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