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The guitar is a part of the lute family and is what is called a "composite chordophone." Taking its roots in Spain, it cannot be proven to have existed in a form similar to the modern guitar any earlier than the 1400's, but there are a variety of theories surrounding its origins. Some believe that it is related to the Greek instrument, the "kithara," a theory that is further supported by the relationship between the word "kithara" and the word "guitar." Other hypothesize that the long-necked lutes of Mesopotamia and the flat-backed instrument with curved sides depicted in the wall paintings of tombs in Egypt are relative enough to draw comparison. Similarly, from the First to the Fourth centuries, short-necked lutes that are decidedly shaped like guitars were played in Central Asia.
The guitar first emerged in Spain, and was most likely invented by the people in the Malaga region. The theory that the guitar may have had some Egyptian ancestors is supported by the Moors' visit in the Middle Ages. These Arabs passed through Egypt on their way towards North Africa and Spain, and probably brought their instruments with them in the later 13th Century, which were thought to be guitars with long necks, oval soundboxes and several sound holes. This type of instrument was called the "Guitarra Morsica" and is displayed in many artworks along with the other instrument, the "Guitarra Latina," with curved sides that probably most likely inspired the Malagan people to begin to develop the modern guitar.
The earliest Spanish guitar arose in the 15th Century and was what is called a "four course" guitar, which refers to the strings it possessed. This first four-string version was extremely small, and is probably what inspired guitar relatives such as the lute and the ukulele.
During the 16th Century, the lute was the favorite instrument of a majority of the European aristocracies except in Spain, where it was attached to the Moors and therefore opposed as a reminder of the oppression they had brought to the country. The Spaniards began to perfect the "guitarra," again with four strings, as a rebellion against the Moors and the popularity in other countries of the lute. However, this instrument's structure could not easily play the complex, polyphonic music that was emerging, and Spanish nobles saw the "guitarra" as an instrument associated with commoners. In an attempt to meet the demands of the music at the time, the "guitarra" became the "vihuela," a long-necked instrument with six strings. Many of the greatest compositions of the 16th Century and of the Renaissance came out of Spain and "vihuela" players.
While the six-course guitar was certainly popular among the upper classes in Spain, the "guitarra" continued to enjoy popularity among the commoners throughout the 17th and 18th centuries as a vehicle for playing simple accompaniments to popular music. It was thus perfect for entertainment in small settings and dances, which is an interesting and relative root to note considering the way the guitar is used today in popular music. The "guitarra" was also used in France in the 16th Century for similar purposes and became a legitimate school of guitar playing during that time despite the lute's greater popularity.
The 16th Century also brought about the five-string, or five-course guitar that was first seen in Italy. It was used mainly for bright, high-range music and was thought of as better than the lute for accompanying vocal pieces and as a part of instrumental ensembles. These instruments were, like other original guitars, very small, and had the same tuning as five strings on the modern guitar - E-B-G-D-A. The difference between this Baroque period instrument and the modern guitar was that its fifth course wasn't a bass string.
The popularity of the five-string guitar spread throughout Europe from Italy during the 17th Century. Many professional guitarists started to request compositions that were more complex and refined to suit the demands of the instrument. As these guitarists further crafted and developed technique and style, many of them started to teach and compose music themselves. It was because of efforts to spread guitar music that its popularity increased and demands for guitars increased. Instrument-makers and guitar music started to thrive in Europe, and the instrument developed further.
In the 18th Century, the "chitarra battente" was developed. It had a rounded back as opposed to a flat one that was highly decorated with different materials. It was mostly used for folk music and is depicted more often than any other type of instrument in paintings of that century. The middle of the 18th Century brought about he most notable changes in the guitar, both in the instrument itself and the music it produced. Because the guitar was used most frequently to accompany vocalists with arpeggios, in a way similar to the harpsichord keyboard instrument, musicians began to notice they neeeded true bass notes on the guitar to achieve the best effect. The baroque guitar began to transform into the modern guitar in both sound and the way it was played, and in 1785, guitar-makers added a sixth string.
In the 19th Century, the focus was again on Spain and the guitar's roots. Up until this century, the instrument was still small and narrow, despite the addition of the sixth string to improve playability. Famous guitar-maker Antonio de Torres worked with this overall design of the guitar by increasing the size and experimenting with improvements that might achieve a better sound, and in particular, a higher volume. He was the first guitar-maker to use the "fan" style of bracing that helped maximize tone quality underneath the top of the guitar. He discovered that most of the volume came from the top and not the back of the instrument; this discovery brought about changes in the guitar critical to today's models, and make it clear that Torres is truly the father of the instrument as it now exists.
While Torres can certainly be attributed with perfecting the construction of the guitar, 19th Century Spanish guitarist Segovia truly gave its music worldwide popularity. He was the first guitarist to perform in major concert halls. He is responsible for transcribing many great pieces of music and composing renowned works for the instrument, along with teaching it to a rising class of young musicians. He traveled and performed throughout the world and gave the instrument recognition and respect it had never before enjoyed.
The final improvement to the guitar came about in 1946, when nylon strings replaced gut to improve the strings' durability, along with sound quality of the instrument and playing comfort for the musician.
Although the guitar had a very transient history full of changes in both form and playing technique, it is one of the few that has never lost its popularity, even with the technological advancements in the music world and specifically the introduction of electronic music.
Related topics:
The history of the electric guitar.
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