Overall length:1 m
Length (neck): 44 cm / Width: 6 cm
Length (head): 17.5 cm / Width: 7.5 cm
Length (soundboard): 50 cm
Width of the soundboard at the bridge: 37.5 cm
Width (soundboard at the neck): 28.5 cm
Width (soundboard at the soundhole): 24.5 cm
Length(single bridge):19 mm / Width: 2.8 cm
Diameter (soundhole): 8.5 cm
Length (side ribs):1.45 m / Width:10 cm
Length (heel): 8 cm / Width: 3.2 cm
Andalusian Study and Research Centre, Morocco
Although it belongs to the same chordophone family as the violin
and the piano, the guitar with its characteristic shape is essentially
a plucked string instrument, whereas the violin is played with a
bow and the piano with keys. Guitarists can imitate the sounds of
the violin or piano by using certain sound effects despite the fact
that there are major differences between these instruments and the
guitar. Nonetheless, guitars can evoke their sound and can also
replicate percussion instruments like the tar and the darbuka.
The guitar's country of origin, however, cannot be identified definitively
since, according to archaeologists, it is still rather vague although
its etymology presupposes it may have evolved from the Greek cithara,
the Chaldean quitarra or the Persian sitar.
Ancient
Egypt had a stringed instrument that looked much like our modern
guitar. Although its precise origin cannot really be determined,
Greek mythology tends to confuse it with the Egyptian lyre supposedly
invented by Tehuti, the God of Wisdom whom the Greeks assimilated
as Hermes or Pan and that the Hebrews identified with Judas. The
oldest stringed instrument was discovered in a Babylonian palace
but today there as many models of guitar as there are musicians
who play it around the world.
Instruments identical to the guitar
can also be found, for example, in the tomb of a Pharaoh dating
Back to 9500 BC. We actually do not know much about the history
of the guitar. According to the hypotheses of anthropologists, archeologists,
historians and musicologists, primitive man built guitars after
having first made them from animal or human skulls or from turtle
shells. Legend has it that the first guitarist was none other than
the grandson of Adam, the son of Cain and that King David played
the nabla or Greek lyre extremely well.
Musicians play the guitar with their left foot raised on a low stool.
The instrument rests at a slant on their left thigh.
The guitar is made of a number of different woods. The top is of
German cedar, the Back of walnut, the sides of plane wood and the
neck of mahogany. The neck has frets made of pieces of ebony and
the fingerboard has six strings attached at the top and at the bridge.
Guitar construction can vary from one guitar maker to another and
a variety of precious woods can be used. Building a guitar requires
serious knowledge of geometry and acoustics. Friedrich, Yamaha, Montoya
are some of the best known guitar makers. The guitar can be found
from South America to China and its shape is similar throughout
the world. On the other hand, the guitar can be used to play a great
variety of music, ranging from the classical guitar of flamenco,
to jazz guitar, gypsy music and electric guitars.
The classical guitar may be heard in famous concert halls, churches,
cathedrals and theatres and has a soft insinuating sound to everyone's
ears. It is to the world of music what the Venus de Milo is to the
world of beauty. Hector Berlioz, who knew this noble and aristocratic
instrument very well, said that it was a small orchestra all to
itself. This solo instrument can also play along with an orchestra
where it can be the lead instrument. The guitar can be used to play
all kinds of music - classical, scholarly, popular, traditional,
popular modern music and contemporary music.
