Timeline of the Guitar by Victor Raphael Garcia

Jacob Otto modified the guitar, and Antonio made the first Classical Guitar in 1850 (18th century)

victorraphaelgarcia — 2025-08-21 22:07:12 UTC

Jacob Otto made a critical modification to the guitar, adding another string. Now, because of this modification, the guitar has a total of 6 strings and still does! The first Spanish guitar was made in 1850 by Antonio de Torres. Antonio based the guitar's design on the Mandolin's modification made by Gaetano Vinaccia in 1779.

https://guitarrasgarridopozuelo.com/en/the-history-of-the-guitar/

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victorraphaelgarcia — 2025-08-21 22:24:30 UTC

"In the 19th century, the guitar was adapted for the finger plucking and strumming technique. Then soon became a concert instrument."

https://guitarrasgarridopozuelo.com/en/the-history-of-the-guitar/

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Where it started (1500 BC)

victorraphaelgarcia — 2025-08-21 22:33:03 UTC

The guitar comes from an instrument called the lyre, which was used in classical antiquity, invented by the Hittites around 1500 BC. The Greek poets used to play it to accompany their poems with this instrument. On some occasions, they would use picks to play. There was no further information from this time until the 13th century.

https://guitarrasgarridopozuelo.com/en/the-history-of-the-guitar/

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The 13th century, one other guitar ancestor instrument. (The Sitar)

victorraphaelgarcia — 2025-08-25 23:37:32 UTC

"In India, this instrument was called the sitar, and it originated from the term guitar. Around the 13th century, the first version of the guitar had appeared, having 3 strings and an additional one responsible for providing little, acute sounds."

https://guitarrasgarridopozuelo.com/en/the-history-of-the-guitar/

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The 14th century the French call the Guitar the "Guiterna"

victorraphaelgarcia — 2025-08-26 00:28:08 UTC

"By the 14th century, medieval musicians from French origins, such as Eustache Deschamps and Guillaume de Machaut, did musical works using the term Guiterna, which was then translated to guitar."

https://guitarrasgarridopozuelo.com/en/the-history-of-the-guitar/

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One other guitar ancestor called the Vihuela (15th century)

victorraphaelgarcia — 2025-08-26 00:37:24 UTC

"In the 15th century, more and more of the modern guitar's ancestors were developing, with the Vihuela emerging in Spain and Italy as a well-known or famous instrument."

Fun Fact: Vihuelas are still used today in Mariachi bands!

https://guitarrasgarridopozuelo.com/en/the-history-of-the-guitar/

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In the 16th century, the guitar gained more popularity and was used more.

victorraphaelgarcia — 2025-08-27 01:38:57 UTC

In the 16th century, the guitar was widely used, and more and more musicians used the instrument to perform; the guitar also grew in popularity.

https://guitarrasgarridopozuelo.com/en/the-history-of-the-guitar/

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The 17th century where the guitar got transformed into another instrument called the Baroque.

victorraphaelgarcia — 2025-08-27 01:58:41 UTC

In the 17th century, the guitar transformed into an instrument called the Baroque guitar, which gained popularity like the sitar, mainly in Spain, Italy, and France. There are actually many different Baroque instruments; there isn't just a guitar. This was also another ancestor of the modern guitar.

http://www.baroque-instruments.com/musical-instruments/baroque-guitar/

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The 20th century, where the guitar became the most important and most played.

victorraphaelgarcia — 2025-08-27 02:12:09 UTC

In the 20th century, the guitar became the most important and most used instrument globally. Because of how easy it was and how it adapts to (most) environments. It is still like that now in the 21st century!

https://guitarrasgarridopozuelo.com/en/the-history-of-the-guitar/

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Extra

victorraphaelgarcia — 2025-08-27 02:26:01 UTC

All thanks to the American Leo Fender, who people call their guitars Fenders for short, are becoming the future of jazz, blues, pop, rock, punk, metal, and more! The guitar is almost fully made of wood, using different types of wood like mahogany, Indian rosewood, Spruce, Canadian cedar, ebony, pine, and more! The guitar can also have 6, which is the most common and used, and can also have about 12 strings.

https://guitarrasgarridopozuelo.com/en/the-history-of-the-guitar/

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