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Classical Guitars
The classical (or spanish) guitar is a chordophone charachterised by nylon strings which are plucked rather than played with a plectrum, although like all styles of guitar playing the player can please themselves in an effort to coax pleasing tones and melodies from their instruments. The classical guitar is popular in classical, jazz, folk and fusion music, although it has made appearences in genres as diverse as heavy metal and pop from time to time. This instrument is the basis of all modern guitars that we know and love and can trace its origins back at least 5,000 years. We have archeological evidence that instruments surprisingly similar in appearence were played in ancient times, but it was not until the middle ages that an instrument we would recognise immediately as a classical instrument began to emerge. The Guitarra Latina had curved sides and was played with three, four or five strings, and it is thought to have come to Spain from elsewhere in Europe. The Guitarra Morisca was brought to Spain by the Moors,
and had an oval soundbox and many sound holes on its soundboard.
By the
fifteenth century, four double-string guitars, similar to lutes, became
popular, and by the sixteenth century, a fifth double-string had been
added. Now we begin to see an instrument that resembles the modern classical guitar. During this time, composers wrote mostly in tablature notation.
Italy was the center of guitar world during the 17th century, and the
Spanish school of guitar making only began to flourish late in the 18th
century after the addition of the sixth string. During the 19th
century, improved communication and transportation enabled performers
to travel widely and the classical guitar became a widely known instrument. The repertoire of the classical guitar player can be wide and varied, but when referring to traditional pieces it does not only include music written specifically for the classical guitar but also music that was written for far earlier versions of the instrument such as the lute and the vihuela. The classical guitar is the result of thousands of years of evolution, and the classical guitar also has the honour of being the progenitor of all modern guitars including the acoustic, electric and bass guitars.
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