Ferdinando Carulli is widely considered to be one of the most prolific composers and performers of the 19th century and is highly regarded, in particular, as one of history’s greatest contributors to the classical guitar repertoire.

Born to an affluent, upper-class family in Naples, Italy in 1770, Carulli spent the bulk of his childhood years studying and performing music. While he began his musical career on the cello, Carulli discovered the guitar when he was twenty, and, from then on, devoted his life to the advancement of the instrument. As there was no formal guitar instructor in Naples at the time, Carulli developed his own unique playing style, which is still taught to this day, and composed over 400 works for classical guitar before he passed in 1841 at the age of 71.

In this online classical guitar lesson, Grammy Award-winning guitarist and ArtistWorks instructor, Jason Vieaux teaches how to perform one of Carulli’s more iconic works, and a great piece for beginner guitarists, “Andantino in G Major.” In addition to performing the piece in its entirety, Jason walks through all of the necessary techniques needed to play the composition, and even dissects some of the more difficult excepts in detail.

LEARN MORE: Want to learn how to play classical guitar from a master musician like Jason Vieaux? Try some free online classical guitar lessons now!

“This particular piece by Carulli is very popular, and is a very good one for beginner guitarists,” Jason explains. “In terms of difficulty, it falls somewhere between the Matteo Carcassi method exercises and Fernando Sor études. It’s also just a wonderfully beautiful piece.”

When learning to play “Andantino in G Major,” it’s important to break the piece down into digestible segments and to tackle each section one at a time. Learning new pieces using this method makes encourages you to slow down and master the techniques required to perform each section before moving from one to the next. It’s an approach that players of all levels should employ when working through a new piece of music.

“It’s important to phrase this piece in two-bar phrases,” Jason explains. “As such, I recommend breaking each two-bar phrase down and learning each phrase one at a time. You’ll also want to make sure that you focus on following the recommended righthand fingerings closely throughout."

To learn more about how to play Ferdinando Carulli’s “Andantino in G Major” and the essential techniques required to perform the piece, dive into this online classical guitar lesson from Jason Vieaux:

Learn to Play Carulli’s “Andantino in G Major” with Jason Vieaux:

To access the sheet music for this piece, as well as many more detailed lesson videos and other supplemental materials, sign up for Jason’s classical guitar course here.

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Have you always wanted to learn how to play classical guitar? Through our comprehensive classical guitar lessons online and Video Exchange Learning platform here at ArtistWorks, you can learn from internationally renowned players, like Jason Vieaux, and get personal feedback on your playing.

Jason’s course starts with the basics and teaches everything from beginner guitar to advanced performance techniques, iconic classical guitar works, music theory, and beyond. So, whether you’re a beginner, intermediate, or advanced player, all levels are welcome and all students will grow and improve their skills as guitarists and musicians.

Try out some free sample music lessons here and see what makes ArtistWorks courses some of the best online music lessons around!

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