subject: The Three Kinds Of Guitar [print this page] We all know that a guitar is a stringed instrument that the sounds produced are because of the string's vibration resonating within the guitar's body.
They are classified into three kinds, namely: the classical guitar, the acoustic guitar, and the electric guitar. Of all these kinds of guitar, the most common guitar among the three is the classical guitar.
The classical guitar is also known as the Spanish guitar. It is the most common among the three kinds of guitar. The body of this guitar is hollow with a hole that acts as the resonator of the sound produced by plucking and strumming the strings. The strings of this guitar are made up of nylon, unlike other guitars that have steel strings. It also has six strings like other guitars. The nylon strings have less tension when it is compared to steel strings thus making it easy to pluck or strum. It is said that it is to be played with a person's fingers and not with a pick. Classical guitars are normally played without amplifiers, but some classical guitar players use one or play the guitar in front of a microphone. Classical guitars are mainly used for classical music, such as Latin and Flamenco music.
Acoustic guitars are like classical guitars in terms of shape and appearance. It does not also use amplifiers, like classical guitars. The differences are that acoustic guitars use steel strings to produce a louder and brighter sound. Also, heavier woods, like spruce, maple, and mahogany, are used as the guitar's body and neck. Heavier woods are used to withstand the tension brought on by the steel strings. This kind of guitar caters to blues, country and folk music. It can also be used in different genres of rock.
The electric guitar is very much different to the first two guitars. It uses electronic pickups to convert the sound of vibrating strings into electric current. These signals will then be electrically altered to produce the desired sound before being fed to the amplifiers. Because of these, there's no need for the body to be shaped in a way that it would act as a resonator. This kind of guitar is used for different kinds of music such as rock and roll, country, pop, jazz, and heavy metal.
Classical and acoustic guitars are normally used by one man or in accompaniment of other guitars. This is because, unlike electric guitars, classical and acoustic guitars are not loud instruments and they will not be able to compete with other instruments such as percussion and wind instruments. Acoustic guitars today, though, may have built-in electronics to allow amplification of the sound.
