Evolution of the Guitar - From Acoustic to Electric
The electric guitar is one of the most popular instruments in the world. It is a versatile instrument used in a variety of different genres from, blues, country, rock, metal, pop, hip-hop and so much more! There are many different types of electric guitars as they can have different shapes, materials, colors, or amounts of strings. Most guitars have 6 strings while others can have up to 14 strings! The electric guitar is special to me since is the first instrument I learned. Due to its popularity, you may be asking, "How did the electric guitar originate?" and "What was the first song to have an electric guitar?" Let's discuss the history of the electric guitar and how it evolved into what we see and hear today.
Classical Guitar
The acoustic guitar first gained popularity in Spain during the 16th century (Small). However, experts are uncertain on how the guitar originated before arriving in Europe, but guitars have seemed to have existed for thousands of years with evidence dating back to 3500 BC (Lozano).
Baroque guitars with 5 strings were used frequently for song accompaniment during the 17th century. The Baroque guitars transitioned into Romantic guitars during the 18th century in France and Italy. Then in the 19th century, 6-string acoustic guitars became the standard due to the extended range of the low E string. During these times, there were many developments to the instrument as they changed the number of strings, tunings, shapes, materials, and much more (Small). Additionally, these guitarists' techniques changed significantly over these periods.
Here is an example below of a classical guitar piece by Francisco Tarrega:
Francisco Tárrega - Memories of Alhambra - 1899, Spain
During the 19th century, there was a desire to increase the volume of the guitar due to concerts and ensembles (Smithsonian). There were many developments in the body, with their size and shape, and the strings, from nylon to steel. This desire for a louder guitar intensified during the 1920s and 1930s due to bands, recordings, and radios (Smithsonian). As a result, the first electric guitar was invented by Adolph Rickenbacker in 1931 (Sparks). This electric guitar is known as the "frying pan".
There have been many developments since the first electric guitar. Over time, more people would eventually incorporate this new technology into their own guitars. Inventors like Les Paul, Leo Fender, and Paul Bigsby would then create their own style of guitars that we still see today (Sparks)!
First Songs with an Electric Guitar
These two songs by Big Bill Broonzy were the first commercial recordings of the electric guitar in history! Both of these songs were recorded in the same studio session in 1938 (Humphrey)..jpg)
1. Big Bill Broonzy - It's a Low Down Dirty Shame -1938, USA
2. Big Bill Broonzy - Sweetheart Land - 1938 USA
Musical Characteristics of the Electric Guitar
Although the main purpose for the invention of the electric guitar was volume, there were also many other benefits and characteristics it gave to musicians. One of the main and obvious differences is the timbre of the instrument. The electric guitar can sound completely different compared to its acoustic counterpart. The electric guitar allows the player to use a variety of different types of amplifiers and effects to change its sound. It can have a distorted heavy metal tone or a clean and dreamy tone. In my opinion, this makes possibilities endless for guitar sounds and it could make you sound unique to other guitarists.
Another difference is the articulation a player can utilize on an electric guitar. Due to its thinner strings, tension, and body, players can now vibrato, slide, legato, and bend notes much easier than with an acoustic guitar. Due to its louder volume, players can now use other techniques like "artificial harmonics" and "pinch harmonics" to their playing style. These techniques and articulation are reasons why I think the electric guitar is completely unique to any other kind of instrument. Additionally, some guitars have added different kinds of hardware like tremolo/vibrato bars, killswitches, and sustainers to achieve unique articulation. Some guitars have more strings that allow more range, like a 7-string or 8-string guitar.
Here is a prime example below of how the electric guitar can be played by Eddie Van Halen:
Personal Opinions and Viewpoints of the Electric Guitar
The electric guitar is one of the greatest inventions in music history. The guitar has evolved a long way from the classical guitar to the electric guitar. I think every change and development from the tunings, shapes, sizes, and materials of the guitar was extremely important and for the better. Although, it is surprising to see how some of the body styles of electric guitars are similar to what we see today like the Telecaster, Stratocaster, and Les Paul.
The musical characteristics of an electric guitar are why I slightly prefer it rather than an acoustic guitar. I like that you can create many different kinds of guitar tones since the possibilities are endless with the types of amplifiers and effects available. Furthermore, I think the electric guitar is much easier to play while having more distinct techniques and sounds than the acoustic guitar.
Sources
Classical Guitar
The acoustic guitar first gained popularity in Spain during the 16th century (Small). However, experts are uncertain on how the guitar originated before arriving in Europe, but guitars have seemed to have existed for thousands of years with evidence dating back to 3500 BC (Lozano).
Baroque guitars with 5 strings were used frequently for song accompaniment during the 17th century. The Baroque guitars transitioned into Romantic guitars during the 18th century in France and Italy. Then in the 19th century, 6-string acoustic guitars became the standard due to the extended range of the low E string. During these times, there were many developments to the instrument as they changed the number of strings, tunings, shapes, materials, and much more (Small). Additionally, these guitarists' techniques changed significantly over these periods.
Here is an example below of a classical guitar piece by Francisco Tarrega:
During the 19th century, there was a desire to increase the volume of the guitar due to concerts and ensembles (Smithsonian). There were many developments in the body, with their size and shape, and the strings, from nylon to steel. This desire for a louder guitar intensified during the 1920s and 1930s due to bands, recordings, and radios (Smithsonian). As a result, the first electric guitar was invented by Adolph Rickenbacker in 1931 (Sparks). This electric guitar is known as the "frying pan".
There have been many developments since the first electric guitar. Over time, more people would eventually incorporate this new technology into their own guitars. Inventors like Les Paul, Leo Fender, and Paul Bigsby would then create their own style of guitars that we still see today (Sparks)!
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| Rickenbacker's "Frying Pan" |
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| 1952 Gibson Les Paul |
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| 1948 Fender Telecaster |
First Songs with an Electric Guitar
These two songs by Big Bill Broonzy were the first commercial recordings of the electric guitar in history! Both of these songs were recorded in the same studio session in 1938 (Humphrey).
.jpg)
1. Big Bill Broonzy - It's a Low Down Dirty Shame -1938, USA
2. Big Bill Broonzy - Sweetheart Land - 1938 USA
Musical Characteristics of the Electric Guitar
Although the main purpose for the invention of the electric guitar was volume, there were also many other benefits and characteristics it gave to musicians. One of the main and obvious differences is the timbre of the instrument. The electric guitar can sound completely different compared to its acoustic counterpart. The electric guitar allows the player to use a variety of different types of amplifiers and effects to change its sound. It can have a distorted heavy metal tone or a clean and dreamy tone. In my opinion, this makes possibilities endless for guitar sounds and it could make you sound unique to other guitarists.
Another difference is the articulation a player can utilize on an electric guitar. Due to its thinner strings, tension, and body, players can now vibrato, slide, legato, and bend notes much easier than with an acoustic guitar. Due to its louder volume, players can now use other techniques like "artificial harmonics" and "pinch harmonics" to their playing style. These techniques and articulation are reasons why I think the electric guitar is completely unique to any other kind of instrument. Additionally, some guitars have added different kinds of hardware like tremolo/vibrato bars, killswitches, and sustainers to achieve unique articulation. Some guitars have more strings that allow more range, like a 7-string or 8-string guitar.
Here is a prime example below of how the electric guitar can be played by Eddie Van Halen:
Personal Opinions and Viewpoints of the Electric Guitar
The electric guitar is one of the greatest inventions in music history. The guitar has evolved a long way from the classical guitar to the electric guitar. I think every change and development from the tunings, shapes, sizes, and materials of the guitar was extremely important and for the better. Although, it is surprising to see how some of the body styles of electric guitars are similar to what we see today like the Telecaster, Stratocaster, and Les Paul.
The musical characteristics of an electric guitar are why I slightly prefer it rather than an acoustic guitar. I like that you can create many different kinds of guitar tones since the possibilities are endless with the types of amplifiers and effects available. Furthermore, I think the electric guitar is much easier to play while having more distinct techniques and sounds than the acoustic guitar.
Sources
Humphrey, Mark. “First Recorded Electric Guitar Solo.” Baja Review, bajareview.com/2018/04/27/first-recorded-electric-guitar-solo/#:~:text=The%20Wikipedia%20entry%20on%20Barnes. Accessed 21 Feb. 2023.
Lozano, Author Ed, et al. “The History of the Acoustic Guitar.” Guitar Space, 4 June 2022, guitarspace.org/acoustic-guitars/history-of-the-acoustic-guitar/. Accessed 21 Feb. 2023.
Small, Mark. “The History of the Modern Classical Guitar and Its Deep Iberian Roots.” Classical Guitar, 28 Feb. 2020, classicalguitarmagazine.com/the-history-of-the-modern-classical-guitar-and-its-deep-Iberian-roots/. Accessed 21 Feb. 2023.
Smithsonian Lemelson Center. “The Invention of the Electric Guitar.” Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation, 18 Apr. 2014, invention.si.edu/invention-electric-guitar. Accessed 21 Feb. 2023.
Sparks, Tim. “The Evolution of the Electric Guitar.” TrueFire Blog - Guitar Lessons, 21 May 2010, blog.truefire.com/inspiration/first-electric-guitar-evolution/. Accessed 21 Feb. 2023.
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I liked the songs included. Your article was very nice and informative. I don't think I can disagree with anything here. While i was reading it thought that the exclamation mark in the section The Invention and Evolution of the Electric Guitar towards the picture after sparks, looks like this (sparks)!, was distracting. Also what elements changed with the topic? I was not sure if that had been included on here. I really liked the 1938 Big Billy Broonzy.
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