Baroque Music for Classical Guitar – Free Sheet Music and TABs

The Baroque period roughly spans from 1600 to 1750. It marked a significant era in Western music history. Like the architecture of the time, it’s known for its highly ornate and intricate styles.

Guitar music during this time had a significant role. But the Baroque guitar differed from the modern instrument we know today. It looked more like a decorated lute or vihuela and there were several different ways of tuning it.

Below you’ll find PDF sheet music and TABs for guitar music from the Baroque Era.
See also the full library of over 1000 pieces of sheet music for guitar.
Enjoy!

Beginner-Level Baroque Sheet Music for Guitar

---

Early-Intermediate Baroque Sheet Music and TABs

---

Intermediate Level Baroque Sheet Music

---

Advanced Baroque Sheet Music

---

Guitar Composers of the Baroque Period

Three significant composers of guitar music during the Baroque era include Gaspar Sanz, Robert de Visée, and Francesco Corbetta.

Gaspar Sanz, a Spanish composer, was renowned for his works for baroque guitar. His pedagogical techniques were encapsulated in his book “Instrucción de Música sobre la Guitarra Española”. This contained practical advice, and numerous compositions, songs and dances. It was aimed at both amateur and professional musicians.

Robert de Visée was a French musician and composer who served in the courts of Louis XIV and XV. He published two books containing 12 suites for the baroque guitar, as well as pieces for theorbo and lute. Probably influenced by Corbetta, de Visée’s works are admired for their intricate melodic lines and rich harmonies.

Francesco Corbetta, an Italian composer, was one of the most influential figures in the development of Baroque guitar music. He was a pioneer of the “mixed style” of strummed and plucked textures. His works, marked by their elegance and complexity, helped establish the five-course guitar as a serious solo instrument.

Corbetta’s later life was spent between Paris and England, after accompanying Charles II to London at the Restoration of the Crown. Five collections of his music survive today.

Non-Guitar Composers of the Baroque Period

Other composers who greatly influenced the music world during the Baroque period include the towering figures of Johann Sebastian Bach, Antonio Vivaldi, and George Frideric Handel.

While they did not primarily write for the guitar, transcripts and arrangements of their music now represent some of the best-loved pieces in the classical guitar canon.

Johann Sebastian Bach is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers in Western music history.

His compositions, including the Brandenburg Concertos and the Mass in B minor, showcase the intricate polyphonic style characteristic of the Baroque period.

Andre Segovia’s transcription of Bach’s Chaconne (from Violin Partita No 2 BWV 1004) solidified the status of the classical guitar as a solo instrument.

Forgotten after his death, Bach’s works and reputation were revived largely by Felix Mendelssohn.

Antonio Vivaldi, an Italian composer, is best known for his violin concertos, particularly The Four Seasons. His much-loved Guitar Concerto in D was originally written for the lute.

Vivaldi’s music is celebrated for its exuberant energy and inventive melodies.

George Frideric Handel was born in Germany, but spent most of his adult life in England.

Popularly celebrated for writing music for royal occasions, he was also a leading figure in the development of opera and oratorio.

Handel’s Messiah is one of the most frequently performed choral works in Western music. His Sarabande and its variations have been arranged numerous times for the guitar.

Musical Trends of the Baroque Period

In contrast to the Renaissance period that preceded it, the Baroque era introduced an increased focus on contrast and movement within musical pieces.

The dance suite became one of the main music forms. As it evolved, it became music intended to be listened to, rather than danced. The standard dance suite featured an Allemande, Courante, Sarabande and Gigue.

Homophonic texture became more dominant. This is where a single melodic line is accompanied by harmonic support. The melody line was highly decorated with ornaments and “divisions”. But polyphony also remained an essential aspect of Baroque music.

The Baroque period also saw the development of the tonal system, where major and minor scales formed the basis of musical composition. This marked a departure from the modal scales predominantly used during the Renaissance.

Guitar Music in the Baroque

The Baroque era witnessed the transition from the Renaissance lute to the five-course Baroque guitar, marking the beginning of the guitar’s journey toward its modern form.

The Baroque guitar was often used in a continuo role, providing harmonic structure in ensemble settings, though it also enjoyed a significant solo repertoire.

The first method book for the Baroque guitar was by Juan Carlos Amat. His Guitarra Española de Cinco Ordenes (The Five-course Spanish Guitar) was published around 1590.