Basics: (Nylon or Steel Stringed Guitars) Classical, Fingerstyle Rock, Blues, Jazz, Pick Technique, Note-Reading and Tab. Advanced Literature: J.S. Bach, Eric Clapton, Mason Williams Acoustic Guitar instruction can start at 8 or 9 years old as long as you acquire an appropriate sized nylon-stringed classical guitar and are patient with progress. At this age, hand-strength can take a while to develop and that is what most greatly influences progress. Steel strings are much harder to push down and more appropriate for older students.