| I remember the first time I had seen an | | | | viola de mana. These Spanish guitars of |
| acoustic guitar, at the tender age of | | | | the 16th century were a change from the |
| five. My teacher had invited a guest to | | | | conventional renaissance lute and were |
| come in and bring in his guitar, to show | | | | customized to produce more creative and |
| us how he played his guitar and to | | | | dynamic tunes. |
| sing-a-long to some nursery rhymes. I | | | | Other influences to modern acoustic |
| remember feeling that this made a nice | | | | guitars were believed to have come from |
| change from singing along to my teachers | | | | Italy, whereby the first mandolin was |
| broken and badly tuned piano! It was at | | | | created in Naples. The Vinaccia family |
| this moment I had decided that music was | | | | may have been one of the first to build |
| going to become an important element to | | | | a six-string guitar during the 1700s, |
| my development. | | | | creating a new technique of playing |
| Unfortunately, I did not receive my | | | | using a fan strutting motion as opposed |
| first guitar until I was seventeen; | | | | to the conventional table bracing. |
| however, I did practise on other | | | | Modern Day Guitar |
| acoustic guitars in between that period | | | | The first electric guitar was not |
| along with a few piano lessons to keep | | | | created until the early twentieth |
| my creative musical juices flowing. | | | | century, which was patented by George |
| Taking guitar lessons proved more | | | | Beauchamp (co founder of electric guitar |
| difficult when I had no time to practise | | | | makers Rickenbacher). Leo fender would |
| in my spare time. I found that playing | | | | follow during the 1950's with his own |
| the guitar for the first time proved | | | | style and shape of the guitar. The |
| painful to my fingers, this was expected | | | | electric guitar is the main instrument |
| considering my hands were not used to | | | | for many modern music of various genres |
| the impact of plucking the hard strings. | | | | such as, rock, pop, indie and dance. |
| Acoustic guitars along with the drums, | | | | This is also a trend for many young |
| piano and violin are just a few the most | | | | people to begin playing the guitar. |
| popular musical instruments that have | | | | However, some young guitarists begin by |
| been around for many years. They have | | | | learning to read tablatures, as opposed |
| shaped the movement of modern music, | | | | to musical notes. Often the best way to |
| creating extraordinary tune and sounds | | | | learn is to pick up tabs from your |
| evoking different emotions from its many | | | | favourite music band and practise by |
| dynamics. Ultimately, the point of | | | | playing their tune. Learning different |
| playing music is to entertain and create | | | | techniques and strumming methods will |
| a mood of creative ease and expressing | | | | help with understand how each technique |
| ones emotions through sound. | | | | will create various melodic sounds. |
| History | | | | The key thing to guitar playing is |
| The guitar is just one of the many | | | | practise, like with learning to play any |
| instruments that have stood out the test | | | | other instrument you will find yourself |
| of time. The guitar as we know it was | | | | going over the same tune over and again |
| very different from the earlier designs | | | | until you have mastered and perfected |
| pre-twentieth century. In fact, the | | | | it. This in turn will inspire you to |
| guitar has been around since 2000 BC, | | | | play around with creating your own tunes |
| with the earlier forms of a guitar found | | | | on the guitar. Once you have grasped |
| in Susa, Elam, now known as Iran. | | | | with reading tabs, and playing guitar |
| Evidence shows that the guitar was | | | | chords, you will find the rest will fall |
| derived from earlier instruments from | | | | into place. |
| Central Asia and India, known as the | | | | One thing is for certain, if you are an |
| Sitara. | | | | impatient person like me, you will learn |
| These instruments were similar in that | | | | to relax to practising on your strumming |
| they were made from wood with strings | | | | techniques. More musicians are |
| that are plucked to create the musical | | | | introduced each year, with new |
| sound. Acoustic guitars have kept to the | | | | techniques of playing the guitar and |
| traditional strings and wood, which have | | | | continually making modifications to |
| further developed into seeing six, | | | | their guitars. Even though the guitar |
| eight, ten and twelve string guitars. | | | | has been around for over four centuries, |
| The modern guitar as we know it is an | | | | it is still thriving within the modern |
| inspired influence of the earlier | | | | music world, with classical guitarist |
| Spanish guitars, which was known as the | | | | still holding a high place in the world. |