What school should we follow when composing for classical guitar?

The question of how to compose for the classical guitar can mean the difference between writing vast amounts of music or never getting past the first measure. Indeed, too much classical training can at times hinder the guitar composer as he begins to feel that certain passages can't be written because they do not follow certain rules of classical harmony. However, as has been said about all the arts, it is good to learn the rules before breaking them.

Recently, I have been able to compose a large amount of classical guitar music in part thanks to the lessons I have learnt from the music of Heitor Villa-Lobos. He was one of the first and most important composers to mix classical guitar with folk music, thus allowing the guitar to sing its own, idomatic tune. If we follow too strictly in the paths of composers such as Fernado Sor or Matteo Carcassi we are not only looking backwards but are also repressing the guitars natural spirit.

By harnessing the unique qualities of the guitar such as open strings, harmonics, strumming, slurring, fixed chord positions moved up and down the fret board (as in Villa-Lobos' Prelude No.2), doubling of notes etc, we can see the guitar in its own light and free ourselves from the age old rules of western classical harmony. This does not mean that we have to write atonal music. One of the most annoying things music enthusiasts say about modern music is: "It's all atonal". Clearly these people do not listen to a very wide range of music. In fact there are many otherways we can compose for the guitar in a tonal and melodious way but without following the same old chord progressions or even thinking chordally at all for that matter. I believe there is still a lot of potential for new compositional ideas in eastern music, pentatonic scales (which are perfectly suited to the guitar), African music, Brazilian music, the list goes on.

For now, I am stemming off the root of Villa-Lobos' guitar compositions and trying to keep as far away from Sor, Carcassi, Tarrega, (even) Barrios etc etc as possible. Still, even Villa-Lobos will eventually be outdated.

Music moves on, new styles come and influence the musicians who play it but there is no such thing as a fixed musical style. Flamenco today is vastly different from Flamenco of 100 years ago. Let us composers be brave enough to embrace the changes and recognize the beauty in hybridisation, the vast melting pot of ideas constantly churning, mixing together and eventually coming full circle.