Beginning Classical Pieces

Lessons

• Lesson 1: Toy - Francis Cutting - Classical Guitar Lesson

  Francis was one of the more prolific English lutenists of the sixteenth century. Some of his pieces are among the earliest that have survived. Toy is a very short but typical example of a simple melody and chord progression.
  
  It is in 6/4 time, which can present a bit of challenge at first but should feel natural with just a little practice. The piece is in the key of A and we review the A Major Scale before getting into the details.

• Lesson 2: Andante Op. 31, No. 1 - F. Sor - Classical Guitar

  Andante Op. 31, No. 1 is written by the great Spanish guitarist and composer Fernando Sor (1778-1839).

  It’s a short 3/4 composition in C major. It features two sections, and each should be played twice.

  The lesson shows the fingerings for the left hand, in order to move as efficient and smooth as possible.

  The right hand is mostly in home position, but the fingers should also be able to alternate.

  All in all, this is a perfect composition for beginners to tackle, and for them to work on the basics of guitar playing.

• Lesson 3: Arpeggio Exercise In A Major - Easy Classical Guitar Lesson

  This very short piece is a good exercise that just uses a few common chords in the key of A. The main point is to start looking for chord groups of notes and recognizing them. All of the bass notes are open and another point of the lesson is to connect the changes smoothly.

• Lesson 4: Greensleeves - Easy Classical Guitar Lesson

  This is a basic arrangement of Greensleeves, easy to read and easy to play. The lesson breaks down the melody, the chords, and a way to combine them simply, and then follows with a slightly more elaborate variation.
  
  The student should try to play it first, working out efficient fingerings, and then check the videos.

• Lesson 5: Minuet In A Minor - Classical Guitar Lesson

  Here we have a short piece by English composer Henry Purcell. The guitar as we know it did not yet exist but this simple tune makes a great beginning exercise, also good from a learning to read angle.
  
  Minuets are based on an old dance in 3/4 time and usually consist of two sections, played twice each. This lesson presents some tips on playing the piece but adds some specific techniques for controlling the length of notes. This focuses more on muting notes rather than sustaining them.

• Lesson 6: Spagnoletta - Classical Guitar Lesson

  Here is a relatively easy Renaissance piece in the key of Am, played in first position. It is taken from an Italian Manuscript collected by musicologist Oscar Chilesotti in the nineteenth century. The melody was also used by Joachin Rodrigo in his guitar concerto, Fantasia Para Un Gentilhombre. The lesson starts with a play through and encourages the student to try the piece before looking at the following segments, although those segments then help you scope it out and work through it.

• Lesson 7: Andante In A Minor by Ferdinando Carulli

  Andante in Am (Op. 241, No.18) is written by Italian composer Ferdinando Carulli (1770-1841).

  This piece might be considered easy in the classical world, but might not be so easy for beginner guitar players in general.

  This lesson takes a close look at both hands. It shows correct hand positioning, the fingerings for the left hand, and the picking for the right hand. 

  We break down the parts from beginning to end, elaborate a bit more on varying the tempo and volume, and finish the lesson with a ‘slow it down/play along’. 

• Lesson 8: Two Easy Pieces In G - Ferdinando Carulli - Classical Guitar Lesson

  Continuing with our Guide To Reading Music, here are a couple of short pieces in G. The Petit Caprice uses scale runs in the bass along with some basic arpeggios and the Andante Grazioso features common chords and combinations of notes, then some arpeggios as well.
  
  To get the most out of these pieces do not try to memorize them, just keep reading through them as slowly as you have to.

• Lesson 9: Two Easy Pieces In C - Ferdinando Carulli - Classical Guitar Lesson

  Carulli was one of the pioneers of guitar instruction, dating back to the first half of the 19th century. He wrote many exercises for students of all levels. In this lesson we take a look at two pieces from his Opus 333 in the key of C.
  
  The student should try playing them on their own first, then go through the “Walk Through” segments for ideas and guidance.

• Lesson 10: Waltz in E - Ferdinando Carulli - Classical Guitar Lesson

  This Waltz is a relatively easy reading piece in the key of E Major. The lesson starts with a few pointers as far as scoping it out, follows with a “preflight check”, then walks through each of the four sections, before ending with a metronome play through.
  
  Ferdinando Carulli wrote many short pieces like this, really designed to be exercises for his students, in the early nineteenth century. This is a good supplemental piece to our Guide To Reading Music, particularly after going through Lesson 8 – The Key Of E.

• Lesson 11: Waltz And Variations In D Major - Ferdinando Carulli - Classical Guitar Lesson

  This is an easy sight-reading exercise from Carulli’s Opus 333 in the key of D that stays in first and second position.
  
  It includes 2-note chords (intervals), arpeggios, scale runs, and a few notes out of the key (accidentals). We also talk about right hand techniques as far as fingering and muting open bass notes.

• Lesson 12: Triplet Exercise In C Major - Easy Classical Guitar Lesson

  This exercise presents a simple way of understanding the difference between eighth notes and triplets, and some drills to practice.