One of my favorite music styles is classical guitar. By that I am not necessarily referring to classical music (although I do enjoy some of it) but to the instrument itself. A classical guitar uses nylon strings, has a wider fret board, and is shaped and played differently. There is just something I love about the classical guitar. For a good example of the sound, click on this link to Christopher Parkening’s Simple Gifts and listen to #14: Laudate Dominum.

I must admit that my musical beginnings included a much broader scope than I would currently recommend. For instance, my first guitar was an electric hollow body purchased for $5 at a garage sale. It didn’t work very well as the neck was warped and the bridge was missing. But it worked well enough for strumming around the lunch table at school. I later picked up my current guitar (a 1970 classical made by Wilson) at an antique store in Columbus. After 38 years, it still works fairly well.

Tonight, I came across some nice classical guitar music in video format. The first is a rendition of Bach’s “Air on a G String” played on a Yamaha “silent guitar.” Although it may look a little like me playing the guitar, it really isn’t. (I wish it was!) The second is a repeat of the amazing duo playing Mozart’s “Turkish Rondo” on one guitar. (Incredible!) The third is Angel Romero’s rendition of “Leyenda,” one that I have attempted to learn for the past twenty years with little success. The fourth and final video is just two guys playing a tune called “Jerry’s Breakdown.” (What can I say? It made me smile.)

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Updated 4/11/09

Below you will find additional classical guitar videos I’ve come to enjoy.