The attraction of the guitar as an instrument of motivation, preference, and choice for use with clients in music therapy: A review of the literature

The guitar has been referred to as both one of the principal instruments in music therapy and an instrument of motivation, preference, and choice, partly because clients may express preference for the guitar or seem attracted to or motivated by it. In this article, an examination of the literature is made to determine how the guitar has been reportedly used in clinical music therapy settings. English-language sources were searched both electronically and by hand, and were only included if the criteria of client preference for, attraction to, choice of, or motivation towards guitar was discussed. The search yielded a total of 64 sources representing a 40-year period (1966–2005). The total number of sources for each of the age categories included: children, 19; adolescents, 18; adults, 23; and seniors, 4. Within each age range, sources are reviewed by special need areas, with the areas ordered alphabetically. Finally, sources within these need areas are reviewed in chronological order of publication. A conclusion section summarizes the findings in three broad areas. These include the increased use of guitar as reported across the 40-year period, the shift in the percentage of age ranges with whom music therapists are using guitar by decade of review, and the relationship between client populations and need-related focuses across the four age ranges.