ALMERÍA'S NEW GUITAR MUSEUM
Almería is east of us. It’s a nice city. Antonio de Torres was born there in 1817. After a series of setbacks he was able to produce a somewhat larger guitar, with larger template, a deeper body and the perfect fan bracing on the interior of the soundboard that literally pulses the sound outward. This is still the model for guitars today. The Spanish guitar is a Torres guitar, and now it’s in a museum in Almería to see and experience – with film and display and instruments to play.
Almería is east of us. It’s a nice city. Antonio de Torres was born there in 1817. After a series of setbacks he was able to produce a somewhat larger guitar, with larger template, a deeper body and the perfect fan bracing on the interior of the soundboard that literally pulses the sound outward. This is still the model for guitars today. The Spanish guitar is a Torres guitar, and now it’s in a museum in Almería to see and experience – with film and display and instruments to play.
| Do you know what a SPANISH GUITAR is? It is simply a six-stringed guitar with nylon strings, same as a classical guitar. However, because the modern guitar was developed in Spain and many composers come from here, it often called “Spanish Guitar.” It also stands center stage for Andalucian music, then as now, Fandango from Huelva, Sevillanas from Sevilla, Soleares from Cádiz, Malagueñas from Málaga and Los Verdiales from the mountains of Málaga… not without the guitar! |
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link to guitar museum |
The Guitar is played almost the world over, but its history before the end of the 15th century is a bit unclear. Most contemporary musicologists still consider its source to be the Iberian Peninsula. During the 16th century one still played the vihuela, but during the 18th century a 5th string was added to the guitar and it became very well-liked. Then, the piano, cello and violin entered the stage and was heard above everything. Time for a 6th string – and by the 19th century the guitar's popularity had increased again. Today we have the electric guitar, sound pedals, reverb, amplifiers and MIDIs, but this hasn’t seemed to quiet the acoustic guitar.
HOW DOES IT SOUND? a selection (click on the photo)
Los Romanes playing in Málaga Verdiales, from the mountains of Málaga, is never played alone. In order to sound like the “fiesta” there should be 4 guitars | 
Classical Malaguena Malagueña - the classic Malaga Fandago from Andalucia, with a steady, 3-beat pulse is often played with guitar and vocalist. | 
Don Cortes Maya Don Cortes Maya is a con-temporary guitarist who joins tradition with today, classic Flamenco in contemporary style. |
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