The Spanish Guitar: The Descendent Of The Middle Ages
September 5, 2008
The title “Spanish guitar” is a reference to the instrument’s origin rather than the music played on it. It is also called the “nylon string guitar,” “classical guitar,” or “gut string guitar.” It is certainly one of the most recognizable instruments in the world today, and its history can be traced back for approximately four centuries. Thanks to ancient carvings and statues, we know that instruments similar to the modern guitar have existed for at least 5,000 years. However, the Spanish guitar is believed to have evolved under the combined influences of the Renaissance five string guitar, the baroque guitar, the lute, and the vihuela.
The latter half of the Middle Ages was a very good time for the guitar. Thanks to the resurgence of human innovation, a variety of instruments were invented or improved upon. The Renaissance five string guitar, for example. This musical instrument, sometimes called a gittern, resembled a small lute and was carved from a single piece of wood with a curved peg box. The vihuela, another instrument of the period, was developed in Spain during the early sixteenth century. This instrument had six double strings made of gut and was tuned almost exactly like the modern Spanish guitar. Finally the baroque guitar, or early romantic guitar, was developed in Italy in the late sixteenth century. It, too, was a six-stringed instrument. In looking at the attributes of each, it is evident that all of these instruments eventually combined and evolved into the Spanish guitar. Our modern instrument, like several of its predecessors, has six strings (usually) and is an acoustic instrument that utilizes a soundboard as a resonator. It uses nylon strings, which are similar to the earlier gut strings in that they are fairly low tension, especially in comparison to their steel cousins.
The Electronic Keyboard: And Endless Influence
September 5, 2008
I remember when my family bought our electric keyboard. I must have been about ten years old, and I remember thinking that our family was going to be the coolest one on the block. All the different sounds it could make! All the different beats it could produce! I was sure that I’d be producing professional-sounding music in no time. Of course, as I soon found out, there’s more to playing an electric keyboard that just fiddling around with the buttons and keys. I soon lost interest in the instrument when it became evident that I’d have to put actual work into learning to play it. Fortunately, many real musicians the world over have had more perseverance than me, and they have used electronic keyboards to stretch the boundaries of modern music.
An electronic keyboard, or more accurately, a synthesizer, produces a wide variety of sounds by generating and combining signals of different frequencies. These frequencies are transmuted into electrical signals, which are then amplified through speakers. Not surprisingly, the electronic keyboard has its roots in instruments like the piano and the harpsichord, instruments that have existed for hundreds of years. The modern synthesizer, however, only came into existence in the mid-1970s, about thirty years ago. Since that time, electric keyboards have had an incalculable effect on the music industry and culture.
The Steel-Stringed Guitar: An Instrument Of “Tension”
September 5, 2008
The primary characteristics of a steel-string acoustic guitar are self-evident from the name. At first glance or from a distance, it appears completely similar to the traditional classical, or Spanish, guitar. However, closer inspection reveals that the strings, rather than being nylon, are steel, and there is no mistaking the sound of a steel-string for that of a classical instrument. Devotees of the steel-stringed guitar are usually drawn to that sound, which is “brighter” and louder than that of its classical cousin.
The steel-string acoustic guitar, as mentioned, very closely resembles the classical guitar in basic shape. Both instruments typically sport six strings, although twelve-string variations are not uncommon. However, the steel-string guitar usually has a larger sound box and heavier construction overall. This is because steel strings require a higher tension level than those made of nylon; a classical guitar has a string tension of 75-90 pounds, whereas a steel-string guitar has a string tension of 150-200 pounds. Accordingly, the construction of the steel-string guitar must be able to withstand the increased tension. The steel-string guitar also uses a different bracing system for the strings, which is called “X-bracing,” whereas classical guitars typically use a style called “fan bracing.”
Subwoofers: The Speaker With The Big Bark
September 5, 2008
Subwoofers, or “woofers,” have always seemed quintessentially masculine to me. I suppose it’s because of all the young men I’ve met who have shown me their car trunks, the entire interiors of which have been taken up with gigantic speakers. Yet as silly as it can sometimes seem, the subwoofer is an important part of any high quality music reproduction system.
First created in the 1960s, the subwoofer was developed in response to complaints about a lack of bass response in electrostatic speakers. For the first decade or so, these loudspeakers were known only to music professionals and the truly dedicated fans. Then, in 1974, the movie Earthquake was released in Sensurround. In the seventeen theatres where it was shown, six very large subwoofers driven by a pair of 1600 watt amplifiers were used to simulate the sounds and effects of an actual earthquake. This movie and its use of sound were responsible for bringing subwoofers to the public’s attention.