well as with the help of a mediator (plectrum).

Guitar players use additional interesting sound production techniques widely used in various styles of music: barre, arpeggio, arpeggio, legato, tremolo, ascending and descending legato, bend (tightening), vibrato, glissando, staccato, tambourine, golpe, harmonics.

Photo:

Interesting Facts :

• The National Archaeological Museum of Athens has a sculpture dating from the fourth century BC, depicting a girl playing the guitar.
• Antonio Torres, who was called the guitar "Stradivarius", is still considered the most the best master for the manufacture of these instruments.
• In the Museum of Musical Instruments, located in the Paris Conservatory, there is a guitar belonging to the work of the Venetian master C. Coco. The sample, which bears the date - 1602, is the first instrument of the 17th century that has come down to us.
• Nicolo Paganini , an outstanding Italian violinist, masterfully played both the violin and the guitar. He transferred many technical guitar techniques to the violin, and according to the statements of his contemporaries, Paganini owes his incredible skill to the guitar. The maestro liked to say: "I am the king of the violin, and the guitar is my queen." The guitar of the famous violinist is an exhibit of the Paris Conservatory Museum.

• Took a great interest in playing the guitar famous composers like K.M. weber, D. Verdi , A. Diabelli.
• Outstanding German composer F. Schubert was very kind to the guitar. The instrument, on which the musician played and did not part with it all his life, is now an exhibit of the museum - the apartment of Franz Schubert in Vienna.
• The famous Spanish composer and guitarist Fernand Sor, referred to by his contemporaries as the "Mendelssohn of the guitar", lived in Moscow for five years at the beginning of the 19th century with his wife, who served as a choreographer at the Imperial Theater. Güllen Sor staged mainly ballet performances, the music for which her husband wrote.
• The Housten Academy of Science and Technology (USA) produced the world's largest guitar. It has a length of more than 13 meters, which is 6-7 times more than human height. Since all the proportions of the instrument are respected and the thick strings made of aircraft cable are of the appropriate length, the sound is the same as on a conventional guitar.

• The largest ensemble of guitarists performed in Poland on May 1, 2009 and consisted of 6346 members.
• The American musical instrument company Fender produces about 90,000 strings a day. This is over 30,000 km. per year, which is equal to the distance traveled around the world.
• In 1997, the smallest guitar was made at Carnel University in New York. The instrument, which was 10 micrometers long, was made of silicon. The strings of the guitar vibrated at a purity 1000 times greater than the sensitivity of the human ear.
• The longest uninterrupted guitar performance lasted 114 hours 6 minutes and 30 seconds, it took place in June 2011. This record was set by David Brown in Dublin (Ireland) in the Temple Bar pub.
• The electrically amplified guitar was invented by George Beechamp in 1931, and in 1936 the world famous American firm Gibson created its first electric guitar.
• Some of the most popular guitar manufacturers are Gibson, Dean, PRS, Ibanez, Jackson, Fender, Martin, Gretsch, Hohner, Takamine, Strunal. , "Furch", "Almansa", "Amistar", "Godin" and others.

• The guitar of B. Dylan, the acclaimed American actor, songwriter and performer, was sold for exactly $965,000 in December 2013 through auction house"Christie". Before that, the most expensive guitar was Eric Clapton's Blackie Stratocaster, sold in 2004 for $959,500.
• BB King - American blues guitarist, singer, referred to by fans as the "King of the Blues", is the first musician to use the electric guitar in rock music.
• Monuments to the guitar are installed in Naberezhnye Chelny (Russia), in Paracho (Mexico), in Beirut (Lebanon), on the Katun River (Russia), in Aberdeen, Washington (USA), in the village of Morskoye (Russia) , in Cleveland (USA), in Kitchener (Canada), in Chelyabinsk (Russia), in Potosi (Bolivia), in Miami (USA).

Design

The principle of construction of stringed instruments is almost always the same and includes the body (body) of the instrument and the neck with the head.

• The lower and upper decks that make up the body of the guitar are connected to each other by shells, curved in the form of a figure-eight. Depending on the type of guitar, the top deck is equipped with one or more sound holes, as well as a string rest and saddle. The widest (bottom) part of the body of the guitar is 36 cm, and the top is 28 cm. The body of a concert guitar is usually made of resonator spruce or white maple.
• The neck, machined from durable wood, on the one hand has a so-called heel attached to the shell. On the other side, the neck ends with a head with peg mechanics, which serves to tension the strings. A fretboard with built-in metal frets is glued onto the neck, separating the frets, which are arranged in chromatic order. Between the neck and the headstock is a nut that controls the height of the strings.

Modern guitars usually use synthetic or metal strings.

The total length of the instrument is 100 cm.

Varieties

Currently, all guitars are divided into two types: acoustic and electric.

Acoustic guitar has a hollow body with a resonating hole in it. She is a queen on the concert stage and a participant in simple yard gatherings.

The acoustic guitar is very versatile, as it has different variants, here are some of them:

• Classical - is a direct descendant of the Spanish guitar. It features a wide neck and the obligatory presence of nylon strings that sound soft and quiet. This type of guitar is used on the academic concert stage, as well as in classrooms.
• Dreadnought - has the names Country and Western. Due to the presence of metal strings, it sounds loud and loud. On such an instrument, the sound is extracted using a mediator. This type of instrument is used to perform in different styles.
• Jumbo - a guitar with an enlarged body and a loud sound, most in demand in rock, pop, blues, country music. Because of the metal strings, sound extraction occurs with the help of a pick.
• Ukulele- the second name is the ukulele. A miniature instrument with four nylon strings and playing technique similar to an ordinary guitar. Sound extraction takes place with the fingertips or with a special pick made of felt.
• Seven-string - (Gypsy or Russian). It has seven strings tuned in thirds. Vladimir Vysotsky, Bulat Okudzhava and Sergey Nikitin preferred this type of guitar.
• The 12 string is a very large and massive instrument. The main difference is the presence of 12 paired strings.
• Electro-acoustic - a type of hybrid instrument in which the presence of a built-in piezo pickup makes it possible to connect to an amplifier.
• Semi-acoustic - a transitional instrument from acoustic to electric guitar. The presence of a hollow body makes it similar to an acoustic guitar, and the presence of a pickup and tone controls brings it closer to an electric guitar. The instrument has a second name jazz guitar, as it is mainly used in jazz. The semi-acoustic guitar is shaped like a violin. It has two resonator holes like a violin - in the form of the letter "f".
• Bass - one of the varieties of acoustic guitars. The instrument has 4 strings and is designed for playing parts in the low range.

The second type of guitar is the electric guitar., which is today an independent type of musical instrument that has the ability to process sound, which allows musicians to achieve various desired sound effects.

Application and repertoire

The scope of the guitar is very wide, it is subject to a lot. In the most various forms popular music, as well as in styles such as jazz, blues, rock, funk, soul, metal, country, rock music, folk, flamenco, mariachi, the main instrument is the guitar. She can accompany, and can act as a solo instrument.

The repertoire library for the instrument is huge, there are even concert pieces with symphony orchestra. Talented composers-performers, among them: F. Tarrega, D. Aguado, M. Giuliani, F. Sor, F. Carulli, A. Segovia, M. Carcassi left a great creative legacy. They loved the guitar very much, were fond of playing it, and such great masters as L. Spohr, G. Berlioz, F. Schubert, K. M. Weber, A. Diabelli, R. Kreutzer, I. Hummel did not bypass their composer's attention. Composers C. Monteverdi, G. Donizetti, D. Rossini, D. Verdi, J. Massenet used the sound of the guitar in their opera performances.

I would especially like to note the merit in enriching the guitar repertoire of the legend of violin performance N. Paganini. His legacy is about two hundred various essays- These are solo pieces, as well as various ensembles for guitar and violin instruments.

Popular works

I. Albeniz - Leyenda (listen)

Flor De Luna

Performers

Each period of development of the instrument revealed remarkable musicians-performers. They not only captivated the audience with their brilliant and virtuoso playing, but, writing works for the guitar, made an invaluable contribution to expanding the repertoire for the instrument,

The first famous guitar virtuosos were musicians who shone at the courts of kings and nobles, among them: J. Palencia, A. Peñefiel, A. Toledo, M. Toledo, R. Gitarra, F. Cabezon, L. Milan, L. Narvaez, J. Bermudo, A. Mudarra, E. Valderrabano, D. Pisador, M. Fuegyama, L. Inestres, E. Daza, J. Amat, P. Cerone, F. Corbetta, N. Velasco, G. Granatta, D. Foscarini, G. Sanz, L. Ribaillas, R. Viseo and F. Gerau, F. Aspasi, L. Roncalli, D. Kellner, S. Weiss, F. Corbetta, R. Wiese, F. Campion, G. Sanz. All the legacy left by these musicians is highly valued and in demand at the present time.

The next stage in the history of the instrument, called the “golden age of the guitar”, is inseparable from the work of outstanding musicians who have achieved worldwide recognition and proved that the guitar can compete with other instruments on the concert stage. D. Aguado, F. Sor, F. Carulli, D. Regondi, M. Giuliani, J. Arkas, M. Carcassi, A. Nava, Z. Feranti, L. Legnani, L. Moretti – the professional skills of these concert players raised the art guitar performance to a very high level.

Development performing arts in the 19th century is closely associated with the name of the outstanding guitarist F. Tarrega, in whose hands the guitar could sound like chamber orchestra. Laid the foundation in classical technique performing on the instrument, he brought up a constellation of talents, including: D. Prat, I. Lelupe, E. Puhol, M. Llobet, D. Fortea.

The 20th century gave the world wonderful guitarists, innovators in various styles and musical genres. A. Segovia, BB King , D. Page, D. Gilmour, S. Vaughn, D. Hendrix, P. Nelson E. Sheeran, R. Johnson, I. Malmsteen, D. Satriani, R. Blackmore left an indelible mark on the improvement of technical capabilities in the guitar art.

From Russian contemporary performers I would especially like to highlight the names of such virtuosos as N. Koshkin, L. Karpov, M. Yablokov, V. Kozlov, I. Rekhin, V. Chebanov, N. Komoliatov, D. Illarionov, V. Shirokov, V. Tervo.

Story

The history of the guitar is rooted in ancient times when the hunter, pulling the string of the bow, heard a sound that pleased him. He realized that this can not only get food for himself, but also delight the soul, using it as a musical instrument. The ancestors of the guitar were known as early as the 15th century BC. Archaeologists have found drawings dating from this period depicting people with musical instruments that closely resembled a guitar. Art historians believe that her cradle is in the countries of the Near and Middle East. peoples ancient civilizations: Egypt, Sumer, Mesopathamia, India and China had instruments with various titles, which may have been the ancestor of the guitar. Kinnor, cithara, nefer, sitar, nabla, sumerer, samblek, samblus, sambuit, pandura, kutur, gazur, mahal - there are many names, but the principle of construction is identical: a convex body, which was usually made from dried gourd or tortoise shell and a neck with frets . And in the third or fourth century, as a result of evolution in China, the yuan instrument appears, which has structural elements in common with the guitar - this is a resonator body, consisting of two soundboards interconnected by shells.

So who exactly was the ancestor of the guitar, and when it came to Europe is not known for certain. Historians and art historians still do not know the exact answer, perhaps it was an Arabic lute, an Asian kithara, or an ancient kithara.

The beginning of the formation of the guitar as we are used to seeing it dates back to about the 12th century.. She, displacing other musical instruments, becomes one of the most popular in European countries Oh. The tool is dynamically used in France, England, Germany, but it gains special recognition in Italy and Spain.

In the middle of the 13th century information about the guitar becomes more reliable. She gets her real name and we get more accurate data about her participation in musical life various countries. In Spain, the instrument, actively used as a soloist and accompanist, becomes truly popular.

Renaissance, which is characterized by the rapid flourishing of culture, had a very fruitful effect on the development of the guitar. In Spain, where the instrument received a special people's love, its development proceeded most intensively. A fifth was added to the four strings that previously existed on the instrument, and four strings were doubled, and one was left single. They changed the system, which later gets the name Spanish (E, H, G, D, A). The improved guitar enters into successful competition with the vihuela and lute known at that time, gradually ousting them from musical life.

The instrument penetrates deeper and deeper into the masses, it sounds in the palaces of noble nobles and in the homes of ordinary people. Various "salons" are organized in the cities - associations, circles, meetings, where guitar concerts are constantly held. For the instrument, a remarkable period begins in its development, the fashion for it spreads throughout Europe. Composers for the guitar create an extensive literature, the first editions of works for the instrument and study guides. Performers - virtuosos show the expressive and technical capabilities of the guitar.

In the 17th century The Spanish guitar is actively spreading throughout European countries, where it becomes one of the most fashionable instruments. The impetus for this was a passion for playing music on the guitar of the French King Louis XIV. During this period, she crossed Atlantic Ocean and firmly settled on the American continent.

In Europe, the instrument continued its transformation, for example, fixed frets were installed on it. And in Italy, in order to achieve greater sonority, they tried to replace the strings from the veins on the guitar with metal ones.

In the 18th century the instrument enters new stage of its development. The emergence of new composers writing for the guitar, as well as virtuoso musicians, was a sign of the growing popularity of the instrument. During this time, the guitar underwent a number of design changes that gave it a more refined look. The shape of the body was slightly changed for the instrument, the double strings were replaced with single ones and a sixth string was added, thereby expanding its technical capabilities. The guitar, having formed in a new way and, having acquired a truly popular love, entered an era that is called the “golden age of the guitar”.

In the 19th century guitar improvement continues. Created at that time by the Spanish guitar master Antonio Torres, the instrument today we call the classical guitar. This period was also marked by the emergence of remarkable composers and virtuoso musicians who made an invaluable contribution to the development of the instrument. However, not everything went so smoothly in the history of the guitar.

In the second half of the 19th century, the demand for the instrument decreases, and it fades into the background, as the piano, a new instrument for that time, is gaining more and more popularity. Of the European countries, only Spain and England remained faithful to the guitar.

The oblivion didn't last long. In 20th century the guitar regains popularity and flourishes with renewed vigor. Newly gifted virtuoso performers, mostly of Spanish origin, are changing the attitude of the general public towards her as a ancient instrument and bring the guitar to the academic stage, putting it on a par with such instruments as the violin and piano.

In the 30s of the last century, a new variety appeared - the electric guitar, the use of which radically changed the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bthe instrument and its application.

The guitar is a self-sufficient democratic instrument that is very popular and has won great love. In all its varieties, the guitar is very versatile. She feels great on large concert stages, in recording studios, at home for festive table and camping trips. Becoming integral part life different peoples, the instrument has taken a firm place in the feelings of many people.

Video: listen to the guitar

who invented the guitar?

The guitar is a string-plucked musical instrument, one of the most widespread in the world. It is used as an accompanying instrument in many musical styles, as well as solo classical instrument. It is the main instrument in such styles of music as blues, country, flamenco, rock music and many forms of popular music. Invented in the 20th century, the electric guitar had a profound effect on popular culture.
Origin
Tar is an Iranian lute. The earliest surviving evidence of stringed instruments with a resonating body and neck, the ancestors of the modern guitar, dates back to the 3rd millennium BC. Images of kinnor (Sumero-Babylonian stringed instrument, mentioned in biblical stories) were found on clay bas-reliefs during archaeological excavations in Mesopotamia. IN ancient egypt and India were also known similar instruments: nablu, nefer, zither in Egypt, wine and sitar in India. IN ancient greece and Rome, the cithara instrument was popular.

These instruments had an elongated round hollow resonating body and a long neck with strings stretched on it. The body was made in one piece - from a dried pumpkin, tortoise shell, or hollowed out from a single piece of wood. III -IV centuries AD in China, yuan and yukin instruments appeared, in which the wooden body was assembled from the upper and lower soundboards and the sides connecting them. In Europe, this caused the introduction of the Latin and Moorish guitars around the 6th century.
Origin of the name
The word "guitar" comes from the fusion of two words: the Sanskrit word "sangita" which means "music" and the Old Persian "tar" which means "string". As the guitar spread from Central Asia through Greece to Western Europe the word guitar underwent changes: cithara (ϰιθάϱα) in ancient Greece, Latin cithara, gitarra in Spain, guitare in France, guitar in England, and finally guitar in Russia. Despite the similarities, the word "guitar" is not related to the word "sitar".
classical guitar
In the Middle Ages, the main center for the development of the guitar was Spain, where the guitar came from ancient Rome (Latin guitar) and together with the Arab conquerors (Moorish guitar). By the 15th century, a guitar with 5 double strings invented in Spain (the first string could have been single) was gaining popularity. Such guitars are called Spanish guitars. By the XVIII century, the Spanish guitar in the process of evolution acquires 6 single strings and a considerable repertoire of works. Finally, in the 19th century, the Spanish guitar maker Antonio Torres gave the guitar modern shape and size. Guitars designed by Torres are today called classical. In Russia, the 7-string version of the Spanish guitar, called the "Russian guitar", is becoming more popular.
Electric guitar
Gibson guitar designed by Les PaulIn the 20th century, due to the advent of electronic amplification and sound processing technology, the new type guitars - electric guitar. In 1936, Georges Beauchamps and Adolphe Rickenbacker, the founders of the Rickenbacker company, patented the first electric guitar, with magnetic pickups and a metal body. In the early 1950s, American engineer and entrepreneur Leo Fender and engineer and musician Les Paul independently invent the solid wood electric guitar, the design of which has remained unchanged to this day.

The Grade 4 Guitar Message Briefly Tells You a Lot useful information about this stringed musical instrument. The report "Musical instrument guitar" can be used in preparation for the lesson.

Message about the guitar

Guitar is an ancient plucked stringed musical instrument, which, moreover, is widely used and popular throughout the world. It has its own history, features and sound. Due to the capabilities and wide range of sounds of this instrument, it is used in almost all genres of modern music.

The history of the appearance of the guitar

The ancestors of modern guitars appeared in the 2nd millennium BC. and their echoes are inherent in almost all world cultures. So, one of the ancient relatives of the guitar was the kinnor, a Sumerian-Babylonian instrument. It is the prototype of the Jewish psalter or psaltery, a ten-stringed instrument on which King David sang his psalms. Nabla, zither, sitar, and wines were known in India and Egypt. In the territory Kievan Rus harps were common. IN Ancient Rome and Greece, the cithara was popular, and in China in the 3rd-4th centuries such stringed instruments as yueqin and zhuan appeared. In the 15th century, a stringed instrument with 5 paired strings, called the Spanish guitar, was invented in Spain. She had an elongated body and a small scale. But the prototype of the modern look of the guitar was the European stringed musical instruments of the VI century (Latin and Moorish guitars), which influenced the formation of its characteristics and appearance. In the 16th century, the vihuela appeared, outwardly strongly reminiscent of the classical modern guitar. In the eighteenth century, the residual took shape appearance guitars and many works of great composers began to be performed on it.

The classical guitar came to Russia in the 18th century, where it underwent minor changes in tuning and one string was added. This is how the Russian seven-string guitar appeared, which was popular until the 20th century. After World War II, the six-string was played more frequently. classical guitar. In the twentieth century, new types of guitars were invented, thanks to which the popularity of the instrument increased significantly.

Types of guitars

• classical guitar

Is the ancestor existing species guitars. It was most popular in the 19th century. They performed flamenco and classical music(however, they still do it). In the twentieth century, she found a second life thanks to the work of A. Segovia.

It has a soft sound, wide neck and nylon strings. Sometimes they put metal ones, but the neck may not withstand such a load. To produce sound, the finger technique of playing the instrument is used.

• Non-classical acoustic guitar

It includes the type of guitars that have a Western body, jumbo, dreadnought. They have been very popular among guitarists since the 20th century. It features a relatively large body, a narrow neck, into which a truss rod was inserted to control the deflection, and the presence of a pickguard (teardrop-shaped protective plate). Only metal strings are installed on it. It produces a rich, bright and powerful sound. A mediator is often used to produce sound. Non-classical guitars are most often used in blues, folk, country, rock.

• Electroacoustic guitar

It is a guitar with a built-in piezo pickup. It can be connected to a speaker or combo. Often there is a cutout in the body for better access to the upper frets. Guitar pickups often include a tuner and an equalizer to tune the musical instrument.

• Semi-acoustic guitar

The guitar in the body of which has a cavity for the tone control. The soundboard is quite large, the resonator hole has been modified and reduced. This type of guitar is very fond of jazzmen, so it is also called jazz guitar. It is played through an amplifier and with a pick.

• Twelve-string guitar

The guitar is equipped with 12 strings, which are arranged in 2 strings in 6 pairs. It is made exclusively from strong wood, otherwise the neck may not withstand and break. Used for fighting. It has a wide, voluminous and rich sound.

• Electric guitar

The first electric guitar was patented in 1936. Lester William Pohlfuss introduced the world's first solid-body electric guitar in the 1950s. She influenced contemporary music and spawned new genres: rock, metal, rock and roll.

• The best guitar maker is Antonio Torres, the guitar Stradivarius.
• The Museum of Musical Instruments at the Paris Conservatoire houses a guitar with the date 1602 on it. This is the first one that has come down to us. Instrument XVII century.
• The largest guitar in the world is over 13 meters long. It was made at the Housten Academy of Science and Technology, USA.
• In 1931, the electrically amplified guitar was invented. Its author was George Beechamp.
• The smallest guitar was made of silicon in 1997 at Carnel University in New York. Its length is 10 micrometers.

We hope that the 4th grade guitar report helped you learn a lot of useful information about a stringed plucked musical instrument. A short story about the guitar for children, you can add through the comment form below.