The classical guitar style is very recent in the history of western music. Though guitar-like instruments date back to antiquity, the guitar as we know it only dates back to the nineteenth century. Early compositions for guitar are rare, and one must wait till the 19th-20th centuries to see more and more work dedicated to this instrument.
The Classical Guitar is mostly a type of guitar. Otherwise called the Spanish guitar, it consists of 6 strings and has a wooden body. With a fairly quiet volume, the classical guitar is regularly played solo. The repertoire of songs played is quite extensive, including old baroque music, “classical” music as well as romantic Spanish music and Latin American music. The Flamenco guitar, an other type among its category, has its own particularities when it come to construction & sound, & is mostly used to play Spanish Flamenco music.
Classical guitar lessons
In this beginner classical guitar course, learn the fundamentals of guitar and play your first classical pieces!
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Learn guitar at imusic-school
- Well known musicians & teachers
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- Guaranteed progress
- Useful tools
- A learning space designed by & for musicians
- A large backing tracks catalog with all your favorite tracks
Equipment
To play classical music, you will need a classical guitar. You can, of course, play on a folk or an electric guitar but the sound will be very different and may not suit the piece.
The instrument is par excellence the guitar to learn on. The string tension isn’t too strong and you’ll quickly manage to play chords without hurting your fingers!
Moreover, that’s easy to find a guitar at a faire price for someone who is just starting to learn.
However, be careful not to buy a too cheap guitar! You may end up with a body made of plywood instead of wood and this will completely change the sound and remove the fun of playing.
The great classical guitarists
Before we list the great composers/performers of classical guitar, we must first mention Emilio Pujo. Disciple of Francisco Tarrega, he is the first one who published a guitar method mentioning the playing techniques of guitar in six volumes: “Escuela Razonada de la Guitarra”.
The list of notable composers and performers is long. It would be difficult to choose the best one because each one has his own musical style.
At imusic-school, you’ll find the following classical guitarists: Sandrine Luigi, Roberto Tascini and Gabriel Guillen.
Well-known pieces
Here are some famous classical guitar pieces.
You’ll find a large catalogue of classical pieces for guitar at imusic-school so you can learn to play your favorite pieces!