The archive contains posts about teaching and alternate tuning the guitar.
Where did it come from?
Guitar is a fretted, six stringed lute-like instrument of Spanish origin. It can be made louder either acoustically or electrically, and its roots go back thousands of years.
Lute-like instruments go back to about 2000 BC in Mesopotamia. While Europe’s lute appeared around the 10th century AD.
The lute had gut strings tied across the neck as frets. This means that lute players had to tune the frets and the strings.
An ancestor of the guitar, the lute came from the Middle Eastern oud. At first called the al oud, the lute’s name gradually morphed into its current form.
The term Luthier survives as the name for modern guitar makers, even though luthiers rarely make lutes anymore.
Many antique instruments existed, such as the cittern, that had names similar to the guitar, but did not directly influence it.
However, the vihuela is widely thought to be an important predecessor. The vihuela had six strings, a similar body build, and very similar tuning.
From Spain, the instrument has traveled all over the world. Often, when instruments cross into a different cultural region, the tuning and musical style do not travel with it.
Thus, the styles most linked with the instrument (rock, blues, and folk) do not sound like the original Spanish style. Rather, Spanish styles sound somewhat similar to classical guitar music.
I once met a guitarist from Spain. And it surprised me when she commented that people in the US often said her playing did not sound like real guitar music. This shows that, while it remains a Spanish instrument, the Spanish style does not strongly influence the instrument’s current styles.
As it traveled, it has picked up many alternate ways of tuning. Blues, Rock, folk, and African world music styles all use alternate tunings. Particularly known for its alternate tunings, Hawaiian slack-key guitar has hundreds of open and alternate tunings.
Many of the posts in The Successful Music Student blog focus on better ways to tune alternate tunings.
© 2021 Geoffrey Keith
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Did you just buy a guitar, but it didn’t come with anything to carry it in? Do you need some advice on what type of case to buy? A guitar case makes it easier to carry your instrument, and it also protects your guitar as you transport it. Click to learn how to choose the best guitar case for you. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
How to Choose the Best Guitar Case for You Read More »
Does your guitar sound dead and feel rough when you play it? Do you need help learning how to replace your strings? Being able to replace your guitar strings is an easy skill to learn that will save you time and money so you won’t have to bring your instrument to a music store. Plus, putting on a new set will make your guitar sound and play better. Click an “Easy Guide for Learning How to Replace Guitar Strings” to learn how to do it. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
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Do you want to learn reggae chord progressions? Reggae is known for interesting, laid-back rhythms. We’ll look at easy chords for beginners and regular opens chords for experienced guitarists. Click to discover how to quickly learn reggae guitar chords. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
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Do you need help learning open A? There’s more than one way to finger the chord. So, we’ll talk about how the context makes a difference and best practices for each fingering. Click to learn how to play a guitar A chord. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
Best Practices: How to Play a Guitar A Chord Read More »
Do you need help choosing guitar strings? One of the biggest things that affects your sound is your strings. Therefore, your choice is very important and very personal. Click to learn how to choose the best guitar strings for you. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
How to Choose the Best Guitar Strings for You Read More »
Do you want to know how to play the Bsus chord on guitar or piano? Bsus has a different construction from your usual triads. Click to learn how to master playing bsus chords on guitar and piano. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
How to Master Playing Bsus Chords (Guitar and Piano) Read More »
Do you want to know how to play and tune authentic blues guitar chords? If you want an authentic rhythm and blues guitar sound, you’ll need the authentic tuning to enhance the chords you play. Click “How to Play and Tune Authentic Blues Guitar Chords” to learn more. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
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Do you want to know what distortion is? Do you need to know how it’s used in music. The most obvious use of distortion is as an effect for guitar. However, there’s another, and more subtle, use when you’re recording music. Click “How to Inject the Power of Distortion into Music” to learn what it is and how it works. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
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Do you want to have fun learning how to play rock music’s five best guitar songs? Rock is a sub-genera of pop music where the guitar plays a central role in the creating and arranging of the music. The following post gives you fun classic rock and party/anthem rock songs with videos that explain how to play them (including one bonus track). Click “How to Play Rock Music’s 5 Best Guitar Songs” to learn how to perform them. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
How to Play Rock Music’s 5 Best Guitar Songs Read More »
Are you a guitarist who wants to try playing the lute? Do you want to know how difficult it is compared to guitar? The Renaissance lute is a pear-shaped instrument with a swept back headstock that harkens back to another age. Keep reading “How Easy Is It to Play Renaissance Lute?” to learn more. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
How Easy Is It to Play Renaissance Lute? Read More »