Category: Classical

10 Things Steel-String Players Should Know About Nylon-String Classical Guitars

What is classical guitar? A classical guitar is one made to accommodate nylon strings, with a wider neck than a steel-string flattop. The name classical is somewhat misleading, as many different genres are played on the nylon-string guitar: folk, bossa nova, jazz, and beyond. And while players like Andrés Segovia, Julian Bream, Sharon Isbin, and Jason Vieaux might be considered classical guitarists, the music composed and arranged for their instrument in fact spans many different eras and styles. Whether you are a dedicated nylon-string player or a steel-string guitarist curious about the instrument, the lesssons here offer both technical study and repertoire.

Borrowing Rootsy Ideas to Generate “Americana,” a New Solo Guitar Piece

I wrote this piece from my own classical perspective, rather than in an authentic Americana style, and set out to paint a picture of a landscape with a natural sort of pulse to it

Goran Ivanovic
August 21, 2024

Gretchen Menn playing a Kenny Hill nylon-string guitar using tremolo technique. Photo by Daniele Gottardo

Classical Guitar Basics: Getting Started with Tremolo Technique

Though commonly associated with classical guitar, tremolo technique can be used on steel-string acoustic or even electric guitar to give the impression of a sustained voice.

Gretchen Menn
November 1, 2023

This Is Classical Guitar's Bradford Werner plays guitar with capo at third fret

Digital Conservatories: Online Learning Resources for Classical Guitarists

We looked into a number of the most popular classical-guitar learning sites and offer profiles of three here; at the end you’ll also find brief glimpses of four others.

Blair Jackson
September 30, 2022

Guitar Lesson Guitar Virtuoso Michael Chapdelaine Teaches Nylon-String Techniques and Repertoire

A Steel-String Guitarist’s Introduction to Nylon-String Techniques and Repertoire

Let's have a look at technique, repertoire, and mindfulness involved in playing classical guitar.

Michael Chapdelaine
September 24, 2021

Willie Nelson's guitar for article about things steel-string guitar players should know about nylon string guitars

10 Things Steel-String Players Should Know About Nylon-String Classical Guitars

A new guitar might just be what you need to spark some creativity. Here are 10 things you should know about nylon-stringed guitars, if you’re a steel-string player.

Pauline France
September 3, 2021

guitarists Marc Ribot and Frantz Casseus in 1987

Learn the Haitian Classical Masterpiece “Dance of the Hounsies” on Acoustic Guitar

Learn a solo guitar arrangement of "Dance of the Hounsies," a voodoo-inspired work by guitarist-composer Frantz Casseus, aka the "father of Haitian classical guitar."

Marc Ribot
July 16, 2021

Learn to Play J.S. Bach’s ‘Bourrée in E Minor’ on Guitar

Even if you’re not a classical player, mastering pieces such as this offers a great learning experience for any fingerstyle guitarist, because it not only teaches picking-hand techniques that are independent of set patterns but also demonstrates excellent form and structure.

Teja Gerken
May 17, 2020

Learn to Play the Spanish Classical Guitar Song “Bolero” by Julian Arcas

Andalusian-born Julian Arcas (1832–82) was perhaps the greatest Spanish classical guitarist of his time. This guitar lesson shows how to play his song, "Bolero."

Patrick Francis
November 23, 2019

Learn Michael Chapdelaine’s Arrangements of Francisco Tárrega’s “Adelita and “Lágrima”

A study of his oeuvre is essential for any serious classical player, but Tárrega’s work can be also be practiced by steel-string guitarists, as demonstrated here.

Adam Perlmutter and Adam Perlmutter
August 7, 2018

Video Lesson: Giuliani Studies for Steel-String Guitarists

Giuliani's concertos and sonatas remain cornerstones of the classical guitar literature.

Adam Perlmutter and Adam Perlmutter
July 28, 2018

Juanito Pascual playing a classical guitar.

Video Lesson: Giuliani, Carcassi, and Sor for the Steel-String Guitarist

Diversify your steel-string fingerstyle approach through studies of classical picking patterns by classical guitarists Giuliani, Carcassi, and Sor.

Adam Perlmutter
July 21, 2018

Learn ‘Pachelbel’s Canon’ on Guitar

"Pachelbel's Canon" is an often-requested composition for gigging guitarists. Here's a compact arrangement that sounds just as good on the steel-string as nylon-string.

Adam Perlmutter
June 25, 2018

Play the Spanish Classical Miniature “Lágrima”

Play the Spanish Classical Miniature “Lágrima”

One of the world’s best-known composers of classical guitar music, Francisco Tárrega lived in the late 19th century, a time during which Spanish music—flamenco and classical—rose to prominence. The perennial guitar favorites “Recuerdos de la Alhambra” and the short gem “Lágrima” were penned by Tárrega and remain staples of the…

Patrick Francis
August 19, 2017

Play the Catalan Folk Song “El Testament d’Amelia”

Spanish composer and arranger Miguel Llobet is regarded as one of Francisco Tárrega’s finest pupils. He is perhaps best known for his sophisticated arrangements of Catalan folk music. Like many of the notable Spanish composers of his day, Llobet was greatly inspired by flamenco music and the folksongs of Spain.…

Patrick Francis
February 12, 2017

Video Lesson: Dig into a Lute Work by the English Renaissance Composer John Dowland

As a fingerstyle steel-string guitarist, you might assume that your instrument precludes learning classical literature. But this isn’t actually the case.

Adam Perlmutter and Adam Perlmutter
January 17, 2017

Play the Spanish Classical Song “Bolero”

Andalusian-born Julian Arcas (1832–82) was perhaps the greatest Spanish classical guitarist of his time. A composer and performer, he is best known for teaching the legendary guitarist/composer Francisco Tárrega. Arcas’s friendship with guitar builder and fellow Almerían Antonio Torres contributed to the birth of the Torres classical guitar design, a…

Patrick Francis
October 17, 2012