Viccy wrote:
But really the guitar is the one that allows people (a lot of players at TJs are amateurs) to have a chance of making music, even if only at a simple level.
The recorder is good for that too, although most people don't like listening to it in those "amateur" stages. I have heard a recorder being played excellently by an exceptional player, but you don't come accross those often.
I disagree! Ever heard anybody trying to sing "Blowing In the Wind" and accompany themselves on recorder? It ain't pretty.
There might be many more instruments out there that are also fairly easy to play in the beginning stages, but we might not be so open to them. The guitar is definitely a communal instrument that has a way of inspiring people to invest more time in music. When I was first starting guitar I was in boarding school and inspired friends who had never done music before in their life to take part. Now I'm ammused at how simple the little tunes were which we came up with, but at the time it was so fun.
I think there are some things that give the guitar an edge
1) The range it covers is very good for self-accompaniment, but also gives enough to allow for more complex/ambitious pieces. Mandolin is maybe a little too high.
2) You can play it and sing. OK... it's not the only such instrument, but it's more portable than a piano.
3) It has frets, so you don't get those horrible "non-notes" that you can get on a violin or cello.
4) It's reasonably portable.
5) You can strum it, so the novice is able to play a song fairly quickly.
But, yes, I think culture does have something to do with it too. If skiffle and early rock 'n roll had been played on a banjo this might not be GUITAR Forum South Africa. How come all those blues masters like Gary Davis and Robert Johnson went for the GUITAR and not the banjo?
