Acoustic Guitar

By John Libbo
Some years ago, Bob Dylan moved forward to the stage and began playing his electric guitar. From that day on, the phenomenon of the world of music's revolution started. Despite many audiences complained the loudness and obnoxious rock music, he continued indifferently. He simply plugged in and played in silence. Considering some differences between it and the blues music, the latter got started with acoustic blues guitar. Yet, as soon as the adult blues musicians heard that electric guitar, the acoustic blues guitar had been left in the dust.

Back in Chicago in the 1930's or so there was a movement that was growing. Many of the blues musicians that had played their time in the Mississippi delta area were now bringing their brand of acoustic blues guitar music to Chicago and it was met with enthusiasm. Muddy Waters and Son House were huge stars in Chicago and they would play that acoustic blues guitar until people were just going wild. Then along came musicians like Howling Wolf who put aside the acoustic blues guitar and picked up the electric guitar and soon the days of the acoustic blues guitar were numbered. Wolf and other artists started recording classic acoustic blues guitar hits on electric guitars and that was the music that got out to the people. Soon Son House and the others were relics and Robert Johnson and that famous picture of him and his acoustic blues guitar became treasured pieces of the past.

The electric guitar dominated on the blues world for very a long time. Jimi Hendrix returned it back when he recorded a little movie, showing him while playing. It was the opportunity to listen to the modern equivalent of those old classics. Here My Train A Comin' by Jim was demonstrating a feeling such as residing on the delta near the turnoff the century, during the movement of Robert Johnson from one inn to another to preserve his playing on guitar.

Yet, the acoustic guitar gets its due on blues and rock records it was completely different from the basic instrument that were used to be previously. No doubt, the sound would not misunderstand, considering that its music was coming from deep spirits. Unfortunately, we will never listen to music such as that again.