The electric guitar is a contemporary instrument born in the 1930s in the United States of America. Its purpose was to fulfil the need for more sound volume. Originally its designers wanted the guitar to resemble the sound of Hawaiian music which was really popular at the time in the United States. So, the electric guitar was actually a Hawaiian patent, with a longer neck and an aluminum body. Adolf Rickenbacker, known until today for being the founder of the musical instruments manufacture company named after him, applied that system and later on added the electromagnetic pick-ups to produce a more satisfactory result. Along with George Beauchamp and Paul Barth they founded a Hawaiian, electric guitar manufacturing company; guitars firstly made of maple wood and then aluminum. Within a course of changes the electric guitar encountered many problems before acquiring its current form; problems such as, the sound systems, sound quality and tuning. The aforementioned problems though made Paul and Leo Fender manufacture electric guitars that would keep the sound quality intact. Nowadays, the electric guitar is manufactured by various types of durable wood such as, mahogany, maple or ash wood. The most common ones look like the acoustic guitars but there are also the exceptions of the more eccentric models with various metallic colours and bold designs. They usually have six strings made of steel and their diameter plays an important role since it varies according to the music genre and the guitarist’s taste.
The electric guitar must be plugged into an amplifier in order for sound to be generated due to its robust body. The guitar has a slot called input jack and it is connected with the amplifier through a wire. On its body there is also a series of levers that allow the use of pick-ups and as a result the adjustment of the sound volume. Each pick-up consists of six magnets, one for each string, and when they pulsate they create a magnetic field producing thus electricity.
One may start learning the electric bass at the age of 7 years old. This varies according to the maturity and musical perception a child has developed until that moment. The child’s body type also plays an important role because the student’s little fingers must be able to strongly press the strings to produce better sound. As with almost all musical instruments, the lessons start by learning the notes, values and short easy pieces. It is recommended that in case a child is having difficulties in learning the electric bass, he/she should start taking classical guitar lessons for about 6-12 months in order to be more prepared for the electric.
The electric guitar is not considered to be one of the difficult instruments to learn and that is because a student with basic guitar knowledge can easily improvise! Students will be able to play short musical pieces by the end of the first year and their progress solely depends on them. The personal interest, the study hours and their love for the electric guitar are elements that if combined together can turn someone from a beginner electric guitar player to a good guitarist in a very short time!
The electric guitar lessons, as all musical instrument lessons, are conducted on a private basis. That is, the lessons are conducted with the teacher and one student only. This enables the teacher to give all his/her attention to the student for the best possible results. The duration of the lessons varies according to the level of each student. Since the lessons are private there is flexibility in terms of the day and time a lesson can be arranged. The exact days and hours are jointly agreed upon by the student and the teacher before the beginning of the academic year. As time passes by and as the student progresses, additional hours might be added in a classroom with students of other musical instruments in order to create small orchestras, ultimately aiming to familiarize themselves and coexist with other musical instruments.
The school offers recognized examinations for all of its departments. The majority of the examinations are from foreign universities and schools and especially from the United Kingdom and the Czech Republic. The electric guitar examinations offered by the school are from Greek conservatories and Trinity College. All diplomas are recognized by the Ministry of Education and Culture as well as by all universities abroad. Therefore, regardless of what musical instrument one plays and the levels completed, the school diplomas can be used as additional qualifications for admission in overseas universities!