In honor of what would have been electric guitar inventor Les Paul’s 96th birthday, Google is featuring a guitar strings Doodle on its homepage today. Visitors to the search engine’s search page can run their mouse cursor over the strings to hear authentic strumming by the jazz and country guitarist.

Visitors can activate the keyboard controls by pressing the button below the strings. To play a scale or pick a melody, users can tap the keys from left to right. While strumming the strings, the Doodle also allows users to record what they play, which they can later playback. Some versions of the Doodle allow users to share their tunes through a unique URL. The Doodle was made possible by combining HTML 5, JavaScript and the Flash plugin. Flash is the application that’s providing the sound of the strings.

Paul was recognized by the music industry for inventing multi-track recording. The recording allows musicians to record track-by-track and mix everything together at a later time.

The solid-body electric guitar inventor who helped launch rock-n-roll died on August 12, 2009 at 94. He died from complications from the pneumonia at White Plains Hospital in White Plains, New York. He was later buried in Waukesha, Wisconsin.

Click Here for more Google Doodles from our favorite search engine Google.com.

Written by: Karen Benardello