International Guitar Month – April 2025

History of International Guitar Month

The Guitar & Accessories Marketing Association (GAMA) and the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) founded International Guitar Day in 1987 to promote guitar sales around the world.

A plucked four-string instrument was named a guitar in the 14th century in Spain. It resembled a vihuela, a guitar-shaped instrument played in Spain. As far as the name is concerned, ‘guitar’ comes from ‘guitarra,’ a Spanish word. It is also assumed that ‘guitar’ is associated with the Latin word ‘cithara’ and the ancient Sanskrit word ‘tar,’ which means ‘string.’ Also, ‘guitarra latina’ was a curved-body instrument that comprised four strings and was used as a musical instrument in the medieval period in Europe. The contemporary guitar originated in Spain, however, the oldest surviving guitar-like instrument is from ancient Egypt.

As centuries passed, the guitar went through many changes and transformed into something similar to the modern guitar. Yes, the first guitar was a lot different from what it looks like today. Guitars in the 16th century consisted of C-F-A-D tuning and were called baroque guitars. Later, a lower string E was added to it.

In the 19th century, Antonio de Torres Jurado started building guitars that were similar to new acoustic guitars. It is assumed that most of the modern-day guitars are derivatives of Antonio’s designs. Thus, he was called the Stradivari of guitars (because another Antonio — Antonio Stradivari — was a world-famous violin maker.)

George Beauchamp along with Adolph Rickenbacker made the first-ever electric guitar in the United States in the 20th century. Following this invention, a lot of other types of guitars are made in many variations.