Guitar Book Recommendations

My Favorite Classical & Flamenco Guitar Books

Discover the classical and flamenco guitar books that have influenced my playing and teaching the most. Whether you're looking for technique, repertoire, improvisation or authentic flamenco methods, these are the books I personally recommend after more than twenty years of studying, performing and teaching guitar.

My Favorite Classical & Flamenco Guitar Books

In this article, I’m going to introduce you to my favorite classical and flamenco guitar books. I have been using these books for many years, and I’ll explain why I like each of them. I’ve also included Amazon links for every book in case you decide to purchase one.

Watch the Complete Video Guide

Flamenco Guitar Method 1 + 2 by Gerhard Graf-Martinez

This flamenco course consists of two books. You’ll need to complete the first book before moving on to the second. The course begins with very easy songs and gradually becomes more challenging, ultimately preparing you to play masterworks and training you to become a skilled flamenco guitarist. The books introduce a series of flamenco techniques through short songs, each one building on the previous.

In the first book, you'll learn techniques such as rasgueado, pulgar, rumba, and the flamenco triplet (along with variations of these techniques). The second book covers additional techniques, including the flamenco arpeggio, picado, tremolo, and alzapúa, among others. The books also showcase various flamenco styles, including tangos, soleá, bulerías, alegrías, garrotín, rumba, and sevillanas.

I still consider this the best flamenco guitar method available. I used these books to learn flamenco 20 years ago, and I continue to use them with my private students who want to learn flamenco guitar.

Order these books:

Amazon USA Amazon UK

Flamenco Guitar Method by Gerhard Graf-Martinez

Hear the Book in Action

Tárrega in Tablature by Ben Bolt

This classical guitar book features 25 pieces by Francisco Tárrega and has been a valued resource in my practice for many years. It includes works for a variety of skill levels, from accessible pieces like Lágrima to more challenging compositions such as Recuerdos de la Alhambra. This range makes it ideal for both beginners and advanced players looking to explore Tárrega’s beautiful, expressive music.

Francisco Tárrega (1852–1909) was a Spanish classical guitarist and composer, often considered the father of modern classical guitar technique. His compositions are highly regarded for their lyrical and expressive qualities, making them popular pieces for guitarists today. When transcribed into tablature, Tárrega’s works offer an accessible way for guitarists to engage with his pieces without requiring the ability to read standard notation.

If you’re looking for tablature for specific pieces by Tárrega, here are a few of his most famous works included in this book:

Recuerdos de la Alhambra – Known for its beautiful tremolo technique, this piece is iconic in the classical guitar repertoire.
Capricho Árabe – This piece combines Spanish and Arabic influences with sweeping melodies and complex fingerings.
Lágrima – A melancholic, short prelude with a haunting melody, often used as an introductory piece in classical guitar.
Adelita – A mazurka with a tender, lyrical quality and a gentle dance-like rhythm.

Order this book:

Amazon USA Amazon UK

Performance from the Book

The Best of Guitar Tabs by Paco de Lucía

This book features 15 iconic songs by Paco de Lucía (1947-2014), widely regarded as one of the greatest flamenco guitarists, who helped popularize flamenco music worldwide. It includes pieces such as Entre Dos Aguas, El Tempul, Tico-Tico, Mi Inspiración, and many more.

This is not a beginner’s book; you’ll need a solid foundation in flamenco technique and a strong sense of rhythm to play these songs. However, challenging yourself is always rewarding—likely one of the reasons you began learning flamenco guitar.

Order this book:

Amazon USA Amazon UK

The Best of Guitar Tabs by Paco de Lucía

Toques Flamencos by Paco Peña

This book contains 10 compositions by Paco Peña, a highly regarded flamenco guitarist and educator. Paco Peña was the first to establish a university course in flamenco at Rotterdam University, where admission required students to play a song from this book (though, unfortunately, the flamenco program at the conservatoire has since been discontinued).

The songs in this collection range in difficulty, so while a strong technical foundation is necessary, some pieces are particularly challenging. The book showcases a variety of flamenco styles, including rumba, farruca, garrotín, colombiana, soleares, and more. It also features the famous rumba, Herencia Latina, which many guitarists perform on YouTube.

Order this book:

Amazon USA Amazon UK

Performance from the Book

Pumping Nylon by Scott Tennant

This is a new addition to my list, and it isn’t mentioned in my YouTube video. I wanted to include it here, however, because I recently worked through this book with one of my students, and it greatly improved his technique. Although this book is designed for classical guitarists, it incorporates some flamenco techniques as well. It offers a variety of fantastic technical exercises to enhance your guitar playing, including exercises for flexibility, tremolo, scales, soloing techniques, chord changes, metronome work, and more.

Some of the pieces and exercises in the book were even challenging for me, so I highly recommend it if you're looking to improve your technique.

Order this book:

Amazon USA Amazon UK

My Guitar Books

The books above have inspired and influenced my own playing and teaching over the years. Eventually, I decided to write my own books, bringing together the techniques, exercises and teaching methods that have worked best for me and my students.

Each book focuses on a different aspect of flamenco or classical guitar and includes accompanying video lessons, practical exercises and step-by-step explanations to help you improve your playing.

Spanish Guitar Strumming Techniques

If you want to improve your strumming techniques and sound like a Spanish guitarist, this book is for you!

It offers 19 guitar lessons and over 150 exercises and illustrations, with both book content and accompanying video lessons.

You'll learn essential strumming techniques like rumba, rasgueado, the flamenco triplet, alzapúa, and drumming techniques. This book not only teaches you how to master each technique but also how to build speed through songs and a variety of exercises. The video lessons include slow-motion demonstrations and multiple camera angles, so you can clearly see how each technique is meant to be executed.

Order this book:

Amazon USA Amazon UK

Spanish Guitar Strumming Techniques by Edina Balczo

Watch the Book in Action

Songs for Spanish and Classical Guitar

If you're looking to expand your repertoire, this book is an excellent choice. It includes 25 songs and numerous technical exercises to enhance finger flexibility, arpeggios, and soloing techniques.

Alongside my own original compositions, the book features 10 traditional songs, including Bella Ciao, La Cumparsita, Tico-Tico, Cielito Lindo, La Bamba, and more. There are also festive favorites like Happy Birthday, Silent Night, and Auld Lang Syne (the New Year's Eve song).

This book comes with video access or a DVD, and some of the songs include backing tracks and scale maps to help you improvise along with the music.

Order this book:

Amazon USA Amazon UK

Songs for Spanish and Classical Guitar by Edina Balczo

Watch the Book in Action

Music Theory: Learn to Read Rhythm

This book is designed to help you master rhythm reading, an essential skill for classical and flamenco guitar. I originally created this course for my students, as a strong ability to read rhythm is crucial before diving into flamenco.

The book includes music theory lessons and 14 rhythm exercises across 7 levels, each building on the previous one, with the final levels being especially challenging.

You'll learn to read all note and rest types, including whole, half, quarter, eighth, and sixteenth notes, as well as dotted notes, triplets, off-beats, and rest placement rules.

At the end of the book, I've included seven guitar pieces, each corresponding to a different rhythm level, so you can hear how music evolves across rhythmic complexities.

Order this book:

Amazon USA Amazon UK

Music Theory: Learn to Read Rhythm by Edina Balczo

Watch the Book in Action

Join the Lesson Updates List

Enter your email address to receive occasional updates.

Your email address will only be used for these occasional updates.

My Favorite Classical & Flamenco Guitar Books