| Did you know that when you picked up your | | | | Antonio de Torres Jurado made many key changes |
| acoustic guitar, you're picking up an instrument with | | | | that in essence from the creation of what is known |
| 5,000 years of history attached to it? Acoustic | | | | today as the modern classical guitar. Among these |
| guitars are descendants of stringed instruments that | | | | changes were the design elements that are |
| were found in a variety of cultures thousands and | | | | recognizable as an acoustic or classical guitar today. |
| thousands of years ago. As civilizations merged and | | | | The body was made larger and wider to help make |
| the world became smaller, the guitar began taking on | | | | sound travel farther and be louder, while the |
| a unified shape and style. Since then, there has been | | | | construction was also sturdier, more complete and |
| a lineal evolution of several hundreds of years of | | | | more technically savvy. |
| instruments that can be directly compared to today's | | | | The Acoustic Guitar |
| acoustic guitars. | | | | The instrument that Antonio de Torres created and |
| The Medieval Period | | | | made popular was the Classical guitar. The acoustic |
| During the Medieval Period of European history, there | | | | guitar is commonly misinterpreted as being the same |
| were several different forms of guitars. These | | | | as the Classical guitar. This is not true, there are |
| guitars had between three and five strings and were | | | | many key differences in the design of these two |
| much smaller than the guitars we know today. There | | | | separate guitars. The most important of which is that |
| were variations of these instruments which had pairs | | | | the acoustic guitar has steel strings, while the |
| of strings, known as courses. The popular guitars of | | | | Classical guitar is strung with nylon strings. |
| this period were commonly separated into two | | | | The body was also made larger and sturdier still. The |
| groupings. The first, the Guitarra Latina was likely | | | | acoustic guitar was much better for performing in |
| developed from Spain, while the Guitarra Morisca was | | | | larger areas as it was increasingly louder than the |
| brought to Spain by the Moorish culture. | | | | Classical guitar; the two guitars also produce different |
| The Renaissance and Beyond | | | | ranges and textures of sounds which various styles |
| While in the Middle Ages, the guitar instruments were | | | | of music correspond to. |
| not terribly popular, being overshadowed by other | | | | The acoustic guitar was actually developed in |
| contemporary instruments, in the Renaissance the | | | | America from European immigrants. The last major |
| guitar began to take a real hold. It was in Italy in | | | | development of the acoustic guitar is the |
| 1779 that the first six string guitar was created. | | | | electrical-acoustic guitar. These acoustic guitars can |
| Gaetano Vinaccia created this instrument in Naples. | | | | be plugged into an amplifier for increased volume or |
| Following that, the man known as the "Father of | | | | can be left unplugged and played as is. |
| Modern Guitar" made his permanent mark on the | | | | So next time you pick up an acoustic guitar, |
| course of the guitar and how it would be designed | | | | remember the history you hold in your hands. |
| and played. | | | | |