When you hear the words classical guitar, you might think of flamenco music or that virtuoso guitar player you hear in the background at a fine dining restaurant. The truth is though, that while the classical guitar has a long history of evolution and repertoire, the modern classical guitar goes far beyond those descriptions. And if you want to enroll in classical guitar lessons, be prepared to study the guitar inside and out as well as the study of music and music history.

When you take classical guitar lessons, you're learning to play the nylon string guitar. You're also learning to play this instrument in a finger picking or "plucking" style. That means the right hand is using its fingers and/or fingernails to pluck the strings to produce a sound and the rhythm of the notes, not a plectrum or flat pick. You're also learning to sit correctly, in the classical position; the specifics of which can be covered with classical guitar teacher. This position is preferred by concert guitarists because it allows for the maximum of freedom and accuracy in both the right and left hands.

As with any classical instrument study, in the beginning you want to find a teacher who is not only proficient at playing classical styles on the guitar but one who is solid in guitar playing fundamentals and music theory. In other words, the instructor should know how to play and teach the instrument very well AND be able to teach you music at the same time (reading/notes, music theory, etc.). This is especially important in classical guitar lessons since fundamentals are integral to developing classical guitar techniques.