The paper is devoted to the development of the guitar and the emergence of its new types, such as the electric one. Thus, the origins of the classical guitar are not known precisely (StringJoy, 2016). It is supposed that it emerged in Spain in the 16th century (StringJoy, 2016). One of the theories assumes that it evolved from the previously known music instrument Guitarra Latina, which passed a long way and numerous transformations to acquire new shapes to become the guitar as we know it today.
During its evolution, the instrument experienced numerous changes. First, it became much narrower with a less pronounced waist and different shapes (StringJoy, 2016). As a result, the sound produced by it also altered towards a more diversified (StringJoy, 2016). The further improvements resulted in the creation of the classical form of the guitar, and it is becoming a popular instrument. At the same time, the development of music influenced the emergence of its various types, such as classical, acoustic, and electric (StringJoy, 2016). My preferred choice is the electric guitar as it is a part of modern popular culture. For this reason, the evolution of the given instrument will be discussed during the presentation. The following slide outlines the major points that will be discussed.
Electric Guitar
In such a way, the next parts of the paper will discuss the use of the electric guitar. Moreover, the history and timeline of this development will be analyzed. We will also focus on events resulting in the evolution of the given instrument and its influence on technology in the music sphere. Finally, the influence of outstanding musicians on the given instrument will be discussed.
What It Is
The mechanism of the electric guitar implies using specific electric impulses to produce sound. Strings vibrate across a pickup, which translates the vibrations into electrical impulses, creating the sound of an electric guitar. These impulses are then sent to an amplifier, which amplifies the sound to various decibel levels. Most pickups use electromagnetic induction. However, non-magnetic pickups may be found on a few electric guitars. Electric guitars are capable of so much more than just playing loud rock songs. There has been no shortage of electric guitars used in music since its introduction, from jazz to funk to heavy metal to country to reggae (Havre et al., 2019). The strings of an acoustic guitar may be particularly tense because of their size and weight, while the strings of an electric guitar are softer and more forgiving than those on an acoustic guitar. Electric guitars are usually made out of wood. Moreover, in many cases, performers and artists made them because of the improved understanding of music and the instrument.
History of the Electric Guitar
Around 1936, Charlie Christian (1916-1942), a jazz guitarist, started using an acoustic guitar with a pickup connected to the body with the goal of playing guitar solos in his band. The electric guitar is thought to have been invented during this time. The first such instrument on the market, however, was created by Leo Fender, a well-known designer of guitar amplifiers. His Fender Esquire, which was released in 1949, is widely recognized as the first solid-body guitar (Spracklen, 2018). The National Guitar Corporation, a Los Angeles-based firm best known for its resonator acoustic guitars, was the first American manufacturer to produce electric guitars. Models like the “frying pan” were produced by designers including George Beauchamp, Paul Barth, and Henry Watson in 1931 for the National brand (Atkinson, 2020). Ro-Pat In Corporation, subsequently renamed the Rickenbacker Electro Stringed Instrument Company, was created within a few months of each other by the two guys. Two of the early electric guitar manufacturers were Vivi-Tone and Slingerland.
Development of the Electric Guitar
Electrified guitars were born out of a need for louder sounds. Acoustic guitars were amplified by using cables, magnets, and other “pickup” devices in the early days of electric guitars (Morreale et al., 2019). A variety of new instruments were created in the 1950s, culminating in the development of the electric guitar in 1960. Alternatives to wood (such as using plastic or glass fiber) or even creating headless guitars failed to gain traction beyond this period. Many aspects of modern instruments have been improved, however, including the reduction of noise, the ease with which strings may be tuned, and the appearance and longevity of the finishes. In the future, touch sensors for timbre control might make these instruments easier to play. Of course, this is contingent upon guitarists’ willingness to adopt new technologies. Electric guitars’ future is in the hands of their users.
The Beatles are considered the most influential band in history. In 1968, an English rock band headquartered in London called Led Zeppelin was formed. When Led Zeppelin’s “Ramble On” began, Jimmy Page’s guitar effect was applied in a unique way (Spracklen, 2018). Musicians like Eric Patrick Clapton are very exceptional. He made significant contributions to the development of the electric guitar as we know it today. In addition to being a blues musician and composer, B.B. King also produced albums and sang blues tunes (Bradley et al., 2021). He had a complex soloing technique that many blues electric guitar players aspired to emulate when they started playing. For a new audience, Chuck Berry was responsible for writing the lyrics and country guitar riffs. This is how rock & roll was born: in only a few songs, he created the musical blueprint.
Timeline of the Electric Guitar
To perform guitar solos in his ensemble, Charlie Christian, a jazz guitarist, started utilizing an acoustic guitar with a pickup in about 1936. The electric guitar is thought to have originated here. The electric guitar was born out of practicality and musical trend, not new technical developments (Lee, 2018). Activated electronics “on board” have gotten a bad rap among electric guitar buyers. Modern electric guitars use a variety of novel technology, materials, and procedures. The Fender Stratocaster and Gibson Les Paul are still preferred by consumers over newer versions. Many guitarists feel older guitars sound better.
It is not uncommon for advancements in the guitar’s technology to be spurred on by the instrument’s cultural identity or the ways in which the guitar has been utilized to represent various cultural and musical discourses. Variations in guitar use often reflect a conflict between altering notions of noise and musical sound. String bending is a strong technique that can make the guitar sing (Havre et al., 2019). Vibrato likewise includes bending strings, although the bending is small and returns fast to the original pitch. To play a hammer-on, just choose the initial note and pound on the following note with the tip of your finger. To do a draw-off, you must keep the finger of the desired note (in this example, C) steady while moving from the preceding note (D). Slides are another technique to change notes. Double stops are two notes played simultaneously, generally for a brief period. Palm-muting is a rhythmic tool.
Playlist
The playlist includes songs such as; Stand up and Shout by Dio, Born to be Wild by Steppenwolf, Fairies wear Boots by Black Sabbath, Smoke on the Water by Deep Purple, Angel of Death by Slayer, and War Pigs by Black Sabbath. An umbrella word for underground music that has arisen since the mid-1980s, “alternative rock” is referred to as “punk.” When it comes to defining alternative rock music, commercialism has always been at the heart of its identity. Alternative bands of the 1980s tended to perform tiny venues, record for independent labels, and gain success via word of mouth. Thus, there is no one alternative rock musical style, although distorted or jangly guitars may be found in many alternative bands and subgenres. Grunge, gothic rock, Britpop, and twee pop are just a few examples of the wide spectrum of sounds that have influenced the genre throughout the years. Alternative rock lyrics often deal with more socially relevant issues like drug use, despair, and environmental activism, reflecting the economic and social hardships that plagued the United States and the United Kingdom in the 1980s and early 1990s, respectively. Paranoid by Black Sabbath is another outstanding song that influenced the genre. It has a specific atmosphere created using various instruments, including the electric guitar, which impacted future performers. The rhythms and motifs became a part of popular culture and were often used by other musicians. As a result, a new aspect of popular culture was formed, which had a unique sound produced by the electric guitar.
Alternate rock is a pop music style centered on distorted guitars and rooted in generational dissatisfaction that dominated and transformed rock between 1991 and 1996. Alternative rock is defined as “rock music that is not mainstream.” Nirvana’s first major-label song, “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” became a nationwide breakthrough in 1989, launching the band into the mainstream. The band is headquartered in Seattle, Washington, in the United States. More than a decade of do-it-yourself college rock was suddenly given the opportunity to establish a showy beachhead on mainstream radio by movements that were older, more challenging, and even anarchic. Other examples of such songs include: In the End by Linkin park, Radiohead by Led Zeppelin, and Stairway to Heaven. All these songs significantly impacted popular culture as they became one of the most recognizable motifs among populations globally. Many movies included these songs, which helped to popularize them and create an iconic image. As a result, the contribution of the electric guitar, one of the main instruments used while creating these masterpieces, to pop culture could not be overestimated.
Guitar Technique Used
Power chords, among other things, are often played with the palm of your right hand, softly pressing the strings near the bridge. Palm muting is the guitar method most usually used for power chords (among other things). This does not totally muffle the notes but rather gives them the characteristic “chug-chug-chug” sound often heard in heavy metal music. It is not true that palm-muting mutes the note or chord; rather, it alters the way it sounds or the timbre of the sound. This does not imply that guitar riffs are solely composed of distinct sounds; they may also be composed entirely of silences. Rests are defined as periods of quiet. Get them onto your guitar by either lifting your left hand away from the strings (while keeping it in contact with the strings so that no extraneous noise comes out) or by using your right hand to totally mute the string with your right hand. String bending and vibrato are two methods that can make the guitar sing because they can simulate the way the human voice creates the notes while singing. It is common for individuals to play with open strings unless string muting is addressed. These approaches are necessary if you are going to use distortion in your music, and they make a huge impact on the quality of your performance.
References
Atkinson, P. (2020). Amplified: A design history of the electric guitar. Reaktion Books.
Bradley, A., & Wood, R. (2021). 24. Still Tracking in the Twenty-first Century. In House of Hits (pp. 245-254). University of Texas Press.
Havre, S.J., Väkevä, L., Christophersen, C.R. and Haugland, E., 2019. Playing to learn or learning to play? Playing Rocksmith to learn electric guitar and bass in Nordic music teacher education. British Journal of Music Education, 36(1), pp.21-32.
Lee, D. A. (2018). A pedagogical canon for electric guitar: An Australian cultural perspective. Malaysian Journal of Music, 7, 58-77.
Morreale, F., Guidi, A., & McPherson, A. (2019). Magpick: An augmented guitar pick for nuanced control. New Interfaces for Musical Expression, 19.
Spracklen, K. (2018). Leisure, popular culture and memory: the invention of Dark Age Britain, Wales, England, and Middle-Earth in the songs of Led Zeppelin. International Journal of the Sociology of Leisure, 1(2), 139-152.
StringJoy. (2016). History of the guitar: Acoustic to electric, ancient to modern. Web.