Until Andres Segovia came along, the guitar was a Spanish folk instrument used by street and caf musicians.

Single-handedly, Segovia turned it into an international concert instrument.

Finding no suitable teacher, he taught himself, developing a brilliant if somewhat unorthodox technique.

He later claimed he had "only one teacher, myself, and only one student, myself".

When he first performed, he had barely enough repertoire for two recitals.

Over the years, he expanded the guitar's repertoire enormously, partly by transcribing classical works by Bach, Handel, Mozart and others, partly by commissioning new pieces from composers such as Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Manuel Ponce, Heitor Villa-Lobos and Joaquin Rodrigo.

Segovia's concert career spanned more than 70 years, from his Granada debut of 1909, until his death, aged 94, in 1987.

He was an inspiration to younger guitarists such as Julian Bream and John Williams.

He liked to compare the guitar to a woman. "Sometimes it is impossible to deal with her," he said, "but most of the time she is very sweet and, if you caress her properly, she will sing beautifully."

He also said: "I have had three wives and three guitars, though I have flirted with others."

-Roger Moodiman, Marine Parade, Brighton