You don't need to spend a cent on repertoire to get started — centuries of the finest classical guitar music are in the public domain and free to download legally. The hard part isn't finding scores; it's knowing which sources are trustworthy and what's actually worth playing first. Here's our shortlist, after a lifetime around this instrument.
Where to find free, legal sheet music
These sources are reputable and (for public-domain works) completely legal:
- IMSLP / Petrucci Music Library (imslp.org) — the largest archive of public-domain scores. Original editions of Sor, Tárrega, Carcassi, Bach and more.
- Mutopia Project (mutopiaproject.org) — clean, modern engravings of public-domain pieces, free to print.
- Werner Guitar Editions — high-quality classical guitar editions with careful fingerings; a generous free section.
- Classical Guitar Delcamp — a large community library of free scores and graded studies.
One caution: a composition being public domain doesn't always mean a specific modern edition or arrangement is free. Stick to the sources above and you're safe.
Great free pieces to start with (by level)
Absolute beginner
Studies by Carcassi, Carulli and Giuliani — short, melodic, and built to teach one skill at a time. Ferdinando Carulli's early studies and Mauro Giuliani's right-hand exercises (Op. 1) are where generations of guitarists began.
Early pieces (your first "real" music)
"Spanish Romance" (anonymous) — the piece almost everyone wants to learn, and a perfect introduction to arpeggios.
Fernando Sor – easy studies (Op. 60) — musical, elegant, endlessly useful.
Francisco Tárrega – "Lágrima" and "Adelita" — short, beautiful, and within reach sooner than you'd expect.
Intermediate and beyond
Sor – Study in B minor (Op. 35 No. 22), Tárrega – "Recuerdos de la Alhambra" (the tremolo classic), and simpler movements from J. S. Bach transcriptions. Aim here once your right hand is steady.
Choose the edition, not just the piece
For classical guitar, the fingering in an edition matters as much as the notes. Two editions of the same Tárrega piece can feel completely different under the hands. Where possible, choose an edition with clear right- and left-hand fingerings (this is where curated editions beat a random scan). If you're a beginner, an edition with fingerings is worth far more than a "cleaner-looking" one without.
Hear it before you play it
Sheet music tells you the notes; a recording tells you the music. Before learning a piece, listen to it played well a few times — tempo, phrasing and tone will guide your practice more than any marking on the page. We've filmed thousands of performances on the world's finest instruments; find the piece you're learning and watch how it's shaped.
Frequently asked questions
Is free classical guitar sheet music legal?
Yes — when the work is in the public domain (composers who died over 70 years ago, e.g. Sor, Tárrega, Bach) and you download from a reputable source like IMSLP or Mutopia. Modern arrangements may still be copyrighted.
What's the easiest classical guitar piece to start with?
Short studies by Carulli or Giuliani, then "Spanish Romance" and Tárrega's "Lágrima". They teach core technique while sounding genuinely musical.
Do I need to read standard notation?
It helps a lot, and most classical repertoire is written in notation rather than tab. Start with simple pieces and your reading grows naturally.
Why do editions of the same piece differ?
Mostly fingerings and editorial choices. A good edition guides your hands; choose one with clear fingerings, especially as a beginner.
New to the instrument? Read our honest beginner's buyer's guide and our guide to choosing strings, or browse our classical guitars →
