Cantabile in D by Mertz (Lesson, PDF)

Cantabile in D by Mertz - Sheet Music and Tab PDF

Cantabile in D Major by Johann Kaspar Mertz (1806-1856), No.7 from his method Schule für die Guitarre. Sheet Music or Tab for Classical Guitar with both a Notation-Only Edition and Notation + TAB Edition. Left hand fingering. PDF Download. Approximate level is early-intermediate (Grade 3).

Sheet Music or Tab (PDF)

This lovely little piece is perfect for any level and has a lot to offer for a relatively easy work. A nice melody along with some exploration of upper positions makes it a welcome addition to the grade 3 or 4 repertoire level.

Video Performances & Lessons

Glissandos – A legato or slur marking is used to indicate both slurs and glissandos. The slur in bar 1 is therefore interpreted as a glissando especially considering Mertz’s use of the 3rd finger.

I’ve kept Mertz’s fingering in Bar 1 but many alternatives exist if you wish to arrive at Bar 2 differently. For example, ending up on the A at the 5th fret with the 4th finger could be useful. YouTube Lesson Link.


The great Matthew McAllister plays Cantabile in D by Johann Kaspar Mertz (1806-1856), No.7 from his method Schule für die Guitarre. This comes via his amazing YouTube Channel where he has recently been featuring a number of student level works. Go subscribe to his channel now! It’s great to hear professional players play right from my edition. It really brings these little pieces to life.

Check out more of McAllister playing my sheet music at my Spotlight on Werner Guitar Editions, where I’ll feature select performances of my editions.

Bradford Werner
Bradford Werner

Bradford Werner is a classical guitarist and music publisher from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. He originally created this site for his students at the Victoria Conservatory of Music but now shares content worldwide. Curating guitar content helps students absorb the culture, musical ideas, and technique of the classical guitar. Bradford also has a YouTube channel with over 94,000 subscribers and 13 million views. He taught classical guitar at the Victoria Conservatory of Music for 16 years and freelanced in Greater Victoria for 20 years and now dedicates much of his time curating content online and helping connect the classical guitar community. See more at his personal website.

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  1. What a lovely piece, Cantabile in D. Like you say, easy but highlights the sweet spots on classical guitar. I just wish I could obtain the tone you achieve. Excellent.