The guitar is one invention that dates back more than 5000 years ago. Through the years, it has evolved into what people know today as a 6 string musical instrument for predominately right handed players. Keep in mind that left handed players are not excluded. Many guitars can be strung for left hand ease, while some are designed for left handed play exclusively.
One of the things a person needs to know before learning how to play guitar are the parts that make up the guitar.
Neck
The neck of the guitar makes up the headstock, nut, frets, truss rod and the inlays.
Headstock
The top of the guitar is called the headstock. If the person wants to adjust the pitch, it can be adjusted by twisting the tuning pegs and there will be a change of pitch when played.
Nut
The part of the guitar that holds the strings in place near the headstock is called the nut. This can be made of different materials such as bone, plastic, brass, graphite or ivory which may make one guitar sound different than another.
Fret
The fret serves as a guide that allows the user to make the sounds of various notes. This happens because each of the six strings is made of a different width.
Truss Rod
The truss rod holds the strings at the top of the guitar. If the instrument sounds different, a slight adjustment can make it sound good again. Many musicians do this especially if they are just borrowing it for a gig.
Bridge
The bridge is the section where the strings are attached to the body. The strings of the guitar are held by the truss rod and the bridge. The purpose for the bridge is to transfer the vibration of the strings to the soundboard so the sound can be amplified.
Strings
The regular guitar comes with 6 strings made either of nylon or steel. The weight of each of these strings is in thousands of a diameter which produces the different sounds.
Inlay
The inlay is a visual element on the guitar. It comes in many forms and the most common are parallelograms, diamond shapes and dots. This is located in between the frets that guide the person when playing and is quite similar to the different keys in the piano.
Body
The body of the guitar will determine the kind of sound that resounds when the instrument is being played and this depends on the type of wood used in making it.
Some people think that some items on the guitar are just there for aesthetic purposes. This couldn’t be further from the truth. There is a purpose for each part and by understanding them, the guitar player will be able to distinguish a good guitar from a poor one and have a good time playing it.