A Brief History of the Guitar

Essay, Pages 4 (802 words)

Views

152

Going even further back, most historians believe that the guitar originated in Egypt nearly five thousand years ago. It stayed in Africa where it was called the okongao or cora(and is still played today, by several tribes, in the original "bow" form). Until it was later transplanted to Europe.

The Greek God Apollo, the God of Archery as well as music, which is interesting as the guitar evolved from the bow, is a prominent figure in the history of the guitar.

Don't use plagiarized sources. Get your custom essay on

“ A Brief History of the Guitar ”

Get custom paper

NEW! smart matching with writer

In one myth, Hermes climbs out of his cradle to steal the cows of Apollo. On the way home, Hermes kills a turtle and builds a guitar from the shell. Hermes then plays the guitar, which Apollo hears. Apollo then follows the sounds of the guitar until he finds Hermes. According to the myth Apollo agrees not to kill Hermes in return for the turtle shell guitar.

Other early guitars were made by stringing wires across clay pots, strings between bowls, or even made from melons.

But the guitar as we know it didn't take its current shape until it reached Europe. There it took the shape of a woman: softly rounded shoulders that flow smoothly into a thinner waist and then to another gently rounded curve at the bottom. The allusion of the guitar being shaped like a woman appears often in history. This is not surprising as the female body was so widely celebrated. The Spanish saying, "La mujuer y la guitara, para usarlas hay que templarias" or," to use a woman or a guitar, one must know how to tune them," is a fine example of the ties between women and the guitar.

There is also the sculpture "of the silver bow", where the bowstring of Apollo is stretched out over the vibrant body of a woman.

The size and shape of the traditional "classical" guitar used today have been traced back to Spain in the 1800's. Antonio Torres Juardo was the first to create the lighter thinner and easier to play version of the guitar.

One of the most influential guitarists, a man who was responsible for the guitar's fame as a solo instrument was Andres Segovia. Segovia, born in 1893, began teaching himself the guitar at age 12 and by the early 1930's was famous the world over. Segovia's skill was largely responsible for famous composers adopting the guitar into their compositions. Also according to Segovia, the first guitar came from the myth of Apollo trying to rape Daphne. The myth says that as Apollo embraced her she was changed into a laurel. The first guitar was made from this tree, and hence took the shape of Daphne.

The next big step in the evolution of the guitar came with the invention of the electric guitar in the 1900's. An electric guitar has an electromagnetic device that picks up the sound of the strings and sends it through a cord to an amplifier. Because of the amplifier, electric guitars produce a much greater range of sound than acoustic guitars do, as well as being louder and hence easier to hear.

Charlie Christian was one of the first great electric guitarists and was very influential in the development of Jazz. Christian was revered for his creativity and use of the instruments full potential. His use of improvisation and single-string style, that is playing one string at a time instead of chords, revolutionized the way people looked at the guitar. During his day Christian played with such jazz greats as Dizzy Gillespie and the pianist Thelonius Monk. He, along with those men, is responsible for creating a form of jazz called bebop. Christian died in 1942 of tuberculosis.

The next boost in guitar popularity came from an American Native. Born in Seattle, 1942, Jimi Hendrix is probably the most famous electric rock guitarist. Hendrix was responsible for extending the range and sounds of the guitar once again by experimenting with the electronic portions of the guitar. By manipulating knobs and switches on the body of the guitar and pedals that controlled parameters of the amplifier, Hendrix was able to change the sound a guitar made very quickly during a single composition. Hendrix' music emphasized loud volume, strong beats, and lengthy solo passages that achieved euphoric emotional highs. During Hendrix' life he traveled with many famous rhythm and blues performers as well as having two bands of his own. Hendrix died at the early age of 27 in London, England as a result of a drug overdose.

Today it is hard to find music not containing a guitar. From Country to Death Metal, Rap to Jazz, the guitar has become a very popular instrument. Even from its humble, functional beginning as a bow. The guitar has evolved into an instrument more widely broadcast than the piano, and a sound more widely recognized too.