The invention of the guitar

Here's what's really amazing: The history of the guitar. And I don't mean the history of fender or martin or Jimi Hendrix. I mean, like, the 'pre-history' of the guitar; of any stringed instrument. I can almost track the entire development of the thing. I remember being a kid and for the first time noticing that if I pluck a rubber band or even a shoe lace there'd be that low 'Bwong'. It makes me wonder about the first, perhaps, caveman who noticed it-maybe while pulling on a vine or tearing the rubbery ligiments from the flesh of its kill-and thought to tame it. I mean, it's pretty 3rd dimensional thinking not just to hear a sound and like it for no specific evolutionary reason but to want to immitate it, repeat it's effects, manipulate it. In a way, music must have been a very early science. It may have been the first science that wasn't neccessarily vital to man's survival.

But that's just one string. And how was it decided to press in against a board? Or perhaps the string instrument developed more like a harp than a guitar. In either case, how and after how much time was it decided to add two strings of different tones? Then there's the discovery of the scale which I believe is, in fact a discovery and not an invention. I mean- all music is is manipulating the sound waves available to our range of hearing to varying degrees. That range existed before anyone noticed it- it's a discovery not some arbitrarily decided pattern.

What mastery this species has over it's environment to affect it on so many planes. We've stressed string made of horsehair, sheepskin, wound steel and nickel pillaged from deep within the earth. We studied the tension and tonal impact; chopped down mighty trees and carved them into shapes most condusive to acoustic amplification; all for the benefit of pretty sounds. Some caveman wanted to understand that vague bwong that rang out as he peeled a thin pine branch long ways and look at us now.

Just one of those amazing, beautiful, giagantic things that make humans sorta awesome.


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