{"id":16506,"date":"2021-05-29T14:32:20","date_gmt":"2021-05-29T19:32:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/takenote\/?p=16506"},"modified":"2025-10-15T09:24:15","modified_gmt":"2025-10-15T14:24:15","slug":"how-classical-guitar-arrived-in-spain-and-then-the-rest-of-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/takenote\/how-classical-guitar-arrived-in-spain-and-then-the-rest-of-the-world\/","title":{"rendered":"How Classical Guitar Arrived in Spain and Then the Rest of the World"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

How the Classical Guitar Evolved Through Centuries of Migration, Innovation, and Cultural Exchange<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The history of the classical guitar is paved with the major milestones of the history of humanity. Just like the waves of human migration across history, the classical guitar has also traveled and evolved from Mesopotamia to Spain, and then to the Americas. Through its journey, the sounds and harmonies of the guitar have inspired many cultures and societies in different corners around the world. As a composer and a guitar player, I am frequently reminded of the profound history and mysterious journey of classical guitar. In this article, I\u2019ll share with you the fascinating journey of this instrument and its evolution across multiple continents, seas, and centuries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take the <\/strong>Fundamentals of Classical Guitar<\/a><\/strong><\/em> course from Berklee Online.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. The Ancient History of Guitar<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The word \u201cguitar\u201d originates from kithara<\/em>, a seven-string lyre with roots in Anatolia<\/a>. Kithara is thought to have a Pre-Greek origin and it is believed to have been created and played by Apollo, the God of Music. Nevertheless, this instrument has no direct relation to the modern classical guitar, except the name. It is not clear how the name kithara<\/em> evolved into guitar<\/em> when there are closer ancestors of the guitar such as the lute or oud, but I would guess that it might have to do with the archetypal presence of kithara as the stringed instrument of the god of music, Apollo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, the earliest ancestor of the modern classical guitar is thought to be the ancient lute from Mesopotamia. According to a book<\/a> by musicologist Richard J. Drumbrill, the first lute appears in archeological findings around 3300-3100 BCE on a cylinder seal figure in Mesopotamia<\/a> and later in a Hittite<\/a> stone carving in Anatolia. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A Hittite stone carving depicting someone playing what looks like a lute.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Throughout history, Mediterranean civilizations have always been connected to one another through strong trade, migration, and cultural roots. Within the dynamic exchange environment of this region, the lute traveled from Mesopotamia to other parts of the Mediterranean basin. It was adapted to other cultures in the region and within a few centuries, the lute evolved into new stringed instruments such as the pandura<\/a>, tanbur<\/a>, barbat<\/a>, and the oud<\/a>, which we\u2019ve already mentioned. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about the oud a little more: The oud has flourished into a more significant instrument than the others in this paragraph. It used sophisticated microtonal melody and tetrachord<\/a> harmonic systems. Rooted in Mesopotamia, the oud was a pivotal instrument that helped preserve centuries worth of music knowledge from Ancient Greece to Mesopotamian civilizations. However, this did not mean the oud was going to stay as a regional instrument, and a crucial event in the eighth century started the oud\u2019s journey to the west.
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With the Islamic conquest of Spain in the eighth century AD, many scientists, mathematicians, lawyers, philosophers, astronomers, and musicians from Mesopotamia moved to Spain, which also meant that the oud headed there as well.
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Among the intellectuals who moved to Spain was a polymath from Baghdad with the name of Zyryab (or sometimes stylized as Ziryab). Zyryab <\/a>traveled to Spain with his oud and he opened a music school in C\u00f3rdoba, where he trained many students in the Mesopotamian music traditions. Moreover, he added a fifth pair of strings to the instrument. 
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The teachings of Zyryab and the oud were not a complete shock to the people in Spain, because they were already familiar with the stringed instrument of pandura<\/a> that Romans had brought a few centuries earlier. For this reason, it was not difficult to adapt oud into the local musical culture and by the eleventh century, not only had Zyryab\u2019s teachings become the norm in Iberia, but they had already spread to Europe.
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It is possible to say that Zyryab is one of the most important figures responsible for the formation of many Andalusian music traditions, which has led to the creation of guitar, to the foundations of Spanish classical music, and even the music of Flamenco.
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In fact, one of my favorite albums (and compositions) is named after Zyryab, by the legendary flamenco guitarist and composer Paco de Luc\u00eda. Along with Chick Corea on piano, this album is a fascinating mix of Andalusian music traditions with modern jazz, which truly lives up to the legacy of Zyryab himself. Every time I listen to the song \u201cZyryab,\u201d I imagine the maestro\u2019s journey from Mesopotamia to Spain, and then, with the jazz chords built into the composition, I think of his legacy crossing the Atlantic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n