For Dad my favorite guitarist LHH For my sweet Ryan the best in the west KQ Special thanks to Monica Smith Associate Director the Smithsonian’s Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation
Turn on your favorite song It can be any kind of music Country Pop Jazz Rock Chances are you’ll hear a guitar
The story of the guitar starts thousands of years ago Someone dried a strip of animal skin to make string They stretched it over something hollow A scooped-out gourd maybe Or a carved piece of wood
Then they plucked the string with their fingers and it made a sound A very pleasing sound This was the first string instrument and the first step toward the guitar
