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ABriefHistoryoftheGuitar

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ABriefHistoryoftheGuitar
byPaulGuy

Theguitarisanancientandnobleinstrument,whosehistorycanbe
tracedbackover4000years.Manytheorieshavebeenadvanced
abouttheinstrument'sancestry.Ithasoftenbeenclaimedthatthe
guitarisadevelopmentofthelute,orevenoftheancientGreek
kithara.ResearchdonebyDr.MichaelKashainthe1960'sshowed
theseclaimstobewithoutmerit.Heshowedthattheluteisaresult
ofaseparatelineofdevelopment,sharingcommonancestorswith
theguitar,buthavinghadnoinfluenceonitsevolution.The
influenceintheoppositedirectionisundeniable,howeverthe
guitar'simmediateforefatherswereamajorinfluenceonthe
developmentofthefrettedlutefromthefretlessoudwhichthe
MoorsbroughtwiththemtotoSpain.
Thesole"evidence"forthekitharatheoryisthe
similaritybetweenthegreekword"kithara"and
theSpanishword"quitarra".Itishardtoimagine
howtheguitarcouldhaveevolvedfromthe
kithara,whichwasacompletelydifferenttypeof
instrumentnamelyasquareframedlapharp,or
"lyre".(Right)
Itwouldalsobepassingstrangeifasquare
framedsevenstringlapharphadgivenitsname
totheearlySpanish4string"quitarra".Dr.Kashaturnsthe
questionaroundandaskswheretheGreeksgotthename
"kithara",andpointsoutthattheearliestGreekkitharashadonly4
stringswhentheywereintroducedfromabroad.Hesurmisesthat
theGreekshellenifiedtheoldPersiannamefora4stringed
instrument,"chartar".(Seebelow.)

TheAncestors
Theearlieststringed
instrumentsknownto
archaeologistsarebowl
harpsandtanburs.Since
prehistorypeoplehave
madebowlharpsusing
tortoiseshellsand
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calabashesasresonators,withabentstickforaneckandoneor
moregutorsilkstrings.Theworld'smuseumscontainmanysuch
"harps"fromtheancientSumerian,Babylonian,andEgyptian
civilisations.Around25002000CEmoreadvancedharps,such
astheopulentlycarved11stringedinstrumentwithgolddecoration
foundinQueenShubAd'stomb,startedtoappear.

"QueenShubAd'sharp"(fromtheRoyalCemeteryinUr)
Atanburisdefinedas"alongneckedstringedinstrumentwitha
smalleggorpearshapedbody,withanarchedorroundback,
usuallywithasoundboardofwoodorhide,andalong,straight
neck".Thetanburprobablydevelopedfromthebowlharpasthe
neckwasstraightenedouttoallowthestring/stobepresseddown
tocreatemorenotes.TombpaintingsandstonecarvingsinEgypt
testifytothefactthatharpsandtanburs(togetherwithflutesand
percussioninstruments)werebeingplayedinensemble3500
4000yearsago.

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Egyptianwallpainting,Thebes,1420BCE
Archaeologistshavealsofoundmanysimilarrelicsintheruinsof
theancientPersianandMesopotamiancultures.Manyofthese
instrumentshavesurvivedintomoderntimesinalmostunchanged
form,aswitnessthefolkinstrumentsoftheregionliketheTurkish
saz,Balkantamburitsa,Iraniansetar,AfghanpanchtarandGreek
bouzouki.

Theoldestpreservedguitarlikeinstrument
At3500yearsold,thisistheultimatevintage
guitar!ItbelongedtotheEgyptiansingerHar
Mose.Hewasburiedwithhistanburclosetothe
tombofhisemployer,SenMut,architecttoQueen
Hatshepsut,whowascrownedin1503BCE.Sen
Mut(who,itissuspected,wasfarmorethanjust
chiefministerandarchitecttothequeen)built
Hatshepsutsbeautifulmortuarytemple,which
standsonthebanksoftheNiletothisday.

HarMosesinstrumenthadthreestringsandaplectrumsuspended
fromtheneckbyacord.Thesoundboxwasmadeofbeautifully
polishedcedarwoodandhadarawhide"soundboard".Itcanbe
seentodayattheArchaeologicalMuseuminCairo.

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QueenHatshepsut

Whatisaguitar,anyway?
Todistinguishguitarsfrom
othermembersofthetanbur
family,weneedtodefinewhat
aguitaris.Dr.Kashadefinesa
guitarashaving"along,fretted
neck,flatwoodensoundboard,
ribs,andaflatback,mostoften
withincurvedsides".
Theoldestknown
iconographicalrepresentation
ofaninstrumentdisplayingall
theessentialfeaturesofa
guitarisastonecarvingat
AlacaHuyukinTurkey,ofa
3300yearoldHittite"guitar"
with"alongfrettedneck,flat
top,probablyflatback,andwith
strikinglyincurvedsides".

TheLute(Al'ud,Oud)
TheMoorsbroughttheoudtoSpain.Thetanburhadtakenanother
lineofdevelopmentintheArabiancountries,changinginits
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proportionsandremainingfretless.
TheEuropeansaddedfretstotheoudand
calledita"lute"thisderivesfromthe
Arabic"Al'ud"(literally"thewood"),viathe
Spanishname"laud".
Aluteoroudisdefinedasa"shortnecked
instrumentwithmanystrings,alargepear
shapedbodywithhighlyvaultedback,and
anelaborate,sharplyangledpeghead".

RenaissancelutebyArthurRobb

ClickonthepicturetogotoArt'swebsite.
Beautifulinstruments!

Itishardtoseehowtheguitarwith"along,frettedneck,flat
woodensoundboard,ribs,andaflatback,mostoftenwithincurved
sides"couldpossiblyhaveevolvedfromthelute,withits"short
neckwithmanystrings,largepearshapedbodywithhighlyvaulted
back,andelaborate,sharplyangledpeghead".

TheGuitar
Thename"guitar"comesfromtheancientSanskritwordfor"string"
"tar".(Thisisthelanguagefromwhichthelanguagesofcentral
AsiaandnorthernIndiadeveloped.)Manystringedfolkinstruments
existinCentralAsiatothisdaywhichhavebeenusedinalmost
unchangedformforseveralthousandyears,asshownby
archeologicalfindsinthearea.Manyhavenamesthatendin"tar",
withaprefixindicatingthenumberofstrings:
Dotar
two=Sanskrit"dvi"modernPersian"do"
dotar,twostringinstrumentfoundinTurkestan
three=Sanskrit"tri"modernPersian"se"
setar,3stringinstrument,foundinPersia(Iran),
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(cf.sitar,India,elaboratelydeveloped,many
stringed)
four=Sanskrit"chatur"modernPersian"char"
chartar,4stringinstrument,Persia(most
commonlyknownas"tar"inmodernusage)
(cf.quitarra,earlySpanish4stringguitar,
modernArabicqithara,Italianchitarra,etc)
five=Sanskrit"pancha"modernPersian"panj"
panchtar,5strings,Afghanistan
IndianSitar
TheIndiansitaralmostcertainly
tookitsnamefromthePersian
setar,butoverthecenturiesthe
Indiansdevelopeditintoa
completelynewinstrument,
followingtheirownaestheticand
culturalideals.
PersianSetar

Chartar("Tar")

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Tanbursandharpsspreadaroundtheancientworldwithtravellers,
merchantsandseamen.ThefourstringedPersianchartar(note
thenarrowwaist!)arrivedinSpain,whereitchangedsomewhatin
formandconstruction,acquiredpairsofunisontunedstrings
insteadofsinglestringsandbecameknownasthequitarraor
chitarra.

Fromfour,tofive,tosixstringguitar
Aswehaveseen,theguitar'sancestorscameto
EuropefromEgyptandMesopotamia.Theseearly
instrumentshad,mostoften,fourstringsaswe
haveseenabove,theword"guitar"isderivedfrom
theOldPersian"chartar",which,indirect
translation,means"fourstrings".Manysuch
instruments,andvariationswithfromthreetofive
strings,canbeseeninmediaevalillustrated
manuscripts,andcarvedinstoneinchurchesand
cathedrals,fromRomantimesthroughtilltheMiddle
Ages.Right:Roman"guitar",c:a200CE.
Mediaevalpsalter,c:a900CE.

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Angelwithguitar,St.Stephen'schurch,1591.

BythebeginningoftheRenaissance,thefour
course(4unisontunedpairsofstrings)guitar
hadbecomedominant,atleastinmostof
Europe.(Sometimesasinglefirststringwas
used.)Theearliestknownmusicforthefour
course"chitarra"waswrittenin16thcentury
Spain.Thefivecourseguitarrabattente(left)
firstappearedinItalyataroundthesametime,
andgraduallyreplacedthefourcourse
instrument.Thestandardtuninghadalready
settledatA,D,G,B,E,likethetopfivestrings
ofthemodernguitar.
Incommonwithlutes,earlyguitarsseldomhad
neckswithmorethan8fretsfreeofthebody,
butastheguitarevolved,thisincreasedfirstto
10andthento12fretstothebody.

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5courseguitarbyAntonioStradivarius,1680
AsixthcourseofstringswasaddedtotheItalian"guitarrabattente"
inthe17thcentury,andguitarmakersalloverEuropefollowedthe
trend.Thesixcoursearrangementgraduallygavewaytosixsingle
strings,andagainitseemsthattheItalianswerethedrivingforce.
(Thesixstringguitarcanthusbesaidtobeadevelopmentofthe
twelvestring,ratherthanviceversa,asisusuallyassumed.)
Inthetransitionfromfivecoursestosixsinglestrings,itseemsthat
atleastsomeexistingfivecourseinstrumentsweremodifiedtothe
newstringingpattern.Thiswasafairlysimpletask,asitonly
entailedreplacing(orreworking)thenutandbridge,andplugging
fourofthetuningpegholes.Anincrediblyornateguitarbythe
GermanmasterfromHamburg,JoakimThielke(16411719),was
alteredinthisway.(Notethatthisinstrumenthasonly8fretsfreeof
thebody.)

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Atthebeginningofthe19thcenturyonecanseethemodernguitar
beginningtotakeshape.Bodieswerestillfairlysmallandnarrow
waisted.
6stringguitarbyGeorgeLouisPanormo,1832

Themodern"classical"guitartookitspresentformwhenthe
SpanishmakerAntonioTorresincreasedthesizeofthebody,
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altereditsproportions,andintroducedtherevolutionary"fan"top
bracingpattern,inaround1850.Hisdesignradicallyimprovedthe
volume,toneandprojectionoftheinstrument,andverysoon
becametheacceptedconstructionstandard.Ithasremained
essentiallyunchanged,andunchallenged,tothisday.
GuitarbyAntonioTorresJurado,1859

Steelstringandelectricguitars
AtaroundthesametimethatTorresstartedmakinghis
breakthroughfanbracedguitarsinSpain,Germanimmigrantsto
theUSAamongthemChristianFredrichMartinhadbegun
makingguitarswithXbracedtops.Steelstringsfirstbecamewidely
availableinaround1900.Steelstringsofferedthepromiseofmuch
louderguitars,buttheincreasedtensionwastoomuchforthe
Torresstylefanbracedtop.AbeefedupXbraceprovedequalto
thejob,andquicklybecametheindustrystandardfortheflattop
steelstringguitar.
Attheendofthe19thcenturyOrvilleGibsonwasbuildingarchtop
guitarswithovalsoundholes.Hemarriedthesteelstringguitar
withabodyconstructedmorelikeacello,wherethebridgeexerts
notorqueonthetop,onlypressurestraightdown.Thisallowsthe
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toptovibratemorefreely,andthusproducemorevolume.Inthe
early1920'sdesignerLloydLoarjoinedGibson,andrefinedthe
archtop"jazz"guitarintoitsnowfamiliarformwithfholes,floating
bridgeandcellotypetailpiece.
TheelectricguitarwasbornwhenpickupswereaddedtoHawaiian
and"jazz"guitarsinthelate1920's,butmetwithlittlesuccess
before1936,whenGibsonintroducedtheES150model,which
CharlieChristianmadefamous.
Withtheadventofamplificationitbecamepossibletodoawaywith
thesoundboxaltogether.Inthelate1930'sandearly1940'sseveral
actorswereexperimentingalongtheselines,andcontroversystill
existsastowhetherLesPaul,LeoFender,PaulBigsbyorO.W.
Appletonconstructedtheveryfirstsolidbodyguitar.Bethatasit
may,thesolidbodyelectricguitarwasheretostay.

PaulGuy20012007
See:Dr.MichaelKasha,"ANewLookatTheHistoryoftheClassic
Guitar",GuitarReview30,August1968,pp.312.
ThankstoKereshmehRecordsforDotar,Setar&Tarpictures.
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