My favorite classical and flamenco guitar books

my favorite classical and flamenco guitar books

In this article, I am going to introduce you to my favorite classical and flamenco guitar books. I have been using these books for many years, and I will explain why I like each of them. I’ve also included links to Amazon for each book in case you decide to purchase one.

Classical and Flamenco Guitar Books

flamenco guitar method 1 + 2 by Gerhard Graf-Martinez

This flamenco course consists of two books. You’ll need to complete the first book before moving on to the second. The course begins with very easy songs and gradually becomes more challenging, ultimately preparing you to play masterworks and training you to become a skilled flamenco guitarist. The books introduce a series of flamenco techniques through short songs, each one building on the previous.

In the first book, you’ll learn techniques such as rasgueado, pulgar, rumba, and the flamenco triplet (along with variations of these techniques). The second book covers additional techniques, including the flamenco arpeggio, picado, tremolo, and alzapúa, among others. The books also showcase various flamenco styles, including tangos, soleá, bulerías, alegrías, garrotín, rumba, and sevillanas.

I still consider this the best flamenco guitar method available. I used these books to learn flamenco 20 years ago, and I continue to use them with my private students who want to learn flamenco guitar.

Order these books:

Tarrega in Tablature by ben bolt

This classical guitar book features 25 pieces by Francisco Tárrega and has been a valued resource in my practice for many years. It includes works for a variety of skill levels, from accessible pieces like “Lágrima” to more challenging compositions such as “Recuerdos de la Alhambra.” This range makes it ideal for both beginners and advanced players looking to explore Tárrega’s beautiful, expressive music.

Francisco Tárrega (1852–1909) was a Spanish classical guitarist and composer, often considered the father of modern classical guitar technique. His compositions are highly regarded for their lyrical and expressive qualities, making them popular pieces for guitarists today. When transcribed into tablature, Tárrega’s works offer an accessible way for guitarists to engage with his pieces without requiring the ability to read standard notation.

If you’re looking for tablature for specific pieces by Tárrega, here are a few of his most famous works (all included in this book):

  • “Recuerdos de la Alhambra” – Known for its beautiful tremolo technique, this piece is iconic in the classical guitar repertoire. In tablature, it will show the continuous tremolo on the high notes with a moving bassline.
  • “Capricho Árabe” – This piece combines Spanish and Arabic influences with sweeping melodies and complex fingerings. The tablature captures its unique rhythmic flow and ornamentations.
  • “Lágrima” – A melancholic, short prelude that has a haunting melody, often used as an introductory piece in classical guitar. It is simple yet evocative and translates well into tablature.
  • “Adelita” – A mazurka with a tender, lyrical quality, “Adelita” is one of Tárrega’s shorter works. The tablature captures the gentle dance-like rhythm.

Order this book:

the best of guitar tabs by paco de lucia

This book features 15 iconic songs by Paco de Lucía (1947–2014), widely regarded as one of the greatest flamenco guitarists, who helped popularize flamenco music worldwide. It includes pieces such as Entre Dos Aguas, El Tempul, Tico-Tico, Mi Inspiración, and many more.

This is not a beginner’s book; you’ll need a solid foundation in flamenco technique and a strong sense of rhythm to play these songs. However, challenging yourself is always rewarding—likely one of the reasons you began learning flamenco guitar.

Order this book:

toques flamencos by paco pena

This book contains 10 compositions by Paco Peña, a highly regarded flamenco guitarist and educator. Paco Peña was the first to establish a university course in flamenco at Rotterdam University, where admission required students to play a song from this book (though, unfortunately, the flamenco program at the conservatoire has since been discontinued).

The songs in this collection range in difficulty, so while a strong technical foundation is necessary, some pieces are particularly challenging. The book showcases a variety of flamenco styles, including rumba, farruca, garrotín, colombiana, soleares, and more. It also features the famous rumba, Herencia Latina, which many guitarists perform on YouTube.

Order this book:

pumping nylon by scott tennant

This is a new addition to my list, and it isn’t mentioned in my YouTube video. I wanted to include it here, however, because I recently worked through this book with one of my students, and it greatly improved his technique. Although this book is designed for classical guitarists, it incorporates some flamenco techniques as well. It offers a variety of fantastic technical exercises to enhance your guitar playing, including exercises for flexibility, tremolo, scales, soloing techniques, chord changes, metronome work, and more.

Some of the pieces and exercises in the book were even challenging for me, so I highly recommend it if you’re looking to improve your technique.

Order this book:

my published books

Spanish guitar strumming techniques

If you want to improve your strumming techniques and sound like a Spanish guitarist, this book is for you!

It offers 19 guitar lessons and over 150 exercises and illustrations, with both book content and accompanying video lessons.

You’ll learn essential strumming techniques like rumba, rasgueado, the flamenco triplet, alzapúa, and drumming techniques. This book not only teaches you how to master each technique but also how to build speed through songs and a variety of exercises. The video lessons include slow-motion demonstrations and multiple camera angles, so you can clearly see how each technique is meant to be executed.

Order this book:

Songs for spanish and classical guitar

If you’re looking to expand your repertoire, this book is an excellent choice. It includes 25 songs and numerous technical exercises to enhance finger flexibility, arpeggios, and soloing techniques.

Alongside my own original compositions, the book features 10 traditional songs, including Bella Ciao, La Cumparsita, Tico-Tico, Cielito Lindo, La Bamba, and more. There are also festive favorites like Happy Birthday, Silent Night, and Auld Lang Syne (the New Year’s Eve song).

This book comes with video access or a DVD, and some of the songs include backing tracks and scale maps to help you improvise along with the music.

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music theory: learn to read rhythm

This book is designed to help you master rhythm reading, an essential skill for classical and flamenco guitar. I originally created this course for my students, as a strong ability to read rhythm is crucial before diving into flamenco.

The book includes music theory lessons and 14 rhythm exercises across 7 levels, each building on the previous one, with the final levels being especially challenging.

You’ll learn to read all note and rest types, including whole, half, quarter, eighth, and sixteenth notes, as well as dotted notes, triplets, off-beats, and rest placement rules.

At the end of the book, I’ve included seven guitar pieces, each corresponding to a different rhythm level, so you can hear how music evolves across rhythmic complexities.

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Finally my video on the topic

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