Mel Bay Concise History of the Classic Guitar

by Graham Wade

A Concise History of the Classic Guitar by Graham Wade, one of the foremost international writers on the guitar, explores the history of the instrument from the 16th century to the present day. This compact assessment of five centuries of fretted instruments cover the vihuela in Spain, the history of four-course and five-course guitars, the evolution of tablature, and developments in the six-string guitar in the 19th century. The work also charts the contribution of leading composers, performers and luthiers of the 20th century, and evaluates the influence of Segovia, Llobet, Pujol, Presti, Bream, Williams, etc., among the world's famous guitarists. This book, intended for the general public and guitar students of all ages, is the first interpretative history of the classic guitar to be published in the 21st century, and will be eagerly welcomed by all lovers of the instrument.

Genres: Music

224 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2001

Reviews

[Larry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting in parts, but only a tiny section is devoted to early guitars, the main part of the book being concerned with the 20th century. Also it is more concerned with the players than the instruments themselves, which is interesting enough, but the writing style is very dry. A bit like reading an encyclopedia. But unfortunately its far too concise to serve as a reference book, so apart from the sections on Segovia, Bream and Williams and its quite in depth sections on modern pieces (not my cup of tea) it leaves a lot to desire. Also the illustrations in the edition I have (from Amazon) are very low quality. They look like bad photocopies or newspaper print.

[Nouk · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title is slightly misleading: rather than a history of the instrument, this is a history of the instrument's most notable composers and players. Through this slightly dry enumeration of people and their careers, we do indeed learn about the development of the classical guitar as a physical instrument, its repertoire, changing playing techniques, and other fashions. However, given the style this book is perhaps best suited to those that are already familiar with many of the historical figures written about, and could use a guiding hand in figuring out where to place them in the historical context of their instrument. It is less suited for those that have little to no previous knowledge about classical guitarists and that wish an accessible and engaging intro; you will find neither in this book.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's good for what it is, which is a concise history of the classical guitar.

[David W Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Accurate and well researched. However this book is an amazingly dry read, even if the subject matter is something you really enjoy learning about