Guitar

Guitars are either acoustic or electric. An acoustic guitar relies upon the hollow body of the instrument to amplify the sound of the strings, whereas in an electric guitar the body of the instrument is solid and the amplification of the sound is carried out electrically.

Guitar has long been one of the most popular instruments with young children, who can start playing the instrument at any age from 8 upwards. It appears that learning the guitar is currently more popular than ever! Music shops are reporting record sales of the instrument. Perhaps this is not surprising when you consider that an acoustic instrument can be purchased for as little as £40. The acoustic guitar is very light and easy to transport. It has a very gentle and pleasing tone, and is unlikely to attract any complaints from neighbours.

There are various styles of guitar playing. For classical, Spanish and folk guitar you would certainly need to have an acoustic instrument, whereas for pop and jazz you would generally require an electric guitar. It is mostly classical guitar that is taught in primary schools. The advantage of this is that it affords children far more opportunities for ensemble playing. However, in secondary schools classical guitar is taught alongside electric guitar.

The bass guitar is significantly different to the standard instrument. It has four strings instead of six, it normally plays a single bass line and it is never strummed so has more in common with an orchestral double bass