a. sound is produced by vibrations caused by striking the strings b. vibration is transferred to sound board c. hollow-body amplifies the vibration

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2 A. Setting the Scene 1. the electric guitar is the most important and popular instrument of the last 60 years 2. the demand for a louder guitar began in the 1800s 3. by the 1920s, even louder instruments were required for phonograph recording and radio broadcasting

3 B. The Beginning 1. the modern 6-string hollow-body acoustic guitar was created in Spain around 1800 a. sound is produced by vibrations caused by striking the strings b. vibration is transferred to sound board c. hollow-body amplifies the vibration d. pitch determined by string s mass, tension and length of strings

C. Early Innovations for a Louder Sound 1.

allows for more tension = more volume 2.

4 C. Early Innovations for a Louder Sound 1. in 1850s C.F. Martin adds X-Bracing a. allows for more tension = more volume s, Orville Gibson creates a carved-body design a. allows for even more volume b. sets the standard for guitars in the 20 th Century

5 C. Early Innovations for a Louder Sound 3. However, by 1920s, a louder, better quality guitar was needed for: a. Big Band Swing bands b. phonograph recording industry c. commercial radio broadcasts i. necessitates experimentation

D. The Electrified Guitar 1. idea was created back in 1890s, but it did not become technologically possible until 1920s and 30s. 2.

6 D. The Electrified Guitar 1. idea was created back in 1890s, but it did not become technologically possible until 1920s and 30s Lloyd Loar invents the first electrostatic pickup a. sensed vibrations on the soundboard b. good first step, but not commercially successful

7 D. The Electrified Guitar George Beauchamp and Adolf Rickenbacker produce the musical Frying Pan a. 1 st use of electromagnetic pickup i. an electrical current passes through a coil wire wrapped around a magnet ii. amplifies the string s vibration b. 1 st commercially successful electric guitar

8 E. Problems with Early Electrified Guitars 1. vibrations in the body are amplified in addition to the strings 2. distortion, overtones, and feedback 3. a need exists for a non-vibrating electric guitar

9 F. The Electric Solution Les Paul and The Log a. pickups and strings mounted directly to a solid block of pine b. no vibrations other than the strings 2. Leo Fender and others also work on similar designs around the same time a. Leo Fender creates the first mass-produced solid-body electric guitar

10 G. Opposition to the New Sound 1. many musicians criticized the new electric guitar 2. not considered a real instrument a. did not produce a pure, authentic sound

H. Early Champions of the Electric Guitar 1.

Jazz music 2. Noel Boggs and Merle Travis in Country 3.

all of these artists expose the electric guitar in a

11 H. Early Champions of the Electric Guitar 1. Charlie Christian (Eddie Durham and Oscar Moore) in Jazz music 2. Noel Boggs and Merle Travis in Country 3. T-Bone Walker and Muddy Waters in the Blues a. all of these artists expose the electric guitar in a legitimate way to a much larger audience b. caused others to experiment further

guitar, dark sun glasses, slicked-back hair, leather jacket

12 I. Commercial Success 1. the electric guitar s volume and tone was embraced in 1950s by early Rock and Rollers a. R&B and Rockabilly b. became part of the iconic rock and roll image: an electric guitar, dark sun glasses, slicked-back hair, leather jacket and a motorcycle c. actually necessary for huge concerts put on by bands like The Beatles and Rolling Stones

13 J. Further Developments s distortion and feedback was turned into something cool a. playing close to the amp b. using a tremolo bar 2. Jimi Hendrix pioneered many of these techniques and improved many others

14 J. Further Developments s-80s brought even more distortion with the rise of Heavy Metal a. extreme solos b. use of loud power chords c. using the whammy bar for dive bombing ex. Van Halen

15 J. Further Developments 4. innovative designs a. since a modern electric guitar is really a solid block, the shape no longer matters b. Fender Strat resembles the tail fins of Detroit muscle car designs c. Gibson s Flying V imitates a rocket d. Prince s many extravagant designs

16 Prince's Yellow Cloud and PRS Dragon electric guitars. Smithsonian photo by Eric Long

17 J. Further Developments

18 K. The Hawaiian or Steel Guitar 1. played horizontally with a sliding steel bar 2. easier than finger-picking the strings a. variations include the lap-steel and pedal-steel 3. big in country and blues genres beginning in the 1930s 4. Junior Brown s Guit-Steel a. combines the electric guitar and lap-steel

THE BIRTH OF THE ELECTRIC GUITAR

THE BIRTH OF THE ELECTRIC GUITAR OVERVIEW ESSENTIAL QUESTION How did the electric guitar transform Blues music from the 1940s forward? OVERVIEW The electrification of the guitar had an enormous impact on American popular music. As the