Guitar Research Paper

For thousands of years stringed instruments have been played as a form of entertainment. Some of these instruments closely resemble the modern guitar, others look as if they are an entirely different instrument. While no one knows which instrument directly influenced it, there are many theories. One of the most interesting things about the guitar is how many different playing styles there are. The types of guitars we have now took shape sometime in the 19th century and brought with it many different styles of music and variations of the guitar.

Four thousand years is how far back guitar can be traced, but no one is sure of it’s exact origins. There are many theories as to where the guitar originated from. Some claim that the instrument came from the ancient Greek Kithara. Others think it originated from the lute. Research conducted by Dr. Michael Kasha in the 1960s debunked those theories. His research showed that, while the Kithara was similar in name with the Spanish “Quitarra”, it’s too different to be related. The research also showed that the lute did have common ancestors with the guitar, but the lute developed separately. The earliest stringed instruments recorded are known as Bowl Harps or Tanburns. Even though there are many plausible theories as to where the guitar …show more content…
The year was 1850 when Antonio Torres increased the body size and made other alterations to their current 6 stringed instruments, resulting in what we know today as the modern classical guitar. This became the standard for classical guitars and remained unchanged. Around the same time, German immigrants in the America developed the Steel Stringed guitar. These guitars required stronger necks and heads due to the increased pressure from the steel strings. Electric guitars were born in the 1920s when pickups were put onto jazz guitars. It wasn’t until 1936, when Gibson released their ES150, that electric guitars gained