The Evolution of
the Guitar
Strumming its way through the ages
By Sharon Findlay
Whether
it be a heavy Warlock, a fancy Flying - V, a classic Stratocaster
or a plain old acoustic, everyone knows what a guitar is. But
not many know where the instrument came from.
It is amazing how we can all be so familiar with something and
not know its history or its origin. Let me fill you in and take
you on a trip through the evolution and development of the guitar.
You will be introduced to the great grandfathers of all stringed
instruments and show you how they developed into what we recognize
as a guitar today.
Anyone who thinks the guitar is an American or modern invention,
is wrong. Anyone who thinks that the guitar is a hundred, two
hundred or even a thousand years old is also mistaken. Actually,
most musical historians believe that the guitar was born at
least 4000 years ago, although no one really knows for sure.
The oldest evidence of the existence of the guitar dates back
to 1900-1800 B.C. It was found in Babylonia on clay plaques,
which depict nude figures playing instruments that bear a general
resemblance to the guitar. Of course, this is far too early
for us to expect it to look exactly like the guitars of today,
but it did have strings and a distinctly differentiated body
and neck.
Around the same time in Egypt, the only plucked instrument was
a bow-shaped harp. A little later on, however, there was a new
development; a necked instrument with carefully marked frets
possibly made of gut, wound around the neck. An instrument was
also found in an Egyptian tomb dating back to around 30 B.C.
- 400 A.D. The sides had deeper curves than the older instruments,
the back had become completely flat (instead of curving upward
to meet the soundboard) and the two surfaces, back and front,
were
attached to each other with strips of wood that form the sides
of the sound box. Much like today's guitars.
Meanwhile, in Rome, the instrument had been growing and developing
more and more into the basic guitar shape. They began to construct
the entire instrument out of wood, even the soundboards which
were previously made with rawhide. This made the instrument
firmer because the materials were stronger.
The
first known European stringed instrument dates back to the third
century. It had a round sound box that tapers into a wide neck,
similar to the lute. A second instrument had also been invented
called the Carolingian instrument, getting its name from the
era in which it was conceived. It was a rectangular shaped instrument
with strings. Finally another instrument develops side by side
with the Carolingian and its straight sides were starting to
give way to slight curves.
The only evidence man has of the existence of guitars before
the sixteenth century is based on artwork. The only real instruments
discovered were from the 1700's or later.
Moving into the seventeenth century, the guitar was becoming
popular and particularly valued by the nobility. In France,
King Louis the XIV played the guitar and apparently regarded
it as his favourite instrument. The number of composers, guitarists
and guitar makers grew rapidly during that time.
By
the eighteenth century, Germany had become increasingly active
in this particular music field. It too accumulated an impressive
number of guitarists and composers especially as baroque music
reached its peak. Meanwhile in France, the guitar had attained
the status of an instrument par excellence by the nobility.
Soon after, the French revolution caused many nobles to be exiled
and surprisingly the guitar actually became more popular as
the general public adopted the instrument.
But it wasn't until the nineteenth century that it really reached
the peak of its development. Rising in all its glory to shine
not only in every part of Europe, but also on the American continent.
In the nineteenth century the Industrial Revolution brought
about great change. With improved means of transportation, railways
for example, musicians were able to travel more widely than
before. This led to concert tours, which gave artists the opportunity
to play for bigger audiences.
The guitar has been known in the New World from as early as
the sixteenth century when Spanish colonists sold guitars to
the Aztec Indians. Portuguese artists also helped the guitar's
popularity, particularly in South America. Their activities
led to the deep involvement of the guitar in the folk music
of many countries.
It isn't until the 20th century that the guitar fully reaches
it's potential. The extraordinary technological progress and
the development of mass media communications contribute to the
global exposure of the instrument. Consequently, more people
are given the opportunity to participate in and around the guitar,
such as musicians, composers, listeners and those of us who
just enjoy picking out a tune for our own enjoyment.
As we near the end of our journey through the guitar's history,
landing in the twenty-first century, there isn't much more to
say. You now know where the instrument came from and how it
has developed into what it is today. Guitar makers have built
on each other's knowledge and experience over the centuries,
steadily improving the quality of the
instrument. From the Babylonians, through the classical world
and into the new world, we have seen the guitar evolve as an
instrument revered by millions of people over the course of
4000 years. Indeed the guitar has earned respect from people
all over the world and from all walks of life.
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