Guitars

A guitar is a fretted string instrument typically played by plucking or strumming. Most modern guitars have six strings, though variants with four, seven, eight, or twelve strings exist. The instrument consists of a neck and a resonant body, and may include pickups to drive an amplifier in electric models. Acoustic guitars rely on a hollow body to project sound, while electric guitars require amplification.

Guitars descend from ancient chordophones such as lutes and ouds. The modern six-string steel-string guitar developed in Europe, especially Spain, in the 19th century, standardizing neck and body construction. The nylon-string classical guitar emerged earlier and remains common. The electric guitar appeared in the United States in the 1930s, using magnetic pickups to convert string vibrations into an electrical signal.

Construction and types: Acoustic guitars have a wooden soundboard, back, and sides; tops are often spruce or cedar, backs and sides mahogany, rosewood, or maple. Electric guitars use a solid or hollow body with pickups and electronics. Common shapes include dreadnought and concert for acoustics, and solid-body for electrics. Nylon-string guitars use nylon strings and a wider neck.

Tuning and technique: The standard six-string tuning is E2-A2-D3-G3-B3-E4, though many alternate tunings and capos are used. Playing styles include strumming, fingerpicking, flat-picking, and tapping.

In modern music, the guitar occupies a central role across genres such as rock, folk, jazz, and pop. It is produced in a wide range of sizes, woods, and electronics, from beginner models to professional instruments.