Top Facts About Guitars That Every Beginner Must Know
When learning to play guitar, it seems like there’s always something new you need to understand.
The following will explore some of the factoids surrounding the guitar and some tips that are great for beginner players to learn.
Where do guitars come from?
The oldest guitars (that we know about) came from Persia, where Iran is located today. They were called Tanbur, and evidence of these instruments begins around 3,500 years ago. The oldest depiction of a stringed instrument that seems like it could be a guitar comes from Hittite ruins, around 3,300 BC.
This being said, the guitar as you probably imagine it was developed in the early 16th century in Spain. At this point, it was much more narrow and deeper with a less exaggerated waist.
What are the parts of a guitar?
When learning a new instrument, having a handle on the different parts and their names can help smooth out the process.
- The tuning pegs are the little dials at the top of the guitar that determine how tight the strings are, and therefore, are used for tuning the instrument.
- The fretboard is where you’ll be setting your fingers against the strings to choose the chords and notes you want to play.
- The strings are stretched across nearly the full length of the guitar and are the source of sound via a combination of strumming and fretting.
- The sound hole is the hole in the body of the guitar, right beneath where you strum that reveals the hollow inside of the guitar.
- The bridge is where the strings are attached to the base of the guitar body.
- The guitar body is the larger, hollow part where sound reverberates and bounces around to create the beautiful acoustic guitar sound we’ve come to know and love.
Who named the guitar?
Over time, this instrument has had many names scattered throughout many languages. The English term was adopted and tweaked from the Spanish word for the instrument, guitarra.
The strings have names too
When looking at a guitar, you’ll notice that there are six strings — although twelve-stringed guitars do exist as well. Each of the strings has a slightly different thickness. From thickest to thinnest, the names of the strings are:
- The E string
- The A string
- The D string
- The G string
- The B string
- The E string
Many beginners find it easier to come up with a phrase to help them remember this. “Eddie Ate Dynamite. Good Bye, Eddie” is one popular one, but you can design your own if it’s easier to remember. It’s also worth noting that the strings are numbered from thinnest to thickest (1 to 6).
Who designed the look of the guitar?
While guitars have always been hollow-bodied, their physical appearance has changed drastically over the years. Of course, things are a bit different for electric guitars today. The look of the modern acoustic guitar was also taken from Spain. Guitarist Antonio Torres Jurado is credited with establishing the look of the modern guitar.
Tuning guitars is easier than ever before
If you want anything that you play to sound good, you’ll need to ensure that the guitar you’re using is properly tuned. Experienced players can do this by ear, but if you’re just starting out, you probably want to use a guitar tuner. There are several available on the market today, including free apps you can install on your phone. The app will tell you if adjustments need to be made.
It’s not only tuning that technology has made easier—it’s all parts of the guitar-learning process. Those interested in learning to play the instrument now have access to countless songs via the internet as well as online lessons that can help them learn from the comfort of. Given the recent pandemic, many are expecting online music lessons to continue to expand in years to come.
How you hold the guitar is important
If you’re right-handed, you’ll want to keep the body of the guitar sitting on your right knee, with the neck of the guitar pointing towards your left. This will allow you to strum and pick the strings with your right hand and press the strings down against the fretboard with your left. If you’re left-handed, you’ll reverse all of the above information. The body will rest on your left knee with the neck pointing to the right. You’ll use your left hand for strimming and your right hand for pressing the strings down against the frets.
The above information should provide you with enough background and understanding to begin playing the guitar. Playing music is a wonderful thing, and practice doesn’t have to be something you feel obligated to do—it can be something wonderful that you look forward to each day.