The guitar, one of the most popular musical instruments of the day, actually dates back more than five thousand years in the recorded history of various cultures. Hard as it may be to imagine, those screaming SGs of hard rock bands had their roots in very primitive stringed instruments played by people of ancient times. Many people think of the guitar as the instrument of rock stars, folk balladeers or country western artists only, but the versatility and range of the guitar across many musical forms is extremely well documented.
The prototype of the modern guitar had its early origins as a small box with a couple of strings stretched across it, which were plucked one at a time - guitar chords had a few hundred years yet to evolve. Early guitar offered only a few notes played one at a time. As music theory developed into scales and combinations of notes, the guitar gradually became more complex, allowing for the playing of multiple notes and then chords on a fingerboard.
When you search the web for information on guitars you will find a wealth of material in websites and online bookstores offering everything from free online guitar lessons to guitar tabs, guitar scales, bios of famous guitarists, and guitar music cheat sheets. By far the most helpful material that you can get on the web is "The Guitar and Its Music" by James Tyler and Paul Sparks. This is a series of publications by Oxford Early Music Series which discusses the theory and practice of guitar music. With all the information that is available about the guitar The Oxford Early Music Guitar Music Series is a superior reference. In addition to learning about the history of the guitar from the Renaissance to modern day, it offers tips and techniques to help guitar players of any level improve their skills and enhance their knowledge.
Guitar playing theories are also explained in this book. Musical genres are explained and discussed in detail and advice is even given about mixing musical genres to create one's own unique style. For example, the famous guitarist Carlos Santana created his own signature style by blending Latin rhythms to rock guitar. The Oxford Guitar Music Series gives in-depth information on how to work at mixing techniques like rock with reggae, and so on, allowing Santana aficionados and everyone else an opportunity to develop their own artistic styles.
This book is a must-read for students and masters of guitar alike. Knowing more about guitars than just the fact that famous rock stars play them will give the reader a more in-depth appreciation of the many facets and styles of guitar playing. It can enrich and elevate guitar playing from just a casual hobby to a true passion. The book can be found in online bookseller websites or at your local bookstores.
Jennifer Wylie was inspired to teach herself the guitar by folk music artists like Joan Baez, Peter Paul and Mary and Bob Dylan. She enjoys playing and collecting guitars and currently owns about 13 guitars (she keeps losing count because they are stored all over the house). Recently Jennifer decided to create a website which would address many of the questions and concerns faced by those who wish to play the guitar but who need guidance and help with making decisions, like whether to be self-taught or take lessons, what kind of guitar to buy, how to care for the guitar and how to become a skilled guitarist. The fruits of her labors are on view at http://www.guitar-playing-for-beginners.com, an ongoing work in progress which will continue to provide useful information about learning the guitar.
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