The original acoustic instrument was the
human voice, which produces sound by funneling air across the
vocal cords. The first constructed acoustic instrument is believed to be the
flute. The oldest surviving flute is as much as 43,000 years old. The flute is believed to have originated in
Central Europe. By 1800, the most popular acoustic
plucked-string instruments closely resembled the modern-day guitar, but with a smaller body. As the century continued, Spanish luthier
Antonio de Torres Jurado took these smaller instruments and expanded the bodies to create guitars. Guitar use and popularity grew in Europe throughout the late 18th century and more acoustic instruments were crafted, such as the
double bass. Its popularity later spread to cities and towns in the new United States. As electric instruments took hold during the 20th century, many stringed instruments were redefined as acoustic. Instruments that involve striking or vibrating the strings, such as the
violin,
viola and
cello, fall under the acoustic category. The violin became popular during the 16th and 17th centuries, due to
technological advancements in building them, brought on by
luthiers such as
Antonio Stradivari and
Andrea Amati. The modern version of the instrument developed gradually from older European acoustic stringed instruments such as the
lira. Following the birth of
rock in the 1960s, some rock bands began to experiment with acoustic songs. This would be known as
acoustic rock, and many well-known artists such as
Eric Clapton and
Nirvana performed acoustic versions of their well-known songs in the early 1990s, which were collected on the
MTV Unplugged series.
Pop music artists have also experimented with acoustic music as well, with this variant sometimes being called
acoustic pop. Like acoustic rock, some acoustic pop songs have also made their way to MTV Unplugged as well. Some notable acoustic pop songs include "
True" by
Ryan Cabrera and "
Exile" by
Taylor Swift featuring
Bon Iver. By the 2000s, popular indie musicians began to identify their genre as "contemporary acoustic", in opposition to being classified as "folk music". Daniel Trilling wrote, "Folk is a word that strikes fear into the hearts of many aspiring pop musicians. Not only does it conjure up images of the terminally naff — woolly jumpers, beards, and so on — but it is also the journalist's catch-all term for legions of singer-songwriters too bland to merit a better definition." Some music interest groups in the United States use the term "acoustic music" alongside the genres of folk and
Americana music, like the Ogden Friends of Acoustic Music. The International Acoustic Music Awards hosts an annual competition for original songs. Their rules state that a song can be considered acoustic as long as an acoustic instrument, including voices, can be clearly heard. Acoustic music is often easier for business owners to host because there is less need for amplification and the level of volume is less intrusive. In June 2021, the city of
Cambridge, Massachusetts, allowed small businesses to host acoustic concerts without applying for a live entertainment permit. Cambridge defined an acoustic performance as having no
amplification of sound except for one
microphone, and having no more than five acoustic performers or musicians at a single venue at one time. == References ==