subject: Playing Guitar: Information for Beginners [print this page] Playing Guitar: Information for Beginners
Playing guitar is something that is relatively easy to learn, but takes years to master. Students can learn to strum chords in a matter of minutes. With talent and practice, they may become great.
Greatness might not be your goal. Many people play simply for their own enjoyment. It is a relaxing hobby. The sounds are more pleasant than some other instruments. So practicing won't usually cause parents or neighbors to complain.
The exact origins of modern-day guitars are unclear. The instrument, which is known so well today, appeared in Europe, sometime during the 12th century. Europeans brought the instruments to the Americas.
Similar instruments, such as the sitar, were played in Asia and India. The earliest depiction of a wooden stringed instrument is a 3300 year old stone carving.
Travelling bards or storytellers carried the instruments with them. It would have been impossible to carry a larger instrument, like a piano. The lightweight, compact design helps to explain the popularity. The bards may have helped to popularize guitars by spreading the word, so to speak.
The English word was adopted from the Spanish "guitarra". A popular instrument played in Spain during the 15th and 16th centuries called the vihuela most closely resembles the modern-day guitar.
Today, classical guitars are also known as Spanish guitars. It is possible to learn guitar songs from many different genres, but the Spanish Flamenco is still one of the most popular.
There are many different kinds of guitars, other than classical and the extended range classical. Acoustic, baroque, flat-top or steel string, baritone resonator and twelve-string are just a few examples.
Fender Music and Gibson were two of the first companies to market electric guitars, which are used extensively in the jazz, R&B and rock genres. The use of electricity allowed for the creation of new effects, such as swells and slurs.
During the 1980s and 1990s, teenagers and young adults wanted to learn guitar songs written and performed by George Van Eps and Steve Vai, two of the first guitarists to play seven-string electric guitars. The seventh string may be a low B or a high G, depending on the artist's preference.
Although typically used as a background instrument, the electric bass is popular for amateurs and professionals, alike. It is something like the double bass viol.
In recent years, a number of more unique designs have been introduced to create more sound choices for playing guitar. If you're a beginner, you should probably start with one of the simpler electric or acoustic varieties. You can often find a used one for a reasonable price, because many people find they just don't have the time to practice.
