As a guitar player myself who spent some time studying and practicing classical guitar pieces, I have learned about the history and development of the modern classical guitar and its most popular composers and musical scores. It definitely has a distinct quality and tonality compared to “regular” classical music performed on a piano, violin, or an orchestra. At the end, I will list pieces that show the variation in classical guitar music.

Roots of the Modern Classical Guitar Design

The predecessors of the guitar can be traced back about 4000 years, but those instruments don’t quite look like the guitar we know today. I’ll skip forward to about the 17th century (1600s) when the Renaissance lute gave way to the Baroque guitar. This new guitar had 5 courses, or strings, which were typically made of catgut, which refers to a fiber developed from the intestines of goats or cattle (not cats!). The earliest 6 string guitars were made sometime in the second half of the 18th century.

In the 19th century, Spanish luthier (a person who builds or repairs stringed instruments) Antonio Torres made some changes to the previous design of the six string guitar to improve the instrument. This quickly became popular among guitarists due to the increased tone, projection, and sustain, and it became what is now recognized as the modern classical guitar with very few changes. Now, instead of catgut, the strings are made of nylon or nylon wrapped around a metal core. This differs from the acoustic and electric guitars, which use metal strings. The nylon strings have a lower string tension, which in turn allows for a lighter instrument due to less bracing inside guitar. The frets on a classical guitar do not have markers

Performance

Classical guitarists typically play seated while holding the instrument in their lap. Traditionally, their left leg is raised by a footstool with the guitar resting against their left thigh. Another option is to sit with both feet flat on the floor and with a guitar frame over their left leg to raise the guitar to a similar position. The classical guitar is typically played with the finger nails, also called finger-style technique. Furthermore, shaping the fingernails also allows for better control of tone and volume.

Popularity of Classical Guitar

Considered the father of classical guitar, Francisco Tárrega (1852-1909) developed the classical technique, composed guitar repertoire, and elevated the reputation of the classical guitar in the field of classical music. In fact, as I’ll show later, one of his pieces is more popular than you could have ever thought! Following Tárrega, Andrés Segovia (1893-1987) was the guitarist that pushed classical guitar to the forefront of the public eye. It is said that many of today’s classical guitar professionals are students of Segovia or students of Segovia’s students. He made quite the impact, and classical guitar definitely would not have been the same without these two classical guitarists.

Classical Guitar Pieces

What is a post about music without some examples? There is much discussion on what is the “best” or the “most well known,” but these are some pieces that I enjoy. They showcase a wide range of musical styles and techniques, and for simplicity, I will put them in the chronological order.

Romance composed by Anonymous – This piece is one that every classical guitarist knows. Many get started with simple pieces similar to this. No one knows who wrote it. Passacaglia in G minor, HWV 432 no. 6 composed by George Frideric Handel and Johan Halvorsen – This piece, originally written for violin and cello, was transcribed, to my knowledge, by David Russell himself. Watch him play it! Astounding. Variations on a Theme by Mozart composed by Fernando Sor – This plays through a theme taken from The Magic Flute and goes through several variations before the finale. Gran Vals composed by Francisco Tárrega – If you listen, you’ll find that Nokia’s tune was taken from this song! It is said to be one of the most well known tunes in the world. Recuerdos de la Alhambra composed by Francisco Tárrega – This piece is enchanting and many classical guitarists dream of being able to perform this piece due to the technique difficulty. I’ve heard it in several shows and movies. Asturias (Leyenda) composed by Isaac Albéniz – This piece was written for piano, but was transcribed by Segovia and is now one of the top pieces to include in a classical guitar repertoire. A very exciting and firey piece.

Danzas Españolas Op. 37, No. II Oriental composed by Enrique Granados – He composed pieces for piano, but many of them found their way to guitar through various transcriptions by others. La Catedral composed by Augustín Barrios Mangoré – He wrote this piece to evoke the feelings of walking through magnificent cathedral. There are three movements, each with different moods. Cavatina composed by Stanley Meyers – This piece is known for being the theme for the movie The Deer Hunter. Another difficult but beautiful piece to play. Un Dia de Noviembre composed by Leo Brouwer – Written in 1968, this piece found it’s way into the film score of a movie by the same name in 1976. Home composed and played by Andrew York – I just found this piece as I was writing this so consider it a bonus.

I hope this article has gotten you interested in classical guitar and that I have given you names of composers that you can look up. Not all these pieces are the composers’ most popular pieces. They are just the ones I have chosen. Go listen to what else they have written! I hope you find it as calming as I do.