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Learn Classical Guitar

Nylon strings, notation and the right-hand strokes behind the repertoire.

Free to start. Built from a single prompt. No credit card.

Classical guitar is played on nylon strings with the fingers, using a seated posture that raises the neck with a footstool or a support. Its repertoire stretches from Renaissance lute transcriptions and Bach to the studies of Fernando Sor and Matteo Carcassi and on to Tárrega and Villa-Lobos, and nearly all of it is read from standard notation rather than tab. Beginners focus on the two right-hand strokes, finger placement in the left hand, and reading notes in first position. Learnr builds a personalized classical guitar course from a single prompt and teaches notation, technique and repertoire in short interactive lessons.

How to learn Classical Guitar, step by step

Set up posture with a footstool or support. Sit on the front of a chair, rest the guitar waist on the left thigh, and raise that leg with a footstool or a cushion support so the headstock reaches about eye level. This angle frees the left hand to reach across the fingerboard.
Learn the rest stroke and the free stroke. In a rest stroke, or apoyando, the finger plays through the string and comes to rest on the next one, giving a full tone for melodies. In a free stroke, or tirando, it lifts clear, which you need for arpeggios. Alternate i and m on open strings.
Read notation in first position. Guitar music is written in treble clef and sounds an octave lower than written. Learn the natural notes on each string in the first three frets, one string per week, and read short melodies aloud before you play them.
Shape your nails and work on tone. Many classical players file the right-hand nails to a smooth curve just past the fingertip so string contact is quick and clean. Listen carefully to each note and adjust the angle of the stroke until the sound is round rather than thin.
Practice scales, slurs and arpeggio patterns. Play a two-octave C major scale alternating i and m, add ascending and descending slurs for left-hand strength, and use Giuliani-style arpeggio exercises for the right hand. Short daily Learnr lessons help keep notation and technique on a steady streak.
Learn beginner studies one phrase at a time. Choose easy studies by Carcassi, Sor or Aguado, mark the fingering, and learn two bars at a slow tempo before moving on. Keep the bass notes ringing under the melody, and bring the melody voice slightly forward.

What you'll learn

Sit in classical posture with a footstool or guitar support
Play rest strokes and free strokes with p, i, m and a
Read standard notation for guitar in first position
Play major scales and slur exercises with correct fingering
Perform beginner studies by composers such as Sor, Carcassi and Giuliani

What's inside your Classical Guitar course

A sample path Learnr builds for Classical Guitar. Your real course adapts to your goal and level.

1. Posture, nails and hand position
2. Rest stroke and free stroke
3. Reading notation in first position
4. Scales, slurs and left-hand technique
5. Arpeggio studies and two-voice playing
6. Beginner repertoire and higher positions

How long does it take to learn Classical Guitar?

With 30 minutes of daily practice, most adult beginners read and play simple first-position pieces in 3 to 6 months. Intermediate studies and reliable shifting into higher positions usually take 1 to 3 years. Reading speed and regular feedback from a teacher strongly affect progress.

What you need before you start

A nylon-string classical guitar, a footstool or guitar support, and a tuner. No prior reading ability is needed, because notation is taught from the start.

Common mistakes to avoid

Holding the guitar flat on the right leg like a steel-string guitar, which strains the left wrist. Use the classical position with the neck raised.
Relying on tab and never learning to read, which locks you out of most classical repertoire.
Playing every note with the same stroke and volume. Decide which notes are melody and give them rest strokes or more weight.

How Learnr builds your course

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Classical Guitar questions, answered

Can I learn classical guitar on a steel-string guitar?

You can practice reading and some technique, but the wider neck, nylon strings and lower tension of a classical guitar are part of the technique. A classical instrument makes the posture and strokes far easier.

Do I need to read music for classical guitar?

Yes, in practice. Nearly all classical repertoire and study material is published in standard notation, often with fingering marked, so reading is part of the course from week one.