The Guitar

General Info

The guitar is a six-string instrument that evolved from much older instruments such as the lute and the oud, which were used thousands of years ago. It is one of the most popular instruments and is commonly used in most contemporary and some classical music. Of the 3 most common types of guitar we teach on 2 are acoustic and the other is electric. The acoustics can be differentiated by either nylon strings which are typically used in classical + flamenco or steel strings are commonly used in contemporary.

Steel strings pictured on left, nylon strings pictured underneath

The Acoustic Guitar

How it works?

Sound is created by plucking one or more strings with one hand. The vibrations from the strings are amplified by the guitar’s hollow body and projected out through the sound hole beneath the strings.

To change the pitch of a note, you use your other hand to press a string down on the fretboard along the neck. The position where you press determines the pitch of the note.

The Electric Guitar

How it works?

An electric guitar is played in the same way as an acoustic guitar, but it produces sound differently. Instead of a hollow body, it has a solid body with pickups.

Pickups are magnets wrapped in coils of wire. They detect the vibrations of the strings and convert them into an electrical signal. This signal travels through a cable to an amplifier, which turns it into sound that we can hear.

Although this process may sound complicated, you don’t need to fully understand it to play the instrument—it’s just helpful background knowledge.

Fun Facts!

David Gilmour (Pink Floyds Lead Guitarists) guitar sold in a 2026 auction for $14.55 million.
Some guitars have more than six strings and are made of unusual materials.
The Fender Stratocaster is widely considered the most popular guitar in the world.

Palmer Music Tutor, Sam Playing the acoustic guitar