Chapter 1
The birth of the electric myth
Chapter 2
The golden age of rock gods
Chapter 3
Global masters of the fretboard
Chapter 4
The science and magic of the riff
YOUR GOAL
Master of Gods of the guitar
Ch 1 · The birth of the electric myth
mankai Birth of the Electric Guitar
Cast in metal, shaped like a pan, electric sound began!
mankai Muddy Waters plugged in his guitar in Chicago, transforming acoustic country blues into a loud, urban force.
mankai Sister Rosetta Tharpe pioneered heavy electric distortion and showmanship long before rock music became a global phenomenon.
BETA
mankai Trace notes on the fretboard to discover the myths behind rock's greatest riffs.
Fun Fact
Guitar pioneer: Sister Rosetta Tharpe played her electric guitar so fiercely that she was nicknamed "the Godmother of Rock and Roll" decades before the genre peaked.
Glossary
pickup (noun)
An electromagnetic transducer that converts the mechanical vibrations of metal strings into electrical signals. In 1931, George Beauchamp used this technology to invent the first commercially viable electric guitar.
An electromagnetic transducer that converts the mechanical vibrations of metal strings into electrical signals. In 1931, George Beauchamp used this technology to invent the first commercially viable electric guitar.
Quiz
What electric guitar model did gospel pioneer Sister Rosetta Tharpe famously play in the late 1930s and 1940s?
Quiz
How many songs did blues legend Robert Johnson record during his lifetime before his mysterious death?
Quiz
What major technical issue did early acoustic-electric guitars face when played at high volumes in the 1930s?
Quiz
Which famous British rock band took their name from a 1950 song by blues guitarist Muddy Waters?
Quiz
Why did Muddy Waters switch from playing an acoustic guitar to an electric guitar when he moved to Chicago?
Quiz
Which blues artist is famously rumored to have sold his soul to the devil at a Mississippi crossroads?