| To play Classical Guitar no study is complete without | | | | the instrument of choice for Rock Bands, Country |
| the great Spanish Masters, Fernando Sor, Ferdinando | | | | Musicians and bands in general. |
| Carrulli, Matteo Carcassi, Mauro Giuliani, Isaac Albeniz, | | | | The instrument is plucked with the finger nails of the |
| Dionisio Aguado, etc. These player composers were | | | | right hand and the notes are selected with the fingers |
| the founding fathers of the modern era of Classical | | | | of the left hand on the fret board which is usually |
| Guitar music. These great artistes all lived in the late | | | | made of a hard wood such as Rosewood or |
| 1700's and early 1800's and between them laid down | | | | Mahogany, the body is made of softer woods to allow |
| most of the currently played and recognized Classical | | | | for the shaping, The Face Board should be solid many |
| Guitar repertoire. | | | | cheaper instruments will be plywood faced, which can |
| If you learn to play Classical Guitar you are sure to | | | | degenerate with time. The strings will be nylon with the |
| come across these composers very quickly. | | | | base three (typically) being wound with metal. Some |
| Such was their mastery and skill that some of the | | | | brands of string wind the G and B strings with finer |
| recognized Great Classical Composers notably | | | | nylon (Saverez for one), this is to give the string a |
| Beethoven and Bach wrote works specifically for the | | | | consistent width and purer sound for each note, nylon |
| Guitar! Beethoven once commented "The Guitar is a | | | | tending to stretch with age and distorting notes due to |
| veritable orchestra unto itself". Fur Elise was written as | | | | the variations in string width. |
| a classical guitar piece for his niece who was learning | | | | The Classical Guitar is a great choice for your or your |
| to play. | | | | child's first instrument since the wider neck makes it |
| In The Classical Guitar (Ariel Publications, New York, | | | | easier to avoid left hand fingers touching the wrong |
| 1976). Frederick Noad wrote | | | | strings, the nylon strings are also easier on the left |
| "Many of the celebrated Vienna composers were | | | | hand finger tips than steel strings would be, and finally |
| familiar with the guitar and played it as an | | | | the classical guitar is played ergonomically. The position |
| accompaniment to songs. Both Schubert and Von | | | | is seated on a square backed chair with the left leg |
| Weber were players and both published a number of | | | | supported on a foot stool, so that the guitar rests on |
| songs with guitar accompaniment. In The Guitar and | | | | the left thigh, the inside of the right thigh and the top |
| Mandolin (Schott, London. Revised edition 1954), P.J. | | | | back of the body rests on the lower part of the chest. |
| Bone wrote, "The majority of Schubert's | | | | The fret board making an approximately 45 degree |
| accompaniments were conceived on the guitar, and | | | | angle to the ground, this leaves the left hand totally |
| only afterwards did he set them for the piano, and | | | | free to move up and down the fretboard, the left hand |
| many of his early songs were originally published with | | | | should play no part in supporting the instrument. |
| guitar. Many of his accompaniments show clearly and | | | | In order for children to learn to play before their fingers |
| indisputably the influence and character of this | | | | are fully developed Classical Guitars are made in 1/2 |
| instrument; they are in truth guitar accompaniments."" | | | | (4-8) and 3/4 sixes (9-12) as well as full size. There are |
| The size and portability of the guitar made it a very | | | | copious amounts of guitar sheet music available on line, |
| popular instrument and early versions were played and | | | | and even teaching and lesson systems. The biggest |
| were popular as far back as the Elizabethan era and | | | | plus of all is if you learn to play classical guitar you can |
| earlier in the UK. It is hardly surprising therefore that | | | | play any style of guitar music! So why not give it a |
| when electricity made the amplified electric guitar a | | | | try? |
| possibility the instrument began a second career as | | | | |