Paul Galbraith

An Instrument Born from Interpretation

The Brahms Guitar developed through Galbraith’s work on repertoire whose music challenged the limits of the six-string guitar. The instrument was therefore shaped by interpretation from the beginning.

Rubio’s first example, completed in late 1993, combined eight strings with a fan-fretted fingerboard. One additional bass and one additional treble string extended the range while preserving standard tuning at the centre.

A New Performance Setup

Galbraith’s vertical posture, supported by an endpin and often used with a resonance box, became closely associated with the instrument’s early public identity. Within his artistic practice, this setup developed as part of a broader search for a closer relationship between physical movement and musical expression, with the resonance box further contributing to his conception of tone. More here.

Repertoire and Recordings

Galbraith established the instrument through transcriptions and recordings of Bach, Haydn, Brahms and other central repertoire. His discography from the mid-1990s onward demonstrated the musical consequences of the extended range: bass continuity, wider spacing, sustained resonance and a treble register capable of carrying melodic lines above conventional guitar tessitura. These recordings are historical evidence as well as artistic statements. They document how the instrument’s identity was first heard by an international public.

Ensembles and Transmission

As a founding member of the Brazilian Guitar Quartet, Galbraith helped place the Brahms Guitar within chamber music. The combination of two eight-string and two six-string guitars created a broader ensemble register and introduced the design to players in Brazil.

Redmond O’Toole, the Dublin Guitar Quartet and later performers such as Giacomo Copiello extended this legacy through contemporary repertoire, arranging, research and teaching. Guitar-makers including Martin Woodhouse developed further instruments and structural solutions.