Guitar

Guitars

The guitar, in any of its multiple versions, is an instrument of the chordophone family, meaning it produces sound through the vibration of its strings. For this reason, it is included as a category within plucked string instruments, and depending on the specific instrument, it will create and emit sound through particular mechanisms and techniques.

History and Context

As is often the case with instruments as old as the guitar, there are certain inconsistencies regarding its origin. Therefore, we see various hypotheses, such as its origins coming from Turkey, Egypt, Greece, the Roman Empire, among others. As we can see, these are very disparate places and also at different historical moments.

However, the most accurate reference we can adhere to is that the guitar comes from the lyre, invented in 1500 BC by the Hittites (what is now Turkey and some areas of Syria).

On the other hand, and moving several centuries later, we can find the greatest national reference for this instrument. We are talking about the considered "father of the classical and flamenco guitar" (invented around 1852), the man from Almería, Antonio de Torres.

Characteristics of Guitars

For centuries, the guitar has undergone many changes and adaptations to meet new musical needs. These transformations have defined new types and versions of these instruments, leading to the voluminous guitar market that exists today worldwide. Therefore, we cannot state such things as: all guitars are made of wood, all use a soundboard, or all connect with a jack... However, there are certain characteristics that are repeated in any guitar, such as the different parts of a guitar. Let's look at them!

• Headstock:

It is the end of the guitar, the part furthest from the musician and where the end of the strings is located, within the tuning pegs. It is common to find the manufacturer's brand on the headstock.

• Tuning head and tuning pegs:

The tuning head is located at one end of the guitar's headstock. It is commonly made of wood or metal depending on the instrument. It is in the tuning head where all the guitar's tuning pegs are found. A tuning peg is the piece that allows the musician to tune the strings by increasing or decreasing their tension by rotating the peg. Normally, within a tuning head, we will find the same number of tuning pegs as the guitar has strings. Which way a tuning peg tightens or loosens the strings will depend on how the string was secured within the peg at the time of assembly.

• Nut and bridge:

Between the headstock and the neck of the guitar, we need a piece that serves as a link. The nut performs this function and also allows the strings to be correctly guided and supported within the neck and towards the tuning pegs. This piece is usually made of bone or other similar materials.

On the other hand, we find the bridge, which basically performs the same function as the nut but is located at the other end of the neck on top of the guitar's body. This piece is rectangular and is also where the strings are tied or secured during assembly, to then pass them through the nut and re-secure them in each tuning peg of the tuning head. On top of the bridge, we see a second piece (made of bone) that composes it, the saddle. It is specifically the piece through which the strings pass before being tied at the bridge. Due to its characteristics, it is considered the 0 fret of a guitar (although it is not used for playing).

• Sides or ribs:

It is the side part of the instrument, named for its resemblance to the curves of the human body. More than a piece, we are referring to the characteristic curvature of guitars that commonly rests on the musician's leg when playing the instrument while seated. It is also part of the guitar's body, so beyond an ergonomic or aesthetic function, depending on its size or curvature, it can influence the guitar's sound.

• The neck:

It is basically the neck of the guitar, meaning the longest piece of wood that runs along the guitar from the headstock (included) to the body. It therefore includes the tuning head and tuning pegs, the strings, the frets, the bridges, and the fretboard. The fretboard, specifically, is the part of the neck that goes from the resonant body of the guitar to the nut and includes all the frets and most of the string's path.

• The frets:

These are the spaces between the metal bar separators perpendicular to the fretboard and the guitar strings. They are so important because they determine the musical notes and influence the tone according to the height of the fret. It is on the frets where the strings are pressed when playing to achieve different notes depending on the position of the fingers. The number of frets is variable and depends on the type of instrument; if it is a ukulele, for example, it will have many fewer.

• The strings:

They are the vibration itself of the guitar, the determining element for playing. Normally, they are usually made of metal or nylon, and it is even common to have different types of string materials on the same guitar. Normally there will be 6 strings (from 1 to 6 from bottom to top within the fretboard), although there can be more and also fewer depending on the instrument.

How the Guitar Works

The sound of guitars is generated by the vibration of the strings. However, by themselves, they do not produce a well-heard sound, so they need to be amplified in some way, either with a pickup, electronically, or with a soundboard, in a more traditional way.

Playing the guitar requires the synchronization and coordination of the ear and both hands.

Generally, the left hand will mark the chords by pressing the notes on the fretboard, and the right hand will keep the rhythm and make the guitar sound by strumming or arpeggiating strings at a lower height than the chords.

On the other hand, the length and thickness of the string will have to be taken into account, as they will produce sounds at different pitches, depending on which fret we are playing and which string we are pressing for each chord.

Where can we hear guitars?

Perhaps we should ask ourselves where we cannot hear them. The truth is that guitars are very adaptable and recurrent instruments in almost any musical style. In electric versions, we will find thousands of blues, rock and roll, or heavy metal songs. On the other hand, it is well known that in Spain we can go to a good flamenco show and enjoy a good classical or flamenco guitar, or maybe some country music? Or a good pop or indie song, sung with an electro-acoustic guitar? And why not some Hawaiian music with a small ukulele?...

As you can see, the guitar is a truly versatile instrument and can be present in almost any musical genre and style you can imagine. Not to mention, not only different types of guitars for different musical styles, but also how different instruments adapt to each genre, creating versions and an increasingly rich range of musical styles.

Types of Guitars

There is a great variety and types of guitars, with particular and distinctive characteristics, today. Some examples are Spanish guitars, Italian guitars, Renaissance guitars, Baroque guitars, acoustic resonance guitars, MIDI guitars, flamenco guitars, semi-acoustic guitars, Russian guitars, basses, double/triple/quadruple neck guitars, the mandolin, the banjo, small guitars like the ukulele, and many more. Even so, probably the most famous and popular worldwide are the acoustic guitar, electro-acoustic guitar, electric guitar, and even the classical or Spanish guitar.

Guitars at NEOmúsica

At NEOmúsica we have a wide variety of guitar types, such as the acoustic guitar, Spanish guitar, bass guitar, classical guitar, electric guitar, ukulele... and accessories and articles related to all types of guitars: acoustic guitar accessories, bass guitar accessories, classical guitar accessories such as guitar strings,