The History of the Guitar – From Ancient to Modern Times

The origins of the guitar is known to date back more than 4,000 years. It’s one of the most ancient and remarkable instruments you can find, and it is still incredibly popular today. While the various forms and types of guitars that have been developed throughout the ages also depend on the difference between geographic and cultural areas, the general form of the string instrument has remained similar throughout the past few hundreds of years or so.

The guitar is a string instrument whose earliest ancestors were known as bowl harps and tanburs. These  instruments have been found in excavations uncovering the ruins of ancient Egypt and Sumeria, and they were also known to have been common in ancient Babylonian tradition. Perhaps the oldest type of guitar in existence is the ancient Hittite “guitar” which features a remarkably similar body to current, modern guitar models.

old gittare on the floor of a demolished house in magdeburg

During the past 1,000 years, the guitar has undergone further changes, starting with the moors, who have brought an instrument known as the oud to Spain during their conquests, and continuing with the four-course unison tuned string guitar that became extremely popular during the Renaissance period.

The first 6-string guitar was developed in 1832 by George Louis Palermo and has retained its overall shape and its name ever since. Additional, modern versions of Palermo’s guitar design, such as the steel string guitar and electric guitar were further developed in the early 1900s, with electric guitars becoming popular in the late 1920s, when pickups started to be added to classical Hawaiian guitars.

Today, you can find any kind of guitar you are interested in playing. Gibson used guitars for sale, and many other types as well, can be found in music stores and online too.

 

Article source here: The History of the Guitar – From Ancient to Modern Times

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