Fast Facts
- A guitar maker is called a Luthier.
- The origins of the guitar come from two instruments, the lute and the oud, and date back thousands of years to Egypt, Greece and Mesopotamia.
- Other string instruments in the same family as the guitar are guitarron, sitar, banjo, mandolin, and ukulele.
- Kids can play the guitar! It's one of the most popular instruments in the world and is super fun and easy to learn!
A guitar is a stringed instrument with a flat body, a long neck with frets, and usually six strings that are played with the fingers or with a pick. The exact history of the guitar is unknown, but it has been around in various forms for thousands of years. Acoustic guitars make sounds by the vibrations created when the strings are plucked and amplified through the hollow body of the instrument. In contrast, electric guitars use amplification to project their sound. In the 1930’s, two guitar pioneers, Les Paul and Leo Fender, invented the electric guitar and changed the course of music history. The word "guitar" derives from the Spanish "guitarra," which in turn traces its roots to the Arabic term "qītār." Today, the guitar can be found in genres and countries all around the world. It is commonly played in classical, folk, rock, blues, funk, jazz, country, bluegrass, R&B, flamenco, mariachi, and many others!
Sources and additional information:
“Guitar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/guitar. Accessed 28 Apr. 2025.
“Guitary”. Britannica Kids, https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/guitar/390915. Accessed 28 Apr. 2025.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. "guitar". Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Apr. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/art/guitar. Accessed 28 April 2025.