A quick look at the history of the guitar

Many people don’t realise that the history of the guitar goes back over 4,000 years. It has a fascinating ancestry and there are many different theories about its development. One theory is that it developed from the lute. There is another that it came from the kithara, a Greek instrument like a harp with four strings. However, evidence suggests that it was the guitar that influenced these instruments.

Ancestors

The oldest ancestor of the guitar is probably the bowl harp or tanbur. Early examples look like guitars because of the long necks. Some tanburs had a straight neck rather than a bent one, allowing the strings to be pressed. As a result this created more notes to play.

The oldest tanbur is 3,500 years old. It belonged to an Egyptian singer and had three strings and a cedarwood soundbox. The plectrum hung from a cord around the neck of the instrument, ensuring it did not get lost. You can view the tanbur at the Archaelogical Museum in Cairo.

The oldest image of a guitar with all the features we expect from them today is 3,300 years old. It is in a stone carving of a Hittite, featuring a long neck with frets, a flat top and curving sides. The carving was found at Alaca Huyuk in Turkey.

Interestingly, the name guitar comes from “tar”, the Sanskrit word for a string. The prefix was an indication of the number of strings. For example, a dotar has two and a chatur has four.

Europe

The ancestors of the guitar made their way to Europe from Egypt. The vast majority of them had four strings but others had three or five. Images of these instruments appear in churches and cathedrals dating from ancient Rome to the Middle Ages.

It was the Italians that drove the move to six strings in the 17th century. The modern guitar as we know it really began to take shape in the 19th century. One of the most important people in this development is Antonio Torres, a Spanish guitar maker. His incredible design improved the instrument in several ways, making the tone better, increasing the volume, and making the sound project. This is the same shape you can see today in almost any acoustic guitar.

The US

Many German migrants took their instruments with them to America. As a result the guitar would continue its development here. Another huge name from this time is Christian Fredrich Martin. His idea was to have an X brace at the top of each instrument. This was a master stroke when people began using steel strings around 1900. The brace supported the weight and with these strings the guitars were even louder.

As you can see, the humble guitar has an amazing history. This makes it even more of a joy to play them and create music, something the Ryk Mead Band excels at. If you want to enjoy a mix of rock and blues and creative sets, check out our shows.