It may surprise some people, but the guitar is one instrument in particular that has very old roots. In fact, early guitars can be tracked as far back as 5,000 years. There are many different kinds of guitars and is a common instrument for younger people to learn how to play, especially at an early age. Most people are familiar with guitars that have eight strings, but there are also other guitars that have as few as four strings and as much as twelve strings. This particular string instrument typically has nylon or steel strings, though animal gut was used in the past before nylon was used, and the guitar is played with a plastic or wood pick that is used to pluck the strings, though some guitarists will use their fingers instead of picks.

The guitar is often immediately associated with country music or rock, but it is also prominently used in classical, flamenco and rock music. The instrument is hollow, which is meant to amplify the sound caused by the vibrations of the strings being plucked. Electric guitars, however, differ from these acoustic guitars in that they depend on an electric amplifier that the electric guitar is connected to in order to amplify their sound. The decision to decide on what kind of guitar a musician chooses to use tends to have a lot to do with what kind of music they are playing.

If a guitarist is playing more classical, some rock, some country, blues or jazz music, an acoustic guitar may be preferred because it has the natural sound necessary to get the sound the musician is looking for. If a musician is planning to play more modern type of rock, hard rock, metal rock, some country, an electric guitar might be preferred. The sound that an electric guitar makes is actually quite different than that of an acoustic guitar and one can easily be notice the difference if paying attention, though not a lot of concentration is needed to determine the difference. The difference that strings made of different materials make can also be obvious to an experienced musician. The subtle difference is not obvious to someone inexperienced, but when noticed the difference becomes obvious.

The guitar, especially the classical guitar, is often seen as an emotional and passionate instrument that can easily move a person's heart. When played right, the guitar plays on the emotions of those who listen to it. It can be difficult to learn for some people and it can take quite a bit of time and practice, but those who are gifted manage to make the guitar feel as though it is a living being. This is an instrument with a long history and this could partly be responsible for how it can influence a person playing or listening to the guitar. It is also an instrument that had started out as a simple instrument that has become more complex over time, though the principle design and use of the guitar remains more or less the same.