Guitar and music

四川 蒋建平（特级教师）

体裁文章词数 建议用时371 7分钟说明文

难词探意

1.ancestor /'ænsestə(r) / n.祖先；祖宗

2.violinist /,vaɪə'lɪnɪst/ n.小提琴手；小提琴演奏者

3.permanent /'pзːmənənt/ adj.永久的；长久的

4.exhibit /ɪɡ'zɪbɪt/ n.展览品；陈列品

Probably no other musical instrument is as popular around the world as the guitar.Musicians use the guitar for almost every kind of music.Country and western music would not be the same without a guitar.The traditional Spanish folk music called Flamenco could not exist without a guitar.The sound of American blues music would not be the same without the sad cry of the guitar.And rock and roll music would almost be impossible without this instrument.

Some music experts say that an instrument very much like a guitar was played in Egypt more than one thousand years ago.Some other experts say that theancestorof the modern guitar was brought to Spain sometime in the twelfth century.The guitar continued to develop in Spain.In the 1700s, it became similar to the instrument we know today.

Many famous musicians played the instrument.The famous ItalianviolinistNiccolò Paganini played and wrote music by using the guitar in the early 1800s.Franz Schubert used the guitar to write some of his famous works.In modern times Spanish guitarist Andrés Segovia helped make the instrument extremely popular.One kind of music which is related to the guitar developed in the southern area of Spain called Adalusia.It will always be strongly linked with the Spanish guitar.It is called Flamenco.

In the 1930s, Les Paul began experimenting with ways to make an electric guitar.He invented the solid body electric guitar in 1946.The guitar has always been important to blues music.With the electric guitar, Les Paul helped make modern blues music possible.There have been many great blues guitarists.Yet, music experts say that all blues guitar players are measured against one man and his famous guitar.That man is B.B.King.Every blues fan knows that years ago B.B.King named his guitar Lucille.He plays Lucille on his famous recording of The Thrill Is Gone.Lucille, B.B.King's large,beautiful black guitar, is important to American music.Visitors can see King's very first guitar at the Rock and Soul Museum in Memphis, Tennessee.The museum is the onlypermanent exhibitorganized by the Smithsonian Institution outside Washington, D.C., and New York City.

Reading Check

1.Where did the modern guitar finally come into being?

A.Spain.B.Egypt.C.Italy.D.America.

2.What do we know about Flamenco?

A.It is the name of a guitar.B.It is also called Adalusia.

C.It is related to Spanish guitar.D.It is the name of a famous musician.

3.What does the last paragraph mainly tell us?

A.The exhibit was first organized by the Smithsonian Institution.

B.The electric guitar promoted the development of the blues.

C.The Rock and Soul Museum first opened in Memphis.

D.The musician B.B.King named his guitar Lucille.

Language Study

Useful expressions

be similar to...与……相似

be measured against...和……相比较

Cultural Background

吉他

吉他是一种弹拨乐器，通常有六条弦，形状与提琴相似。

吉他在流行音乐、摇滚音乐、蓝调、民歌、佛朗明哥音乐中，常被视为主要乐器。 而在古典音乐的领域里，吉他常以独奏或二重奏的形式演出；当然，在室内乐和管弦乐中，吉他亦扮演着相当重要的陪衬角色。

古典吉他与小提琴、钢琴并列为世界著名三大乐器。