Spanish Guitar Songs – Free Sheet Music and TABs

Ah, the passion and fire of Spanish guitar music! It heats the blood and stirs the senses.  Playing Spanish guitar songs on the guitar is a fun challenge.  There are special finger-picking techniques.  But it’s very rewarding.

Below you’ll find free sheet music and TABs to download.  Scroll down for PDFs of Spanish Guitar TABs and notation.  (Or browse the entire free sheet music and TABs library.)

Table of Contents

• What is Spanish Guitar?
• >>Free Spanish Guitar Sheet Music and TABs<<
• Popular Spanish Guitar Songs to Play
• Spanish Guitar Techniques
• How to Hold a Spanish Guitar – Sitting Position
• Flamenco Guitar and Dance Music
• Famous Spanish Composers
• Famous Spanish Guitarists

What is “Spanish Guitar”?

The term “Spanish guitar” is used mainly in two ways.

First, it refers to the instrument. This is also known as a classical guitar. The classical or Spanish guitar is a wooden acoustic instrument made by luthiers (guitar-making specialists). It has nylon strings, which, traditionally, were made of gut (animal intestine).

The Spanish guitar was derived from the Spanish vihuela and gittern in the 1400-1500s. Through the following centuries, it morphed into the Baroque guitar.

Eventually, it became the classical or Spanish guitar that many play today.

Spanish Guitar Music

“Spanish guitar” also refers to a style of music from Spain. When we say we play Spanish guitar, we are usually referring to songs (pieces) written for classical guitars. They often stem from the Flamenco tradition.

The classical (Spanish) guitar uses chords in songs to create layers of melody and harmony.  Flamenco guitar uses the Spanish guitar scales (and Spanish chords with strumming) to create a characteristic sound.

The Spanish guitar influenced many composers throughout Western Europe. For example, Scarlatti and Ravel composed in the Spanish style. And it has also been very influential on Latin music from the Americas (which Spain colonized).  This is perhaps best heard in Argentinian tango.

For centuries throughout Europe, the term “Spanish” was used to refer to almost anything sensual or evocative. This included (along with brothels and suggestive dances) guitar. So the phrase “Spanish guitar” is sometimes used to describe music not from Spain.

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Spanish Guitar Songs – in Notation and TABs

Below you’ll find free PDFs of Spanish guitar music. These can be played on any guitar, but sound best, and most “Spanish” on guitars with nylon strings.

Please print, play, and share these freely.  If you are a teacher, you are free to use them privately with your students.  Where appropriate, please attribute the arrangements to ClassicalGuitarShed.com, or Allen Mathews, and link to https://classicalguitarshed.com/. Enjoy playing these!

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If you have any recommendations for Spanish guitar TABs and pieces to add to this collection, please reach out and let us know!  We’re always on the lookout for great Spanish guitar songs (and classical guitar music as well).

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Premium Courses on Spanish Guitar Music

Want to dive deeper into the music of Spain?  Consider a premium course.  Each Spanish guitar lesson below will take you note by note, so you master the moves.  And you’ll get detailed, step-by-step lessons on phrasing and expression, so you play it beautifully.

• Albéniz, Isaac – Asturias (Leyenda)

• Lecuona, Ernesto – Malagueña

• Ferrer, José – Ejercicio

• Ferrer, José – Tango #3

• Sanz, Gaspar – Españoleta

• Sor, Fernando – B Minor Etude (35-22)

• Sor, Fernando – Etude 1, Opus 44

• Sor, Fernando – Opus 60 Number 16

• Tárrega, Francisco – Adelita

• Tárrega, Francisco – Capricho Arabe

• Tárrega, Francisco – Recuerdos de la Alhambra

• Tárrega, Francisco – Study in C

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Popular Spanish Songs to Play

Spanish Romance – Anonymous

Spanish Romance – composer unknown

One of the most famous songs for guitar.  Much of the piece is fairly easy to play. But you will find a barre chord combined with a rather wicked little-finger stretch. (Do some warm-up exercises before trying this!)

Click here for the Spanish Romance TABs and notation.
Click for the full Study Guide to Spanish Romance (Romanza)

Malagueña – Ernesto Lecuona

Malaguena – by Ernesto Lecuona

A very fun and popular song to play in the Spanish guitar style. Its Spanish chords and strums give it a distinct flair. The first and third sections are easy and are great for learning common Spanish guitar techniques.

Click here for the Malgueña sheet music and TABs
Click here for the full course on Malaguena.

Lagrima – Francisco Tarrega

Lagrima – by Francisco Tarrega

One of the best examples of Spanish classical guitar. A slow ballad with a beautiful melody, it’s extremely popular with classical guitar players.

Click here for the Lagrima TABs and sheets.
Click here for the full course on Lagrima, by Francisco Tarrega.

 

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The Spanish Guitar

For much of its history, the guitar was a parlor instrument. Society thought it was suitable for informal gatherings. But it was not seen as capable as the piano, violin, or other “serious” instruments. Over time this image came to change. This is thanks to many important performers, composers, and guitar builders (luthiers).

The acoustic and Spanish guitars differ in several ways. These include the internal bracing, the type of strings, and the number of frets. The playing style is also different.  The Spanish Guitar accompanies singers or other instruments. Or it plays “polyphonic” music. (More than one part playing at the same time.)

Acoustic guitars generally use steel strings. Classical and Spanish guitars use nylon strings. These have lower tension than acoustic steel-string guitars. This makes classical and Spanish guitar easier to play for beginners.

Acoustic guitars usually have a larger body than classical or Spanish guitars. The classical guitar has a wider neck, with more space between strings.

Flamenco guitars are different from classical guitars, although they look similar. Spanish flamenco guitars traditionally accompanied singers and dancers. Because of this, the Spanish classical guitar has a different build.  It has a thinner top, and different bracing inside. The string tension may be lower, and the strings closer to the fretboard. The neck may also be flatter.

Spanish Guitar Techniques

Fingerpicking Guitar

We play Spanish guitar by plucking the strings (aka finger picking) with the right-hand fingers. Modern guitar players grow their right-hand nails to assist with projection and speed. Many guitarists play without nails, but most use a combination of nail and flesh.

We call the right-hand fingers P, I, M, A, and C. The names come from the Spanish language.

P – Pulgar (Thumb)
I – Indice (Index)
M – Medio (Middle)
A – Anular (Ring)
C – Chico (Pinky)

The right hand creates the sound of the guitar. This sound defines the Spanish guitar. Skillful players use a variety of right-hand techniques to change the tone (sound quality).

Tremolo Guitar Technique

Tremolo is one of the most recognized right-hand techniques for guitar. It gives us the illusion of a sustained note. But in reality, we pluck the same string repeatedly.

A difficult technique to master, tremolo is a staple in some of the most popular pieces on the guitar. Recuerdos de la Alhambra and Campanas del Alba, are two of the most popular tremolo works.

Other instruments have adapted this technique as well. You can hear Recuerdos de la Alhambra played on the violin, piano, and marimba!

Scales

Scales are the building blocks of music, and nearly every pitched instrument uses them.

The Spanish guitar player can move through different musical keys with ease. They move adaptable patterns and “shapes” around the fretboard.

Many flamenco guitar players can play extremely fast scales. Paco de Lucia, for example, could match the speed of others playing with a plectrum.

Rasgueado Strumming Technique

The rasgueado is a strumming technique that adds percussive elements to guitar chords.

Rasgueados use mainly the nails of the right hand. We prep the fingers within the hand and then launch them with force onto the strings. This allows for great speed and a loud initial attack.

The thumb stabilizes the hand. Or it alternates with the other right-hand fingers in specific patterns.

There are many different rasgueado patterns possible. The rasgueados match the intensity and rhythm of the dancing and singing.

Many guitar composers have adapted right-hand techniques like rasgueado. These increase emotional intensity or pay homage to the Spanish guitar style.

Picado

Picado is a fingerpicking technique utilized in flamenco guitar playing. Picado is when a guitarist pushes the string into the guitar using fingers on the right hand (plucking hand).

The sound is sweeter for melodic passages. And the technique also allows the fingers to alternate quickly for fast passages.

It’s closely related to the rest stroke on the classical guitar.

Spanish Guitar Position

We typically hold a classical guitar at a 45-degree angle.

This allows both hands to play comfortably.  The left hand can move up and down the fretboard. And the right hand is at liberty to play anywhere over the guitar body.

Flamenco guitar players traditionally sit with the right foot over the left knee. The guitar sits on the right leg, with the neck horizontal. This stems from the informal heritage of flamenco music.

The way we hold the guitar has evolved.  In the 19th century, some players built tripods to hold the guitar.  Players also have tried various straps to hold the guitar to the body.  None of these have proved practical for most people.

The footstool has been the most popular guitar support for centuries. We don’t quite know where this tradition began. But many attribute it to guitarist and composer Francisco Tarrega.

Today we have various guitar supports available. These modern-day contraptions help us to play in a healthy way.

Flamenco Guitar Music

Flamenco is the traditional music of Spain. Born in Andalusia, it contains folkloric elements of many cultures from Southern Spain including that of early Muslims.

Flamenco music usually contains song and dance. The guitar plays the accompaniment, with flourishes interjected.

Many flamenco guitar techniques came about by necessity. Flamenco music is often loud, with singing, clapping, and shoe heel clicking in the dance. These all demanded more volume from the guitar. So players invented special strumming techniques such as rasgueados.

Flamenco guitarists tend to develop immaculate rhythms. While they add their own flare, flamenco guitarists were traditionally secondary to the dancer or singer.

Solo flamenco guitar players only began to gain fame in the 20th century. Guitarists like Sabicas, Paco de Lucia, and Paco Pena, were the trailblazers.

Flamenco is especially popular in the United States and Japan. Wikipedia suggests there are currently more flamenco schools in Japan than there are in Spain.

Flamenco Dance

Flamenco dance is perhaps the most recognizable element of flamenco music. Dancers wear distinctive clothes. And they commonly sing and clap, or play castanets.  They use scarves and fans as expressive accessories to convey different emotions.

Flamenco dancers need to learn many variations of typical flamenco dances. These include the Bulerias, Tango, Alegrias, and Guajira.

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About Spanish Guitar Notation and Tabs

Many classical and Spanish guitar players learn to read sheet music notation. This has been common practice since the early 1800s. Before that, tablature was used for most instruments in the early guitar family.

Standard notation gives players instructions on what note to play. It can also specify where to play the note. It includes cues for expression, volume, and tone quality.

“Fingerings” are an important part of guitar notation. These advise the guitarist which finger to use. Most notes can be found in several places on the guitar. So left-hand fingerings can reduce confusion and help with phrasing.  Right-hand fingerings also clarify the easiest way to play a passage.

Some symbols correspond to specific guitar techniques. These include rasgueados, tremolo, harmonics, and tambora (a percussive effect).

The original notation used for learning most early guitar music was called “tablature”. It was used for the lute, vihuela, and baroque guitar.

There were different types of tablature. The best-known were French, German, and Spanish.  These systems used letters or numbers to indicate frets. Lines indicated which string was played. And some offered rhythms written above the lines.

Students of classical and Spanish guitar can either use music notation and/or tablature (TABs). Learning to read music (standard notation) can take time. So TAB opens the doors to a more varied repertoire.  However, notation can include more detail.

 

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Famous Spanish Composers

Isaac Albeniz

Isaac Albeniz was born in 1860 in the town of Camprodon, Spain. He spent his life composing, performing, and teaching.

Albeniz was a pianist, but his works have been frequently transcribed to guitar.  These days, he may be more widely known for these transcriptions of Spanish guitar songs than for his original piano music.  One of his most notable collections is the famous opus 47, “Suite Espanola”.  Movements from it such as Asturias – Leyenda, Granada, and Sevilla are staples of the guitar repertoire.

Albeniz was influenced by the musicologist and teacher Felipe Pedrell.  He also worked with other notable composers like Manuel de Falla and Enrique Granados, and was friends with Francisco Tarrega.

It’s rumored that Albeniz preferred his pieces played on the guitar.

Francisco Tarrega, Spanish Guitar Composer

Francisco Tarrega

Francisco Tarrega was born in Villarreal, Spain in 1852.  At the time, the guitar was not considered a serious concert instrument. Although his father supported his guitar playing, he insisted Tarrega studied piano.  Later, this keyboard knowledge would help him arrange many works for the guitar.

There was little repertoire for the guitar at the time. So Tarrega arranged works by composers including Isaac Albeniz, Joaquin Malats, Franz Schubert, J.S. Bach, and others.

Tarrega also composed well-known works that we recognize as standards today. Popular compositions include, among others, Recuerdos de la Alhambra, Lagrima, Adelita, Grand Valse, and Capricho Arabe.

Along with arranging and composing, Tarrega also taught. And it was Tarrega’s teachings that marked a turning point in the history of the classical guitar. His students included Miguel Llobet, Daniel Fortea, and Emilio Pujol, and others. These students would go on to have fruitful careers and spread Tarrega’s ideas and methods to the wider world.

Joaquin Rodrigo, Spanish Composer

Joaquin Rodrigo

Joaquin Rodrigo was born in 1901 near Valencia, Spain. Tragically, an accident left him blind in his childhood. But he had a gift for music and didn’t let his visual ability impair his musical abilities.  Beginning music lessons at the age of six, he started composition and harmony lessons at 16.

Rodrigo wrote many staples of the guitar repertoire. Two of his most popular pieces are the Tres Piezas Espanolas and the Concierto de Aranjuez.  Written for the Spanish guitarist Regiono Sainz de la Maza, this is probably the most performed guitar concerto in the world today, We often hear it paired in concert with Fantasia Por Un Gentilhombre, which he wrote for Segovia.

Rodrigo’s music mixes a love of early music with a splash of Spanish influence and a modern musical approach.

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Famous Spanish Guitarists

 

Andres Segovia

Andres Segovia was an influential figure in the history of the Spanish guitar. He brought the guitar to a larger audience in the 20th century.

He was born in Linares, Spain in 1893. After moving to Granada around 1908, he discovered the guitar.  Because he could not find a teacher, he taught himself. Segovia stated: “(I was) my own teacher and pupil, and thanks to the efforts of both, they were not discontented with each other.”

Segovia encouraged composers such as Manuel Maria Ponce, Heitor Villa Lobos, Manuel de Falla, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco and others to write for the guitar. Now many of those pieces are central to the repertoire today.

Segovia worked hard to improve the quality of teaching on the guitar. He taught legends like John Williams, Oscar Ghiglia, Christopher Parkening, Julian Bream, and Alirio Diaz.

His efforts helped cement the validity of the guitar on the classical music stage. He helped establish a repertoire and technique for the guitar that remained little changed for 100 years.

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Narciso Yepes

Narciso Yepes was born in Lorca, Spain in 1927. He was a player with a unique Spanish sound. Yepes didn’t study with any guitar teacher for long.  He received his musical education from other instrumentalists and composers.

Yepes gained fame after performing the “Concierto de Aranjuez” by Spanish composer Joaquin Rodrigo. He continued to practice and learn, and took lessons with many prominent international figures. These include George Enescu (Romanian composer and violinist), Nadia Boulanger (influential French composer), and Walter Gieseking (German pianist and composer).  He began to research into early music (circa 500 – 1750).

In the 1960s, Yepes began to play the 10-string guitar. The extra strings extended the range of the instrument. This allowed him to experiment with the music of various musical periods and transcribe pieces from other instruments.

Here he is performing the famous “Spanish Romance”.

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Paco de Lucia

Paco de Lucia was born on December 21st, 1947 in Algeciras, Spain.

His father introduced him to guitar at age five. He was an enthusiastic student and said; “I learned the guitar like a child learns to speak.”

Like most Flamenco guitar players, he started his career playing with a dance troupe. In those days, it was not common for solo flamenco guitarists to lead a career independent of a group.  He was one of the few flamenco guitarists to reach international fame.

A life-long learner, he gained knowledge from working with musicians in various styles.  Since then, he has redefined the genre. He composed pieces using modern harmonies. He added percussion instruments and other instruments to his ensembles.  And now, many modern flamenco guitar players emulate his sound and style.

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Pepe Romero

Pepe Romero was born in Malaga, Spain in 1944. He’s a musician of the highest caliber and his career has spanned six generations as a soloist and a chamber musician.

His family influenced his musical upbringing. He studied guitar with his father, Celedonio Romero. When his father was away playing concerts studied with his older brother, Celin Romero. Pepe’s mother was an opera singer. Her influence was important to his musical development and love for opera.

Pepe has championed the music of many Spanish composers. These include Joaquin Rodrigo, Fernando Sor, Francisco Tarrega, and Isaac Albeniz.

His interpretations of the traditional Spanish repertoire are legendary. The Concierto de Aranjuez, the most performed concerto in the world, is a key piece of his repertoire. He has performed it with the world’s leading orchestras. His recording of Aranjuez with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields comes highly recommended.

Some of Pepe’s well-known students include Scott Tennant, Christopher Parkening and William Kanengiser.