The Guitar
By Courtney Pancost, Fri Dec 9th

The guitar is one of the most familiar and common instruments the world over. It is descended from other stringed instruments that were common in Greece, in India, in Mexico and in Africa -in fact, throughout the known world. It's descended from such instruments as the sitar, said to be sacred to the Hindo goddess Saraswati, and the lute, which Greek mythology claims was invented by the god Apollo himself.

It's no wonder that the guitar has a history of association with the divine. The range and styles of music that can be played on the classic stringed instrument is incredible. From the intricate fire and beauty of classical Spanish and flamenco guitar to the down-home country sounds of good finger-pickin', the guitar is a versatile and beautiful instrument.

Modern-day have a hollow or solid body, a neck with frets, and a tuning mechanism that is called the machine head. They may be acoustic, or electric, and are one of the most popular instruments in the world.

Guitar bodies for acoustic are made of wood, often spruce, red cedar or maple. The face of the guitar, or top, is one of the most important factors in its sound quality. It is carefully engineered to a precise thickness, and braced by a variety of materials.

The most important piece of the guitar is the face, or top. Its composition, shape and engineering will determine the final sound of the guitar. The back and sides also make a difference, but not so much, and often, luthiers will choose the wood for the sides and back with an eye to appearance 1. Buy your Guitar from the best online guitar store - unbeatable quality and price at GuitarTrader. Half price sale on Fender Telecasters, sweet deals on Washburn and Yamaha models
GuitarTrader have been doing it right for over 20 years, by far the best online store for choice, quality and economy - see the new 2005 Special Promotions
2. Learn all the Chord Shapes - download free Multimedia Chord Chart and Guitar Tuner
D'Accord are producing absolutely the best guitar resource software on the web, with free download of their amazing Chord Dictionary - guitar tuner software also available for download. Palmtop versions available
3. Get the best online guitar lessons - the world-famous GuitarAlliance program will make you a Guitar Player. For life.
The world famous GuitarAlliance guitar lessons program has helped thousands make the transition from playing guitar to being a "Guitar Player - special bonus for PJ's Guitar Chords supporters"
4. Get guitar chords and song lyrics of your favourite songs - PJ's Guitar Chords and Lyrics
Learn your favourite songs specially arranged for the learning guitar player, over 1300 songs to play and songs to aspire to
5. Train your voice - VocalRealease will increase your voice range and staying power
Train your singing voice - increase your range and give those vocal chords the staying power to last all night without croaking!
6. How did he do that? ... GuitarTips shows you the tips and tricks the greats use to create those great sounds
A fantastic collection of guitar tips and tricks essential for every guitar player - new multimedia Guitar Songs feature now launched!
7. Develop your skills and prepare for performance with the AmazingGuitar DVD. Your guitar playing will improve in just 5 days. Guaranteed.
Develop your skills, learn the secrets the guitar stars know, be the Guitar Player you want to be with the AmazingGuitar DVD
rather than sound quality.

Electric are solid, though they are rarely made of a single solid piece of wood. Instead, most are created of many layers of different kinds of wood laminated together. This gives the guitar both strength and sound quality that wouldn't be possible in a single piece of wood. Often, the electric guitaris made of a 'good sounding' wood like ash or poplar, with a laminated top of a more attractive wood for appearance.

It's hard to believe that the same instrument is capable of creating such wide and varied styles of music. It's even harder to believe that only a few hundred years ago, the guitar was considered the instrument of peasants, lesser than the noble violin and organ. It was considered so much lesser that across the United States, older generations boycotted Catholic churches that used to celebrate faith in folk Masses.

Nowhere else will you find the variety of that you find in a typical Mexican mariachi band. A typical mariachi band will include at least three kinds of guitar - a classical guitar, avihuela and a guitarron, a large guitar that is nearly the size of a cello.

Mastering the guitar, however, takes years of practice. The difference between a three-chord strummed song and the intricate finger picking and speed of a flamenco guitarist is unmistakable.

From divine beginnings, though its history as the music of peasants to its elevation again as the king of instruments, the guitar has been a beloved instrument of people the world over. If you choose to learn only one instrument, the guitar is the perfect choice.

About the author: Courtney Pancost is the owner of