Guitar is Everyone's Instrument

Consider this. Up until the introduction of the Spanish guitar, the forerunner

of today’s modern guitars, stringed instruments like the lute and lyre were

used primarily as accompaniment for singers. Not just solo singers, but

campfire singers, singing groups, folk singers and the like.

In the late 1700’s, early 1800’s, composers like Fernando Sor, Mauro

Giuliani, Matteo Carcassi and others composed classical music for guitar.

They became widely known as composers, performers, and teachers. The

most prevalent classical guitar music comes from this era. This music is not

accompaniment music but meant to played by a soloist and demonstrates

the rich complexities of both the soloist and the guitar---the Spanish guitar.

Now a “melody” instrument, the guitar still was widely used to accompany

singers, solo and in groups. In the early 20th century in America, the guitar

became the core of jazz and blues music. In fact, blues and guitar simply

went hand in hand. Big Bill Broonzy, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Charley

Patton, and, of course, Leadbelly, led an explosive growth in the popularity

of guitars. The story of Robert Johnson and “Crossroads” where he sold his

soul to the devil at the crossroads is a wonderful piece of American lore. A

modern day great, Ry Cooder, played the music for the movie that was

made about the “Crossroads.”

So, now individuals played incredible licks on beautifully crafted guitars.

But the primary purpose to the guitar was to accompany their blues singing and

to punctuate the song. They were so amazingly good at that.

And then. And then… Elvis Presley. Here is the guy who set the nation on

fire with his singing, his playing and his sexuality. There is some

controversy about how well Presley played guitar. It truly doesn’t matter.

Presley brought the focus hard on the guitar. Big time. Now the guitar was

an accompaniment instrument for singers but also an accompaniment

instrument for sexual expression. Elvis led us into the rock and roll era, the

emergence of popular music and artists like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and

Mark Knopfler, or, in the world of country music with the likes of Les Paul

and Mary Ford, Maybelle Carter, all time greatest Chet Atkins, Waylon

Jennings, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, and, don’t forget Dolly Parton.

So now, what is a guitar? Most orchestra instruments, Clarinet, Flute,

Violin, Trumpet are melodic instruments. They are single note instruments

(some exception with the violin, cello). They play the melody or the theme

and instead of chords, the simply play longer notes.

Think about James Taylor. He was a great composer, singer and guitar

player. He is a great example of what I see as how the guitar simply

became the core of all popular music. When you think of the great singers

from the 60s and 70s --- Linda Ronstadt, Glen Campbell, Bob Dylan,

Joanie Mitchell (who was married for a while to Taylor), Janis Joplin, Joan

Baez, on and on, you remember they sang to a guitar.

So, again, what is a guitar? Maybe it’s a vehicle, one that carries you, its

pluckers, and singers to far distant and wonderful places. Little portals of

safety, joy and even sadness. A guitar is a magical tele-transporter.