Overview

In the 21st Century, the guitar, as both a material object and tool for artistic expression, continues to be reimagined and reinvented. From simple adaptations or modifications made by performers themselves, to custom-made instruments commissioned to fulfil specific functions, to the mass production of new lines of commercially available instruments, the extant and emergent forms of this much-loved musical instrument vary perhaps more than ever before. As guitars sporting multiple necks, a greater number of strings, and additional frets become increasingly common, so too do those with reduced registers, fewer strings, and fretless fingerboards. Furthermore, as we approach the mark of the first quarter-century, the role of technology in relation to the guitar’s protean nature is proving key, from the use of external effects units to synergies with computers and AR headsets. Such wide-ranging evolutions and augmentations of the guitar reflect the advancing creative and expressive needs of the modern guitarist and offer myriad new affordances. 21st Century Guitar examines the diverse physical manifestations of the guitar across the modern performative landscape through a series of essays and interviews. Academics, performers and dual-practitioners provide significant insights into the rich array of guitar-based performance practices emerging and thriving in this century, inviting a reassessment of the guitar’s identity, physicality and sound-creating possibilities.

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9781501373299

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Reviews

The thing about the guitar is that it has to be constantly re-imagined, de-constructed, then re-constructed if it is to continue to be a vital force in music's future landscapes. '21st Century Guitar' is the new grimoire in this quest for the instrument's ongoing reinventions. * Joe Satriani, guitarist * This important collection combines rigorous scholarship with knowledge gained from practical experience involving a wide range of musical explorations, from microtonal music to the use of augmented reality - a welcome and significant contribution to the literature on the guitar. * Kevin Dawe, author of The New Guitarscape (2010) *

This important collection of essays provides detailed and original insight into the current performance practices of guitarists, their approaches to composition and their use of new technologies. It combines rigorous scholarship with knowledge gained from practical experience involving a wide range of musical explorations from microtonal music to the use of artificial intelligence. As such, it provides a welcome and significant contribution to the literature on the guitar and should be of interest to a wide range of readers. * Kevin Dawe, author of The New Guitarscape (2010) * The thing about the guitar is that it has to be constantly re-imagined, de-constructed, then re-constructed if it is to continue to be a vital force in music's future landscapes. '21st Century Guitar' is the new grimoire in this quest for the instrument's ongoing reinventions. * Joe Satriani, guitarist *

Author Information

Richard Perks is senior lecturer in music performance at the University of Kent, UK, and associate professor of music at the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance, UK. He is a leading exponent of the fretless electric guitar and has performed all over the world. Recent publications have explored the extended performance possibilities of the fretless electric guitar, guitar-focused musicology/analysis, the combination of composition with improvisation, and intercultural collaboration. John McGrath is senior lecturer in music at the University of Surrey, UK, and deputy director of the International Guitar Research Centre (IGRC). He is the author of Samuel Beckett, Repetition and Modern Music (2018) and is also an active guitarist; recent appearances include a solo set at Kings Place, London, while his compositions have been aired and screened internationally.

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