In which country did the guitar originate?

Friar Tuck

The guitar's roots are in Spain. Realistically, it cannot be traced back further than the 15th Century. It is thought to have been invented by the people of Malaga. This early instrument was a 'four course' guitar, from which the ukulele is derived. The first guitars were very small, and were originally strung with four pair of strings. Each pair was call a course. During the Renaissance, the guitar never had the respect the lute enjoyed. It was not considered a serious instrument. The first publication for guitar is thought to have been Alonso Mudarra's 'Tres Libros de Musica en Cifras para Vihuela.' Eventually, the guitar began to attract players, more publications and music began to appear. During the During the Baroque period, A fifth course was added. Even more music became available. It's repertoire and the complexity of the music increased. http://www.albany.net/~dowland/gtrhstry.html Apr 14 03, 9:07 PM

sequoianoir

The guitar's country of origin cannot be identified definitively since, according to archaeologists, it is still rather vague although its etymology presupposes it may have evolved from the Greek cithara, the Chaldean quitarra or the Persian sitar. Ancient Egypt had a stringed instrument that looked much like our modern guitar. Although its precise origin cannot really be determined, Greek mythology tends to confuse it with the Egyptian lyre supposedly invented by Tehuti, the God of Wisdom whom the Greeks assimilated as Hermes or Pan and that the Hebrews identified with Judas. The oldest stringed instrument was discovered in a Babylonian palace but today there as many models of guitar as there are musicians who play it around the world. Instruments identical to the guitar can also be found, for example, in the tomb of a Pharaoh dating Back to 9500 BC. We actually do not know much about the history of the guitar. According to the hypotheses of anthropologists, archeologists, historians and musicologists, primitive man built guitars after having first made them from animal or human skulls or from turtle shells. Legend has it that the first guitarist was none other than the grandson of Adam, the son of Cain and that King David played the nabla or Greek lyre extremely well. http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/Exhibitions/Instruments/Anglais/cera_c_txt03_en.html Apr 14 03, 9:35 PM