I figure this could start a few heated discussions...

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Donna Zitzelberger on November 16, 2009 at 5:57pm

My thoughts: Classical guitar is not as popular as steel string acoustic fingerstyle or pop/rock. Steel pop, rock, and country guitar is way easier to play than classical. There are advanced styles of acoustic steel that are very difficult - but the bottom line is that there are loads of easy songs one can play. That's not true for classical. It's difficult right at the beginning. So much technique must be learned. The other issue is that people don't hear classical guitar as much as pop/rock/country guitar. I introduce classical to my students at year three (unless they specifically come for classical instruction). I've not had one student yet who has heard much classical guitar; and, with the exception of Spanish Romance and Malaguena, none know the repertoire. Interestingly enough, I've had several kids that were into metal or alternative who have ended up loving classical. They just needed to hear it and feel how amazing it is to play a classical piece.

I get all my strings (classical, steel acoustic, and electric) at stringsbymail.com - great prices, incredible selection.

Donna

Permalink Reply by David Mitchell on November 17, 2009 at 1:54pm

First, thanks for the reply. I agree on the reasoning that classical guitar music isn't as popular as pop/rock/country. The exposure just isn't there.. I've had friends that are into hard music that enjoy the classical (& classical style) music. My think was more along the lines of the guitars & strings themselves. One example is the Stagg c546 hat I have. I haven't seen anything in print. Once again, thanks for the interesting reply

Permalink Reply by Melvin Sumodobila on December 31, 2009 at 5:07pm

Donna I couldn't agree with you more. Especially about the availablity of classical guitar music. I always check classical guitar music CDs in music store where ever I go and usually there aren't any at all.=(. I have been to Virgin Music store in New York and I must say, that was the biggest collection of classical guitar stuff I've seen thus far. It also had a wide range of classical guitarist on DVD like concerts and stuff. I bought a lot of Tarrega's sheet music from the Julliard music store. When I saw that, I wanted so bad to live there.

Mel

Permalink Reply by Gary on December 31, 2009 at 5:48pm

You have all the good websites. stringsbymail.com and www.guitarpress.com are good. Have anymore?

Permalink Reply by Luis Motta da Silva on November 24, 2009 at 4:35pm

I agree with Donna: everything she says in her comment is right. But I may add something: maybe that feeling you have about the steel-string acoustic guitars being more popular, and more looked for, is just a matter of where you live, and what magasines do you read. In Brazil, for instance, the nylon-string guitar is THE national instrument, all great guitarists play classic guitars with nylon strings (and you know how superb Brazilian guitarists are). I believe you could say more or less the same about South and Central American countries, no steel string guitar will suit tango or mariachi music as classic ones do... Of course, the same goes to Europe, even if we have long traditions in steel-stringed guitars, too. After all, the first Martin was German (or Austrian?), and Django played French steel-strings.
Apart from that, most guitar magasines "sell" steel-string guitars. I don't mean those magasines sold their souls to steel-string manufacturers, but most people that buy those magasines play steel-stringed guitars, so they want to read articles, and see ads, on steel string guitars - and the magasines need to sell many copies. It's the market...
Just to finish, as a consolation, take this: The Portuguese guitar is almost unknown abroad. I never read a line about the Portuguese guitar in the mainstream guitar magasines. From Portuguese instruments, only the Cavaquinho became world known (under the name Ukulele, because it was taken to the US from Hawaii, where Portuguese immigrants introduced it). However, the Portuguese guitar has a culture, a repertoire, and a growing host of passionate defenders, will never be crushed by mainstream guitars. On saying this, I must add that among my many guitars, I own, and regularly play, two American-style steel string guitars. And nobody shall criticize American people for defending and spreading that particular instrument, developped in America, that suits and serves American music so well...

Permalink Reply by David Mitchell on November 24, 2009 at 6:05pm

I thought about that as well. I figured that as many of the mags claim they are the "be all end all"(so to speak) of the guitar scene that the classical style would be more than the novelty that they appear to be here. I'm not disagreeing, though, just kinda sad.

Permalink Reply by Jai Kasthuri on December 30, 2009 at 2:53pm

IMO, the most innovative and advanced bracing patterns in acoustic guitar design within the last 20 years have been by Greg Smallman and by Michael Kasha. Both of them developed and demonstrated their concepts on Nylon-stringed guitars, not steel. This indicates that nylon-stringed guitars are definitely getting a lot of attention.

Permalink Reply by James Moore on December 30, 2009 at 8:18pm

All of these points are valid. Being a second generation in a family of four generations of guitarists, I have noticed something. Everytime a youngster was exposed to classical guitar early, they maintained a respect, appreciation, and often lifelong love for the instrument. The latest family inductee into the world of guitars moved to within four miles of our home. Although I play rock on a Fender Stratocaster, fingerstyle and flatpick on a Breedlove flattop stell string, and folk, soft rock and flamenco, and classical music on a Ramirez classical, he said, "Pa (short for Grandpa), I want to learn classical guitar and flamenco."

Jai Kasthurirangan's comment about many developments seem to come from classical guitars may be close to the mark. Is it true or just my imagination, did double-tops had their start with classical guitars? I am not comfortable with the idea, being old and stubborn. But as an engineer, it is intriguing.

Permalink Reply by Melvin Sumodobila on December 31, 2009 at 5:00pm

Hi David. It's good to see a fellow classical guitarist ask the same questions that I wonder about to. I've come to realize though that the classical guitar no matter how beautiful and angelic the simple instrument produces. It won't have the audience that a rock band can have. I don't know why. Maybe because a lot of the repertoire isn't popular and known to the greater public. I love classical music as a whole but, the tone and colours that come out from tickling the nylon always captures my attention.


Mel

Permalink Reply by David Mitchell on December 31, 2009 at 9:29pm

Hey Mel, I know that there are several songs that would sound awesome on the classical guitar. Jazz, pop, even some rock (Beth by KISS comes to mind), & the standards, The possibilities are endless, not just the classical pieces need to be covered . Just need to expose the masses to what can bedone

Permalink Reply by Melvin Sumodobila on January 1, 2010 at 8:32pm

Yeah, there have been a lot of really good contempory pieces that have been played on the nylon string guitars. Some of Clapton's stuff sound really beautiful on a classical guitar and a lot of the Beatles as well. I agree with you about exposing the masses to such intervention but now a days, if people don't see Fender, or and Ibanez at the end of the headstock then it isn't worth listening to.

Mel

Permalink Reply by Gary on December 31, 2009 at 5:38pm

Yeah, if your just picking up the guitar, classical is perceived to be more difficult (for sure sounds more complex) than pop/rock and young people want instant results. Plus, classical is like taking history in college, everyone likes it, it's fun, and satisfying but you can't make a living at it so you major in something else ............. like metal guitar .................

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