The Historical Development of Classical-Guitar Technique

Many studies identify the Renaissance guitar as the earliest known ancestor of today’s classical guitar. The Baroque guitar, Romantic guitar and Torres guitar followed in the evolutionary path towards the modern instrument. Although they differed in size, shape and number of strings, right-hand technique continued to develop throughout their history.

Renaissance Guitar

The Renaissance guitar was a four-course instrument used in European music around the 15th and 16th centuries; its earlier history is uncertain. It received the name “Renaissance guitar” in the 20th century. About one-third the size of a modern classical guitar, its right-hand technique closely resembled contemporary lute technique. The little finger rested on the front of the instrument and the other fingers were held parallel to the strings. The thumb, index and middle fingers were used, while the ring finger had no role. With the thumb held inside the other fingers, the index and middle fingers pulled the strings towards the palm and the thumb struck downwards. Nails were not used; the strings were plucked with the fleshy fingertips. This technique is now called tirando. Apoyando, in which the playing finger comes to rest on the adjacent string, had not yet appeared. The Renaissance guitar was played without nails, using the flesh of the fingertips. From the early 1600s it gave way to the Baroque guitar and disappeared from musical life.

Baroque Guitar

The Baroque guitar was a five-course instrument used from approximately 1600 to 1800. The name “Baroque guitar” was given to it in the 20th century. About twice the size of the Renaissance guitar, it used a similar right-hand position, though with more variation. Baroque guitarists used two positions: the thumb inside the other fingers, or outside them. In both, the little finger rested on the soundboard, as on the Renaissance guitar, providing stability and balance. The ring finger was not used; playing relied on the thumb, index and middle fingers. Apoyando had not yet emerged, nails were not used, and the strings were plucked with the fleshy fingertips.

Romantic Guitar

The Romantic guitar had six single strings and is thought to have appeared in Italy or France around the mid-1780s. Its right-hand technique continued the Renaissance tradition: the little finger rested on the soundboard while the thumb, index and middle fingers played. As in earlier centuries, the ring finger was not involved. Aguado and F. Sor sought changes to right-hand technique during this period. Aguado’s approach was not accepted. Sor’s approach, however, laid the foundations of modern guitar technique. Sor wrote that, in keeping with common practice at the time, he preferred the thumb on the third, fourth, fifth and sixth strings and the index and middle fingers on the first and second. To keep the right hand stable and minimise movement, he did not move the index and middle fingers above the second string. He recommended playing accented notes with the thumb, even on the first string. The use of nails was also controversial among 19th-century guitarists. Typical technique used the fingertips without nails. Spanish guitarists generally favoured nails, while Italian and French players opposed them.

Torres Guitar

The Torres guitar, with six single strings, appeared in Spain around the 1860s. Developed from the Romantic guitar, it represented the most advanced instrument of its time in size, shape and acoustic properties. It quickly gained widespread acceptance. Because it was larger and had higher bridges than the Romantic guitar, resting the little finger on the body while playing was no longer practical. A new sitting and holding position emerged, replacing the right-hand technique inherited from the Renaissance with a freer approach that remained in use well into the 20th century. Spanish guitarist and composer F. Tárrega established and codified the principles of this posture. He recommended sitting on a firm stool that supported balance, with the shoulders relaxed, the guitar on the left leg and its back against the chest. The player should lean slightly forward and raise the left foot on a footstool so the leg forms an acute angle with the torso. For Tárrega, the triangle formed by the guitar’s contact with the left leg, chest and right leg was the basis of a stable hold. Right-hand position followed this posture. Its defining feature was that the fingers struck the strings at a right angle, unlike the oblique angle used on the Romantic guitar. With the little finger no longer resting on the instrument, a new era of freedom for the right hand began. The ring finger joined the thumb, index and middle fingers in active use, allowing more effective nuance and dynamics. Another development was apoyando. As with the Romantic guitar, opinions on nails varied: some players used them, while others preferred the nail-free tone of the fingertips.

Classical guitar

The classical guitar was built on Torres’s principles but differed in dimensions and sound. Its right-hand technique continued to evolve. Tárrega’s principles remained widespread in the first half of the 20th century, while a new approach led by Segovia emerged in the 1920s and 1930s. From the 1970s, techniques with a stronger scientific basis appeared. Segovia’s technique differed from Tárrega’s: the right upper arm and forearm remained relaxed, the wrist was slightly bent, and the fingers met the strings at a slight slant, at roughly 80 degrees. Seen from above, the thumb and index finger should form a cross; the article describes finger movement as originating at the wrist. The left sides of the fingertips struck the strings, while the arm position remained stable. Like Tárrega, Segovia placed great importance on apoyando, believing it essential for a rich range of tone colours. Unlike Pujol, who rejected nails, Segovia considered them necessary and emphasised that correct tone production required both fingertip and nail. The flesh should touch the string first, followed by the nail drawing it away.

Right-hand technique underwent many changes during the evolution from the Renaissance guitar to today’s classical guitar. Research indicates that these changes arose not only from the instruments’ physical characteristics but also from broader changes in musical trends. Some techniques disappeared over time, while others survived for centuries and remain in use today.

Cahit Baltacı
Rekor Sanat – Guitar Teacher