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Classical Guitars – A Short History

What makes a guitar “classical”?  The traditional classical guitar is an acoustic (nonelectric) instrument with six strings but there are some models with eight or more.  Both classical guitars and acoustic guitars have the same basic design and shape, have six strings, and are tuned in the same manner.  The main difference is the width of the fret board, which is much wider on classical guitars.  The treble strings (high E, B, and G) are usually made of nylon on classical guitars, while all strings on an acoustic guitar are made of metal.  A classical guitarist uses his fingers to play rather than a pick.

The name classical guitar does not imply that only classical pieces are performed on it, although classical music is an important part of the guitar’s history.  Rather, all kinds of music (folk, alternative, jazz, flamenco, etc.) are played on it today.

In the 19th century, a solo guitarist would usually perform as part of an ensemble in small concert venues.  Eventually, professional soloists would perform recitals to big audiences in larger venues.  Guitar makers began looking for ways to make the concert guitar louder.  This search perhaps started with the Spanish guitar maker Antonio Torres Jurado in the late 19th century.

The classical guitar is sometimes called the “Spanish guitar” because Torres, working with Juilian Arcos, essentially redesigned the material, the shape, and the construction of the guitar.  The changes Torres made modified the tone and increased the volume by increasing the size of the soundbox.  Francisco Tarrega (1852 -1909) pioneered the new techniques employed by concert guitarists, including the positioning of the guitar on the player’s left knee, correct placement of hands, and methods for plucking the guitar (usually with the back of one’s fingernails).

Andres Segovia (1893-1987) took up the cause of the classical, or concert, guitar and established groundbreaking new methods to make the guitar’s sound carry in large areas such as concert halls.  His techniques so beautifully demonstrated the guitar’s astonishing flexibility and its outstanding spectrum of timbre and tone that many composers who previously had ignored the classical guitar began writing music specifically for it.  Far from being possessive of his innovations, Segovia welcomed whatever improvements fellow luthiers could come up with to make the classical guitar a more consistent and more influential instrument.

The tone of classical guitars embodies romance and profound emotion.  The nylon strings produce sounds that are warm and mature in expression.  For example, flamenco, a style of classical guitar playing, is beautifully expressive with its lively rhythms and colorful melodies.  Classical guitar arrangements are often technically complicated but extraordinarily expressive and soulful as a result.

Smoothjazznetwork.com has invited Boosweet Records guitarist and label CEO Vernon Neilly to debut his 1st Smooth Jazz single titled “I Was Made To Love You” featuring U-Nam from his latest project, which is a Stevie Wonder tribute compilation entitled: “Vernon Neilly & Friends: A Tribute to Stevie Wonder”. The CD is set for worldwide release on July 15th, 2008. Fortunately for smooth jazz and Stevie Wonder fans alike,there will be an opportunity to preview and cast their vote on this grooving single early at http://www.smoothjazztop20.com beginning July 12th. This single will also be the feature track at MyJazzNetwork.com starting July 14th and several tracks from the CD premiered at SmoothJazz.com on July 15th.Vernon is an internationally known, award winning touring artist/producer with over 30 years of industry experience, and his resume boasts performance and producing credits with the likes of well know music icons like Teena Marie, Johnny “Guitar” Watson, Mary Wells, rap star “Warren G.”, Howard Hewitt, “The Dramatics” and Motown hit producer Norman Whitfield just to name just a few. However, with so much good music out right now in the genre, listeners are in for a real treat as Vernon invited some of his friends from 3 continents (Europe, South America, USA) who just happen to be some of the best in the business at what they do to compliment him on this Stevie Wonder Tribute.Guest Performers include: Parisian Smooth Jazz Guitarist U-NAM (#1 Commercial Jazz single of 2007, “Street Life”) and mainstay Saxophonist Michael Paulo (Al Jarreau, Earth Wind & Fire, Peter White), also Grammy Award winning and internationally known touring Bassist Juan Nelson (Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals), and internationally acclaimed guitar virtuoso Greg Howe (Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Enrique Iglesias), so you better know that these awesome musicians brought plenty of fire to the CD project with outstanding performances.Smooth jazz listeners who have been captivated by Stevie Wonder’s musical genius through the years will have every opportunity to fall in love all over again, as this CD provides a glimpse of Stevie Wonder like you’ve never heard him before! With captivating arrangements of timeless classics of Stevie Wonder’s best hits you will be treated to original re-makes of songs such as, “I Wish”, “Superstition”, “Isn’t She Lovely”, “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing”, “Sir Duke”, to name a few. Sample tracks are available now at http://www.vernonneilly.com and http://www.myspace.com/vernonneillybandIn addition, Boosweet Records ( http://www.boosweet.com ) and Vernon Neilly are showing some fan appreciation with a pre-release offer where every CD is being sold at promotional price of only $5.99 for a limited time. Any CD purchase made at www.boosweet.com automatically enters the purchaser into the FREE GUITAR drawing to win guitar from Vernon Neilly’s personal collection which in addition will be autographed by the artist on the CD. This contest is being sponsored by Vernon Neilly, Boosweet Records and Guitar Global, Inc. ( http://www.guitarglobal.com ) and guitarist Vernon Neilly.

Did you know that music is based on natural “laws” — like gravity — and by learning to understand how those natural laws work we can actually understand what we are doing when we play — we don’t have to be at the mercy of what someone else has written on a piece of music?
How many of these facts do you know about music & piano playing? Test yourself and then check the answers at the bottom of the page:
Did you know that by learning just 3 chords you can play hundreds of songs?
Did you know that there are only 12 major keys you can play in, but you only really have to master one key to play most popular songs?
Did you know that it is possible to easily match any melody note (tune) to a chord, so you can harmonize any note?
Did you know that Beethoven’s Fur Elise and the blues song “Summertime” uses the exact same chords for the theme of the song?
Did you know that it is quite possible to predict what chord comes next in a song with accuracy approaching 85%?
Did you know you can use the same chords to play boogie, blues, new age, gospel, pop, rock, jazz, country – anything except classical music? (And even some classics!)
Did you know that guitar chords are the same as piano chords — the only thing different is the instrument and the resulting sound?
Did you know that hundreds of songs use exactly the same form, so by learning that form you can know what’s coming next in a song?
Did you know that by coming in through the backdoor of piano playing — chords — you can start making wonderful and satisfying sounds on the piano in just a few days instead of a few years — even if you don’t know Middle C from Tweedle Dee?
Answers to piano playing music questions:
True. That’s because there are just 3 primary chords in any key — like family members: Mom, Dad, Child. Get to know those 3 and you’ve got it.
True. It’s like languages. It’s great to be able to speak several, but you can get by with just one. I’d love to speak other languages, but I can get by with just English.
True. Every note is part of several different chords. So it is easy to harmonize any song once you know the secret.
True. Yep. They both use the A minor chord and the E7 chord in their themes.
True. I know that’s hard to believe, but remember that music is based on math. Once you understand a thing called the “Circle of 4ths” it’s a piece of cake. In fact, I can tell you right now that 85% of the time the G chord comes directly after the D7 chord. So next time you run into the D7 chord, you have an educated guess of 85% that the next chord will be some form of the G chord. (G, G7 etc.) If you’re into amazing your friends, that’ll do it!
True. Apply different rhythms to the same chords, and you have many styles of music! With the very same chords I can play boogie, jazz, rock, pop, gospel, new age, ragtime.
True. Chords are chords. Once you know them, you can apply them to any instrument.
True. Musical forms such as “AABA” and “ABA” are the basis of thousands and thousands of songs.
True. Understanding chords and how them form the skeleton of music accelerates the learning curve exponentially.
The bottom line is this: music is based on natural law and is mathematical in nature. Understanding is the key to both rapid learning and getting more enjoyment out of the process.

A guitar, which is a hollow-bodied stringed instrument with a neck, produces sound when the strings’ vibrations resonate through its body.
There are three basic types of guitar: the electric guitar, the acoustic guitar, and the classical guitar.
The electric guitar converts the sound of the vibrating strings into electronic current. These electronic signals are then altered and produce the desired pitch and vibration before they are fed to amplifiers. Because an electric guitar uses these “pickups,” the body does not need to be resonant as it does with the other types of guitar. An electric guitar is used for all different kinds of music, such as country, pop, jazz, rock and roll, and heavy metal.
The acoustic guitar is shaped much like the classical guitar (described below) in terms of its appearance and shape. This type of guitar does not use amplifiers for its sound traditionally, although they can be added. An acoustic guitar uses steel strings for a louder and brighter sound than the nylon strings of the classical guitar. The acoustic guitar also uses heavier woods than does the classical guitar, including maple, mahogany, and spruce. This is because the steel strings on the acoustic guitar produce more tension than the nylon strings of the classical guitar do. This type of guitar is usually used in country, folk and blues music. It can also be used in different types of rock music. Oftentimes, acoustic guitars can also have built-in electronics so that their sound can be amplified louder than they would have been traditionally.
Finally, the classical guitar is also known as the “Spanish guitar.” It’s the most common of the three types of guitar. Its body is hollow, as with the acoustic guitar. The hole in the center acts to resonate the sound produced by the strings when they are plucked and strummed. It uses six strings, which are usually made of nylon. They are less taut than are the steel strings of the acoustic guitar. Usually, this type of guitar is played without amplifiers. The sound can be “amplified” simply, however, by just placing the guitar in front of a microphone. The classical guitar is usually used in Latin, flamenco and classical music.
All three types of guitars (classical, acoustic and electric) can be used by one person alone or by playing with other guitar players. However, electric guitars are much louder than classical or acoustic guitars, and are generally not mixed with acoustic or classical guitars. However, it’s often true that rock bands, for example, play electric guitars with accompaniment such as drums, trumpets or other louder instrumentation that can’t be easily overpowered by the electric guitar’s volume.

Beginners can sometimes feel overwhelmed when they start learning classical guitar. The technique, sight reading, interpretation and the whole complexity of the experience can make one feel a bit anxious about what proper steps should be taken to gain visible results. It doesn’t help that classical music as a whole conjures up images of snobbish people that aren’t very interested in letting someone in their private circles.

Well, it’s not like that at all. Learning classical guitar can be fun and rewarding if you keep in mind the things we will be discussing in this article. and no, it’s not mandatory to wear your tuxedo, pull out a monocle and start speaking in a “highbrow” tone.

Jumping straight into complicated material is one of the biggest mistakes that beginners make and it leads only to frustration. Imagine for a second that you are trying to work on your car’s engine with the blueprint in front of you. Now, if you have never taken an auto mechanic course and don’t know much about how engines work you won’t get very far. You might be able to figure out where certain parts are by looking at the blueprint but you’ll have no idea what exactly they do and how you should fix them.

If your car engine would be your guitar playing, then your blueprints would be the sheet music. But there is another component that must be brought into the mix for things to work. Either take classical guitar lessons or teach yourself using a classical guitar method such as the one by Mateo Carcassi or Sagreras.

These books have been written in such a way as to gradually give you tangible results. Because they are method books, they teach the student in a progressive and correct way, and as a result you may find yourself tackling your favorite piece easily and with great results. They use exercises as well as “studies” (musical pieces devoted to teaching you a certain technique) to build your technical as well as interpretative skills. Besides teaching technique, methods also facilitate intimate knowledge of your instrument, which is just a fancy way of saying that you will know your guitar inside and out. But can you really teach yourself classical guitar? Yes, you can. Two of the greatest classical guitar players ever, Tarrega and Segovia, where self taught.

In the beginning it is a good idea to spend at least half of your practice time doing exercises. This will help you become more limber on the guitar and you will also see great progress in the pieces you’re working on.

After you get a classical guitar method and you start working it, the next step is getting some material so you can build your repertoire. Pick carefully so that you balance your own personal taste with the level of the piece. In other words, the piece you choose should be one that you like and at the level that you can handle technically.

You may go to a gym wanting to be Arnold Schwarzenegger, however trying to weight lift 250 pounds when you can barely get 70 pounds off the ground isn’t the way to do it. If you do attempt it, instead of bigger muscles you will probably end up in the hospital. It’s the same thing that’s happening when you attempt to play pieces that are way above your current level. Having said that, it should be noted that it’s good to get pieces that challenge you a little bit. This makes you grow. You will have to use your good judgment as to what constitutes challenging. Just like getting a hernia isn’t a muscle building technique, playing way above your level will only lead to failure and frustration.

Because of the nature of baroque music and of his compositions, Bach’s works are extremely conducive towards gaining great balance and technique on the instrument. Therefore, any student would benefit immensely by learning from the master’s material. Bach’s pieces are also great for developing great tone and they are fun to play. For example: Prelude BWV999 (originally for lute), while incredibly beautiful in its sound is also great for working with the fretboard hand because it is based on a series of chord progressions combined with a loosely melodic bass line.

If you don’t own a metronome, GET ONE! Learn to play slow and in time with it. This way you will form all the right reflexes and once you move the material up to speed the difference will be clear. Arguably, mastering rhythm with a metronome is an essential quality that will separate the amateur from the pro. To the people that may scoff at this and not understand the true importance of working with a metronome, think of it this way: imagine something as simple as a person walking across a hallway. If I ask you to describe them you would probably tell me what they looked like, what they had on and so forth. Now imagine another person walking across the hallway, but this guy is very shaky on his feet, he sometimes double steps, stumbles and flails his hands about trying to keep balance while walking. If I asked you to describe this guy, you’d probably tell me that he had a crazy walk, and he couldn’t walk straight etc.. That would be the impression that would stick with you. Same with your rhythm skills. If you don’t master them, people won’t be able to remember or appreciate your playing because their attention will constantly be distracted by the tempo stumbling and bumbling about.

If you follow the steps noted above you will see great improvement in your overall classical guitar playing. Not only will this affect your playing but also your enjoyment of the instrument. As you follow this route you will see results and feel satisfaction. Like a veil being lifted, you will be able to see the path you must follow and pretty soon you will be tackling with great ease and elegance the piece that seemed so hard a while back. As always, if you need some advice as to the material you should be pursuing, or what book you should get, feel free to drop me a line.