Physics of the Acoustic Guitar Essays -- physics guitars

Stringed instruments are most likely the oldest type of musical instruments. The acoustic guitar has been around since the 1500's, and is the most common stringed instrument used today. The guitar is one of the most versatile instruments in existence, being used in virtually every style of music. It can produce a wide range of sounds depending upon the style of the guitar and the type of strings used on it. The two main styles of acoustic guitars are the nylon-stringed and the steel-stringed. Nylon-stringed guitars are used mainly for styles such as classical music and flamenco. Steel-stringed guitars are most commonly associated with country and folk music. Before getting into how the guitar works, it will be beneficial to take a look at the different parts that make up a guitar. A guitar has three main parts- a body, neck and headstock. There are various styles and designs for acoustic guitars, but no matter the style, all of them have essentially the same parts. The body acts as an anchor for the neck and bridge. The top of the body is called the sounding board. It is responsible for almost all of the guitars acoustics, and is what allows the ear to hear the sound created by playing the guitar. The sounding board generally has a large hole cut in it called the sound hole. The bridge, which is also located on the sounding board, is what anchors the strings to the body. The neck is the long, slender part of the guitar connecting the body to the head. the front of the neck is called the fret board. This is where the frets are spaced down the entire neck. The frets are thin bars that are set perpendicular to the strings. The frets make it possible to create a variety of tones by... ... pattern of these resonance waves in order to cut down on interference, thus creating a richer sound. Bibliography Askill, John. Physics of Musical Sounds. New York: D. Van Norstrand Company, 1979. Billington, Ian. The Physics of the Acoustic Guitar. 9 Apr. 2003. 211.web.stuff/billington/main.htm> Guitar Acoustics. 9 Apr. 2003. Hokin, Sam. The Physics of Everyday Stuff: The Guitar. 9 Apr. 2003. /physics/stuff/guitar.html> How Stuff Works: How Acoustic Guitars Work. 9 Apr. 2003. com/guitar1.htm> Phillips, Mark, and Jon Chappell. Guitar For Dummies. Foster City: IDG Books, 1998. Sumit's Acoustic Guitar Anatomy. 9 Apr. 2003. anatomy.html> Physics of the Acoustic Guitar Essays -- physics guitars Stringed instruments are most likely the oldest type of musical instruments. The acoustic guitar has been around since the 1500's, and is the most common stringed instrument used today. The guitar is one of the most versatile instruments in existence, being used in virtually every style of music. It can produce a wide range of sounds depending upon the style of the guitar and the type of strings used on it. The two main styles of acoustic guitars are the nylon-stringed and the steel-stringed. Nylon-stringed guitars are used mainly for styles such as classical music and flamenco. Steel-stringed guitars are most commonly associated with country and folk music. Before getting into how the guitar works, it will be beneficial to take a look at the different parts that make up a guitar. A guitar has three main parts- a body, neck and headstock. There are various styles and designs for acoustic guitars, but no matter the style, all of them have essentially the same parts. The body acts as an anchor for the neck and bridge. The top of the body is called the sounding board. It is responsible for almost all of the guitars acoustics, and is what allows the ear to hear the sound created by playing the guitar. The sounding board generally has a large hole cut in it called the sound hole. The bridge, which is also located on the sounding board, is what anchors the strings to the body. The neck is the long, slender part of the guitar connecting the body to the head. the front of the neck is called the fret board. This is where the frets are spaced down the entire neck. The frets are thin bars that are set perpendicular to the strings. The frets make it possible to create a variety of tones by... ... pattern of these resonance waves in order to cut down on interference, thus creating a richer sound. Bibliography Askill, John. Physics of Musical Sounds. New York: D. Van Norstrand Company, 1979. Billington, Ian. The Physics of the Acoustic Guitar. 9 Apr. 2003. 211.web.stuff/billington/main.htm> Guitar Acoustics. 9 Apr. 2003. Hokin, Sam. The Physics of Everyday Stuff: The Guitar. 9 Apr. 2003. /physics/stuff/guitar.html> How Stuff Works: How Acoustic Guitars Work. 9 Apr. 2003. com/guitar1.htm> Phillips, Mark, and Jon Chappell. Guitar For Dummies. Foster City: IDG Books, 1998. Sumit's Acoustic Guitar Anatomy. 9 Apr. 2003. anatomy.html>