Guitar History

Many people who could play the guitar, but few know its history. Here we will see briefly the history of the guitar from time to time. Actually the guitar very long history, but given the limited space, this discourse will review an outline only.

First of all: From Babylon to Six Strings

History of guitar believed to begin in the Near East region. Among the debris found in Babylon, the most relevant is the guitar that was made in 1900-1800 BC. Of time, until the year 1650, the guitar evolved so complex and diverse. So many types and each has a different name.

Some other opinion, consider the guitar actually comes from Spain state that the instrument as a guitar-like instrument called Vihuela Spain circulating in the early 16th century. This new instrument (guitar) has a way of making the same instrument ukulele. First guitar was made very small and only has four strings, like a ukulele.

In the classical period there are many publications conducted by the composer and the musicians. Like Fernando Sor, Mauro Guiliani, Matteo Carcassi, Fernando Caulli, and many of the creators who grow the method of playing guitar which eventually became the general game and acceptable.

An important instrument contribution to the development of the guitar is an instrument Cittern. This instrument resembles a pear-shaped with a flat rear, with four or five pairs of strings of wire and a permanent fretting whether diatonik like Appalachian Dulcimer or chromatic like the modern guitar. Tuning heads have been installed much like the guitar or mandolin. Same Stemannya mandolin (in fifths) with the fingering and the same chord and played with a plectrum or pick.

Four Guitar Course has 4 pairs of strings, guitar-shaped body and a flat Soundboard, bridge of the lute and the back made a half-curved but not too much to form spheres. These instruments such as guitar-sized children.

Five Course Guitar emerged around the year 1490 and similar to the four-course guitar with one additional pair of bass strings. This instrument also called Bahasa Guitar.

There is also Vihuela De Mano comes from Spain and is an instrument with six pairs of strings. Bodynya large as today's classical guitar and has a few holes in the top voice. This instrument uses a fixed bridge and the possibility of a direct ancestor of the 12-stringed guitar into the USA is North America through Mexico, Texas and Louisiana.

There are many other types of guitars that continue to grow. Guitar as we know it today, which exercises the six, only appeared about the year 1750. And for about the next 90 years (until 1840), this six-stringed guitar is growing rapidly in Spain.

Guitar entrance in Indonesia

Colonization, in addition to leaving a note of pain, as well as art. One of them was carrying a guitar by Purtugis people around the 17th century.

At that time some prisoners from the Portuguese in Malacca by the Dutch in dimukimkan marshy area in North Jakarta, in a village monument. So they do not get bored, they amuse themselves by playing music. Well, the music they use when it is the guitar. It is said, from the results of people's introduction to the instrument, was born several stringed instrument played to accompany songs keroncong.

There are 3 types of guitars played by the prisoners at the time, namely:

1.Gitar Monica, which consists of 3 strings
2.Gitar Rorenga, which consists of 4 strings
3.Gitar Jitera, which consists of 5 strings.

Two centuries later and keroncong guitar became popular in the world and then spread to the corners of the country.

Electric Guitar

In modern times, people begin to recognize the use of guitars electric resources. Dihasilkanya sounds different klasik.Gitar electric guitar sound was first created in 1932 by Adolphus Rickenbacker. This guitar takes the form of traditional Spanish guitar design.

After that, its development continues. The idea is to accelerate their development is often initiated from holding concerts with a lot of viewers; so if without the help of a sound system, his voice was inaudible, especially when the audience shouting boisterous.

Guitar producers popping up everywhere. Two well-known is the Fender and Ibanez. In addition, media-player also publish a great guitar player with such a prestigious mejalah Guitar Player. Now, the components of the electric guitar, like the bridge / tremolo, pick-ups, as well as strings, even apart from the producers produced guitars.

There are also things that are quirky in the development-string guitar as the seven popularized by Steve Vai in 1989. This idea came when he joined the David Lee Roth Band in 1985, working on the album Crazy from the Heat. He decided that because the bassist, Billy Sheehan, often set bassnya with another formation called Drop D Tuning (from top to bottom: DADG, generally EADG). Collaboration with Ibanez in 1987, finally born seven stringed guitar first, with the top string, aka the seventh, pitched B. This guitar is called The Universe-7 String. Vai also has a guitar with the neck in the opposite (facing to the left and right), to prove his ability to play left-handed.

Meanwhile, Eddie Van Halen, a pioneer in the use of whammy bar up-down what became known as the Floyd Rose tremolo / bridge. Innovation is complete with string lock nut on the guitar. This system is known as a locking nut tremolo system.

Eddie developed a tremolo system that already exists. Ie tremolo which can only be pushed down or fell (to produce a lower tone). The old system was developed by the Fender factory and installed as standard equipment on the model Stratocaster. This innovation occurred to him in about the year 1976. At the time of the great guitarists like Ritchie Blackmore and Jimmy Page often have problems in tuning their guitars. Because they often had too much bending strings to produce sound 1 ½ higher tone. As a result the strings become loose and of course also be off-key tone. With a locking nut tremolo system, the string is locked at the guitar nut so as not to shift the tension.

A little extra, in 1991 also had made the greatest guitars in the United States, precisely in Indiana. Imagine, sampai11 meters long, nearly as long with two cars and limousines! This guitar takes 6 people to play it.
(from various sources)