I've begun learning chords in my guitar lesson and,while I was practising some Spanish- sounding chords, I began to wonder where the guitar came from and if it was of Spanish origins. I decided it would be interesting to research the origins of the guitar and how it came to look and sound the way it does. It was really interesting reading where it came from and how it has changed in look and sound over time.
The guitar originated in Spain. It is believed to have come from Malaga. The first guitars were very small, and were originally strung with four pair of strings. Although the guitar was around during the Renaissance, it was not as popular or respected as the lute. It was also strung very differently to modern guitar.
The guitar originated in Spain. It is believed to have come from Malaga. The first guitars were very small, and were originally strung with four pair of strings. Although the guitar was around during the Renaissance, it was not as popular or respected as the lute. It was also strung very differently to modern guitar.
A Baroque guitar
Throughout the Baroque period, more and more music was written for the guitar. This continued into the Classical period and it began to gain more respect as an instrument. A musician called Tarrega started the tradition of playing using your fingernails, which is still practised by classical players of the guitar today.
However at the end of the 19th century guitar had become unpopular again.
Until then, the guitar itself had been small and narrow. Antonio de Torres (1817 - 1892) worked with the design and construction of the guitar, making it bigger and improving the sound. He is considered to be behind the modern guitar.
Nylon strings were a big improvement over gut strings and replaced gut in 1946.
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