Welcome to Classical Music for guitar. On this site you will find popular classical arrangements as well as originals in standard notation and tablature. To make this site fun for everyone there will be songs for beginner, intermediate and advanced. We recommend using this page as a resource, but to get the most out of this music get a professional teacher, who can guide you in both musicianship and technique. You can also find more music like this with titles not found here, like “Cannon in D” or “Clair De Lune” in the book “Famous Classical Themes” by Lisle Crowley, published by Hal Leonard.
Newest post-O Come All Ye Faithfull
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- Before the Roses Bloom
- Dance
- Excerpts and Variations from Giuliani’s 120 Right Hand Studies
- Flamenco Study 1
- Flamenco Study 2
- Fur Elise
- Invention in D Minor
- Lagrima
- Little Waltz
- Minuet in A minor
- Minuet in G
- Moderato in A minor
- O Come All Ye Faithfull
- Rules of Enchantment
- Scarborough Fair
- Silent Night
Level-Beginner to Intermediate
Before the Roses Bloom is an easier solo guitar piece in classical style. Chords are used in most measures to play the melody, so find the chord shape for the measure and hold it, and you will find most of the notes are in the chord shape. This piece is not to difficult but there are some good stretches and a couple of bar chords.
Level-Beginner
To get the proper effect for “Dance” hold the bass note in each measure as long as you can before you switch to the next bass note. Watch the third note in measure 15, the A on the 3rd string second fret can be a surprise.
These incredible exercises for the right hand are a must for everybody who does fingerpicking. I tabbed these out and simplified the left hand chords because this exercise is for the right hand, so my philosophy is to keep the left hand simple so we can focus on our right hand. The G7/B chord is changed from it’s original fingering to an easier one. The key to this exercise is repetition, but after a while your left hand can cramp up from doing the same chords, so on each exercise I put in an alternate fingering for the left hand so the student can switch chords when the hand gets tired. Notice No. 1 and No. 1a. The alternate is an Am and E chord. Be strict on the right hand fingering to get the most out of these exercises. P means thumb, i is index, m is middle and a is the ring finger. To get the most out of these exercises play each one with a metronome. Start very slow and then work the speed up.
Level-Beginner to Intermediate
This is a great piece to develop good classical right hand technique. We are using triplets, or a group of three notes per beat. Play the first of the three notes with your thumb (p), the next note with your index (i) and the last note with your middle (m) finger of your right hand. This works very well for the first and last section of this piece. When you strum a chord, to get the proper sound, use your middle finger of your right hand. I hold my hand close to the string and extend my middle finger to strum the chord, without using my arm or wrist for the strum.
This piece is played rubato, or at your own speed. To get the first and last sections up to speed, I don’t think of p, i, m, with my right hand. Instead it’s like I pick the string almost all at once, like I’m plucking a chord. However, I play it like a slightly slow strum, or what is called a roll. This is a technique used to play incredibly fast with your right hand in classical and flamenco music.
Level-Beginner to Intermediate
The right hand technique is the same on this piece as it is on Flamenco Study 1. With the left hand I start the first measure with an E chord. In the next measure I move the E shape up one fret, like an F chord except without the bar. Strings 1, 2, and 6 ring open. The next measure I move the E shape up 2 more frets, like a G chord without the bar, and then I move the shape back to the second fret and then end the phrase with the E chord in the first fret. As you strum this chord progression you will recognize it as a common progression used in flamenco style music.
Level-Beginner to Intermediate
Play the first note on the second string, 5th fret with the 4th finger, and play the first phrase all on the second string until the 3rd measure. The chords are listed because you might find them helpfull, but use the fingering and it will make the piece a lot easier to play. In measure 5 the opening phrase is started again, but this time play the first note on the 1st string, open. This helps facilitate the change in position. Repeat that fingering every time the phrase is repeated. In measure 17 notice the fingering. Play the D on the second string, 3rd fret with the 4th finger. This allows the student to use the 3rd finger on the next note. Remember that the chords and the fingering are there to make it easier on the student. As always, have fun with this piece.
Level-Advanced
This great composition by Bach is a great flat pick exercise but this arrangement, which can be played with a flat pick, is arranged for finger style. I used a technique popular with fingerstyle artists that plays the melody in an upper position on the neck except for notes that can be played open. Play the open notes on open strings while playing the fingered notes in an upper position gives your guitar a harp like quality. This piece is medium to advanced difficulty.
Level-Intermediate to Advanced
If you have any interest in classical or fingerstyle guitar Lagrima is one of those pieces that you have to learn, and is worth the effort. Start the piece using the 1st and 4th fingers of your right hand, as shown in the music, and use those fingers in the first measure. In the second measure form a B7 chord. This is repeated in the next two measures. In measure 5 notice the C, which in classical music notation means to bar across the strings, and the Roman numeral 9 means the ninth fret. And then, of course, the Roman numeral 7 indicates the seventh fret, and so on.
Level-Beginner
Little Waltz is a perfect first piece for classical guitar. It sounds very classical but it is very accessible. The chords C, G7, Am and E7 are easy chords for beginner. Remember the notes with the stem going down are to be played with the thumb of the right hand. Hold those bass notes for their full value. If there is any doubt, hold it as long as you can. On measure 17, form an Am chord with the left hand. Follow the right hand fingering as marked. Index (i) plays the 3rd sting, the middle (m) plays the 2cd string, and the ring finger (a) plays the first string. Listen to the recording for the proper speed.
Level-Intermediate to Advanced
When it comes to classical music my favorite composer is Bach. Minuet in A minor is a rare transcription for guitar but as you play this you will love it and wonder why it’s not played on guitar more often. It starts out a little like Stairway to Heaven played sideways.
Level-Intermediate to Advanced
With this Minuet, you will find the fingerings will be very helpful. Notice how often the D note is played on the 5th string, 5th fret instead of 4th string open. We see this in measures 7, and 15, just to start. In measure 17 I find these are the most efficient yet best sounding fingerings. I have seen many different fingerings for this section, often contradicting each other, but I’m confident these are the best fingerings to use. In measures 28 and 29, hold the D note on the 5th string for the full measure.
Level-Beginner
Moderato is a great little classical piece that’s not to hard to play. The first two notes are a pull-off. Students tend to rush the rhythm so focus on keeping the eighth notes right in time. In measures 2 and 3 I form the chords to help me finger the piece. After you do that it’s easy to see when to form the A minor and the E.
This Christmas song is one of my favorites. It’s an easy arrangement played in first position using basic chords, but very pretty. I’ve played it in first position for the demo but I like to capo it on the 3rd fret.
Level-Intermediate
The right hand plays a variation on a Travis finger style pattern through the whole piece. It’s a great exercise for the right hand that stands on it’s own as a great sounding solo piece. The left hand plays chords through the whole piece. The first chord is an E minor in the 7th position. Starting with the bar chord I lift up my bar so that strings 1 and 2 ring open. Then move the shape down two frets so it forms a D chord in the 5th position with the same strings ringing open. For the next measure move down two more frets to a C in 3rd position and then move to the 2cd fret for a B. This is a very poplular sound used in contemporary music.
Level-Advanced
This is an advanced fingerstyle arrangement that features natural and artificial harmonics and jazz harmonies and chords. The first section uses harmonics. The natural harmonics are tabbed where you play the harmonic. The artificial harmonics are marked with a * and are tabbed where you finger the note with your left hand. With your right hand use your index finger to fret the harmonic 12 frets above the fretted note and play the string with your thumb. I play this piece often in my performances and it is always well received.
Level-Intermediate
Enjoy this arrangement of Silent night for classical style guitar. Use the chords in each measure to help your fingering and to help the piece sound smooth.