Questions & Answers with Neil Hogan #10

Q. Have you heard of someplace referred to as the guitar archive?

A. I am not familiar with a specific place called the guitar archive but it seems like it would be a very cool place filled with tons of historical information as well as some vintage instruments.

If we were to start collecting things for such a cool place, we would have to start at what I consider the real beginning of guitar music, the Renaissance. This was when people started writing down pieces for the instrument of the day, the lute.

Lute music was written in tablature, a system that we still use today. Tablature is a relatively simple way to put on paper the information a musician needs to play a piece. Basically it is a road map of what to do with your fingers. It is easier to learn, for most people, but does not contain as much specific information as traditional note written music. See the separate article comparing tablature to traditional music for more information.

Also click on the guitar archive link for more information.