A steel guitar is any guitar played while moving a steel bar or similar hard object against plucked strings. The bar itself is called a "steel" and is the source of the name "steel guitar". The instrument differs from a conventional guitar in that it is played without using frets; conceptually, it is somewhat akin to playing a guitar with one finger. Known for its portamento capabilities, gliding smoothly over every pitch between notes, the instrument can produce a sinuous crying sound and deep vibrato emulating the human singing voice. Typically, the strings are plucked by the fingers of the dominant hand, while the steel tone bar is pressed lightly against the strings and moved by the opposite hand.
Three types of steel guitars: resonator, lap steel, pedal steel
An advertisement for the Broadway show "The Bird of Paradise"
An electric lap steel guitar. Note that the instrument bears only token resemblance to the traditional guitar shape.
Slide guitar played with slide on musician's little finger
The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted and typically has six or twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected strings against frets with the fingers of the opposite hand. A guitar pick may also be used to strike the strings. The sound of the guitar is projected either acoustically, by means of a resonant hollow chamber on the guitar, or amplified by an electronic pickup and an amplifier.
Instrument labeled "cythara" in the Stuttgart Psalter, a Carolingian psalter from 9th century Paris.
19th-century guitar made by luthier Manuel de Soto held by Spanish guitarist Rafael Serrallet
Guitar collection in Museu de la Música de Barcelona
The Guitar Player (c. 1672), by Johannes Vermeer