Guitar

Today the word guitar refers to the modern instrument, which borrows its name from the ancient Greek kithara but actually developed from a separate family of string instruments that includes the lute. Guitars are found in many cultures, under different names and with different features. The modern guitar usually has six strings, but there are versions with seven, eight, ten, twelve and even eighteen strings.

The guitar family includes several instruments of different shapes and playing styles. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification it is a composite chordophone. Since the second half of the 20th century it has been one of the most popular instruments in the world, used in jazz, blues, rock, heavy metal, pop, folk and traditional music, and increasingly in classical music. Its history can be traced back to the 15th century, when the first guitar of a 'modern type' appeared in Spain.