There is no doubt that when it comes to any kind of music it has the power to connect souls, inspire thoughts, and break physical barriers while imbuing you with tons of emotions and feelings never felt before.
While the world of music is still a vast topic to study, nevertheless when we talk about musical instruments, the one that has consistently broadcasted its fame and popularity across the borders is none other than a guitar. In this post we would like to share with you some great aspects regarding this wonderful creation and how it has inspired generations upon generations over the years. So let’s take a quick look at what makes this instrument truly magnificent.
A History Shrouded in Mystery
While the modern guitar may take its roots from the development of chordophones across Europe during the beginning of the 12 Century and then later shifting its attention to the Americas, there is more to know that meets the eye. Surprisingly there is a 3,300-year-old stone carving that was discovered by archeologists when going through the findings of a historic Hittite site. This particular hand-drawn piece of art shows a group of people playing with instruments that has a clear and strong resemblance to our modern-day guitars thus indicating that this instrument might have a Babylonian origin that dates back to time period of 1894 BC. This indeed is quite perplexing and thus raises a lot many questions like for example was there a time-traveling music band? Or did the aliens have anything to do with it? I guess we will never know!
It’s Not Only Easy to Learn but Also One of the Most Popular Instruments
The classical acoustic guitar is often ranked amongst the top 5 most easy to learn instruments that you can learn to play without going through much of a hassle as compared with other instruments. The normal guitar has 6 strings but this can vary from as little as 4 up to as many as 18 strings depending upon your own style and individual preferences. When it comes to versatility the instrument literarily offers you an insane amount of things you can do with it. A simple acoustic guitar in the hands of a masterful player can cover music pieces from different genres including blues, country, flamenco, folk, funk, jazz, mariachi, rock, reggae, soul, and so much more. The guitar is a polyphonic instrument which means that it can play more than one note simultaneously. And once you have yourself adjusting to the different patterns and scales that it has to offer, the magic happens then and there. Many new beginners simply practice playing 3-4 chords in total which enables them to cover more than half of all musical numbers ever made, pretty impressive right? This also takes into consideration the fact that you can do it all in a reasonable amount of time. However learning is limitless. You can learn a lot from simply going through material that is available online. However if you are interested in something more suited to your style then you might consider opting for
private guitar lessons within the comfort of your homes.
Bedazzling Facts That You Should Know
• An ancient guitar that was an heirloom is put for display in the Archaeological Museum of Cairo that dates back to ancient Egyptian period of around 3,500 BC.
• Certified by the Guinness Book of World Records, the world’s biggest guitar is over 13 meters long.
• $2.8 million was the price of a guitar created by Fender that was sold at an auction to raise funds for the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.
• Dave Browne who is an Irish guitarist set a world record in 2011 for playing the guitar constantly for 4 and ½ days.
• Famous guitar manufacturing brands worldwide include the likes of Epiphone, Fender, Gibson, Gretsch, Ibanez, and Martin.
• The list for the most world-renowned guitar players of all time include the likes of BB King, Carlos Santana, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, and Slash to name a few.
The Folklore For Guitars Is Mind-blowing!
It goes without saying that the instrument itself has some surprising legends and myths surrounding it all through the ages. For instance, according to ancient Greek history the kithara (guitar) was a direct descendant of lyre which is closely attributed to the Greek god of music and poetry known as Apollo. Whereas upon the further study of Greek mythology it is further revealed that the creation of guitar was actually credited to the Greek god of sports and travelers known as Hermes.
Another legend that revolves around the American blues musician Robert Johnson who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986 states that the songwriter and singer sold his soul to the devil. This debatable event, whether real or fiction, took place at Midnight where Johnson met with the devil in the appearance of a large black man at a local crossroad in Dockery, Mississippi. This made Johnson a masterful guitar player for the exchange of his soul. Surprisingly the accounts of his death at an early age of 27 years old are still unclear. Scary huh?
Over the years guitar and guitar players have had a lot of attention within the pop culture section and many fictional characters are often portrayed playing the guitar masterfully. This includes the likes of Miguel from the 2017 animated film Coco, L from Death Note, Akira Otoishi from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Axel Steel from Guitar Hero game series, Charles from the Walking Dead game, and the list goes on for another mile or two.
Well, that is it folks for now. We hope this post was able to offer you some great insights regarding the clandestine and enigmatic story behind guitars and how they have influenced the masses over the years. Guitars are indeed truly one of the most mystifying instruments in the world as they are imbued with unrelenting magic that never ends. We hope to see you plucking those strings soon and bashing away at your favorite tunes. According to
JamPlay review the program Jamplay has been rated as the best online guitar lesson available on the internet. Till then keep learning and let the flame inside you burn bright. For any more questions and queries regarding the topic please feel free to let us know of your comments in the section below.