Fascinating from a historical perspective, here is a facsimile edition of the earliest account on how to play the 5-course guitar in the rasgado or strummed style. While the original treatise may have appeared as early as 1596 and was reprinted in various formats throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, the present facsimile edition is of a copy in the Biblioteca Nacional, Madrid, printed in Gerona between 1761 and 1766. Written in archaic Spanish with Amat's Tractat Breu in Catalan, a thoughtful English summary is provided. Contains early chord illustrations, but virtually no music.