Guitar Instrumental Covers
tagStarted 1954Peak 1958–1975Last big hit still active
Located in 1 route
Guitar instrumental covers use nylon-string warmth, fingerstyle articulation, tremolo, and close-miked intimacy to render familiar melodies with less grandeur than orchestra covers and more tactile detail. The mood is often romantic, travel-tinted, and lightly Latinized, with bass and percussion kept soft enough not to disturb the lead line.
History
This substyle connected easy listening with light jazz, Latin guitar traditions, and living-room virtuosity, flourishing through players such as Chet Atkins, Laurindo Almeida, Los Indios Tabajaras, and later Earl Klugh; it remained popular wherever gentle guitar signaled sophistication—television, resort music, wedding receptions, and hi-fi records sold as refined but accessible.
Defining artists
Essential listening
- Mr. Sandman — Chet AtkinsSpotifyYouTube
- The Lamp Is Low — Laurindo AlmeidaSpotifyYouTube
- Maria Elena — Los Indios TabajarasSpotifyYouTube
- The Shadow of Your Smile — Earl KlughSpotifyYouTube
- Rodrigo's Guitar Concerto de Aranjuez — Manuel & The Music of the MountainsSpotifyYouTube
- Moonlight in Vermont — Johnny SmithSpotifyYouTube
Sources
- Smithsonian Libraries, "Popular instrumental music"
- Library of Congress, "Elevator Music"
- Joseph Lanza, *Elevator Music*. citeturn7search11turn7search21