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Innovation & Inspiration Lesson: Innovation & Inspiration: The Technology that Made Electrification Possible Overview In this lesson students learn about technological innovations that enabled the development of the electric guitar. Students place guitar innovations on a timeline of technology and draw conclusions about the relationship between broad technological changes and their impact on music. This lesson builds on the Introduction to the Electric Guitar and borrows concepts from history and science. Ages: High School Estimated Time: up to 35 minutes Objectives: Students will be able to… • Identify significant technological changes that led to the development of the electric guitar. • Analyze the extent to which guitar innovators were influenced by changes in technology. Washington EALRs: • Social Studies: 4.1.1, 4.1.2 • Science: 3.2 Materials Provided by EMP • Electric Guitar Technology Timeline • Guitar Innovations handout Materials Provided by Teacher • N/A Playlist • N/A Procedure 1. Tell students they have three minutes to list as many electrical or digital inventions they use on a daily basis as possible. After time is up, have them share what they came up with and list responses on the board. Choose one or two inventions and ask students to brainstorm all the innovations that made that invention possible. How far can they get? Tell students that today they are going to learn the various innovations that went into the modern electric guitar. (10 minutes) 2. Pass out “Electric Guitar Technology Timeline.” Have students quickly scan the inventions and pick out what inventions are familiar and which are new. Based on this list, can students guess how each invention impacted the development of the electric guitar? (up to 10 minutes) 3. Pass out copies of “Guitar Innovations” or display on overhead. Have students place them on their Electric Guitar Technology timelines. Either as a class discussion or as a writing activity, have students respond to some or all of the following questions: What new relationships are apparent? Is it fair to say that any person “invented” the electric guitar? How does the invention of the electric guitar compare or differ with the invention of other important innovations? (up to 15 minutes) Extension Activities 1. Have students do further research on one of the innovations on the technology behind his or her invention. 2. Have students research digital technologies and their impact on the music business. How have the web, MP3s, videogames, and file-sharing changed music distribution and popularization? How do students use these technologies in their own lives? Is file-sharing stealing? Should it be regulated, and if so, how? What is the future of music technology? Such questions would also make for a good debate for and against regulation of file-sharing. EMP|SFM Experience Music Project | Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame 1955 Guitars: The Pursuit of Volume 1924 Technology that Made the Electric Guitar Possible First modern loudspeaker invented; originally used on radios and to replace live piano players with records accompanying 1856 silent movies. George Bessemer patents his process for mass producing steel from pig iron. 1907 Lee De Forest invents electric 1878 amplifier. Edison invents the incandescent light bulb; the need for an electrical distribution system arises. 1954 Fender Stratocaster 1876 On February 14, 1920s 1952 Gibson Les Paul Thomas Edison and Jazz and big band 1939 Elisha Gray file separate dance music sweeps The DuPont Company patents for transmitting the nation; loud brass unveils nylon at the sound over coiled wires 1886 overpowers guitars in World Fair’s “World The first alternating (the telephone) within popular dance music. of Tomorrow” Pavilion; current grid is set up in hours of each other. silk rationing during Great Barrington, MA WWII helps the synthetic by George Westinghouse; Emile Berliner invents material gain popularity it delivers stronger first microphone. in parachutes and currents over greater women’s pantyhose. distances than Edison’s direct current. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Guitars: The Pursuit of Volume Innovation & Inspiration: The Technology that Made Electrification Possible 1850s Guitar makers start using steel strings rather than traditional gut strings; steel frets replace wooden frets. 1923 Lloyd Loar begins placing electrostatic pickups under guitar strings; experiments with various pickups continue throughout the decade. 1925 John Dopyera begins building metal resonator guitars that rely on metal bodies and resonator cones placed under the strings to produce louder vibrations than wooden guitar bodies. 1931 George Beauchamp and Adolph Rickenbacker patent the first electric Did you know? guitar, the Rickenbacker Frying Pan, which relies on an electromagnetic The Frying Pan took pickup. its name from its banjo-like shape that looked to some like a long-necked frying pan. 1930s– Innovators experiment with body design to reduce vibrations in order to limit unwanted distortion and feedback. 1940s 1940 Les Paul puts strings and pickup on a pine log to reduce body vibrations; “The Log” is considered one of the first solid-body guitars. 1944 The first documented performance using nylon strings is given in New York City by Olga Coelho. 1947 Paul Bigsby and Merle Travis design a solid-body guitar Nylon strings are patented. 1950 Leo Fender’s Broadcaster, the first mass-produced electric guitar hits the Did you know? market; the name is later changed to the Telecaster to avoid confusion Fender chose “Telecaster” with a line of drums called the Broadkaster. in part because it sounded like another popular new invention, the television. 1952 The Gibson Company offers the Les Paul Gold Top model as a competitor to the Fender Broadcaster. Did you know? The distinctive gold paint not only looks flashy, but it also disguises innovative 1954 Fender’s Stratocaster hits the market; it features the solid body construction from prying eyes. patented tremolo system that allows players to raise and lower the pitch of the strings, as well as the double cutaway that makes it easier for players to play notes high on the neck. Did you know? The name “Stratocaster” tapped into public fascination with all things space-related in the 1950s. EMP|SFM Experience Music Project | Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame.
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