The orchestration of the guitar: In the standard form of classical guitars we find arrangements from the "prime" which would be the solo or lead instrument of a guitar orientated orchecstra, trio, quartet, sextet, and so on. The most highest pitch is the sopranino guitar this is sometimes refered to as the "picolo guitar". The second comes the sporano guitar this form of guitar is tuned an octave above the standard tuning for guitar, then comes the alto guitar which is tuned a fith above the standard "prime" guitar. An addition has been made which is the Nibori bass guitar. However Nibori's bass guitar unlike the 4-stringed electric or accoustic-bass guitars the Nibori bass guitar is only tuned a 4th below the standard "prime guitar".
Standard and alternate Tunings: to keep this page a brief introduction I cannot introduce all the alternate tunings which I know, (on paper), in book, on other web sites and so on it would take another page. However I do use alternate tunings that range any where from drop-d -> dadgbe -> open-g -> dgdgbd -> double drop d -> dadgbd -> open d -> dadf#ad - open g6 -> dgdgbe -> lute tuning eadf#be -> (you should refer your self to my article on Peruvian guitar tunings) for more specific ethno-geographical information.
The Guitar's presence in the world: Through world music the guitar has a very strong and healthy presence in Africa (through out the whole continent) we in the west came to know players like Ali Farka Toure and now his son who is taking on the legacy of his father. Also we came to know many many others (far to many to list in this article). In Eastern Africa there is the Morogoro Jazz Band (a CD is released of their wonderful 1960s era East African guitar. Also Madagascar has a rich tradition in guitar music. So does Indonesia, the guitar came via the Portuguese then later the dutch colonialists. In which the locals utilize the standard tuning though have a system of alternate tunings (regionally developed). In which' a CD of the "The Indonesia Series" focuses on solo and other style of guitar recordings. Ranging from accoustic to a form of early 1920s Hawaiian influenced style of Indonesian playing called Keronchong. In Russia the guitar is used from classical, folk, bardic to contemporary musics.
Varieties of the guitar: The 7-string guitar, The 8-string guitar, The 4 string tenor guitar, The 12-string guitar, The 11-string and 9 string guitars have also been encountered. Of course we cannot forget the electric guitar, in which gave the arrise to musics we came to know as Rock, Rock-n-Role, Jazz, Experimental, Metal, Pop, classical, funk, and so many other genres including world music. The 7-string guitar is often the most common alternate guitar to the standard 6-string guitar. we have seen the implamentation of the 7-string guitar from classical, Brazilian to heavy-metal and so on. The modern 10-string guitar finds its self in classical music often for playing boroque and medieval pieaces.
The harp guitar, collectors private and on the Internet aka Greg Minor have fine specimens in their collection John Doan' is also a renowned player of a harp gutiar. it was lead to believe that the Deyer brother s may have created the harp guitar to which know today. Also to add, Knutsen is also another noted maker in North America for harp guitars. Other experimental guitars are fretless guitars and fretless bass guitars. In South America we see 18-string guitar (featured on my site) and also the chilena-guitarrone.