BRIEF HISTORY OF GUITAR

 Guitars are used in most forms of western music such as Blues, Rock, Jazz, Country, Flamenco, Pop, etc.  In recent times the guitar has become an indispensable instrument in the Indian music scene too.

 There is acoustic guitar and there is electric guitar.  Acoustic guitar gives sound from the vibration of a string resonated by the hollow body of the guitar. Here the sound tones are limited to string vibrations.  In the electric guitar string vibrations are detected by electro-magnetic pick-ups, amplified and sounded on speakers. Adding an Effects Processor or an analog pedal in between, the sound produced can be distorted to a different tone. Thus the electric guitar has a wide range of sound tones.

 Guitar typically has six strings; but guitars with four (i.e. Bass Guitar), seven, eight, ten and twelve strings also exist.  The strings are steel cored.  In classical guitar nylon strings are used.

 Guitar may be said to have evolved over nearly 5000 years. Stone carving of a guitarlike instrument has been found as old as 3300 years. Guitar probably originated in India as the ancient Indian musical instrument Sitar. Indian Sitar became Persian Sihtar, then became Greek Kithara, which became Latin Cithara, onwards Spanish Guitarra and then the English Guitar.

 The modern electric guitar came about in the 20^th century.  The first electric guitar was patented in 1936 by George Beauchamp of Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. Commercialization of electric guitar “Electric Spanish’ model ES 150 was made in the same year by Gibson Guitar Corp., Tennessee, U.S.A., in collaboration with guitarist Les Paul.  This was the first successful electric guitar.  The solid body electric guitar was subsequently introduced successfully by Fender Musical Instruments Corp., Arizona, U.S.A.

 Today guitar, whether acoustic or electric, is a very popular musical instrument worldwide.

BRIEF HISTORY OF ROCK MUSIC

Rock music has its roots in Blues music.  Blues music itself originated in the African-American slave communities in the southern part of U.S.A., and later in Europe, out of simple narratives, ballads, and chanting of the suffering Africans.  Blues meant depressed mood, sadness, unhappiness, melancholia. Early Blues music is traced to 1800s. Blues then evolved from informal singings to performances in bars, to theatre entertainments, to elaborate compositions.  It became popular with the white communities too from the early 1900s.

 Blues music later influenced western popular music and became one of the roots of various other forms of music such as Jazz, Rock n Roll, Bluegrass, Rhythm, Hip Hop, etc. In the 1940/50s Rock n Roll evolved from the combination of Blues, country music and other forms, from which came the modern day Rock music. 

 Rock music is a form of popular vocal music accompanied by prominent guitar play, strong bass guitar backings and vigorous drums.  Later other instruments such as piano, keyboard, violin, etc., were also used sometimes as additions.

 Rock music, like other contemporary music, is both cerebral and physical; in the sense it is enjoyed not only mentally but also by rhythmic physical movements.  It is, therefore, played and heard by audience in standing position, enabling physical movements. This is in contrast to classical music which is totally only cerebral and is played and heard by audience seated.

 In the 1960/70s sub-genres of Rock developed such as Soft Rock, Hard Rock, Metal, Heavy Metal, Punk, etc.  Then in the 1980/90s further sub-genres came up such as Alternative Rock, Grunge, Nu Metal, Indie Rock, and so on.

 By early 1960s Rock music had started becoming popular in Britain. The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and others had great appeal for the masses.  The Beatles’ tour of USA in 1964 created an intense fan interest then known as Beatle-mania, which spread worldwide.  The three day Woodstock Festival in New York in 1969 became an historic event with some 500,000 people attending it.  

 Rock music had arrived.

Conditions of use | Privacy Policy