For the UK magazine, see Guitarist (magazine).
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Professional guitarists may perform solo pieces or play with ensembles and bands of a wide variety of genres. The guitar is an incredibly versatile instrument; and like the piano, it can play chords, melodies, solos, or help to gel a group. By using techniques such as bending, the guitar can also have a very good vocal quality. While with an ensemble, a guitarist can take the role of rhythm (playing with bass in the ensemble) or lead (playing on top of the bass in the ensemble) guitar. Guitarists can accompany themselves on the guitar while singing. Guitarists play a variety of instruments such as acoustic guitars, electric guitars, classical guitars, and bass guitars.
