Show Page 8 The Aggie Review By Susan It's been called everything from a "'hillbilly chestra harp" to a one-ma- n or- It's been played before millions on radio and TV every day and it has kept an old man company in the lonliness of the Ozark Mountains In 1960 it was estimated that twelve million people in the United States played this instrument and it is far above that now It's been found on the lap of the folk sigger on the stage with every rock group in the country and there's probably one in your closet The guitar Whether you're walking down the hallway of a dorm on campus or strolling along a beach in California chances are you will hear or see a guitar Many historians have theorized that centuries ago the idea of a stringed instrument may have been conceived when a hunter liked the sound made when he plucked his hunting bow A few hundred years later another early player may have added a sounding chest to it made of an empty tortoise shell But all of it is only theory for the beginnings of the guitar like the beginnings of man lie buried deep within the pages of still unwritten history books Through a continuous process of experimentation and modification the guitar descended from ancesters whom are college students He considers it best that people start with formal training young because tastes in music and opinions have not been formed that early and the student is much more open to suggestion and modification "I think attitudes toward guitar playing are changing" Christiansen said "Most students used to want to play just like the guitar sounded on the record Now more are interested in learning music theory and developing their own style of playing Guitar music can be divided into several major styles such as folk which includes finger-pickinpata is terns jazz where the guitarist soloist rather than an accompanist rag-timand blue grass which is very now rock 'n roll which is popular similar in some respects to jazz and classical which Christiansen said is one of the most difficult to play peak of popularity in the 1960s when it was a fad and then-f- all However enthusiasm for this instrument has continued to rise through the years until now it is considered by some to be the most popular instrument of all Christiansen presently has between 80 and 90 private students of two-third- s ' 3r ' v £ £ £ 4fS ? j vO- - more popular now" Christiansen claims "but it is harder to learn because it takes more discipline The music is more technical and stresses exercises for technique development" Much classical guitar literature is transcribed from harpsichord music At USU a student will frequently take guitar lessons with a particular in- category of guitar music Christiansen usually tries to expose him to other types of music literature so he gets more variety in what he plays Strangely it is a common occurance to find people who were raised in a house where guitars were available yet no one knew how to play them More frequently than that however a person raised in such an environment would learn four or five chords which is enough for many songs Christiansen contends however that few of these amateur players know how to play the chords correctly and easily "These people would be much better off with a little bit of formal instruction" Probably the greatest reason for the popularity of the guitar lies in the fact that it is an easy instrument to learn at first Although the basics of guitar can be learned quickly like any musical instrument it takes a great deal of time effort and dedication to become a proficient player Christiansen states that "many thought that the guitar would reach its p- 1 - IIrF§?i?? 41 "Classical guitar is becoming much of the Chadleans chetarah of the Assyrians Later both peasant and courtiers alike played the new instrument and it seemed headed for a dubious future as a plaything of the people Andres Segovia considered the greatest guitarist who ever lived has devoted his life singlemindedly to the advancement of this instrument According to Mike Christiansen guitar instructor in the USU Music Department the guitar is becoming more and more popular among college and high school students 9&i § e terest quitra $As S' & g such as the sitar of the Persians the and the Arrington Madsen in developing skill in one ( I Because the guitar is portable and inexpensive many feel that use of the instrument should be encouraged for elementary school teachers According to Christiansen "Many who are elementary education majors come to me for think its a great idea lessons because the teacher can play and sing with the children instead of having to sit at a piano that physically comes between the teacher and the pupils Besides the teacher has to get three or four people'to move the piano into the classroom whereas the guitar is easy to move Most elementary education teachers can accompany music in a classroom after two quarters of instruction In comparison very few piano students can accompany their mother to the grocery store after a year of instruction unless they have had a good amount of musical training students I before Recordings of guitar music in one form or another are played constantly on the radio and on the stereos in virtually every corner in the country As the recognition of the guitar as a useful and sophisticated instrument develops more and more universities are offering bachelor degrees for performers on the instrument Unfortunately "honky-tonk- " because music of the of the 1950s guitar music got a bad name among music educators and among many principals and superintendents As a result it has been an uphill battle to get the guitar recognized as an important part of music education in the public schools In the long run however such a popular Instrument will be hard to exclude Perhaps the greatest reason for the popularity of the guitar has very little to do with music The guitar is more than an instrument It is a symbol of the younger generation Although the guitar dates far back into history it is as much a unique part of the 20th Century as space travel penicillin and alka seltzer wl |