Excellent question, if I do say so myself!  I will attempt an extremely limited explanation.  Physically, it is a kind of guitar with nylon strings (as opposed to steel strings).  The way one plays it is typically different, playing with the right-hand fingers instead of with a pick.  The instrument has been around, in one form or another, since before violins, most horns, or piano were even a twinkle in a builders eye, and tons of repertoire has been written for it over the years.  These days, steel-string guitars are much more popular in western culture, as are elecric guitars.  The word "classical" scares some people off, even though much or most of the music played on these instruments isn't really all that "classical sounding". 

Nylon-string guitar offers a wide palette of sounds, and possibilities for expression, and is generally a bit softer on the fingers than steel-string instruments.  This makes it ideal for beginners as well.   I have really fallen in love with the sound and playability over the years.


If you would like a more comprehensive and in-depth explanation, click here to read what Wikipedia says about it.

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