by Gerry Baird

Created on: February 19, 2009   Last Updated: February 27, 2009

I was at my favorite guitar store a few days ago and noticed that there were only seven or eight nylon string guitars among dozens of steel string instruments. This makes sense, since most popular music features steel string guitars, but nylon strings have a unique, warm tone that is often overlooked by new guitarists. I learned to play on a steel string acoustic guitar, but when I heard a soloist perform a rendition of "Carol of the Bells" on a nylon string classical guitar, I was hooked.

A classical guitar, sometimes called a Spanish guitar, is different from an acoustic guitar in several ways. All of the strings are made of nylon, but the lower three strings are steel-wrapped. Nylon strings are easier to play than steel strings, making them a good option for new guitarists who have not yet developed calluses on their left hand fingertips. Also, since classical guitars are generally strummed or plucked with the fingers rather than with a guitar pick, a classical guitar has a wider neck than an acoustic guitar. This makes it easier to isolate individual strings with the right hand. A classical guitar may also feature different internal construction, since nylon strings have much less tension than steel strings. Finally, a classical guitar usually does not have a protective plastic pick plate.

The classical guitar is rich with tradition and has a repertoire that includes baroque compositions written for other instruments but adapted for guitar such as those by Bach. Renaissance music originally played on the lute such as "Greensleeves" is also part of the standard repertoire. Then there are songs such as Malaguena that were written specifically for the classical guitar. Fernando Sor, Mauro Giuliani and Matteo Carcassi are three well-known classical guitarists who composed pieces for solo guitar during the early part of the 19th century. In the early 20th century, Andres Segovia popularized the classical guitar as a concert instrument. In 1940, Joaquin Rodrigo wrote a concerto for guitar called "En Aranjuez Con Tu Amor." The second movement of this piece, written as a memorial to victims of the Spanish Civil War, is-in my opinion-one of the most hauntingly beautiful pieces of music ever written. However, in addition to traditional repertoire, the classical guitar can also be used to play folk, new age, Latin, gospel, jazz and many other styles of music. It has also found its way into popular music, such as in Eric Clapton's "Tears in Heaven" and the popular 1960's

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>