Top 15 Classical Guitar Pieces (Beginner to Intermediate)
Students always ask me: “What should I learn next?” After years of performing and teaching, I’ve put together a list of the pieces that have genuinely shaped my journey and the journeys of hundreds of my students. Now, this list isn’t some dry academic ranking. It’s the real deal — the pieces that stick with you and actually move people.
For this post, I’m listing my 15 favorite pieces for beginner to intermediate classical guitarists, starting with “Grade 2.” Grade 1 pieces are great for beginners, and even though they’re essential, I want to focus this post on pieces that tend to have a more musical rather than “exercisey” character. In a future post, I’ll share my favorites for intermediate to advanced players.
Let me walk you through the first batch, starting with the pieces that’ll get you hooked on classical guitar without making you want to throw your guitar out the window (yes, we’ve all been there 😅).
Table of Contents
GRADE 2: WHERE BEAUTIFUL MUSIC BEGINS
Once you’ve developed your fundamentals in guitar (e.g., basic technique & basic reading), you’re ready to start playing some pieces from what I feel are the “Grade 2” level. These are short and easy pieces that I, personally, feel are musically inspiring and fun to play.
- Op 59, Prelude in A Minor by Matteo Carcassi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIBhrnaj9Ok&t=124s
If you’re a beginner with about 2 months or so of basic skills, this is a great arpeggio piece to start with. It works your 3-finger arpeggios and, although it’s short and obviously an exercise, it’s also a beautiful piece that’s fun to play. Remember to go slowly at first and focus on producing your best sound. And no speeding up!
- Op 241, No 5 Andantino by Ferdinando Carulli
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKclxmBjlyc
Carulli is my absolute favorite composer for beginner guitarists. His pieces are simple but very melodic while still pushing your technical and musical abilities. When you work on this piece, think about relaxing and breathing while you play. Make it musical and enjoy!
- Op 241, No 21 Waltz by Ferdinando Carulli
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJiNRH0kE5c&t=7s
Here’s another fun one by Carulli that will start pushing your boundaries a bit. It’s a bit repetitive, so the key here is to think musically. Make sure you’re playing with your best sound (i.e., good tone) and pay very close attention to the finger in both hands!
GRADE 3: WALKING COMFORTABLY
At this stage you’ve gone from a “slow walk” to a “comfortable walk.” You have a good handle on your fundamentals and you’re starting to think musically. These next 3 are simple, but not trivial. They’ve got real character, but they’re also achievable. That’s the sweet spot. Check ’em out!
- Españoleta by Gaspar Sanz
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8_6OAkyHjc
If you’re a beginner with about 6 months to a year of basic skills, this is one of the first pieces I’d have you learn. The simple version of this piece is fun to play and gives you a good taste of Baroque guitar without losing your mind over crazy technique.
- Lesson 19 by Dionisio Aguado
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXtGNT_vbkk
The magic of Lesson 19 is flowing arpeggios paired with smooth chord changes. And your goal is to make the notes connect. A lot of instructional material feels like homework (and honestly, it kind of is), but I love this piece because it’s genuinely musical. You’re learning something real and enjoying the process.
- Malagueña by Anonymous
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Zxnw2-GDR04
You’ve definitely heard this tune somewhere—maybe at a restaurant, maybe in a movie. It comes straight from the flamenco traditions of Málaga down in southern Spain, growing out of the Spanish fandango style. What makes this piece stand out is its simple melody combined with the quintessential Spanish harmony. If you’re at a beginner-ish level, you should definitely work on this piece. Just avoid the tremolo embellishment I played in the video above — at least for now!
GRADE 4: BUILDING MOMENTUM
Now you’re past the basics and ready for pieces that demand more from you musically and technically. These are the ones that start showing what classical guitar can really do.
- Étude No. 1 by Leo Brouwer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXzfTZvNHnE
This study is relatively simple but genius because of one specific technique called “cantado el bajo”—basically, you’re “singing” the bass line while the open strings give you rhythmic backup. It also demands a lot more musicality from you than the easier pieces above. Now you have to pay a lot more attention to your dynamics, tone, tempo, and expression instead of just moving your fingers mechanically. It’s an odd (but interesting) sounding piece. As you play it, work on being present. Get into it and have fun!
- Largo, BWV 1056 by J.S. Bach
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GV2M5lbMEJ0
Bach wrote this as a concerto for harpsichord, but I love the way it sounds on guitar! In this piece, you want to focus on letting your notes ring out as much as possible — playing legato. Even though it’s slow, it’s deceivingly simple. Make sure to take your time learning this one. You’re going to love it!
- Minuet from Notebook for Anna Magdalena by Christian Petzold
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUSdXZ2qvGc
For centuries, everyone thought that Bach wrote this. But nope! Eventually, music historians figured out it was actually Christian Petzold, an organist! I love this piece, first of all because the melody is so recognizable. Second of all, it’s super fun to play and not all that hard to learn! If you’re an intermediate guitarist, this piece is totally worth adding to your repertoire!
GRADE 5: YOU'RE GETTING SERIOUS NOW
This is where things start getting interesting—technically and musically. The pieces here are more technically demanding and absolutely REQUIRE that you think a LOT more about voice independence, phrasing, expression, and real musical interpretation.
- Bourrée, BWV 996 by J.S. Bach
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIWny1kP-E8
This is probably the most recognizable Bach piece on classical guitar, and for good reason. It’s the fifth movement from Bach’s Lute Suite in E minor, and it’s super fun to play! 🎸 The real challenge—and the real beauty—is maintaining independence between the melody and bass parts so that you hear both as different “voices.” In music, this is called counterpoint and even though it looks fairly straightforward on the page, it’s a pretty major tongue twister at first. Take your time with this one and really focus on the melody of each voice.
- El Vito by J. de Azpiazu
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNDAtEfVQGQ&t=123s
This piece is SOOO fun to play! It’s rooted in traditional Spanish folk music but elevated into concert-quality guitar music without losing its character. Be particularly careful with your tone on this one. It’s easy to overpower the strings. Also, think about your melody and be as dynamic as possible. Since this piece is so repetitive, variation in musical expression is key!
- Mi Favorita arranged by Daniel Fortea
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b47MjTwbCws
Fortea was a master arranger, and this is one of his best examples of his skills. The melody is fun and beautiful. Like El Vito, this one has repeated themes throughout, so expressive variation is key to making this piece interesting. Again, focus on the melody and be careful not to overdrive your thumb (“p”).
- Op. 60, No. 3 by Mateo Carcassi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYZl_W6ZOYM
Carcassi’s Op. 60 collection is foundational—if you’re serious about guitar, these 25 studies are basically required listening. What I love about Carcassi is that his études aren’t just technical exercises; they’re beautiful and expressive musical ideas. 🎵 This particular study develops your musicality while working on bringing out a melody in your arpeggios. Remember to stay loose! It’s easy to push too hard with this one.
- Op. 60, No. 7 by Mateo Carcassi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUmt-PFLe8A
Another gem from the Op. 60 collection—and one of my favorite études of all time! This one works your arpeggios and trémolo. The trick here is to balance the melody, which is often in the thumb (p), with the arpeggios and tremolo. Stay loose and light, be expressive, and have fun!
- Study in B Minor, Op. 35, No. 22 by Fernando Sor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plG_6rlED2w
Sor was one of the guitar’s greatest composers in history. The beautiful thing about a lot of his intermediate works is that they never feel like exercises—they feel like real music! This study works your barre and arpeggios as well as your musical expression. Work on creating a LOT of expressive contrast with this one. Push the limit expressively!
A Quick Note on This List
These pieces represent my personal favorites and what I’ve found works incredibly well for students at these levels. Some are ranked by a more “universal” consensus between guitar teachers, but I’ve added others to the list because they work. All of these pieces teach real technical and musical skills, they sound beautiful, and they motivate people to keep playing.
Some context: A few pieces on this list weren’t originally written for classical guitar, but they’ve been arranged so brilliantly that they’ve become established staples of the repertoire. That’s the cool thing about classical guitar—it’s not a closed system.
Start with these more or less in the order listed. And remember to take your time! When you’re ready to move on to more advanced music, you can check out my blog post on the top 28 classical guitar pieces for intermediate to advanced players. Coming soon! (Stay tuned!)
Ready to Level Up Your Playing?
Knowing what to learn is half the battle. The other half is having a structured plan that actually gets you results without burning you out. That’s exactly what we do inside Spanish Guitar Mastery.
In SGM, we build a personalized roadmap based on your goals and your timeline. No fluff, no overwhelm—just clear progression through the pieces and techniques that matter. Plus, you get direct feedback from me on your playing all the time, so you know exactly what’s working and what needs adjustment.
If you are a serious classical or flamenco guitarist who wants a system that works, let’s chat! Click here to book a Free Consultation with me. We’ll take a look at your practice approach, goals, and challenges. And if the fit is right, I’ll show you how we can work together in Spanish Guitar Mastery. 🎸
P.S. The pieces in Grade 2 are deceptively simple—don’t skip them just because they look easy. Some of the most beautiful playing comes from fully mastering what looks straightforward on the page.
P.P.S. Check out articles you may have missed at diegoalonsomusic.com/blog/
