Git-tar or guitar?

[Larry F]

Jimi Hendrix, Buddy Guy and many others have pronounced guitar "Gittar," with an accent on git. My question is: how many of you use the pronunciation in a normal conversation?

Secondly, the "gittar" pronunciation was not used in Eastern Washington state, where I grew up in the 50s and 60s. I wonder if Hendrix grew up pronouncing it "gittar," or if he learned it in the South, in the military.

By the way, does anyone know how Hendrix got out of the army?

 

[V-Man 809]

Firstly there are a few myths about his army career, he was given the option to leave after a year due to poor performance and lack of commitment. He wasn't discharged due to illness, injury of faking being gay.

As far as the guitar thing goes:

I think I pronounce it like gi tar with equal emphasis on each syllable. so not really on your poll....

 

[getbent]

how many beers have I had and who am I talking to?

 

[emiller45]

Git-tar!!!! What the heck is a guitar, anyway?

 

[Jahmbie]

Git-tar or Gee-tar seems to be a more southern US pronunciation. Sort of like how folks that grew up in the mountains around here always say "DEE-troit."

Hendrix was contemplating this and other issues too much, instead of important Army stuff like washing ceilings.
image removed

 

[woodman]

i agree that it really depends on where you're from. i'm a Southern boy, and i always kind of smile inside when people call it a git-tar, but never pronounce it that way myself.

 

[gitarjoe]

Well I guess..

you know what I would pick.

 

[maestrovert]

Guitar, rhymes with Key bar....
i need a drink

 

[twangcaster1]

I guess I say guitar.

 

[Tim73]

What about Gee-tar?

I guess I just say guitar.

Or tele?

 

[hondo76]

git-tar

 

[pengipete]

I just call it my twangyjanglyplankiepoos to make life easier and avoid misunderstandings.

 

[trag-o-caster]

No broken ankle during a parachute jump???

That's the most oft repeated story regarding Jimi's discharge. He'd said it himself.

My folks, being from Arkansas, pronounced it "GIT-tar", and I did the same until a high school teacher corrected me in a rather embarrassing way, in front of the whole class. To this day, I always pronounce it "guh-TAR", sounding like I take myself WAY more serious that I really do.

 

[HOBBSTER01]

I call them axes after being corrected for years.
So I guess the answer is gi-tar.

 

[MandyMarie]

I grew up (Missouri/Arkansas!) with everyone around me saying "git-tar" so it's kinda stuck...that drives my husband crazy though so I've really tried to break that natural habit

 

[hugo]

Pengi, geez you make me laugh. I'm sitting here typing away laughing my ass off! You amuse me.

 

[charlie chitlin]

A buddy of mine always says he got out about the same time as Jimi, and for about the same reasons.
It was an "other than honorable" discharge based on the fact that he "could not adapt to military life."
"Damn straight!" he says.
It seems that when the army wasn't desperate for soldiers, they'd cut you loose if you were lame enough.
There are also stories about Jimi falling asleep cradling his git'-tar (!), and some folks just thought it was flat-out weird.

 

[robt57]

I just call it my twangyjanglyplankiepoos to make life easier and avoid misunderstandings.

OMG....


LOL, you got a chuckle outta me...

 

[slauson slim]

My Father called them gee-tars.

What is former 2nd Lt. Lyndon D. Williams is doing at present?

 

[stevieboy]

My Father called them gee-tars.

What is former 2nd Lt. Lyndon D. Williams is doing at present?

For all I know he's a retired three star general, but at the time he was a 2nd Lt., that's entry level and soaking wet behind the ears, and maybe not quite seasoned enough to be making those kinds of calls about people. Then again, I doubt if Jimi was too unhappy about it.

My normal way of pronouncing it is "guitar" but I do often also say "git-tar" just because I try to enjoy life! I didn't start doing it consciously, it just crept in a long time ago.