# How many have actually heard an acoustic guitar?



## Waldo97 (Jul 4, 2020)

I wonder how many people in the general population have actually heard an acoustic guitar.

Not amplified, not recorded, not heard through speakers or headphones.

The unaltered soundwaves generated by a guitar in that acoustic space.

I'll bet there's lots of people who have never heard that.


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## Eric Reesor (Jan 26, 2020)

The problem is most people who have never been in a coffee house or a small auditorium and are hooked on the perfect sounds coming from an of Ipod, Ipad and today's other I crap devices.
I hope some day to be able to play out in a farmers market again without gear, quiet and full of the expressive joy, that is acoustic music as it once was. There is nothing like the intimacy of good guitar vibrating in the free air away from the sounds of motors and the other hell raising noise we expect as humans of today. At 67 I feel young but am truly grateful to have lived to hear great live acoustic music in my lifetime. The sigh of the rosin on the bow, the squeak of the finger on a wound string as an araste carries a sigh in the phrase. The guitarist and the singer catch each other's inflection and make the magic that is music happen; as a few who truly listen in the audience get what you are doing. The rest who do not wish to hear music but are just gawking walk on and your little audience grows because more and more realise that something special can happen at any time. That is the real power of acoustic musicianship.


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

Certainly almost everyone I know has - because they've probably heard my guitar - but in the wider Western world, I suspect that you might be right.

Though as I think about it, there are lots of un-amplified buskers out there, so if you've been to a sporting event, a concert, or a small town liquor store, chances are you've heard one, but whether or not anyone was actually listening is another matter.


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## Kerry Brown (Mar 31, 2014)

Before COVID-19 we had a monthly acoustic jam/song circle at the Brackendale Art Gallery. There was a mic for singers but hardly anyone used it. Usually at least four of five guitars, a mandolin or two, stand up bass, violin, and sometimes a squeeze box. The sound was very sweet, not something you hear often.


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## mawmow (Nov 14, 2017)

Well you know, fifteen years ago I knew there were acoustics (strummed dreadnough), classical (nylon) for melodies and electrics (I did not even suspected it was a whole world of its kind !).
When I say I do play guitar, I am asked if these are electrics !
I have to explain acoustics may be equipped with different kinds of mics to get amplified.
When I say I own and play a bunch of different acoustics, but only one dread, I am looked at as a weirdo ! When I say I play unplugged at home...

The question is important because most folks hear music as harmonious sounds whatever instruments are used : they simply do not mind !


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## Stephenlouis (Jun 24, 2019)

Everyone in my family for five generations have, over time, been cursed and/ or blessed with my playing including unplugged acoustic classical guitar depending how far back in time you go


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## mrmatt1972 (Apr 3, 2008)

Every party I ever went to had the singer/stoner guy strumming a guitar and trying to impress girls. Has that changed?


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Maybe we run in different crowds
While I know a lot non musicians--yeah, I'm pretty sure they've heard an acoustic guitar in person, etc.
But I can see how someone wouldn't have these days.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

@Eric Reesor 





[/QUOTE]

I have a Jay and Molly tune book on my desk as I type this. One of my tenor banjo students is working on their tunes but I have to tab them as he doesn't read standard notation. Pretty good tunes, and of course Ashokan Farewell has been a standard lesson tune around here since forever.

The world needs more of this.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Just in my town of roughly 8000, there are buskers at markets and on the street, there are weekly acoustic jams at the Legion, there are folks who host acoustic house concerts, there is a local celtic festival with some acoustic stage content (though most are amplified), there's a music store with folks randomly picking, there are scores of people/households taking guitar, harp, piano, voice, violin, etc lessons, there are church services with guitars, there's an active ukulele club with offshoots, there are guitar classes at most/all of the county highschools, there are local campgrounds and backyard firepits with the inevitable strummers...and [clears throat] best of all there's that guy in the neighbourhood who plays in his yard for all to hear.

I get the OP's point, but at least out here in the sticks, I think most folks know the sound.


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## laristotle (Aug 29, 2019)

mrmatt1972 said:


> Every party I ever went to had the singer/stoner guy strumming a guitar and trying to impress girls. Has that changed?


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

I'm sure there are some that have not heard an acoustic guitar. I'm sure there are many that have heard an acoustic guitar. I've been to many bluegrass jams where everyone hears pure acoustic instruments. The players and the many listeners.


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## Sketchy Jeff (Jan 12, 2019)

mrmatt1972 said:


> Every party I ever went to had the singer/stoner guy strumming a guitar and trying to impress girls. Has that changed?


Yeah I think it has. When my kids (who play instruments and sing) go out with their friends there isn't either live music being played by the stoner you mentioned or a boombox blasting out what one particular person likes unless the dads are around and they tolerate us doing that stuff. They've got their earbuds in and they send each other spotify links to whatever music they're talking about at the moment. So whoever wants to be in on the conversation is listening to the same thing at (about) the same time but each in their own head. I find it kinda weird. 

j


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## laristotle (Aug 29, 2019)




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## zztomato (Nov 19, 2010)

Seriously, I'd say more people have heard an acoustic guitar than at any other moment in history. 
Not sure what point you are trying to make but an acoustic guitar is pretty commonplace in most households. Whether it gets used regularly is another matter.
Just because there's a shitload of tech out there doesn't mean today's youth _only _use tech devices for entertainment.


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## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

5,122,437,112


But that's just a guess. It could be a few more or a few less.


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## ottawa_adam (Feb 23, 2019)

I think a statement like that is presumptious. You can't judge an entire population on anecdotal stories.

I personally know a ton of people who play and/or enjoy acoustic music, mostly people under 40. Saying that all young people only know tech is complete hogwash. I can link you to hundreds of videos of young people playing acoustic music.


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## MarkM (May 23, 2019)

My sons and know my grandson hear me play acoustic guitar all the time. I have gone to a cabin at Hihuim lake in the high country of BC for 25+ years . Three soon to be be four generations of family friends that insist I bring Norman along. 

I have done my part?


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

Never. And I played 4 today.


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## 1SweetRide (Oct 25, 2016)

Waldo97 said:


> I wonder how many people in the general population have actually heard an acoustic guitar.
> 
> Not amplified, not recorded, not heard through speakers or headphones.
> 
> ...


Everyone who ever took a subway, walked down a pedestrian street mall or visited an area where small cafes are predominant.


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