Heitor Villa Lobos has taken the guitar to an unparalleled level. In return, guitar players have put the Brazilian composer on a pedestal along side Barrios, Tárrega and Beethoven. Villa Lobos was an amateur guitar player at best. He was mainly  a pianist and conductor. These factors have made his music so grand for the guitar. I have played many festivals and I shared the stage with piano players as well as orchestra conductors. It is simply amazing to watch the expression on a pianist face when he hears Villa Lobos prelude #1. It is as if it were saying: "The guitar can really play!!".

Villa Lobos was essentially an impressionist. Therefore, the guitar is pushed to its lowest and highest possible volumes. Brazilian rhythmic structures appear and give life and spirit to the music.
My teacher Abel Carlevaro worked closely with Villa Lobos and he had the greatest solutions for many technical challenges presented by the composer. We worked on the Prelude in Montevideo in 1986 and I will share the fingering and technical thinking behind it.
Prelude #1 is based on a rhythmic figure which must always stay the same because it represents a manual drum type of instrument (green notes group). 

The main melody is probably inspired on a cello (blue melodic line)

Hear "Prelude #1", performed by Renato Bellucci: CD "Chaconne" 2000

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The portamento between the B and the E on fret 7 is performed by the arm. String squeak will therefore be kept to a minimum. This is like the signature of the prelude and will show up every now and then. -Typical impressionistic musical device- . As soon as the double E is played, the main rhythmic figure appears. To enhance the phrase, play the higher E with the nail and the lower E with the flesh. Twin stroke.

The arm and the whole body get involved in the portamento (Italian for: to carry).