Classical guitar
A nylon-strung acoustic guitar with a wide, flat fingerboard, a slotted headstock and a fan-braced top, played without a pick in the classical and Spanish traditions.
Its construction follows from the strings: nylon is far lower in tension than steel, so the top can be thinner and much more lightly braced. Fan bracing under the soundboard, a twelve-fret neck joint and a tie-block bridge are the classic features, and the wide, flat neck suits the left-hand independence that contrapuntal repertoire needs. Right-hand tone is produced by nail and flesh together, which is a technique of its own.
Example: a study played with rest strokes on a cedar-topped classical guitar gets its roundness from the nylon strings and light top rather than from any amplifier.
See also
Related
- PageAcoustic guitar
- PageSteel-string guitar
- PageAccessory
- PageAcoustic-electric
- PageAlternate tuning
- PageAaron Dessner
- PageAce Frehley
- PageAd-Rock