Gibson began in 1894 in his home workshop in Kalamazoo, Michigan. With no formal training, Orville created an entirely new style of mandolin and guitar, with tops carved and arched like the top of a violin.

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For me the guitar has always been at the heart of the most popular music from folk music right through to modern rock bands. But when I started to learn to play the guitar I thought I would delve a little deeper and find out what makes the guitar so popular… The roots of the guitar can largely be traced back to the way it was developed in the USA by a gentleman called Orville Gibson (although he was not the only developer of the early guitar. Christian Martin also springs to mind).

Orville Gibson, born a son of a British immigrant is widely known for the invention of his ‘arch-top guitar’ and would play a significant role in the development of the guitar that took place in the 1920′s and a significant impact on the future of the guitar to come. His ‘arch-top’ guitar was so successful that it replaced the banjo as the principal rhythm instrument in dance bands by the end of the decade.

The guitar has always been a passion of mine and when I started to learn how to play the guitar I started with country and folk music as it seems a natural place to start. The guitar has always been at the very heart of folk music and country music especially in the US. The first play to bring country guitar playing to the forefront in my opinion was Jimmie Rodgers who was taught to play the guitar in his youth by black railroad workers.

Although Rodgers died at a young age (only 36) in a short space of time he had created a legacy that would be copied and carried on by a new generation of guitar players like Gene Autery and Roy Rogers.

Various styles of country guitar music like blugrass and ‘western’ swing have found themselves to be extremely popular especially through a series of shows at the Grand Ole Opry which introduced the great guitar players Chet Atkins and Merle Travis to the world who helpped establish the unmistakable ‘Nashville’ sound.

There are some great “real” guitar lesson teachers out there, and there are some really amazing guitar lessons, guitar tabs, guitar scales, and guitar music websites online today too! Hopefully this insight into why I learned to play the guitar after the all time grats will help you find that balance and discover the resources that really work for your own personal guitar music style. Learn to play the guitar?