Find Classical Guitar Lessons with Excellent Teachers

Online lessons are effective, affordable, and accessible. Lessonface qualifies teachers in over 300 music, language, and arts subjects, including Classical Guitar. Students can browse teachers' profiles, send them messages, and book lessons securely through Lessonface. Lessons happen via Zoom links that are securely generated for each lesson, and can be easily recorded by the teacher. Recordings, notes, and attachments can all be accessed from within the Lessonface dashboard. Lessons can be booked one at a time, in packages, or by subscription to save a spot on the teacher's calendar. Lessonface hosts recitals, open mics, group classes, and self-paced courses too. Registering an account is free so it's easy to get started reaching out to find your ideal instructor. Contact us with any further questions!

With over 100 qualified Classical Guitar teachers who have together earned an average of 5 out of 5 stars over 1268 lesson reviews by verified students, you can be sure to find a great instructor at Lessonface.

Lessonface offers free tools to help you find the ideal tutor for you or your family:

1. Use the open filtering system
2. Use our matching service to describe your background, scheduling preferences, and any particular goals, and qualified Classical Guitar teachers will respond.

You can view teachers' bios, accolades, rates, send them a message and book lessons from their profiles.

Many teachers offer a free trial, and you can book lessons one at a time until you decide you prefer to book a bundle or subscribe, so don't hesitate to try. Teachers may also offer group classes, self-paced courses, and downloadable content, so there are more ways to get started while you're still getting acquainted with the community.

Classical Guitar teachers on Lessonface set their own rates. Rates are displayed on the teachers' profile pages and in the checkout process prior to booking. Teachers may choose to change their rates for new bookings, and students will always be notified prior to making payment. The average paid for a Classical Guitar lesson on Lessonface in the past 12 months was $31.64. The average paid for a Classical Guitar lesson 5 years ago was $23.90. Some Classical Guitar teachers offer a free trial lesson to new students, which are not factored into the average prices.

There is no fee until you book your first paid lesson. Many teachers offer free trial lessons. Students can opt to book one a time, or purchase lesson packages or subscriptions for scheduling convenience, and, depending on the teachers, a discount. Payment can be made by credit card or Paypal. Lessons booked with a subscription are pre-paid three days before the end of the month for lessons that are scheduled for the following month. Subscription payments can only be made by credit card (not Paypal). Teachers receive their payment after the lesson has been completed.

Classical guitar has a reputation for being demanding, and it's not entirely undeserved. But "demanding" and "inaccessible" are very different things, and plenty of complete beginners take up classical guitar every year and find it deeply rewarding from early on.

The main challenges are physical at first. Classical guitar is played with the fingertips and nails of the right hand rather than a pick, and developing the coordination between both hands takes time. Left hand finger strength and the ability to press strings cleanly also takes some building up. These are normal parts of the process and not signs that you're doing anything wrong.

What makes classical guitar particularly satisfying is that both hands are doing interesting, independent things from relatively early in the learning process. Even simple beginner pieces can sound genuinely beautiful, which makes the effort feel worthwhile.

The classical guitar repertoire is also one of the richest of any instrument, spanning several centuries and an enormous range of styles and moods. Getting a feel for that world, even as a beginner, is part of what makes the instrument so compelling.

A good teacher makes an enormous difference in the early stages. Classical guitar technique is specific and somewhat unforgiving of bad habits, so having someone to guide your posture, hand position, and tone production from the start puts you on the right track and saves a lot of frustration down the road.

With consistent practice and good instruction, classical guitar is absolutely learnable. The rewards are well worth the effort.

Reading music is strongly encouraged for classical guitar, and most teachers will introduce notation from the very first lesson. That said, tablature (tab) is available for a wide range of classical guitar pieces, and some beginners do start there while they build their reading skills alongside.

The limitation of tab is that it tells you where to put your fingers but leaves out a lot of important musical information — rhythm, phrasing, dynamics, and articulation among them. For classical guitar specifically, those details are a big part of what makes the music come alive. A score gives you the full picture in a way that tab simply can't.

The good news is that learning to read music is more approachable than it looks from the outside. Beginner method books introduce notation gradually, in step with the music you're learning to play. You won't be expected to sight-read complex scores right away — it's a skill that builds steadily over time, and most students find it becomes second nature faster than they expected.

Being able to read music also opens up the full depth of the classical guitar library. Centuries of beautiful repertoire become accessible to you, and you'll be able to work from the same scores that professional guitarists use. That connection to the broader tradition is one of the things that makes classical guitar so rewarding to pursue.

No prior reading experience is necessary to get started. Your teacher will guide you from the beginning.

This is a question that trips up a lot of people, and understandably so. Classical guitar is played fingerstyle, so the two terms can seem interchangeable. But they're not quite the same thing.

Fingerstyle is a broad term that simply refers to playing guitar with the fingers rather than a pick. It encompasses an enormous range of styles — folk, blues, jazz, pop, and yes, classical. Any guitarist playing with their fingers rather than a pick is technically playing fingerstyle.

Classical guitar is a specific tradition within that broader category. It has its own repertoire, technique, notation, and performance practice developed over several centuries. Classical guitarists use a precise right hand technique with specific finger assignments, play from written scores, and follow conventions around posture, hand position, and tone production that are specific to the tradition.

What sometimes gets called "fingerstyle guitar" in a contemporary context often refers to a more modern approach — players like Tommy Emmanuel or Andy McKee who combine melody, bass lines, and percussion on a steel string guitar. This style draws on many influences including classical technique, but it's a distinct genre with its own vocabulary.

The practical difference for someone considering lessons is that classical guitar and contemporary fingerstyle call different instruments, different repertoire, and often different teachers. If you're drawn to the sound of a specific player or style, it's worth clarifying which tradition they come from before choosing a direction. Your teacher can help you figure out where your interests fit.

The ideal instrument for classical guitar is a nylon string guitar, and that's what your teacher will recommend for serious study. The feel, tone, and right hand technique are all built around the nylon string instrument, and a classical guitar will serve you best in the long run.

That said, if you already own a steel string acoustic guitar and want to test the waters before committing to a new instrument, it's a reasonable place to start. You'll be able to get a feel for the basics, and a good teacher can work with you on fundamentals while you decide whether classical guitar is the right fit. Just know that the transition to a nylon string guitar will feel quite different, and some techniques won't translate perfectly in the meantime.

For a beginner classical guitar, a decent student-level instrument can be found in the $200 to $400 range. It's worth buying from a reputable music store rather than a general retail site — very inexpensive instruments can be difficult to play and may discourage progress. Having your instrument set up by a luthier before your first lesson makes a real difference in playability.

In terms of accessories, a few things are worth having from the start. A footstool or guitar support keeps the instrument in the correct playing position and is an important part of classical technique. A tuner is essential — a clip-on tuner or a tuning app works fine. Some students also use a nail file to maintain their right hand nails, which play an important role in classical tone production.

Your teacher can advise you on anything specific to their approach or your goals.

For most classical guitarists, yes — the nails of the right hand play an important role in tone production. Classical guitar technique uses the nail to make contact with the string alongside the fingertip, producing a clearer, more projecting tone than the fingertip alone. Most classical guitarists keep their right hand nails at a specific length and shape, and nail care becomes a regular part of their routine.

The nails of the left hand, however, are kept short. Long left hand nails make it difficult to press strings cleanly, so if you're used to keeping all your nails long, you'll need to adjust.

If you can't grow your right hand nails — due to a job that requires short nails, a nail condition, or personal preference — there are workable alternatives. Artificial nails or nail tips applied to the right hand fingers are widely used by classical guitarists and can produce excellent results. Some players use products specifically designed for guitarists. Others experiment with playing more from the fingertip, though this produces a softer, more muted tone that not all teachers or students prefer.

It's worth raising with your teacher early if nails are a concern. They'll have experience with the options and can help you find an approach that works for your hands and your situation. Nail management is one of those aspects of classical guitar that sounds fussier than it turns out to be in practice — most students adapt without too much difficulty.

There's a wealth of beautiful music available to classical guitarists at every level, and reaching genuinely satisfying repertoire happens sooner than most people expect. That said, some of the pieces that draw people to classical guitar — Tarrega's Capricho Arabe, Albeniz's Asturias, or Recuerdos de la Alhambra — are advanced works that take years of dedicated study to reach. A good teacher will help you build toward your goals with stepping-stone pieces that are rewarding in their own right.

Some favorite and frequently taught pieces for beginner and early intermediate classical guitarists include:

• Andantino by Carulli -- a gentle, melodic piece that introduces basic finger coordination and is very achievable early on
• Romanza (Spanish Romance) -- one of the most recognizable pieces in the classical guitar repertoire, and accessible to motivated beginners
• Waltz in E Major by Carulli -- a charming and tuneful piece well suited to early beginners
• Prelude in D Minor by Sor -- a short, expressive piece that introduces some basic musical ideas without overwhelming technical demands
• Estudio in E Major by Carcassi -- a bright, satisfying study piece that builds right hand finger independence
• Simple pieces from the Suzuki Guitar School -- a widely used method that introduces students to recognizable melodies from the very beginning

The best starter pieces are the ones that match your current level while keeping you motivated. If you have a dream piece, tell your teacher. They'll map out a path to get you there.