Gitarrkulturer : förändringar i gitarrens sociala och musikaliska status och dess utveckling som kulturell symbol i Sverige 1820-1980

In this paper, Guitar Cultures, I aim to examine changes in the social, musical and cultural status of the guitar in Sweden during the period of 1820–1980. I also will outline the instrument’s development as a cultural symbol during this time. The main reason for my choice of subject is my distinct impression that the guitar probably is the most widely spread and played of all musical instruments, not only in Sweden, but worldwide. Another reason is that I am a guitar player myself since many years. The popularity of the guitar has causes that are musical as well as extra-musical. From its humble beginnings – probably in Spain – in the 16th century, the guitar has become a fixture in a number of societies, not only in the Western hemisphere, since from way back it was brought by European seafarers to the rest of the world. The fact that the instrument lent itself very well to electrical amplification made it an important voice in popular music from the 1940’s and onwards, while its international status as a concert instrument is well established these days, after a somewhat shaky beginning pre-Segovia. In Sweden, the guitar has inhabited a number of different social and symbolic spheres. From being a fairly exclusive pastime for the upper class it became very popular among a broader segment of society during the 19th century, until it fell out of favour with the wealthier strata of society, who saw the piano as more befitting their social position. In the early 20th century, the guitar instead became firmly associated with the Swedish branch of the Salvation Army, where it was adopted as the main instrument in the service of God – almost exclusively played by female soldiers, which meant that the guitar for a long time was percieved solely as an instrument for women. This did not change until the 50’s, when the advent of rock’n’ roll suddenly made the guitar attractive for young men who saw Elvis Presley and Tommy Steele as role models. In this paper, I attempt to study a number of different guitar cultures in order to reveal which factors that have been the most influential regarding the changes in the guitar’s social, musical and cultural status as well as in its development as a cultural symbol.