Studies, Scales & a Ladder of Famous Pieces

Classical9 minNylon strings · rest-stroke tone · reading notation · a ladder of famous pieces

Classical has centuries of accumulated studies and a ladder of repertoire. Climb the steps of public-domain masters from studies up to famous pieces, and the path is crystal clear.

Video lessons are in production — follow the notes and practice checklist below and you'll learn it just fine.

Stage 13 · Intro to Classical Guitar10 lessons

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Three sets of beginner studies (all public domain)

① Carcassi's Op. 60, 25 studies — progressive, and pretty much the accepted entry standard. ② Sor's Op. 31 / 35 / 60 — the most musical studies, playing almost like little pieces. ③ Giuliani's 120 Right-Hand Studies — the “bible” for drilling every kind of p-i-m-a arpeggio combination. Pick one set and work down it number by number.

Scales: a few minutes a day of fundamentals

The major and minor scales arranged by Segovia are the bread-and-butter fundamentals of classical. Spend a few minutes a day running through one scale with alternating i-m, linking the five positions together and gradually picking up speed. It trains left-hand shifting, right-hand alternation, and reading all at once.

A ladder of famous pieces (public domain, by difficulty)

Beginner: Sor / Carcassi studies, Romance, the Minuet. Intermediate: Tárrega's Lágrima and Adelita. More advanced: Sor's Moonlight, Barrios's La Catedral, Tárrega's Recuerdos de la Alhambra (the pinnacle of tremolo). These composers are all in the public domain, and the song library already has several you can start on right away.

💡 Don't skip levels. Play those few beginner pieces until they're “clean, steady, and shaped with dynamics” before moving up a notch — it's far faster than slogging through a hard piece.

Go play these

Songs that fit this lesson's technique and chords — pick one and practice in the library:

Practice this with famous songs

We don't host sheets for these songs (copyright); only the “what to practice” direction — find the sheets yourself:

Tárrega's Lágrima and Adelita — public-domain miniatures for practicing singing tone and vibrato expression
Carcassi Op. 60 studies No. 1 / 3 / 7 — stepping stones for right-hand arpeggios and scales
Barrios's La Catedral — a public-domain advanced classic for practicing arpeggios and grandeur (an advanced goal)

Practice checklist

Pick Carcassi or Sor study No. 1 and practice it slowly until every note is clean and even.
Run through one major scale a day with alternating i-m, recording today's fastest steady speed.