Teach: Andres Segovia

“Andrés Segovia (1963) by Erling Mandelmann” by Erling Mandelmann – photo©ErlingMandelmann.ch. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

If James Brown was, “The Godfather of Soul”, Andres Segovia was the “Father of Classical Guitar.” And well, that’s pretty much the reason any guitar teacher worth her strings should teach his music and methods in class. His largely self-taught style and long career paved the way for classical guitar in the mainstream and inspired all who would follow.

Segovia Quick Facts

• Born in Linares, Spain; February 21, 1893
• Played both violin and piano before picking up the guitar
• Played his first guitar concert at age 16
• Was responsible for making the guitar a “respectable,” concert-worthy instrument
• Transcribed many pieces for guitar from music written for other instruments, due to lack of material
• Had a celebrated teaching career, though was often accused of being overly stringent