Classical guitar is a six string chordophone. There’s a good chance you’re familiar with steel string or electric guitars. Classical guitar differs from its steel stringed cousins in a few key ways: The strings on a classical guitar are nylon. Classical guitarists play, for the most part, with their fingers — finger picking — rather than with a pick. Despite the classical in the name, classical guitars don’t have to be used to play art (classical) music. All genres are performed on nylon string guitars, but this website is mostly focused on their use for art music.