The classical guitar is younger than it sounds. The instrument as we know it dates from the nineteenth century — but the music it plays reaches back centuries further, to a family of older plucked instruments whose repertoire the guitar has joyfully adopted. To play Renaissance and Baroque music on the guitar is to connect with the instrument's deepest roots.
The instruments behind the music
Before the modern guitar there were its ancestors: the lute, the great solo instrument of Renaissance Europe; the Spanish vihuela, a guitar-shaped cousin played at the courts of sixteenth-century Spain; and the baroque guitar, a smaller, five-course instrument of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. All of them share the guitar's plucked-string nature, so their music transfers naturally to six strings — sometimes with small adjustments of tuning or register.
The Renaissance repertoire
From the Renaissance, guitarists draw on a rich body of lute and vihuela music. The English composer John Dowland left exquisite lute songs and solos — pavanes, galliards and fantasias, full of melancholy beauty. The Spanish vihuelists, such as Luis de Narváez and Alonso Mudarra, wrote variations (diferencias) and fantasias that are among the earliest masterpieces idiomatic to a guitar-like instrument. This music is often gentle and approachable — a wonderful door into early repertoire for intermediate players.
The Baroque repertoire
The Baroque era is even richer. At its summit stands Johann Sebastian Bach, whose lute works, cello suites and violin partitas are central to the modern repertoire. Alongside him, the lutenist Sylvius Leopold Weiss — a contemporary and friend of Bach — left a vast and beautiful body of suites. The Spaniard Gaspar Sanz wrote spirited dances for the baroque guitar (later immortalised in Rodrigo's Fantasía para un gentilhombre), and the keyboard sonatas of Domenico Scarlatti transfer brilliantly to the strings.
How to play early music well
Early music rewards a particular sensibility. Aim for clarity of voicing and a light, articulate touch rather than a thick Romantic sound. Ornaments — trills, mordents, appoggiaturas — are part of the language, not optional decoration, and a sense of dance rhythm underlies much of it. Many players also enjoy a slightly drier, more transparent tone for this repertoire. Listening to performances on lute and baroque guitar — players like Brandon Acker are a great guide — helps the ear absorb the style.
Where to get the sheet music
Renaissance and Baroque composers are all long out of copyright, so this music is in the public domain and free to download legally — see our guide to free classical guitar sheet music.
FAQ
What instruments did this music come from?
The lute, the Spanish vihuela and the baroque guitar — all plucked ancestors of the modern classical guitar.
Who are the key composers?
Dowland, Narváez and Mudarra in the Renaissance; Bach, Weiss, Sanz and Scarlatti in the Baroque.
Is it good for intermediate players?
Much Renaissance music is approachable, making it an ideal entry into early repertoire; Baroque ranges up to the very hardest works.
Read about Bach on guitar, or browse our classical guitars →
