Today there is hardly a person who would not touch the guitar strings at least once in his life. Often, beginners through persistent exercises turn into real virtuosos. And success in the field of mastering art depends on choosing a good guitar for beginners.
The story of the guitar
String instruments were invented a very long time ago. A few millennia ago, the ancestors of the modern guitar appeared in the Middle Eastern states. However, for the instrument to take on the form by which it is recognized today, a lot of time had to pass.
According to some scholars, a bowstring of a hunting bow served as the first string for a man, on which primitive men made peculiar sounds in their free time from hunting down game. Over time, the dependence of the pitch on the string tension was noticed. So there were the ancient Egyptian nabla, from which in the future came the guitar.
The first minstrel companions had 3 or 4 strings, which were fingered with fingers or a special bone plate.
Already in the XVI century in Spain came up with a five-stringed guitar, which immediately became known by its place of origin. It was in Spain that the instrument was recognized as a folk instrument. Along with commoners, the art of the game was owned by talented virtuosos and composers who performed at the courts of the kings of European states.
A six-stringed guitar appeared in the 18th century in the same Spain. Then the instrument arose in the form in which it is known today. The possibilities of the “six-string” are very high, and now the guitar is one of the most popular instruments.
The very name “guitar” arose from a combination of two words - “sangita” (music) and “tar” (translated from Persian as a string).
According to another version, the term came from the Sanskrit "couture" - four-stringed. The first mention of the word “guitar” can be seen in the 13th century European literature.
Guitar design
The structure of the now popular tool is complex and simple at the same time. A modern guitar consists of the main parts - the body and neck, on which the functional elements are located.
The bar (or holder) contains the head, handle, heel and pad. On the head are the pegs where the instrument strings are attached, the heel attaches the fingerboard to the body of the guitar, the adjustment consists of mods, with which a melody of different sounds is extracted.
The tool body holds the lower and upper deck, which are interconnected by a casing. On the upper deck there is a resonator - a round hole decorated with a socket. Since the main function of the outlet is decorative, it can be made of a variety of materials - plastic, mother of pearl, veneer, etc.
Below the resonator there is a bar for the strings - a string holder (or a binder).
For fans of extreme sports, the best guitar for beginners can be an electric guitar. A distinctive feature in the structure of such an instrument is the presence of a pickup, volume control, switch pickups, etc. The body of this guitar is solid, without a resonator. Only metal strings are pulled onto an electric tool.
Types of Guitars
In the process of evolution, several types of tools have formed that include subspecies.
- The very first guitar that gave rise to all subsequent types is classical. It was she who was born in Spain at one time. They play the instrument either with their fingers, fingering the strings, or with a pick as a special device for playing.
- Acoustic guitar is also considered a good guitar for beginners - a close relative of the classical one. It is more heavyweight, equipped exclusively with metal strings on a massive case. The fretboard of the acoustic guitar is thinner, and the throttle is closer to the resonator. They play the instrument with both fingers and a pick. Acoustic guitar is divided into subspecies. Dreadnought - characterized by an enlarged, somewhat rectangular body. This form will allow you to play rhythmic melodies and romantic solo compositions. Jumbo is the guitar with the largest body. However, the instrument looks very elegant and rounded. Jumbo is characterized by a very loud sound. Folk is a guitar that combines the features of jumbo and dreadnought. The jumbo gave the instrument grace and sophisticated waist, and the dreadnought gave the folk the size and shape of the neck.
- Russian guitar equipped with seven strings. Such an instrument was born at the beginning of the 19th century in Russia.
- Hawaiian, which is played by placing the instrument horizontally with the strings up. Such an instrument is played with a slider - a special device that is worn on the finger.
- Ukulele is a four-string mini-guitar.
- A twelve-string instrument with a wide neck and loud sound.
- An electric guitar is an instrument connected to a special electrical installation. Sound is produced by one or more pickups that are integrated in the housing.
- An electro-acoustic instrument is a combination of an acoustic and electric guitar. A piezosensor is installed inside the housing, through which the instrument is connected to an amplifier. However, the sound of such a guitar is no different from a simple acoustic.
Types of Guitar Strings
The tendons and intestines of animals were used as the first strings for the guitar. At the beginning of the XIX century, they invented a winding, due to which the sound turned out to be more vivid and saturated. In addition to the new sound, the upholstery reduced tension and increased the durability of the main element of the instrument.
Already in the twentieth century, the variety of strings increased. Today there are such types of them:
- Synthetic - nylon and carbon. For greater strength, nylon strings are wrapped in round copper, brass or bronze wire. Carbon is a material invented in the twentieth century in Japan. The strength of carbon strings is 90% higher than nylon. At the same time, the sound of such woods is much brighter and louder.
- Steel strings are often used where sonority and richness are important. They are more wear-resistant than synthetic, they can be pulled over the neck three times stronger. Steel strings are also wrapped with different wires - copper, nickel, brass, bronze. This makes the sound more saturated, and the string - more wear-resistant. In addition, the winding protects the musician's fingers from damage.
The first strings for beginners
With all the variety of guitar veins, beginners are advised to use synthetic ones. The best classical guitars for beginners are equipped with high-quality nylon strings. Three lower fishing lines are made of thin monofilament veins. Polyfilament threads act as three bass strings. The winding for this type of use copper in the form of a round wire with a silver coating. In order to prevent rapid wear, silver-plated brass or phosphor bronze is also used.
Acoustic Guitar Strings
The massive body of an acoustic guitar can make more powerful sounds. This sound gives strings on a steel base.
The best acoustic guitars for beginners are pulled with metal elements wrapped in copper, stainless nickel or brass wire. Each winding gives the sound its own unique and unique sound.
There are three types of windings of steel strings - round (Roundwound), flat (Flatwound) and semicircular (Groundwound). The round wraparound of the steel base consists in a spiral wound round wire on a round base. Medium tension creates a sonorous sound.
With a flat braid, a flat wire is used, and with a semicircular or hexagonal - a round wire is wound on a hexagonal basis in a section. These two types of braids “eat” various unpleasant sounds and hiss.
The main thing is the correct fit
No matter how good the guitar for beginners may be, the correct pose of the player is considered important when playing.
There are several options for landing a guitarist.
- Foot to foot. This type of holding a guitar is used when playing flamenco. The right leg is thrown on the left, and the body of the instrument is located on the right limb. The guitar does not hang out and playing it is very comfortable.
- A normal fit is that the instrument is located on the right foot. At the same time, the player’s legs are spaced apart, as in a normal sitting on a chair. The pose is not very stable, because the guitar has only two points of support - the leg and the right hand.
- The classic fit consists in placing the guitar on the left foot, which stands on a small stand. The head of the neck is located at eye level, making open access to the neck possible. The tool is in a stable position.
Guitar Rules
There are several postulates of playing this instrument. As a rule, the best guitar for beginners has 6 strings. You can play them at least in two ways - either by busting, when calm measured melodies are performed, or by an invoked battle (to display rhythmic fast music).
- Taking the instrument in your hands for the first time, do not immediately take on complex compositions. You need to start with simple sketches and songs. In the process of mastering the guitar, the musician learns to play chords and play strings.
- Initial melodies should be slow in order to develop muscle memory of the fingers.
- It is recommended to play for so long until you get bored.
- It is recommended to accompany the played melody with singing.
- You need to study the motive by measures that over time can be combined into a single whole. Trying to play the whole melody at once is not recommended.
- Although you can learn to play the best guitar for beginners yourself, it’s still recommended that you work with a teacher.
Instrument storage conditions
The guitar is a very fragile instrument due to its specific construction and natural materials. A change in the microclimate — humidity and room temperature — causes physical damage to the item. It is not recommended to store the guitar in cold or heat, and also to hang it on the wall or keep it on the cabinet. Dry air can also harm the instrument.
It is best to store the instrument in a hard case. So you can protect the tool from the effects of climate, and from mechanical shock.
If something is malfunctioning
Failure of any item is an unpleasant thing. It is especially sad when a favorite instrument “falls ill”. When wondering which guitar is best for beginners, you need to analyze not only the technique of the game, but also possible malfunctions. Some defects can be repaired by yourself.
- If the strings are too close or far from the nut, you need to adjust the anchor rod - a special metal bar inside the neck of the instrument. In the absence of such an element, you just need to file the frets so that the distance to the strings increases due to this.
- If the sound of the guitar has become deaf, this may mean that one of the springs inside the case of the acoustic instrument has come unstuck. This problem can be easily solved with the help of the “Moment” glue.
- If the guitar body is cracked along, you can treat the crack with an “epoxy”. In case of deep damage, it is recommended to consult a specialist.
Which tools are good
Which guitar is better to start learning? First, you need to choose the instrument to which the heart lies. After all, this item will accompany its owner for many years.
However, there are rules for choosing a guitar:
- The tool should not be cracked or scratched. The varnish on the body should lie smoothly and not swell.
- The neck of a quality guitar should be flat along its entire length.
- The extreme strings should be in the bar.
- Splitting should go smoothly and silently.
- The sound of the instrument should be harmonious, that is, all strings should sound approximately the same period of time.
If it’s hard to make a choice on your own, you can turn to an experienced musician for help, who will tell you which guitar to start learning from.