History of The Guitar
GitternA 16th century musical instrument that looks like a guitar with a pear-shaped soundbox and wire strings. It usually had four strings and was plucked. The gittern was carved from one solid piece of wood.
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LuteAn old string instrument that you pluck with a quill or your fingers. It is smaller than a guitar and has a body shaped like a pear and a bent neck. It was used mostly in medieval Europe. It was once the most popular instrument in the world. It was the instrument of Kings and Queens and could be heard in Shakespeare plays.
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VeenaThe Veena is an Indian instrument. It is over 1 metre long. It is hollow inside and has two round shapes where sound resonates. The Veena has 4 melody strings that play the nice tunes. The player plucks these strings with their first and second fingers. It also has 3 drone strings that the player plays with their little finger.
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Baroque GuitarBaroque guitars are small and delicate. They make a quieter sound than other guitars. It has 5 pairs of nylon strings. The Baroque guitar has fancy decorations , with patterns all over the neck and body, and a paper-cutout inside the hole.
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Acoustic GuitarAcoustic guitars have hollow bodies. They can be made from wood or fibreglass. The sound vibrates from the strings and resonates inside the body. Acoustic guitars have 6 strings. Strings can be made from steel, nickel or nylon. Players can use a pick or their fingers to pluck the strings. Today, the acoustic guitar is used mostly for blues, country, folk and rock music.
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Electric GuitarAn electric guitar has a solid body made of wood. It has 6 strings made from steel. An electric guitar has electromagnetic "pickups" that convert the vibration of the steel strings into electrical current, which are then fed to an amplifier. Because it does not need to be naturally loud, the body of an electric guitar can be virtually any shape. The electric guitar is used in many popular styles of music, including blues, rock and roll, country music, pop music and jazz.
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