Classical Guitar Music

Classical Guitar Lessons For Beginners - Quickly Learn How to Play the Classical Guitar

2010-03-07T18:48:00.000-08:00

By Zack Glenn

A lot of aspiring guitarist want to learn how to play classical guitar. Regardless if you already play the guitar or you're new to the instrument and have decided to play this guitar, there are some things you should know to avoid making some of the common mistakes.

The first thing you must realize is that there is a difference between playing the guitar and playing the classical guitar. The obvious difference is the way the classical guitars are constructed. These guitars have a wider neck than other guitars such as the acoustic. Since these guitars have wider necks the strings are further apart, which allows it to play individual notes.

You have to learn how to string the guitar from thinnest to thickest and you should also have an understanding of the tuning pegs and how to string them properly. When playing the classical guitar you should sit up erect and place the guitar on your left thigh while it's elevated and hold the top portion against your chest bone. Developing these good habits will improve your ability to play.

You must master scales and have an understanding of how time is measured on sheet music. A great way to measure your time is to tap your foot while your reading the music. The fifth time you tap your foot will start the next measure. Making the commitment to practice your guitar playing and being able to read the music properly is the key to learning how to play the classical guitar fast.

Learn Classical Guitar - Best Way to Learn

2010-03-04T18:46:00.000-08:00

By Kenn Bell

Learning to play classical guitar starts is the same way as any other type of guitar playing. You must first learn how to hold your guitar and position your fingers. Stroking techniques and basic chords will come next. After you have learned what there is know about playing chords, you will be able to start playing your favorite classical songs and composing your own music.

The trickiest part about learning to play guitar is in the subtle tones you achieve by applying pressure to the strings in just the right amounts at the appropriate moments. Pressure can take you from a soft harmony to a much louder, more expressive guitar rift, a method which is characteristic of classical music.

Classical guitar playing requires strings that are especially made for this musical style. When you set out to buy an acoustic guitar for classical playing, be sure to let the sales professionals know what kind of music you will be playing with your guitar. It is a wise idea to buy extra strings and picks when you first purchase your guitar. Ask a professional to show you how to tune it correctly or commission someone to do it for you. Do you want lessons? Guitar stores often offer individual or class instruction as part of their business. This can get expensive and inconvenient for some though.

If you would rather learn classical guitar on your own but are not sure where to begin, the internet is a great place to start. For the price of one traditional guitar lesson you can learn guitar online and at your own convenience. Online guitar lessons offer easy to follow step by step lessons from professional guitar players. The lessons are designed to get beginners to progress at a fast rate at their own pace. It also allows intermediate players to learn more advanced techniques.

Guitar Lesson: Learn To Play Classical Guitar Without Nails

2010-03-01T18:45:00.000-08:00

By Peter Edvinsson

Is it possible to play classical guitar without nails? I guess so as I often do it myself. Many guitarists today and in the past have also done the same. Let me tell you the advantages of no nails playing and give you some tips!

Sharon Isbin in her Classical Guitar Answer Book wrote...

"Classical guitarists can play without nails, but they should be aware that in doing so they are sacrificing certain possibilities of tone color and projection - all of which affect interpretation and musical presentation."

I have played classical guitar and also improvisational jazz and blues guitar for many years and have been teaching others professionally. I have played with long nails, shorter nails and no nails at all.

I have seen guitar students struggling with their tone on the guitar. Guitarists with problem nails, guitarists not taking care of their nails and subsequently with a terrible tone and some guitarists with perfect nails and still not a good tone because of faltering technique.

I have also met guitarists that were playing without nails and I have seen electric guitarists finger playing without nails like Mark Knopfler and others.

As with nearly everything there are pros and cons with the different approaches. I like playing without nails for these reasons:

1. It's a challenge to find the tone and get the most out of the guitar playing without nails. You have to play with more force to find the upper harmonics and you have to work even more with the guitar technique. No sloppiness is allowed!

2. I like the sweet sound of my fingers touching the strings. The sound created is mellow but the volume will still be satisfying if you play with force and with calousses developed by practising.

3. There is a special feeling involved in letting living flesh touch the strings on a guitar. You will come nearer the instrument somehow.

4. Of course you'll have the advantage of not risking to have your nails broken as you don't depend on them anymore.

5. You will be able to play piano with correct finger posture.

6. You can play electric guitar with your fingers without risking to destroy your nails.

I will now give you some of my own advice and experiences from playing without nails.

You might find some more information on the net as there are many other classical guitarists and lute players who want to play without nails. Here are my personal hints:

1. It will take a week or so to build callouses on your fingertips after having filed down your nails. This will improve your guitar playing and tone but until then you have to be careful not to play so intensely as to get blisters.

2. A way to build callouses is to play finger picking on electric guitar or steel string guitar. I have experienced that my blues guitar playing is much more musical and more dynamic as I play with my fingers instead of with a pick on my electric guitar. Sometimes I use to alternate between my thumb and index finger when playing scales and licks and other times my index finger and middle finger or in another classical guitar playing way.

3. You will get a softer and in many ways a more beautiful tone if you cultivate your playing without nails. However you might miss some of the higher frequencies. To compensate for this you can see to it that you
always play with fresh new strings and if you are a rich man you might purchase a classical guitar with more treble and less bass.

4. When you use your nail sharpener (you should instead of just clipping the nails off!) to keep your nails short you might as well give your fingertips some grooming with the nail sharpener. This will improve your
tone and stimulate your finger tips to become harder.

5. As you practice exercises on your guitar you need to play slowly and with a little more force to get a good tone. It is important that you don't build tensions as you play. All musicians benefit from learning
relaxation techniques and stretching to prevent injuries.

6. Practice especially playing apoyando (support strokes) with all your fingers and listen to the tone and try to improve it as part of your playing.

If you feel that playing completely without nails is to hard for you, you might after this test period let them grow but you can keep them a lot shorter as your technique has improved. They will then work as the claws of a cat. Mostly not used but still affecting your tone and supporting your playing. As with long nails you will have to polish them and take care of them.

There are many more things to say about playing guitar without nails but personally this technique gives me a tone I like and an exciting and rewarding challenge.

Learn Classical Guitar

2010-02-26T18:43:00.000-08:00

By Barbara A Robinson

With each particular species of the instrument, you may observe different ground rules for playing. The fundamental rules however remain similar with the difference being very subtle. As you learn to play the guitar, you shall learn that a good posture is demanded by the classical guitar. Reading sheet music may be familiar to the more experienced musician. Written for the classical, this may be a little different. The special notations on the guitar's music sheet should however come to be familiar as you become a seasoned player. As for the classical guitar's elimination of the rocker's stage, one should not think that it is full of drudgery. Since you are opened to a personalized learning pace, the lesson presents a joy quite its own.

Instructional playing guides offered online should make creative challenge out of the playing experience. Available in local music shops, these guides are not far away from your hands and only serve to boost your enthusiasm for the guitar. In-depth lessons are also offered on specialized websites for music enthusiasts. These pave your way into the realm of the professional musician. The classical guitar should present a lot of similarities with the acoustic version. Music written for the latter can well be played on the classical guitar.

Playing the classical guitar should introduce you to even sophisticated instruments such as the harp guitar. Online video sites host a number clips from which one may learn playing tricks. These will come in handy as you personalize your skill.

Beatles For Classical Guitar

2010-02-23T18:41:00.000-08:00

By Ricky Sharples

One of the big events in fingerstyle guitar playing many years ago was the publication of a music book called "Beatles For Classical Guitar". This was the world's first attempt to mix the simplicity of the Beatles' tunes with the complexity of classical guitar technique.

One of the first things that fingerpicking guitar players who were not trained in classical guitar playing noticed was that the fingerings to some of the tunes were much more difficult to execute than they had been used to. But no pain, no gain. The trickier arrangements indicated how much more musical richness had been found in these more complicated arrangements of familiar songs.

Some guitar players thought that a book of classical guitar arrangements of the work of The Beatles was just a gimmick. They expected that a minimal amount of work went into these arrangements just to produce popular music for the "egghead market". In fact the songs are all substantial arrangements that many classical guitarists find extremely satisfying to play.

People who loved the Beatles' music found that the songs had not been rendered unrecognizable in the process of arranging them for fingerpicking. The songs were arranged for guitar players who could read standard musical notation and they were not the kind of arrangements that could be played right through on sight the first time you saw them. The pieces asked you to pay some attention and make some effort. Once you get the feel of the way the songs have been interpreted you can let your familiarity with the songs guide you as you play.

Some guitar players are going to feel cheated by the fact that there are not tabs but the pieces are a bit too complicated to be translated into tab effectively. Guitarists who are used to playing using sheet music will be gratified that the music is not made more complicated by the addition of a tab line.

Here is the list of songs:

Across The Universe
Ask Me Why
Come Together
Cry Baby Cry
Day Tripper
For No One
From Me To You
Hello, Goodbye
Here Comes The Sun
I Don't Want To Spoil The Party
I Will
I'll Follow The Sun
I'm A Loser
I'm Happy Just To Dance With You
I'm Only Sleeping
I'm So Tired
In My Life
The Long And Winding Road
Maxwell's Silver Hammer
No Reply
Nowhere Man
P.S. I Love You
Penny Lane
Something
Things We Said Today
This Boy (Ringo's Theme)
Two Of Us
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Yesterday
You're Going To Lose That Girl

You might be surprised by the inclusion of some of the tunes in a collection of guitar solos. So go ahead and try them out.

Classical Guitar Playing - What Exactly is It?

2010-02-20T18:39:00.000-08:00

By Kevin Sinclair

Classical guitar playing is what is participated in when using a classical guitar. This kind of guitar has no electronics and no pick-ups. In general it has six strings although there are some classical guitars which have twelve strings. The thinner strings known as the trebles are made from nylon and the bass strings are nylon with brass wire wrapped around them.

As far as construction is concerned the classical guitar is hollow and shaped like a pear. Its is made from wood, usually two or three different types, the cheap and nasty varieties being built with a plywood top, whilst those worth buying are made from woods such as rosewood.

The resonance produced by the classical guitar does not rely on an amplifier or any other sound effects. It comes direct from the hollow part of the instrument through the sound hole as the strings resound over it.

Most players of classical guitars remain seated whilst playing. The other main difference which sets this type of guitar apart from others is the kind of playing involved. Classical guitar playing can be characterized by the style of music played which is usually considered to be of value due to the length of time it has been around, compared to the many pop tunes which come and go in the blink of an eye.

The strings are usually plucked using the thumb and fingers of the right hand when learning to play this kind of instrument. This means you will have no use for a pick. Strumming of the classical guitar is only used as a special effect.

When learning to play a classical guitar you will probably practice sight reading sheet music along with discovering technical concepts and how they should be applied. Rather than trying to learn on your own, it's best to have a classical guitar teacher and although it may take you quite some time to become skillful, you are sure to enjoy the learning process. It is important that you choose a teacher whose style suits your personality as many of them teach in different ways, some formal and some informal. Whatever style you choose to learn to play the classical guitar, you are certain to find this a worthwhile pastime until you have developed your talents to the full.

Classical guitar playing - what exactly is it?

Well one thing is for sure. It's not about jumping around on a stage screaming out to your audience whilst thrashing away at your guitar. That's electric guitar playing and brilliantly talented as it is, it's a whole different story.

Classical Guitar Methods - Which Ones Really Work?

2010-02-17T18:36:00.000-08:00

By Sakari Heikkila

What Concert Artists know about kicking their brain out of the picture that
you don't know yet is the difference between frustration and clean,
accurate playing that will automatically transform you into an interpreter of music
with complete control. The good news is that you can re-program your brain to accept this
reality and start playing your music the way you dream about!

Here's the truth I finally discovered, pure and simple. Your brain is a
terrible classical guitarist. No matter how much you work on technique
your brain will ruin it all for you, over and over again.

It's the REAL reason many players have no consistency in their playing. You're playing like
a master one day, then like your neighbor's kid the next. Nailing the
first 20 measures of your favorite piece and then stumbling through the last 20
like a beginner who just picked up the instrument yesterday.
It's mostly your brain that is at fault and only partly your fingers!

The problem is that your brain thinks along completely logical lines and playing the
Classical Guitar is simply NOT a logical process. Your brain looks at the music
on the page, figures out all the strings, frets and fingers needed to play the notes
and then has you downloading all kinds technical information. As you begin to play, a
flood of data hits the brain with right hand finger stroke speed, free stroke or rested
stroke, arm positioning, neck angle, fret pressure, no pressure, vibrato,
"release" point before the next note, thumb position, preparation for the next
fingering pattern, middle right hand finger here or index finger there, then your
emotions kick in with volume choices, tone color, musical nuances,
expression, passion and then sorry, you can't pull it off. It's way too much information
to process.

It actually sabotages your playing. Like having a deranged Guitarist who's nearly
deaf and blind, can't walk and chew gum and is dumb about the details. He's in
YOUR HEAD, chattering away all the time, ruining your fun and stopping
your progress.

Everybody suffers from this. Every single "out of the loop" Classical Guitarist now
playing, everywhere in the world. Well, guess what?

If you are ready to finally stop worrying about what other Guitarists think
(especially in the Forums and Blogs) and start listening to how to play the
Guitar consistently and with excellence then you're also finally ready
to sit down and do some serious practicing.

Here's what you should always remember. You simply DO NOT learn the classical guitar by
playing music and scales over and over and over and over!

Your brain basically wants to play the music like the perfect recording playing in
your head. It thinks, "If I can just play along and match that beautiful performance
I hear in my head, my actual playing ability will just perfect itself and I'll have it!"
It simply won't happen!

That's exactly how NOT to play a piece of music. That is, in fact, why you stumble
through the first half of the piece and simply blank out in the second half.

Which method works? The one that trains each finger at the micro movement level
before subjecting your brain to note reading skills. Unfortunately,
there aren't many out there that know exactly how to go about it.

The good news is that your soul is a wonderful classical guitarist so give it the
tools it needs because it doesn't know how all by itself.

To Your Music and To Your Success!

Classical Guitar - Is Playing The Classical Guitar More or Less Difficult Than A Regular Guitar?

2010-02-14T18:34:00.000-08:00

By Richard Davis Waterhouse

The classical guitar is a difficult instrument to learn how to play. Purchasing a classical guitar can be a difficult task particularly if you are not yet an accomplished player. As you take guitar lessons either on your own or with a help of a professional guitar player, you are most likely to encounter guitar sheet music.

Instead of giving the guitar player in your life cash to go towards the lessons, you can contact the teacher and pay for the lessons up front, or have them give you a gift certificate. Guitar lessons are a great gift for the guitar player in your life because you can take them no matter which level you are at. A little discipline, regardless of whether you have an inborn talent or not for playing the guitar, can better your chances of becoming a good guitar player.

Have Discipline - The most important thing you have to do in order to advance in your skill with the classical guitar is to practice regularly. It is important to make sure that your equipment is in good order and that your guitar is tuned properly. The one drawback to online guitar lessons is that you don’t have a teacher right there in the room with you to help you place your fingers on the right strings and show you a specific chord.

However, while you can learn how to play the guitar quickly and easily on DVD, some would argue that it cannot compete with a private teacher. I don’t like to make the learning curve any harder than it is already and try to make life easier for myself so I find learning how to play the guitar DVD’s definitely make the learning process fun and entertaining. An important thing to remember when learning how to play guitar chords is that the movement of the right hand is as important as the movement of the left hand.

Aside from learning basic guitar techniques, these are the three most important things to work on to improve your guitar skills. This being the case, a guitar “course” must have several key elements, among them, short, well defined lessons that teach achievable and measurable skills, be tied to a computer, interactivity, have video content, and be fun with specialty games and exercises. These guitar tips will give you a headstart but remember that to play the guitar well it requires lots of practice and whatever you do, don’t give up.

Playing the guitar requires more than the requisite musical ability, dedication and practice. One of the most important aspects of playing the blues guitar is the ability to feel the music come from your soul and pour out through the guitar. A great way to holistically grasp the basics of electric guitar playing is to listen to great electric guitar classics.

Zen and the Art of Classical Guitar - Why You Should Play

2010-02-11T18:32:00.000-08:00

By Will Kalif

In a world that isn’t going to slow down, do something special for yourself and learn how to play classical guitar. Here is a perspective on this beautiful instrument.

The classical guitar is an instrument that takes years to master. And this mastery never truly ends because it is something that will slowly grow over the full course of your lifetime. And this long-term approach is not a liability to the instrument it is an overpowering asset.

We live in a world of instant gratification where we get our food, our movies, our news, and practically everything else almost instantaneously. We are programmed to believe that faster is better and that the instant reward is the best reward. The classical guitar goes against all of this and penetrates straight to the heart of what being a human being is all about. It is all about the slow development of a person over the course of decades.

Much like the slow and gentle music that comes from the classical guitar so will you also be changed in a slow and gentle way. Over the years the classical guitar will be there as a companion to guide you through the changes in your life and the changes in your musical taste. This is because, much like a chameleon, it is an instrument of profound depth and variety of play. It can be comfortably played as a solo instrument, as the lead instrument in an ensemble, or as a back up instrument. And it crosses all of the genres of music; easily expressing itself, and yourself, in rock, blues, classical, spanish, flamenco, pop, or any other genre you wish to explore.

There are also many less philosophical benefits such as that you will improve your eye to hand coordination, your ability to hear and appreciate music, and a new language (reading music). But don’t think of these things as goals or obstacles. They are benefits that will come to you over the course of time as you explore the possibilities of the classical guitar.

I recommend you don’t run out and buy a classical guitar right away. This goes counter to the message that I am trying to convey about this instrument. I suggest you just think about it for a few days or even a few weeks. Get a classical guitar CD from the library and give it a listen. After you have let the thought of what the guitar can do for you and how it can enrich your life then go out and get one. It will be something that will bring you enormous joy for the full course of your life.

How to buy a Classical Guitar - Tips and Hints to Help You Make a Good Purchase

2010-02-08T18:30:00.000-08:00

By Will Kalif

Purchasing a classical guitar can be a difficult task particularly if you are not yet an accomplished player. Here are some tips and hints on finding a good quality classical guitar whether it is in the hundred dollar range or the thousand dollar range.

If you are have ever gone into a well stocked guitar shop you have no doubt been confused by the selection of guitars. There are literally hundreds of shapes, sizes brands and types of guitars. And the price can range from a hundred dollars to several thousand. .If you are a beginner, judging the sound quality can be difficult to do because your ear is not yet highly trained. Here are some tips to help you make a good choice.

When in a guitar shop and looking at the guitars you should always ask a sales person to help you. This way you can take guitars down and play them. If you cannot play very well you should ask the sales clerk to play for you so you can get a feel for the sound of the different guitars. If the sales clerk doesn’t play you should ask if there is someone working in the shop that does play. As a last resort you should even ask other customers in the store. Not listening to the different guitars is like shopping for a car but never test driving any of them. Guitars have very different feels and tones and you should listen to a lot of them to get a sense of what you like. Don’t be bashful in this respect. Guitarists are usually a very gregarious bunch and a guitarist will almost always jump at the chance to play for someone else. If you don’t yet play well and you can’t find somebody to play for you I recommend you not purchase a guitar. You should come back another time when someone is available to play or you can bring a friend who knows how to play.

Check the size and shape of the guitar

Classical Guitars, of course, come in different sizes and shapes and you should sit with a wide variety of them to get a feeling for what is comfortable to you. Your body shape has an effect on this. If you are over six feet tall the smaller guitars might not be comfortable for you and the fret board may be uncomfortable for your hands. So even if you can’t play music you should always hold and sit with the guitars to get a sense of how the different ones feel.

Check the mechanics and playability of the guitar

Here are several things you should do when considering the purchase of a classical guitar.

1. Play every note on every string all the way up and down. Listen for frets that don’t play properly. They will give a rattling sound and if this occurs on any fret at all you should put the guitar aside and try another one. This is a sign of inferior quality. Every string should play cleanly on every single fret.

2. Check the action of the strings against the frets in terms of how much pressure is needed to play notes and chords. You should play bar chords all the way down the frets to insure good pressure. If it is too hard to press the strings in order to make a clear chord this could be a sign of an inferior guitar.

3. Play harmonics on the strings. This is an excellent test of the quality of the guitar. Playing harmonics is the technique of plucking the note with your right hand and only lightly touching the string with your left hand. Test the harmonics of all the strings on the 5th, 7th, 12th and 19th frets. If you do not know how to play harmonic notes ask the sales clerk to help you.

4. Examine and test the tuning pegs. Do they look clean and sharp? Wind and unwind them while watching and feeling for smooth turning motion.

5. Visually examine the whole guitar. Look it over very carefully from front to back and top to bottom. Are there any small cracks? Are the frets firmly installed into the fret board? Are there any cracks or glue exposed around the bridge?

6. Tap on the front of the guitar (The sound board) in a variety of different spots. Does it have a rich echoing sound or are there spots where it sounds dead and limp? The internal structure of the classical guitar is very important for the sound and important for the longevity of it. Dull thud sounds could be an indicator of an inferior instrument.

7. Examine the details. Look at the purfling around the edge. This is the decorated pattern that goes around the full body where the soundboard or face meets the sides of the guitar. Is it accurately laid in? If this has variations and inconsistencies it is a good sign that the guitar is of inferior quality.

8. Don’t hesitate to take a good look inside the guitar sound hole. You will see wooden braces in there. Do they look straight, accurate and well placed? If you see sloppy globs of dried glue around these braces it could be an indicator of inferior craftsmanship.

9. Remember that there are three distinct areas you must consider when purchasing a classical guitar: The Look, The Feel, and the Sound. If you keep all three of these things in mind and carefully examine the guitar in relation to these you will be able to choose an instrument that will bring you a lifetime of trouble free playing enjoyment.

A Classical Guitar is a purchase that can give you a lifetime of enjoyment and you should consider the purchase carefully. Even if you don’t plan on playing every day you should buy an instrument that is of good quality so it will maintain its sound quality for a lifetime. And to do this you don’t need to spend thousands of dollars you just need to know how to identify a well made guitar.

Easy to Play Classical Guitar Songs

2010-02-05T18:28:00.000-08:00

By Brad Wilson

One of the most fascinating instruments which you can learn is to play the classical guitar. This is because all the hard work you will need to struggle with in getting your fingers from your right hand to work together to play bass, melody and an accompaniment will let you enjoy practicing the guitar. But this does not mean it will take you a long time to learn playing the easy classical songs.

The very first things which beginners notice about playing the classical guitar is that there is a noise which their fingers make when their hand is moving up and down the guitar's neck. Sometimes, this puts off potential students who are learning to play the instrument. This is because there are some instances where the sound of his fingers rubbing against the bass strings which have been wound by steel are louder than the song he is playing. In addition, if you experiment with the instrument, you will discover that there are some strings which face this problem much more than the others. However, with constant practice, you can develop the trick of lifting your finger tips slightly when you are changing your position without having to lose the accuracy of the song.

In previous times, the classical guitar which we refer to was the only guitar instrument which existed. Whether it is for playing instrumental or accompanying songs, the music produced by plucking and strumming the guitar strings was able to inspire several composers to write songs and pieces which they could play on a nylon string guitar.

If you are playing the classical guitar, you should not only confine yourself to playing classical songs. There are several modern arrangements of songs which can be played on the classical guitar. Aside from playing the classical guitar versions for The Beatles songs which have long existed, there are several videos posted on YouTube which classical guitarists have done playing songs such as Stairway to Heaven. Often, these videos provide links to tune tabs so that you can also learn how to play it.

Among the easy and popular classical guitar songs you can play is The Beatles' Blackbird. This can also be because everybody likes to play it and the audiences enjoy listening to it. But after just a few months you spend on learning how to play the guitar, you can already find several easy songs which you can play. There are even several anthologies of pieces for easy classical guitar such as Jerry Willard's 50 Easy Classical Guitar Solos. This book includes pieces from every musical history period and has been written in a tab form and a standard musical notation.

In addition, there are even some collections for pieces done by Johann Sebastian Bach such as Sarabande No. 1 and the Musette in D Major. Surprisingly, these pieces can easily be played by beginners. Also, there are several well known pieces by anonymous composers such as Kemp's Jig, Nonesuch, and Packington's Pound.

Because there are several beginner friendly pieces which can produce great satisfaction for beginners, they will enjoy learning to play the classical guitar without having a hard time struggling with the pieces.

All Guitarists Need to Be Able to Read Guitar Music - Is This True?

2010-02-02T18:26:00.000-08:00

By Samuel Malama

Many of you reading this have obviously asked yourself whether or not you need to be able to read guitar music. The truth of the matter is that it all depends on your goals and wants. There are those that need to learn and there are those that don't.

So if it so happens that you fall in the category of those that need knowledge on guitar theory then you know what you have to do. But on the other hand, if you don't fall in this category then you don't need to worry about learning to read music.

Let us look at the two categories in a little more detail; those that should and those that don't need to.

The People That Need To Read Music

If you fall under this group then you probably want to take up music as a professional career; starting guitar lessons at a tender age and/or want to be able to play classical guitar. Let us look at music as a career.

Guitar as a Career

Wanting to have the guitar pay the bills one day is a dream for a number of guitar players. If this is the case for you then please be aware that you will need to learn music theory. Unfortunately there are no two ways about that. Without the ability to read music you are killing your career before it even begins.

Starting To Play as a Teenager

It is advisable for those starting out at a tender age to learn to read music. Not only will this help you in the future understanding of music, but it will open doors to a sophisticated understanding of music that will give you a competitive advantage over those that can't.

Classical Guitar

Classical guitar is different from blues, rock or folk. Unlike these kinds of guitar playing, classical requires a little bit more sophistication. Maybe the reason for this is because of the origin or how the whole kind of play unfolds. You can dig a little deeper on this and figure it out for yourself.

The People That Don't Need To Read Music

Bet a lot of you are relieved to read this. One can only imagine the look on your faces if it was a requirement that anyone wishing to play the guitar had to learn to read music. Don't be alarmed, if you only wish to play the guitar for fun there is no need to learn music.

Should I Learn to Read Guitar Music?

The answer to this question is simple; if you want to become a career guitar player then it is highly encouraged to go ahead and learn music. But if becoming a career player is not on your agenda then don't bother. All in all, it would not hurt to know how to read music.

Learning Classical Guitar - The Five Basic Physical Elements of Technique

2010-01-30T18:22:00.000-08:00

By Sakari Heikkila

All Classical Guitarists are connected by a common thread.

A real love for the instrument itself even if we don't play it.

But when we do play, we also all have the intense hope that what comes out will be sublime, effortless and inspiring.

What "actually" comes out usually doesn't quite live up to that model, but what we hear does. What the listener hears probably doesn't.

If you have ever recorded yourself playing something, and then played it back, you know what I'm talking about.

So what we all strive for is to match our idealization with real playing and that becomes the motivation to mush forward with our pieces and pedagogy.

I'm always talking about "frame of mind" and the "Five Disciplines of Technique" because the two go hand in hand. I also believe in the theoretical ideal of mastering technique first before any music goes on the music stand.

I realize that this "ideal" concept, in reality, isn't totally achievable but if our hope for effortless and inspired playing is an "ideal pursuit" and we endeavor towards it each time we pick up our Guitars, then why shouldn't we endeavor to perfect our technique each time we pick up our Guitar.

One without the other is rather pointless, wouldn't you say ?

How does one overcome the moving sands of trying to play effortlessly and musically plus find the time in the day to devote to technical mastery ?

The all too common, but incorrect, solution is putting our favorite piece of Guitar music on the

music stand and living vicariously through the composer's notes but always falling short in being
able to really play the piece.

The result ? Frustration and the inevitable putting of the guitar back in its case and going away with the thought, "Tomorrow will be a better day and my dream will come true when I try to play my favorite piece."

Well, I say not good enough !

Here is how one should approach the problem.

By addressing the issues one at a time. Classical Guitar technique breaks down into five basic physical categories or Disciplines, as I call them.

The First Discipline: Playing one single string with one finger and only after that playing one single string with multiple fingers. No Left Hand yet.

This Discipline takes time to perform correctly and is the cornerstone of your technique. If you don't master it the rest of what you'll do will be... absolutely ...pointless. If you can't consistently stroke one string with one finger with loud volume and full round tone then you probably can't get through ten measures of a piece of music without faltering.

The Second Discipline: The Right Hand alone playing multiple strings.

This Discipline is the next building block to technique and when perfected will eventually become what I call the backdrop to effortless playing. All the Left Hand work in the world won't mean a thing without it.

The Third Discipline: The Left Hand alone on a single string.

This Discipline is the most deceptive, and counter intuitive one of all the disciplines. It's the reason no one practices it but until you are completely aware of the micro movements of your Left Hand Fingers individually, the complex array of Left Hand fingerings contained in pieces of music will be nothing short of mind boggling.

The Fourth Discipline: The Left Hand alone on multiple strings.

Here is where the muscles really get a work out and endurance becomes a major factor so learning to exert only the pressure required to stop a fretted note is the secret to many aspects of playing, speed being the biggest one.

The Fifth Discipline: Both Hands playing on single strings and then multiple strings. No, not music yet.

This is what I call open play and believe it or not is where most Guitar Methods start you out. Can you imagine ? Trying to coordinate all these skills without learning them individually first ?

Remember that learning to play classical guitar by playing music will only ingrain bad habits that you'll have to unlearn someday.

Usually when your lack of progress and frustration has reached its pinnacle.

Don't let that happen to you!

Online Classical Guitar Lessons - Practice Tips

2010-01-27T18:20:00.000-08:00

By Ed Witten

One thing that is paramount in guitar musicianship, especially if you are taking online classical guitar lessons, is paying attention to technical details during practice. Much of music's subtle appeal comes from the performer's handling of these very elements: accent, articulation, phrasing, and fingering. Without attention to these details, practice on the classical guitar will soon become a chore, rather than a satisfying pursuit. An awkward left-hand change here, an unwanted bass note there, a missed note, an accent in the wrong place-all of these details, when neglected, detract from your music and from your satisfaction as a player.

Lack of attention to such things as you practice marks your music as sloppy. You would not accept an instrument from a guitar maker who put the bridge in the wrong place or who forgot to clean off excess glue from the joints. Neither should you accept slipshod music from your own hands. Attention to detail-good craftsmanship-is the key to avoid such carelessness.

Although the use of nails is optional, we strongly recommend using them in order to obtain the clear, round and pure tone for which modern classical guitarists strive. Before practice, see to it that you keep your nails well-trimmed and your hands well-groomed, for your hands are your connection to your instrument. Your fingernails are one small part of the whole picture--but a part that can really make the notes that you play sound their best. It is never too early to begin learning to care for them. The optimum length of the nails (for a proper right-hand position) should range between one-sixteenth of an inch to one-eighth of an inch when seen from the palm side of the hand. The first step is to adjust the length of the nail to the desired level, using a nail buffer. The next step is to shape the nails using fine sandpaper (such as 3M-Tri-M-ite papers). Keep your nails trimmed properly, and hear the difference it makes!

You can improve your craftsmanship during practice sessions after your online classical guitar lessons by studying the finer points of good musicianship such as tone quality, tone color, articulation, damping unwanted notes, natural fingering, making left-hand connections, and hinge bars.

When you finish your practice session for the day, take the time to listen to pieces played by world-class musicians, both in your genre and in others. While listening to music, develop an ear that can discern subtle differences in tone quality, color, and pitch. Hearing these differences in other music will help you notice them in your own. Strict attention to these details is the never-ending task that will help you achieve a technique that will become second nature-nearly effortless-and thus get the most out of your online classical guitar lessons, and your musicianship.

Developing these habits will make your technique nearly effortless as you pay attention to these details as you practice with your classical guitar. You will find that these very elements will transform you from a mere craftsman to a true artist. When you produce a uniformly beautiful tone, when your fingering flows effortlessly, when you damp unwanted notes, when you shape your melodic line with fine-tuned elegance-only then will your classical guitar practice sessions to be exhilarating, inspiring times that will be the highlight of your day.

Easy Classical Guitar Songs

2010-01-24T18:18:00.000-08:00

By Ricky Sharples

Classical guitar is a fascinating instrument to learn. The process of graduating from struggling to get your right hand fingers working to playing bass, melody and accompaniment together will keep you enjoying your guitar practice for a long time. Not that it takes that long before you are playing easy classical songs.

One of the things that the beginner classical guitar player notices is the noise his fingers make when his hand moves up and down the neck of the guitar. This has sometimes put potential students off learning to play. The sound of the fingers rubbing the steel-wound bass strings is sometimes louder than the music he is playing. You will find from experimenting that some strings have this problem more than others, but you will also develop the knack of lifting the tips of your fingers slightly when changing position without losing any accuracy in your playing.

In centuries past, what we call classical now was the only guitar style that existed. Whether it was accompanying songs or playing instrumentals, the music that was the product of strumming and plucking the guitar strings inspired many composers to write easy songs and pieces that could be played on the nylon string guitar.

You don't need to confine yourself to classical songs and pieces in your repertoire, there are lots of arrangements of modern tunes for classical guitar. Apart from the classical guitar versions of songs by The Beatles which have been around for many years, classical guitarists have posted on YouTube videos of their arrangements of songs like Stairway To Heaven. The videos often provide a link to the tab for the tune so you don't have to learn it by ear.

One of the most popular easy classical guitar songs is Blackbird by The Beatles. Everybody loves to play it and audiences love to listen to it. But there are easy songs and tunes from all ages that you can play after a few months of learning guitar. You can even find anthologies of easy classical guitar pieces such as 50 Easy Classical Guitar Solos by Jerry Willard. This book contains pieces from all periods of musical history written in standard musical notation and in tab form.

There are also collections of pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach like Sarabande No. 1 and Musette in D Major that are surprisingly easy for beginners to play. Also there are well known anonymous pieces like Packington's Pound, Nonesuch, Kemp's Jig.

The best thing about learning easy classical guitar songs is that many are beginner-friendly pieces that will yield great satisfaction without being difficult to play.

Online Classical Guitar Lessons

2010-01-21T18:16:00.000-08:00

By Ricky Sharples

The classical guitar is the prototype acoustic guitar. It's the model all other acoustic guitars are based on. The difference is the classical guitar usually has a much wider fretboard and uses nylon instead of steel strings. Also strumming the strings does not feature heavily in classical guitar. It's usually plucked.

The first few lessons in your classical guitar course will probably center around your posture and how you hold the guitar. You will be shown how to move your fingers, thumb and forearms economically. You're probably familiar with the distinctive upright posture of the classical guitar player with his foot on the stool. You will learn to play the guitar with the instrument balanced on your left thigh and held against your chest.

After learning the rudiments of music you will probably begin to play simple pieces. These short, simple pieces of music are designed to get you accustomed to playing the instrument. As your technique progresses the pieces you learn will be more complex and you will begin to appreciate the harmonic possibilities of the classical guitar.

As well as playing music on the classical guitar you will be told how to string it and how to tune it. As your classical guitar technique progresses you will be faced with the question of whether to be a nail player or a flesh player. Some classical guitarists grow the nails on their right hand to pluck the strings. Others use the flesh of their right hand fingertips. There is no right way to do it, it's just your choice between two distinctive sounds. At first you might think it's easier to play using the nails but, as with all physical skills, once you have chosen one way to play, after practice it will be second nature.

Even though practically any piece that you could name is available in guitar tab format, if you take classical guitar lessons it will be understood that you will be learning to read conventional music notation. No classical guitar teacher is going to let you off that. You will learn about time signatures, half notes, whole notes, scales and accidental notes. If you don't know what I'm talking about your head is probably swimming already, but don't worry, it's easier to do than it is to think about.

With online classical guitar lessons the process is simple - you log in, if you view the lessons and if you have any questions you can get help on the site's forum or by e-mail. There are other ways of learning to play the classical guitar but if you join a membership site that features online lessons you have the advantage of the teaching material being constantly updated.

How to Play Classical Guitar the Right Way - Your Guide to Success!

2010-01-18T18:15:00.000-08:00

By Steven C

Can you picture in your mind the sound of fingernails being pulled slowly across a chalkboard? Ouch! Now picture the sound of fingernails on luxurious nylon strings attached to a beautiful guitar. Joy! Anyone can run their fingers over a blackboard but not everyone knows how to play classical guitar. If you already play guitar or you are new to the instrument but has decided to pursue the classical guitar there are some things you need to know to avoid making a classic mistake.

First of all there is a difference between learning to play the guitar and learning how to play classical guitar. Classical guitars are constructed differently with the most obvious difference to a novice being the wider neck. Acoustic or folk guitars are designed to play more chords than notes. These guitars feature wider necks with the strings farther apart which lends itself to plucking individual notes. You will need to learn how to string the guitar from thinnest to thickest which is from first string through sixth string. Then you will have to attain an understanding of the tuning pegs and how to string them properly. Next you will notice that classical guitar players have a distinct posture. If you already play guitar you probably have it on your right leg or kneecap. Classical guitar players sit up straight, position the guitar on their elevated left thigh and hold the top portion against their chest bone. You will need to be conscious of your wrist position and thumb position when you are learning how to. Now is the time to establish good habits that become automatic and enhance your ability to perform.

Just about any discussion about how to play classical guitar is going to lead to the subject of fingernails. You can spot a serious classical guitar player by noticing that their right hand nail has been grown and shaped to produce a smooth action when the nail slides off the string. The left hand nails will normally be shorter and maintained that way.

Now you're ready to learn how to play the classical guitar by mastering the ability to read sheet music and relating the notes on the staff to the notes on your guitar. You will have to master scales and gain an understanding of how time is measured on sheet music. When you learn how to play, you will get the knack of tapping your foot as you read the music from left to right in each measure. Every time you hit the fifth tap you will be starting the next measure. Whole, half, quarter, and eighth notes all get a beat. Some notes are held. Reading the music will be the key to learning how to play classical guitar and will make each note a joy to conquer and bend to your will. It may all sound so confusing and that is why I recommend you check the myriad choices available to you online. Read the guitar learning software and stop by some of the forums and discussion groups and you may find that you will have resources within your electronic reach that will have you playing "Clair de Lune" as easily as "Yesterday". Besides, it's much convenient and efficient to use your computer to learn how to play classical guitar than it would be to outline each step on a chalkboard. Right?

You Can Learn to Play Classical Guitar

2010-01-15T18:12:00.000-08:00

By Lorraine Weston

Did you take guitar lessons in high school? Can you strum a few bars of a Bob Dylan song, or play along with the Rolling Stones? If you are considering learning classical guitar, you are in for a whole new experience! Classical guitar is considered to be an art; one that has been practiced for hundreds of years. It has a history all of its own. Before you begin learning to play classical guitar, you will want to study its history and learn a few other things that make the classical guitar different from a regular acoustic guitar.

The main difference between classical and regular acoustic guitar is the way that you play them. A classical guitar has to almost become a part of you. Your body needs to move with the guitar as you play. Let yourself feel the rhythms and the melody and be caught up in them. If you are willing to take this approach, the music you play will have much more passion and movement than if you sit straight up and strum stiffly on the guitar.

Playing classical guitar requires the musician to be relaxed, both in mind and in body, and to become part of the music. Any thoughts or ideas you have of playing acoustic guitar will probably not apply to classical guitar. Be open to changing any habits or ideas that you have; this will help you to learn more quickly and to become a classical guitar player that people love to listen to.

Although classical guitar will seem difficult, take the time to learn the basics. Practice them over and over. If you do this, you will have a strong beginning to build on when you want to learn more complicated tunes and techniques. Practice and patience are very important when you want to learn classical guitar.

There are different ways to learn to play classical guitar. You can buy a book, CD or video, or even find information on the Internet. The most successful way to learn is to find a classical guitarist to teach you. It is much easier to learn how to sit, how to hold your guitar, and how to play the music if you have someone right there to show you and to correct you if you make any mistakes. Contact your local music store or put an ad in the newspaper to find a teacher. Enjoy this new learning experience, and if you feel discouraged, listen to a CD of a professional classical guitarist and look forward to the day you will be able to play that well!

You Can Learn to Play Classical Guitar

2010-01-15T18:10:00.000-08:00

Classical Guitar and Agustin Barrios Mangore, His Importance

2010-01-12T18:08:00.000-08:00

By Pablo Antuna

The Paraguayan Agustin Barrios Mangore was compared by John Williams to Frédéric Chopin. He said: "His music is very guitaristic, rather like Chopin is for the piano. In this way he has filled that need of every instrument to have its composer who belonged to the instrument and at the same time wrote great music".

The rather poor repertoire of classical guitar was greatly enriched by this guitarist of humble origins, and also humble career. He never achieved international fame during his life. It was many years after his death that his music was rediscovered thanks to people like John Williams, who recorded many of his compositions.

Andrés Segovia, considered the father of modern classical guitar, always acknowledged the scarce repertoire that the guitar had, as it was ignored by the elite of art music as an inferior instrument, only suited for popular music. This was his greatest achievement, to let the world know that the guitar was an instrument capable of making wonderful music. But I think that he made a great mistake, he ignored the greatest composer for classical guitar of his time, Barrios Mangore, even after meeting him twice.

If he had given the needed attention to the music of Barrios, if he had played in his concerts and recorded pieces by Barrios, classical guitar would had been much more benefited. Barrios, receiving the credit he merited, would have done incredible things to elevate the status of classical guitar. He would had have access to orchestras, written concertos for classical guitar, contacted the world's most important composers and influenced them to write music for this instrument.

Barrios "unsuccessful" career was also due to his own personality. He wasn't very motivated to achieve an international status. He was worried more about giving his music to the people around him. All his works are specifically dedicated to someone or something. He was the epitome of romanticism, always giving great importance to expression. He even improvised his music in concerts for the sake of expression, altering completely the original piece.

He wandered from town to town in South America, not hitting the great venues in Europe and the United States. He liked to stay with friends that appreciated his music. His "stays" with friend will last as long as two years.

His last years were spent in El Salvador, where he was respected and admired. Despite this he died in a relative poverty. After his death he was almost completely forgotten by the world. But thank to the effort of some people his work was rediscovered, like the Paraguayan Sila Godoy, who collected many of his compositions and Richard D. Stover, a great researcher who gave much time of his life to get this great artist known to the world.

Nevertheless his hiding from mainstream for so much time, today Barrios' music is played by almost every classical guitarist. Some of his pieces are considered pinnacles of the repertoire, and new recordings are made often.

Classical Guitar Beginners - Avoiding The All Too Common Frustrations

2010-01-09T18:04:00.000-08:00

By Sakari Heikkila

Beginning study on the Classical Guitar is a magical time and in many ways it would be fun to be back in that moment again. It's exciting to look at the Classical Guitar and marvel that it holds something wonderful to discover about yourself.

You might not know exactly what that is but all you do know is that your Creative Spirit is dying to get out.

Congratulations on recognizing that inspirational feeling.

After over thirty years of involvement with the Guitar on many different levels, I must warn you that your journey may contain moments of certainty and uncertainty, clarity and confusion as to what to do and where to go next, moments of achievement, inspiration and good old perseverance.

Don't be fooled into believing anything else. It can be an emotional roller coaster ride if you don't proceed cautiously.

But your ever constant Lighthouse on the Open Seas will be how well you initially learn the mandatory skill levels required to play all the beautiful music available for the Classical Guitar.

And Learn Them Well, Pure and Simple, so your Creative Spirit will stay alive and grow.

LISTEN!

The SINGLE BIGGEST MISTAKE Classical Guitar Teachers make is starting students out with playing music.

WHY?

Because it is altogether too much information to handle at once! The bad habits you'll form with this method will be unbelievably painful to unlearn later when and if you're ever brought to your senses. More often than not, I've seen players just give up and quit.

Then why do they teach this way? It's so obvious. To keep you interested because playing music is much more fun than learning the skills to play music.

The NEXT BIGGEST MISTAKE Classical Guitar Teachers make is "telling" the student how to hold the guitar. There are endless ways to hold the guitar and the student's initial process of self discovery is perhaps the single most important process the student will ever experience.

WHY?

Because hand position and ultimately, tone production, is predicated on the the anatomical features of each student's hands, arms, torso length, etc., etc., etc..

So ALWAYS I recommend no guidance in the beginning regarding all this and I simply wait for the student to settle into what works for him or her. Then, once a feeling of security is reached for the student, minor improvements to the posturing and the various aspects of the physical elements of playing can be made. I have seen more students all contorted and twisted up in their body, hand and arm positions because that's how they were "told" to posture, I can't tell you.

And then they begin the long road of "unlearning". Painful, very painful!

All Classical Guitarist beginners hit a "wall" or "plateau" about two to three years into their pursuit that they just can't progress beyond. Their playing literally stops on many levels and a large majority simply put the Guitar in its case and come back to it at some later date. The reason is simple.

THE REASON?

They began their study on the guitar with incorrect directives and subsequently developed habits of play that fell outside of how they should play, NATURALLY, and because of that fact, frustration took over.

Do yourself a huge favor and simply avoid that heartache and learn YOUR physical playing skills first before you even look at a piece of music. You will take years off your learning curve and never experience the frustrations of inability.

When you look back ten years from now, how you first begin will be what you most remember and will inspire you through any difficult moments .

So, learn the proper skills first and then spend the rest of your life really enjoying the music . Invest just once in learning Classical Guitar Technique properly and save time and money in the long term......

OR...

keep surfing, buy a bunch of great "sounding" pieces and interesting "looking" exercises and "hope" that you'll "magically" transform into the next "Segovia".

A Guide to Finding a Classical Guitar Instructional Book

2010-01-06T18:02:00.000-08:00

By Will Kalif

There are lots of instructional books that show you how to play classical guitar. So which one should you use? That depends on your goals with the guitar and your style of learning. Here is a guide to some of the more popular instructional books.

If you are looking for a traditional instructional book you should consider the Carcassi Method. It has been the standard guidebook for generations of classical guitarists. If you want to go the traditional route this is a solid choice. It was written over a hundred years ago and although a bit dated it is still a fine choice. There is a second part to this method called twenty-five progressive studies that are extraordinary in that they give you a solid repertoire of professional pieces to learn.

For a more contemporary guide to playing you should consider the Christopher Parking Guitar Method. It is a modern method for learning classical guitar and it comes in two books. The first book focuses on learning how to play and the second book teaches you all about refining and improving your technique while developing your repertoire. This is an excellent set of books on classical guitar and Christopher Parkening is a world class guitarist who was a pupil of Andres Segovia.

If you are looking for an easy to understand and more relaxed way to learn classical guitar consider Mel Bay’s Complete Method for Classic Guitar. Mel Bay has been publishing easy to follow, and easy to understand guitar books for decades now. And this book follows this formula. It is clearly written and easy to understand. It assumes you know nothing about music or guitar and this book is very well suited for younger players.

If you want the benefits of being able to watch someone play and hear what the guitar sounds like you should consider the Basic Classical Guitar Method books 1 and 2 by Scott Tennant. The first book has a dvd so you can see how the guitar is played and the second book has a CD so you can hear what the exercises and pieces sound like.

As your skill with the classical guitar develops you are going to want to expand beyond the traditional instructional book and choose books in two different areas. They are technique books that improve your technique and repertoire books that give you pieces you can perform. One of the best technique books you can get is Pumping Nylon by Scott Tennant. This book is a practical approach to really improving your playing technique.

If you are looking for an inexpensive collection of music to play I highly recommend The Library of Guitar Classics by Jerry Willard. This enormous book covers classical guitar across centuries, genres, composers and difficulty levels. It has a great variety of works that will keep you learning new pieces for many years. I own this book and refer to it all the time.

If you are interested in getting a better look at the whole subject of music theory I recommend you take a look at a book called: Scales, Intervals, Keys, and Triads. This book is an in depth look at music theory and music composition. It is independent of any instrument and is just a self-taught course on the theory of music.

There are lots of great books that will teach you how to play classical guitar and you can almost not go wrong choosing a book that works with your goals will make the process move much faster and easier.

How Do Children Play Classical Guitar?

2010-01-03T18:00:00.000-08:00

By Stephen Parkin

Many people have been asking the question can children play classical guitar? The answer is of course yes if they have the desire and aptitude. In most cases I would say it is unlikely that a child less than five years of age would have the necessary hand and eye co-ordination, however there is the occasional young Mozart to prove me wrong.

The limiting factor is usually the ability to find a real miniature classical guitar for your child to play, however there are 1/2 size and 3/4 size classical guitars which are specifically made for children to play the 1/2 size is suitable for children from four to eight years of age (although remember what I said about hand and eye coordination). The child will also need to be able to read music or tablature and that means they should already be reading, or it will be extremely difficult for them to make progress. The 3/4 size is suitable for children from eight and up and can still be played by many adults. It would however be normal to progress to a full size from twelve and up.

The classical guitar is a good choice as an instrument for a child to play as it is easy to reach the level of producing recognizable tunes, but extremely difficult to master. I rather believe that this is true of any musical instrument, however Andres Segovia once remarked to a student that heard him practicing a new piece, and who had asked if he would include it in his next concert. "No, it will need practicing for at least two more years before it is ready for that!" This was the World's greatest player talking about a difficult piece, nonetheless it is an indication of the extreme difficulty in playing at the virtuoso level.

Do not let that put you, or your children off, many players achieve the ability of being able to play in bands and even to solo acceptably well within a year or two of starting to play.

Other than the smaller classical guitar children do not really have any special needs, though it would be a good idea to have a smaller chair as the left foot rests on a foot stool, these are specially made for classical guitarists and the height is adjustable. Children would use it at the lowest level and progress gradually to the highest, most have at least three heights. Music stands are very adjustable and one suitable for adults can be lowered to suit any child large enough to play. classical guitar stands that will take a full size guitar would also be suitable for the smaller instruments. Most small size guitars come with a suitable case for portability, this is the one thing I would advise you to check as the smaller cases are hard to find.

Finally the issue of the left handed child:- It is possible to get left handed classical guitars however I know of left handed people who play the classical guitar right handed. This is because both hands are required to perform complex tasks and they find it easier to read music right handed as nearly all the texts are written this way. If this is not possible for your child then some classical guitars can be restrung the other way round. My Yamaha is designed that way you can remove the bridge support and reverse it. In this case it is white plastic shaped with a slope so that the base (larger) strings are held further from the face of the guitar. A left handed person reverses the slope an also restrings with the base strings at the bottom and the treble at the top (looking at the guitar as a right handed person plays). Once turned over to the left handed way of playing the strings are then correct base on top and treble at the bottom. A good music store will assist in changing this over for you.

To close there are many good classical guitar sites on the web and should you not have a music store to hand, the cut down instruments can easily be found on-line. Happy playing, I hope you find this article helpful.

Why Play a Classical Guitar?

2009-12-31T17:58:00.000-08:00

By Tom Grogan

When most people see a classical guitar all they see is a plain guitar. It sometimes appears to nothing special. It has no cool pickups, no volume and tone knobs, and no whammy bar. Usually does not have a cool paint job. So why choose the plain looking, simple classical guitar?

To begin with , there is a lot of skill and craftsmanship that goes into building a classical guitar. The woods must be chosen very carefully. They are generally aged for very long periods of time and cut to exact specifications. The bracing on the inside of the guitar has a direct effect on the sound characteristics of the guitar. Most luthiers spend many years learning their craft. The quality of work in a classical guitar is apparent when you pick up the guitar and begin to play.

The nylon string guitar is meant to be played with the fingers of the right hand, not a pick. This difference in playing technique allows you to play polyphonic music on the guitar. That means you can play more than one musical line or part on the guitar at one time. You play a melody, an accompaniment, and a bass line all at once. When you hear someone playing and it sounds like more than one part is sounding you are generally hearing polyphonic guitar parts. This allows you to play solo and give the impression of having more than one person playing.

Classical technique can be very demanding and exact. Because you are not using an amp to magnify the sound and you are playing with the tips of your fingers you are totally responsible for the tone coming from the guitar. For this reason your fingernails should be kept shaped and smooth with precise contact and follow through with the strings. This will help make for the purest and clearest tone. The neck of a classical guitar is usually wider than that on acoustic or electric guitars. This makes some techniques and passages much easier to execute on a classical guitar than an acoustic guitar.

With all the music by the old masters and new music written by more contemporary composers the classical guitar can offer years of enjoyment as you develop your musical skills. You will never run out of interesting and professional sounding music to learn and play in the comfort of your own home.

Profiles in Classical Guitar - Julian Bream

2009-12-28T17:51:00.000-08:00

By Will Kalif

Julian Bream is one of the most famous classical guitarists of the twentieth century and he has achieved worldwide fame not only for the guitar but also for his work with the Renaissance Lute. He is considered to be one of the most important ambassadors of the classical guitar and has formed a solid bridge between the music of the past with the technology of today. He helped usher the classical guitar into the modern age.

He was born in 1933 and took up the classical guitar on his eleventh birthday when he received one as a present. He was already an accomplished musician having studied piano and cello but with the classical guitar and lute he excelled.

Significant Contributions

In 1960 he formed a group called the Julian Bream Consort. It was an Elizabethan period ensemble for which Bream played the lute. This Consort brought about a revival in interest of the Elizabethan era which is considered to be a period of time that was the absolute pinnacle of the English Renaissance. His work with this group earned him a Grammy award for best chamber music performance. This award would be the first of many awards which include three more Grammy awards.

One of the most important contributions he made to the world of the classical guitar was his development of a complete repertoire for performance. His transcriptions of works for guitar and lute span five centuries and he has particularly focused on lute works from the Elizabethan era and Spanish guitar works from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. He has also had many composers create works specifically for him.

Ambassador to the media of the Twentieth Century

Bream has embraced television and radio and used these media to bring classical guitar and lute to a mass audience. His 2003 DVD video profile Julian Bream: My Life in Music, which is a three hour long piece, includes interviews and performances and is considered to be one of the finest contributions ever made to the world of Classical Guitar. He has also created a British television series entitled Guitarra! It charts a musical journey across Spain.

Learn More about Him

If you are looking to read more about him there is a newly published book called The Art of Julian Bream. If you are looking to experience some of his music you might want to start with his collaborative work with John Williams. They are a two volume set entitled Together and Together Again. If you want a more encompassing view of his music as it spans the decades he has a two volume CD set called The Ultimate Guitar Collection. The first CD is a compilation of many of his transcriptions and the second CD focuses on his works for Spanish guitar.

Julian Bream is one of the greatest classical of the modern day. His tireless performance and work with the guitar has spanned many decades of personal performance and many centuries of music. He has bridged the gap between the past and the future by giving us an enormous repertoire of music in just about every modern mode of media from CD to television and film. And it is his particular gift for transcription and interpretation that has enabled him to bring five centuries of plucked instrument music into the modern world.

What to Expect From Classical Guitar Lessons

2009-12-25T17:49:00.000-08:00

By David Kirsten

True musicians study music in its entirety. That means that they understand the melody, the chord progressions, and different music theory concepts that are utilized in a piece. Many true musicians start out studying the piano, but actually studying the classical guitar is another great way to go when you want to learn to really be a musician. One way to really begin to delve into the true world of music is by embarking on classical guitar lessons.

The great thing about playing classical guitar is that there is a plethora of different pieces of music from many different eras to play. You can explore Classical, Baroque, and Renaissance pieces. However, even today people are composition wonderful pieces of classical repertoire. These pieces of music are infused with gorgeous melodies and interesting harmony lines that would be a treat to explore on the guitar.

However, to get to the point where you can really wade into the music you will need to get your skills set up to where you need it to be. Classical guitar lessons can certainly be a tool to help you get there. When you begin to take lessons you can expect to start with the basics. You will need to learn the basic notes and their names that you plan on the guitar. Additionally, you can expect to learn quite a bit about theory like key signatures, accidentals, and time signatures. As you work your way through learning that knowledge you will be setting the groundwork for yourself to really be called musician.

However, it is not simply musical knowledge that you can expect to gain from classical guitar lessons. Additionally, you can expect to learn the technique of playing the guitar. To accomplish different, notes, chords, and pieces you will need to learn the different fingering patterns that are required. Speaking of fingering, it is important to note that classical guitarists are required to have longer fingernails. This really is what a classical guitarist plays the strings with.

For anyone to master an instrument it is important that they put the time into learning the instrument. That requires practice, and a classical guitarist requires a lot of practice. Most beginning guitarists need to practice at least thirty minutes a day. As musicians get more advanced, like those who are delving into classical guitar lessons they may find themselves needing to practice more like sixty minutes a day to really start to see some progressions in their playing.

Classical guitar lessons are definitely a fantastic tool to help one play more advanced and polished pieces of music. However, you must remember that YOU need to put in the work. If you do, you will be thrilled with the amount of progress that you will find yourself making!

Cavatina From Deer Hunter - Learn to Play Classical Guitar Sheet Music

2009-12-22T17:47:00.000-08:00

By Peter Edvinsson

The classical guitar solo Cavatina was composed by Stanley Myers and became the musical theme in the 1978 movie The Deer Hunter played by the famous guitarist John Williams. The solo version has became a goal for many guitarists to learn but the composition is quite difficult to play and even more difficult to play well. Here are some useful tips on how to practice this beautiful piece of classical guitar sheet music for motivated students.

What guitar teachers will tell you

If you are a classical guitar student I assume that your guitar teacher would admonish you from trying to learn this piece before you are prepared musically and have the basic guitar skills necessary to play it.

For a start it is challenging to get the balance between the melody and harmony. There are also many barre chords throughout the piece difficult for an untrained left hand to execute in a relaxed way without fatigue. The chords also make it a challenge to play and sustain the melody smoothly and with legato.

The following suggestions are based on the challenge how to learn Cavatina if you are an inexperienced note reader but a classical guitar player with a lot of motivation!

Sight reading skills

Cavatina is usually executed in a slow tempo and to a listener it might sound like an easy piece to play. But the first challenge is to read the guitar sheet music score. It is quite complicated as you have the melody line interwoven with the harmony and you have to spot the melody line among all the music notes. You will also play the music in positions high up on the fretboard making note reading even more difficult.

To help you with the note reading challenge you can buy a version of Cavatina with both the sheet music and guitar tablature notation displayed. This way of notating guitar notes has become very common and there are some advantages with this type of notation as poor sight reading skills can prevent guitar students from playing pieces that they otherwise are prepared to play.

The disadvantage with guitar tablature is that you might never learn to read guitar sheets very well having this help below the notes. Another approach is to use only the sheet music version and solve the note reading problems one bar at a time as you practice learning Cavatina and memorizing the melody.

One bar at a time

If you learn each bar of the melody separately you will experience a visible progression that will create enthusiasm and help you hold out to the end. Sometimes you will come across note reading challenges and technical difficulties that will make it necessary to concentrate on even smaller segments than a bar.

It will speed up your progress tremendously to take small segments of Cavatina that you can memorize and master immediately. Practice slowly and try to play correctly as you memorize the notes. Mistakes has the tendency to slow down your progress!

I suggest that you commit the bars and the even shorter parts you practice to memory as you go along. You will probably not anyway be able to play this classical guitar solo with the guitar sheet music in front of you!

As you master the bars you will be able to connect them and gradually play longer segments of the composition by heart. As there are many barre chords to play in the piece I strongly advice you to be careful to rest your left hand when you experience fatigue in order to prevent injuries. Playing barre chords is not related to weight lifting but rather to the art of relaxation!

Two methods

When you practice memorized bars together you should practice using both these methods:

1. Practice level. Practice with musical feeling but when you spot a mistake or a technical difficulty you will stop and concentrate on polishing these notes until you have mastered this musical passage.

2. Performance level. Play as you would do in front of real people trying to create enjoyable music. When performing you will not stop when you make a mistake but instead you will minimize the effect of a mistake and proceed with enthusiasm and self confidence.

Practicing using both these approaches will help you be more prepared to play in front of people and you will reduce stage fright having the confidence that you can master mistakes. This will help you play more relaxed and concentrate on creating music!

Cavatina is music

Cavatina is a very beautiful piece of classical music but it has to be performed musically otherwise it is just a row of notes. You have to create music when you play and in order to be prepared for this endeavor you need to listen to a good interpretation of the composition.

There are many recorded versions of Cavatina available and I suggest that you find a version you like yourself and listen to it many times first of all for you own enjoyment. Listening to the classical guitar sheet music interpreted by a good guitarist will also help you be aware of the musical context.

This consciousness will make it easier to practice music from the start which will make your practice sessions more enjoyable. You will constantly be reminded of your musical goal and will enjoy the journey as much as the accomplished goal!

How to Play Classical Guitar For Complete Beginners

2009-12-19T17:44:00.000-08:00

By Emma Knight

Classical guitars (sometimes called Spanish guitars) are acoustic guitars with six nylon strings and a symmetrical body. Many styles of music can be played on a classical guitar, but the classical style is a unique style and has its own musical repertoire. Classical guitar style is primarily created by 'plucking' the string with finger tips and finger nails. A plectrum or pick is rarely used and strumming is only used for special effects.

If you are a complete beginner to the guitar, a classical guitar is a good instrument to start with, even if you don't want to play the classical style. Often the larger flat-top or steel string guitar is used by experienced players of country and rock acoustic guitar. However these are large instruments and more difficult for beginners to manage. The steel strings are also more difficult for new guitarists to play. If you do want to play the classical guitar style, you will still need to learn the basics of understanding the instrument, learning chords and practicing picking and strumming techniques.

If you decide to learn classical guitar style, you should learn how to read formal music. Lots of classical music is written in the form of traditional sheet music as the individual notes are picked instead of strumming the chords. For other styles, like rock, country or folk, you will probably just need to learn to read tabs. There is plenty of free classical guitar sheet music and acoustic guitar tabs available on the internet for practice.

To start to learn to play classical guitar, you can either find a teach or get a self-study course or guide. Guitar teachers will be able to give you personal attention, but private lessons for adults can be very expensive. Children may be able to get lessons at school if they are lucky enough to attend a school with a music program. But you can get excellent results teaching yourself at home with a guide or book. Like any other musical instruments, the most important thing when learning the guitar is practice and patience.

Learning any style of guitar is very rewarding and classical guitar is a beautiful and melodic style that will bring you and your listeners a great deal of pleasure.

A Popular Music Repertoire for the Classical Guitar

2009-12-16T17:35:00.000-08:00

By Will Kalif

Just because you play classical guitar doesn’t mean you have to limit yourself to hundred year old music! There are many modern pop songs that translate very well to the classical guitar.

One of the biggest challenges any classical guitarist faces is that of trying to assemble a repertoire of music that a wide audience will appreciate. After all, the majority of any musician’s audience will be fans of popular music. The classical guitar is capable of interpreting this popular music in a very distinct and pleasant way. Here is a selection of popular pieces that translate well, and sound well, on the classical guitar.

Stairway to Heaven – This is the anthem of a whole generation of rock music and the guitar arrangement by Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin is one of the best pieces of guitar music ever written. Don’t let the fact that this is a hard rock band scare you away from this piece of music. It is a stunningly beautiful piece of music.

Vincent – (Starry, Starry, Night) This is a beautiful song written by Don Mclean and it is a great piece for classical guitar. There are many interpretations of this song but I highly recommend you use the arrangement created by Chet Atkins. It is quite possibly the best piece of guitar music ever written.

Blackbird – by the Beatles - This is a perfect piece for a beginner to learn. It has some very unique sliding up and down the fretboard and some great interval playing.

Yesterday – Another piece by the Beatles and arguably one of the most beautiful melodies ever written.

If – by Bread - This is an old song written in the 70’s by a pop group. It has a haunting melody and a great arpeggio style of finger picking that sounds great on the classical guitar. This is a great intermediate level piece.

Your Body is A Wonderland – John Mayer borrows from the art of Flamenco the technique of tapping on the guitar for this song, which makes for some nice acoustic variety in your repertoire. It is a novelty but sounds great.

Unchained Melody – Alex North and Hy Zaret – This is a piece of music that has been performed for over 50 years now and for good reason. It is a beautiful and simple piece that can be quickly learned.

Hotel California – The Eagles - Originally written for the 12-string guitar this song plays extraordinary well on the classical guitar and really expresses that 70’s soft rock feeling.

Time In A Bottle – Jim Croce had a very unique style of playing folk guitar and this style translates well to the classical guitar. This piece is one of his best pieces in that it showcases some really beautiful, and unique, guitar phrasings.

Tears in Heaven – Eric Clapton is hailed as the king of rock and roll guitar and for good reason. He has the ability to play absolutely anything flawlessly. Tears in Heaven is the perfect slow pop piece to showcase how the classical guitar can cross genres into the world of pop music.

The Classical Guitar is an extraordinarily diverse instrument and it can sound good in almost any genre of music but learning a solid repertoire of popular music is something that can enable you to reach and connect with a very wide audience.

Playing Classical Guitar - One Classical Guitarist's Guide to the CG Universe

2009-12-13T17:24:00.000-08:00

By Sakari Heikkila

The Classical Guitar, I believe, is still struggling for recognition a bit and with the passing of Andres Segovia, who saved it from total extinction, and the recent retirement of Julian Bream, whose individually unique mastery of the instrument, inspired all Guitarists, it seems to me that there aren't many "Light Houses" currently on the concert planks. There are, however many fine players sprinkled about but I think one or two truly great interpreters are all Humanity will give us per Century. My humble opinion... feel free to disagree .

A great misconception that many struggle with when it comes to dedication, is the idea that the closer we get to technical perfection on our instrument, the further we move away from the aesthetic spirit of spontaneity and expression. I saw this amongst many artists that I associated with in the early days and although this phenomenon may not be universal in scope, it did, nonetheless exist amongst amateur guitarists and perhaps still does today. Hence the absence of the guitar from the Accepted Classical Music World, at least to the degree to which the violin and piano exist and the reason there are so many amateur guitarists forever "stuck" on one playing level. The other half to this equation is "The Fear of Success" syndrome is a greater force than "The Fear of Failure". This one is a killer because when one starts really practicing and then sees real progress, to continue inevitably means real, long term commitment to the craft. Commitment to anything has many powerful implications, the least of which is time spent daily or weekly so one of the first real goals as you set out is to decide, "What kind of time and commitment level am I going to agree to ?"

Of course, the true value of any art form is the uniquely different way each artist handles interpretation, for instance, and after all it is the human spirit that pushes ordinary events into miraculous happenings. One need only to listen to one particular piece of music performed by several dozen players to have the one or two true Masters revealed.

The purpose of this little discourse is not to convince the Non-Artist Musician to support the Music world, although that would be a worthy cause, but rather to urge all Musicians to personally pursue the path of rigorous technical methodology in order to unlock, and give voice to, one's interpretive expressions through the vast array of music literature out there waiting to be learned.

Now the repetition of technique exercises week in and week out is perhaps the single least rewarding aspect of musicianship so I developed this Method, for Classical Guitarists of all levels and abilities , to hopefully put Classical Guitar Technique into perspective.

Advice I would give Beginners is to not put any music on your stand until your hands are ready for it. Much preliminary work must be done before one is prepared to play pieces and this will undoubtedly be a sobering thought for many of you. Take, for example, what the flute or trumpet student at a Conservatory has to endure upon entrance to the School. Play only into the mouthpiece, without the rest of the instrument attached, for six months, then we'll let you attach the rest of the instrument and play music. Always remember that the mind will naturally create
clever obstacles plus multiple reasons not to overcome them so a large degree of determination and discipline will be required when tackling a musical instrument properly.

One great obstacle for the Classical Guitar Student, if he or she is considering serious study, eventually comes in the form of the question, " Am I being narrow minded by devoting so much time and energy to one thing when there are so many other valuable things in the world to pursue ?"

To answer that question one first has to answer the following question: "Am I open minded enough to not think that there is only one way to play a given piece?" If the answer is Yes, then you would also need to possess the quality which would allow you to work at each piece in such a way as to discover the "universality" of that piece.

Where does all this lead us?

I think to the question of directed talent. If the mind drops hints at us to follow something that is in our nature, then we must accept the sacrifices. So, in order to create a physical change in our routine, our mental routines must change as well, if we are to make decisions about our attitude and pursuits.

THE ARMCHAIR PHILOSOPHER

One might take a moment to think of how methodology employed in other fields relates to Classical Guitar Methodology. It does seem to me that the human mind works at a higher potential when a technically oriented system is under its control. Take the sciences, for example. If a person wanted to explore the science of genetics, then that person must first become familiar with what is known factually about that field before the brain can analyze new information, interpret it and advance the field of genetics.

The musician is in a very similar position as the scientist, although the material with which the scientist must become familiarized with perhaps is more defined than for the Musician. The real question for me is " What merit does the work of a musician or a scientist have if both are completely self taught with little or no exposure to an historical perspective of their respective crafts?"

To put this in another way, the real goal of the performing arts is to create an "in between the lines" message to the sub-conscious, or the way that the audience is "affected" by a performance. I have certainly noticed, through the years of attending Classical Guitar Recitals, that there is a certain quality about the way that many performers, even great ones, come off. One can almost hear them reflecting within themselves about their technical ability, good or bad, as they play. The result is a performance of "their" psyche rather than the intent of the composer. (Don't ever forget the Composer ! Without him or her, you would not be playing anything)

I attended a recital by one the greats in the mid 70's and was very much looking forward to it, never having heard this player or owned one of his recordings. But my teacher at the time was a former student of his so I was excited. He opened the Recital with two of the Bach Lute Suites, difficult stuff, to be sure, alone in a practice room, let alone to a packed audience.

By the end of the first Lute Suite, this man was wringing wet, to the point of the audience's distraction and I'm sure his own. You could literally hear his inner voice screaming, "I can't make a single mistake during these pieces " I don't believe anyone enjoyed the recital because we were all rooting for him silently, in our seats, hoping upon hope that he wouldn't make a single mistake because he was trying so hard not to. Well, he never did make even a little mistake and I have to say it was the most flawless, emotionally void recital I have ever heard. The only thing that would have made it worse would have been if he had a metronome ticking away on a chair next to him during the performance. I certainly heard it even though it wasn't physically there.

The performing arts MUST have a quality of vulnerability rather than feeling that each performance is a safe one, free of error and probably of greatness as well. In a word, boring. True, musicians and scientists have technical languages that must be mastered but the musician embarks on journey number two, the world of creativity and profundity, weaving magical lines one within the other all to create audible imagery so the composer's thoughts are captured and presented.

But isn't this what the scientist does ? Conscientiously advance mankind on many levels?

So in the end, what is the real difference between a great musician and a great scientist?

KAIZEN, MY FAVORITE WORD, IN ANY LANGUAGE

Kaizen is the Japanese term for "gradual but continual improvement by taking something apart and putting it back together in a better way".

As a young student of the Guitar, I would often find myself sitting, very properly, guitar at the ready, frustrated as to what to practice first. There were many skills to develop and if the concept of "purpose" was not identified, one easily became lost, aimlessly searching for that "right" piece to play, shouldered with just the "right" exercises to practice. Experience has taught me that one's self proclaimed idea of self as it relates to abilities and the lack of ability can greatly confuse the progression of both musical and technical awareness.

First, technique is not an end to itself; nor, ironically, is it a means to an end. This may sound paradoxical and even contradictory but let's examine how a very "human" quality is revealed here. There is a fine line between the musician who is capable of feeling the expressions of a fellow musician's playing and the musician who is capable of going a step beyond and is able to blend the mind, heart and soul with discipline so that the true accomplishment of an ideal occurs rather than simply having the "desire" to actualize that ideal. The latter is when one is inspired
by the efforts of another rather than the efforts of oneself.

Although it is very comforting to have a "mode" to work from, an artist of the very highest caliber to, in fact, "copy". The example of "How to play like Julian Bream", with his trademark tone and nuance of interpretation is actually taught by some players, and very well, I might add, but since one cannot truly copy the inner thoughts and processes of another, one merely becomes a "Player Piano", put in the roll and let it rip, guitarist.

During the development phase of learning to play Classical guitar, one's mind will go through almost any system of thought patterns necessary in order to convince itself that true reasons exist for the pursuit of self expression on a musical instrument. So how does this relate to the statement "technique is not a means to an end?". Technique, that very element that opens the gate to artistic expression, can also hinder artistic expression, if not thought of properly. Few can transcend the lure of feeling real technical accomplishment as the only goal, leave that world behind and enter the world of true self expression.

Second, it must be realized with all due sobriety that this path of which I speak entails years of study and honest refinement. Mastery, both technical and musical, rarely takes place early in life, when the "illusion" of accomplishment is common place.

AWARENESS

What is it that one feels exactly when one has an awareness of technique on the Guitar and how does the mind conceive the physical aspects of playing ? The answers might not seem as obvious as one thinks. Unless a visualization occurs, not only in the mind's eye but also in the degree of concentration while playing, then justice is not being done to the demands of the Guitar by its very existence.

If one can manage to have a sort of projection of self onto the Guitar itself, through time and care, one can actually begin to "feel" what it must be like to be a Guitar being played. I don't intend this idea to be Zen-like but perhaps it is, I don't know. What I do know is that if one doesn't abuse the privilege of playing, then playing takes on a life of its own and we become caretaker''s of its sounds. For me this came about through slow daily practice, trying to be aware of even the slightest movements while playing.

I don't believe any of this is possible without the necessary technique and tone production work required to hear the full potential of one's Guitar.

The word "potential" is very important when describing attitudes in the study of Musical Instruments. Given that musicians have ( or should have ) feelings that need to be expressed through music, how can they be expressed without a good understanding of the factors and variables available as to the full potential of one's instrument ? If the instrument's potential isn't fully realized, then neither is the Musician''s expressive potential. What other reason than this is there to practice ? To merely reproduce the written notes on the page and act out through them rather than living through them ?

The danger here is that to "feel" musical involvement does not automatically mean that actual involvement is taking place. Personal commitment to playing is where the distinction exists and it is this very commitment that turns the amateur into the artist where freedom from worry regarding purpose occurs, a factor which I believe is the factor that drives the student out of the practice room, especially if there isn't some deadline to meet, such as a performance. This should be the goal of every teacher: To bring the student to the point where a teacher is no longer required. The sooner the better, I say !

PRACTICE

Practicing is what I call a process whereby results occur on a long term basis and muscles are atoned accordingly. Scale work must be done slowly, with round tone and sufficient volume. Unless the resistance of the strings is felt, the fingers will not respond properly during certain passages in the literature. Believe it or not, the goal of practicing scales, for instance, is NOT to hear the notes of the scale, it's to feel the fingers controlling the notes. Remember this concept, because it will carry you throughout any CG method.

Efficient practice is a difficult concept to fully grasp on one's own, what and when to practice this or that, what are the strengths and how do they influence work on the weaknesses, etc. A certain amount of exposure to powerful influences should definitely be a large part of any musician's growth, various teachers, (never just one !), pouring over treatises on technique, etc., but for me, I found that after the initial contact with these aforementioned influences, keeping my eyes and ears open to lessons offered by classical guitar recordings were by far the greatest of my influences. Learning to "feel" the players fingers as I listened became my greatest learning tool.

How one goes about discerning these lessons through recordings, of course, comes from an initial interest in the subject to begin with, but by listening to my rather extensive collection of Classical Guitar Recordings, I was able to gain a knowledge of the repertoire, which pieces really excited me, how I agreed with or disagreed with their interpretations and why, and how sometimes interpretive understatement suited a particular piece. A very important point to consider sometimes.

Pinchas Zukerman ( famous Violist / Conductor ) explains it this way, Each time I pick up my viola, it is like a man who has spent three days and three nights in the desert and goes to take a drink of water. It is a need. Let your inborn need to play create its own system designed to handle answers to questions and doubts. Many amateur musicians never allow this to happen and they quit, never allowing the self a fighting chance to prevail during the difficult formative years of study.

A WORD TO THE WISE

Classical Guitar Amateurism on a local community level can be very depressing. You may come across Guitarists who, because they are big fish in a little pond, take a public position without any real right or earning. Although they play a role where they wouldn't normally be one, for the absolute beginner, they often are merely feeding their own egos at the expense of the student who deludes him or herself while the Teacher is deluding him or herself.

My humble conclusion to this centuries old problem ? Lack of contact with truly accomplished players, either in person or via recordings, can turn the student psyche into a kind of laboratory Petrie dish that will grow as many kinds of mold as there are people.

Classical Guitar Set Up

2009-12-10T17:22:00.000-08:00

By Victor Epand

Classical music is a broad term that usually refers to the music embedded in the traditions of every art and culture. It spans over a time length ranging from 9th century and the 21st century.

The term is often used as a synonym of Western music traditions and includes within its fold a vast range of music styles, an traditions ranging from compositional techniques to issues related to entertainment. Classical music has included within its genre also classical instruments especially the classical guitar, which has finally carved a niche for itself and has become a name to reckon within the world of music.

Guitar is perhaps one of the most alluring musical instruments whose charm has spread far and wide. Surpassing other musical instruments guitar has found a unique niche for itself. The set up of a guitar is very important. Even the most high sounding, sophisticated guitar may be hard to play.

Traversing a long interesting road guitars have emerged as the most popular musical instrument. It has become an integral part of the entire musical journey globally.

The most important aspect of the classical guitar set up is its playability factor. Touring concert artists now mostly prefer guitars, which are easy to handle. Classical guitar set up is similar to that of the steel strings or electrics. There is only a difference in tension, bridge and neck design. Only the principles differ a little in certain respects.

A good classical guitar set up should have the following elements in it

Good tension in the strings.

Good adjustability of the nut.

Capability to adjust with the nut.

Thickness in the neck.

Good pitching in the soundboard and the bridge.

Adjustability according to the player's style.

Tone production quality.

String's active vibrating length.

Freedom of performance it gives to its guitarists.

It should have low tension in the strings of the neck and should be made entirely of wood and not of steel struss rod.

It should have greater volume and longer sustainable capability.

There are various types of classical guitars. The most common of them are

Multi-string classical guitar

Classical electric guitar

Some of the famous classical guitarists who have dominated the musical landscape globally are as followed

Francisco Tarrega

Fernando Sor

Jose Feliciano

Christopher Parkening

John Williams

Julian Bream

Carl Volk

More Resources

Marcos Vinicius

Sharon Wayne

Maro Razi

Lynn Harting-Ware

Aniello Desiderio

Andrew York

Progetto Avanti

John McLaughlin

Sharon Isbin

David Tanenbaum

Eliot Fisk

Nigel North

Pepe Romero

Richard Alcoy

Classical guitar has always dominated the traditional musical scene for ages. Its history is almost four centuries old. Classical guitarists are capable of producing great music with excellent sound quality at one single stroke of the hand. A perfect classical guitar set up usually assists in adding that old world charm.

Therefore, having a proper classical guitar set up is absolutely essential for the beginners. Many classical guitar museums offer excellent classical guitar set ups for guitar enthusiasts. They host many a unique collection of playable instruments.

Classical Guitar Lessons - Mini Master Classes or The Five Great Lies?

2009-12-07T17:19:00.000-08:00

By Sakari Heikkila

There is a "Great Need" for a "Real Solution" to the frustration and slow progress many
suffer when it comes to either learning or perfecting the physical skills required to properly play
the Classical Guitar.

And it's long overdue ! Long, long, overdue !

The "Traditional Solutions" that generally have been available to students of the guitar apparently aren't "really" working. I also discovered the same thing 30 years ago when I was trying to clean up the rough edges to my technique.

Things haven't changed much what with same old Method books that have you trying to play
music right out the box which create bad habits due to lack of "real" finger training, live lessons
with teachers that end up being nothing more than spinning the musical roulette wheel
of good or bad misfortune and/or studying with fabulous players who are
notoriously bad teachers that just play for their students during lessons. Maybe you're already
familiar with some of them.

I think most lovers of the Classical Guitar firmly believe they can teach themselves the Guitar
and today, with all of the information on the Internet, many are also convinced they now have all
the free downloads necessary to piece it all together and somehow become a player.

Sadly, none of these opportunities contain any real value or truth because the pieces are
disjointed, sporadic in their placement and only provide the mere perception of hope, what with
little Etudes and Studies that actually require advanced techniques to play properly.

Very few ever realize this fact, however.

When I realized the scope of the problem and the lack of solutions available 30 years ago,
it was mind numbing. Plus, I had just hit 'The Wall' when all real progress stopped
dead in its tracks and the future felt very bleak to me.

If you don't know about 'The Wall' yet, just keep going like you have been and you'll find out
.....all .....about it.

And then... it was a slow.... agonizing ......realization of what was clearly in front of me.

The CG world, in general, is the product of two hundred years of inbreeding coupled with a sort
of amateurism that is now also deeply entrenched in a self inflicted tradition of symbiotic
mediocrity.

A lot of concepts to wrap your brain around but it's true !

And if that statement offends you, then perhaps you're caught up in the middle of it all and don't
even realize it.

Seriously, I am very disappointed that only a small percentage of players ever reach the plateau
of excellence that I believe is available to everyone if only their technique would be pursued
correctly, with a real critical path and not just haphazardly.

You know, like on every other classical instrument, Clarinet, Violin, Piano, etc., etc., etc.. And in
case you're a Guitarist feeling sorry for yourself because the Classical guitar is 'difficult', there
isn't an instrument on the planet that is easy to master.

But musicians do it every day, except Guitarists who seriously lag behind in the accomplishment
department.

So here are what I call :

The Five Great Lies about Classical Guitar Technique

~~~

Lie #1:

'Sight read more music today than you did yesterday'

~~~

If sight reading pieces of music really, actually works for your technical progress then I suppose
you should read through more of them.

But for most Guitarists, sight reading is only a vicarious way to feel like you're really "A
Guitarist". I mean isn't the whole point of it all to play Music ? But if this what you've been
doing for months, years or decades, admit it.....it hasn't 'really' been working. Your technique has
improved only marginally over whatever time period and you're probably only a little happier
about how you play your pieces this year than you were last year. Sad, but true ?

When and if you ever attend a Master Class, here's what you'll witness. A student, who has
played through their piece several million times, sits down and plays it for a Sanctioned Teacher
in front of an audience of CG students who have played their pieces a million times and are
waiting for the truth or at least some truth that will solve their own, unique and individual riddles
of slow progress or no progress.

The Teacher proceeds to tear apart the student's interpretation, sometimes with kindness,
sometimes....not.... and then demonstrates a more effective interpretation along with eloquent

observations, interesting tips and humorous anecdotes.

Oohs and Aahs from the crowd......

Applause, Applause !

The student goes home and tries to muster up the emotional maturity of the teacher and then
plays the piece a million more times, maybe better, maybe not.

Why ? Because the student's technique is 'exactly' the same as it was before but the student is
now one step closer to a great Resume. To be fair, these are great experiences to well,
experience.

What do the Guitarists in the audience do ? They go home, buy the piece that was demonstrated
and sight read through it a million times to see how they stack up against the Teachings and then
suffer severe depression over their inabilities for ...... perhaps months like middle level
executives who just got fired from their boring jobs.

Why ? Because their technique is 'exactly' the same as it was before.

And this scenario repeats itself over and over and over...... like some Guitarists' car wash, feeling
shiny and new for a week and then......back to the status quo.

Actually, only a very small number of extraordinarily talented players ever independently move
through the hurdles, obstacles and brick walls that the Classical Guitar puts in front of us all and
reach the top.

They are the select top .01 percent who you hear in concert and
are the object of every Guitar Groupie Wanna-be in the world.

If you're in that top .01 percent, congratulations !

But if sight reading music is the major weapon in your arsenal of mastering your technique, then
realize this.....you're living in a bear skin and knives world of survival and it will only get worse
through time in that cold dark cave you call 'Classical Guitar Technique'.

You might as well sit down and become a diamond cutter without any knowledge about
diamonds or cutting !

Here's the TRUTH : If you practice the right things correctly, you CAN start to turn your
technique around, you won't get depressed and you won't need to attend dozens of Master
Classes and Concerts to reach deep inside and discover the player you never thought you were.
And you won't have to take endless lessons with someone who teaches you by having you play
music.

I used to call Lessons 'Mini Master Classes'.

Because that's what they are and if you take these 'Mini Master Classes' from the same person
more than 6 times in a row, I call them 'being in a rut'.

Exposing yourself to the musical teachings of one person can be myopic, damaging, too self
absorbing and only eventually serves the ego of the teacher and gives you only false hope.

If you want to take lessons, take one lesson from 3 different teachers. You don't go to the same
Doctor week after week to get an opinion on your condition, do you ?

No, you go to three Doctors, evaluate them all, and take the most reasonable path recommended
after reflecting on all the issues. End of Doctor visits.

Guess what ? The same thing applies to lessons. Keep it in mind the next time you go to your
lesson. Announce your new plan to your teacher and wait for "The Shock Heard Around the
World" !

BOTTOM LINE IN THREE STEPS :

1) You MUST approach, what I call, the Critical Path of

Technique from the beginning and not from the end.

( hint, music is the very end of the process )

2) You must practice the Critical Path until it's second nature.

3) You must practice the Critical Path until it's second nature.

But....the good news is, once you have it and it works, you don't have to revisit the mastering
technique process ever again.

You just keep it 'Warmed Up'. If that isn't the most desirable goal as a Classical Guitarist to run
and achieve as fast as you can then perhaps you should take up Origami or something.

That's why the time you spend on REAL technique practice is absolutely the best investment you
can ever make - IF... you're educated about what really works and what really doesn't.

And music isn't on the list or in the Critical Path. Anywhere !!

~~~

Lie #2:

'OK, if playing music isn't working, I'll practice some scales'

~~~

Waking up every morning with a lie swirling around in your head is very unhealthy and always
causes you to spend time in the day on the wrong things. But it's your lie and you think it's the
right solution so you go ahead and waste time. How much time have you wasted with your lies ?

I was convinced that this was the inspired path to great technique !

Time to seriously practice some serious scales !

Here we go........first mistake ? No metronome. But what the heck, three octave
scales, mature fingering edits, brilliant note for string choices, brilliant , brilliant !

Just playing them makes you feel a step closer to the Maestro.

So you have at it, following the fingerings exactly as written starting out rather slowly at first
and then more rapidly just as he demonstrates on his teaching recordings. He would play
sixteenths at quarter note MM 60 and then... suddenly ...triple the speed.

So this is how the Maestro practiced ! What a revelation !

And what a joy to listen to the Master make music with scales.

You try, of course, but you can not match his speed and power so you start repeating the scale,
up the fretboard and back down over and over and over.

Then you try to increase the speed gradually but the more you try, the more all sorts of little
mistakes and glitches start happening.

Then certain of your left hand fingers feel like they are lost or something with wanting to place
the third finger but the second finger going down instead.

Your right hand fingers are getting confused as to when to alter a fingering pattern as you shift
from string to string and they start creating a different pattern every other measure without you
even realizing.

Then you start second guessing the edition's fingerings and trying your own but they're about as
effective as blowing up balloons full of holes.

"What the heck is going on ?", You think "I'm not increasing my control ability, I'm actually
losing control !"

Weeks later...only marginal technical improvement, very little gain in finger control and what
feels like muscle fatigue in your whole body.

Then you start looking at the time you've spent and the limited time in the day you have to spend
on your beloved guitar.

And your music ?

It's sitting on the stand just waiting for you to bring it to life !

So you sit down and ask yourself, "If playing music doesn't work and playing scales doesn't
work, then what will work ?"

I mean how does one get to very rapid speed control with loud volume and full tone, you know,
like Segovia ?

You give up the serious scale work. It's too exhausting and you're getting worse as a player
rather than better.

But you love the Classical Guitar and you're determined not to give up, so you think, "There
must be a way to ease into the world of REAL playing ability and not make so many ....

"Mistakes all the time !"

~~~

Lie #3:

'OK, if playing my favorite pieces of music and reading through scales aren't working,
I'll play REALLY simple music !'

~~~

So the accepted and traditional approach didn't work because you had no framework to put it in.
No real critical path to build up to the skills required.

All you did was read through some neat music at your own tempo of choice, probably painfully
slow but a little faster than your playing ability.

Then you read through some scales, the Great Pretenders of Progress, at the same tempos but this
time a little slower at first and then a quick increase to what I call 'finger wiggling speed'. You
know when you close your eyes and have at it, like a dog, madly scratching at the fleas. The old ,
'I'm going to do this even it it kills me'.

Well ....guess what ? It did.

The next Snake Oil to try ?

REALLY SIMPLE MUSIC. I know I can tackle that and SOUND like a Pro !!!!

So you turn to music collection anthologies, if you haven't already and flip to the simplest
looking one of the bunch and confidently place it on the stand, take a deep breath and sound the
first note or chord.

Whew ! Not Too Bad, let's continue. You keep going like you're disarming a bomb or something,
expecting the worst but hoping for the best.

The next few measures come out OK , but then......a finger slips, you miss a note, the tempo
slows to a crawl and you break out in a cold sweat but no REAL mistakes yet so you continue,
cutting through the wires between the timer and the dynamite in your brain at breakneck speed,
you're halfway through the piece and just before you blow it, you stop and go, I DID IT !

Wow, the Lie worked, or so you think and you flip to the next simplest looking piece in the book
and do the same routine exactly the same way as the last.

You do this a few more times and you feel vindicated. 'I found the right solution! '.

Then the cold water of reality hits you in the face. No it didn't, who am I kidding ? That sounded
really terrible !

( And if you have ever recorded youself playing and then listened to the recording, you know
what I mean. If you haven't yet done this, I recommend it highly, but be prepared for some real
"cold water in the face" reality shock ! )

But you persist with the simple pieces, exploring the "extreme musicality" path where with every
note, your face scrunches up with expression and your hands leave the instrument at the end of
every phrase and wave around a little, like a Beauty Queen in a parade and you "Try" to capture
the ear of anyone listening to your gems of poetic tones.

Then, you just peter out, there's not many options left open hope diminishes and you think...

"Gee, my favorite pieces of music, scales and REALLY simple music didn't work,
what's next ?"

~~~

Lie #4:

'OK, there must be a piece of music so my NATURAL ability

will just shine like a harvest moon and I'll be playing like a PRO in a week.'

~~~

This one, as you might imagine, is short and sweet !

There aren't many Piñatas left hanging at this birthday party to take a swing at and the options
are becoming very few so reality starts to creep into your conscious thoughts.

Things like...

"I just don't understand how I can love the Guitar so much and all it does is throw me off like a
bucking bronco !"

So...

The 'Great Search' begins for that one piece of music that your natural ability will take to, like a
duck to water and the music will just 'pour' out of you like some open fire hydrant on a hot day
in the city and all your childlike dreams will romp and dance in the water. Happy, happy,
problem solved !!

You listen to recordings, scour the catalogues, visit the music shops, go online and download
dozens of pieces, scores of etudes, and you go to bed and think, tomorrow, it will happen.

You get up and start sight reading like you never have before, hitting the same walls you've
always hit, throwing each piece on the floor every time saying to yourself, 'Nope, that's not the
one !'

Within an hour, you're surrounded by music on the floor, like some prolific composer writing
masterpiece after masterpiece.

You start downloading Midi renditions of everything you can click on hoping that your inner ear
will tell you , 'It's the One.'

And then..........you find it. It's perfect. Everything about it is perfect, the time signature, the key
signature, it fits your hands like an O.J. glove.

You go to work sightreading it incredibly slowly, then backwards,

like all the greats talk about. 'Wow, I can play this backwards and forwards !'

And it works ! You can actually get through it with just the smallest little glitch, really small.
You learn it over the next week or two and play it over and over but then family members start
saying, 'Play something new for a change, would you please ?'

The anger grows in you because you've found the perfect piece and you can play in with
satisfaction after God knows how long of trying. Deep down though, even YOU start to get
bored with it but you ignore those thoughts at first.

A month later, you're depressed again like the sort that middle level executives get when they're
fired from their boring jobs except this

time not only were they fired due to gross incompetence and extreme dereliction of duties,
they've been job hunting and after dozens of interviews and being hired...........they get fired
again.

'How much more of this can I take ?', you think.

You're logic is stuck in the muck because you can't even come up with "The Question" let alone
"The Solution".

~~~

Lie #5:

'Everything is falling apart. I know, I need Professional help so I'll PAY a teacher to give me
some Lessons. Yeah, that's it, I'll take some Lessons'

~~~

OK, you're about as close to feeling like a complete failure as it gets so you find a Classical
Guitar teacher somehow and muster up the courage ( and this one takes real courage ) to go to
your first lesson.

It's like going to your first psychotherapy, or something, and the student ahead of you comes out
the teacher's studio looking kind of bewildered and confused !

'Oh, great, I should leave now', but the teacher sees you and motions for you to come on in.

You get up and Hope that your guitar case is locked and you forgot the key ...BUT it's not ...and
you didn't so you can't turn back now.

The sound of your footsteps, as you walk into the teacher's studio, is almost deafening and
everything suddenly goes into slow motion.

You sit down, get out your guitar, wipe the sweat that's pouring out of your palms like two open
faucets and wait for the teacher's first gem.

You're instantly dreading the 'Play Something For Me' request....

But instead, the teacher asks....

'So, where you from ?'

Where am I.........?

You think to yourself, ' Why, I'm from the deep, dark cave of failure and depression, that's where
I'm from....... !!!

What else do you want to know about me ??"

But.... you get a hold of yourself and allow the conversation to eventually turn to things like,
posture, straightening your back a little, the seat is too high, your foot stool is too low, dangle
your right arm off the guitar, down, up, that's it, lower your left arm, relax the top of your hands,
picture a field of flowers, go to your happy place......tone, juxtaposition, relax, relax.....bend your
right knee a bit more, turn your right wrist in a little, thaaaat's it, now lower your left shoulder a
touch, ....just a touch more.....Perfect ! Now, relax the muscles in your neck and play the etude
on your stand. Beautiful ! Play it again, but this time...With Feeling ! Wonderful, you have Real
Talent !

By the end of your first lesson, you feel pretty good, you think you learned something ...PLUS...
you even have an assignment, the teacher's X-ray vision of how you should develop your ... 'Real
Talent.'

"Thank God I'm not doing this alone any longer. What a Relief !"

So the teacher gives you your first homework assignment...

You can hardly stand the anticipation of finally receiving the Keys to the Castle. The Golden
Chalice of direction and success like some Miracle Map that will put you on the Road to Rome.
The sweet potion of Hope...you can almost hear the thunderous applause of the audience as you
WOW them with a Third Encore piece !!!

Here it comes...

"For next week......"

Yes ? Yes ?

"I want you to practice this Sarabande in you collection book on page 19 and then
practice the scale in E major in three octaves. Remember to relaaaaax
and go to your happy place. "

What ?...... Why that's the piece my family.... can't stand hearing any more !

And .....that's...... the Segovia scale that ....didn't do one thing for me except create whole body
fatigue !!

Silence for a few pregnant moments....then....

You politely and graciously excuse yourself, get in your car and burn your tires into a glorious
cloud of white smoke down the teacher's driveway, permanently leaving the symbol of your ever
loving gratitude for all to see.

"I guess I won't be coming back here ...Anytime Soon ".

Now What ?

This five part story plays out all over the world over many different durations of time, some
short, some long, although most usually long and maybe there are some additional wrinkles and
variations, more or less time and money wasted. The details are almost unimportant.

But most HAVE to go through this long self deprecating process before the truth of it all sinks in
and you're worn out and say, 'I'm ready to be shown how to get from point A to point B and I'll
accept the truth'.

But sadly, a 5 to 25 year absence from the Guitar is not uncommon in between the point of
quitting and the return to wanting to play again.

Why ? It's obvious. The pain last time was too overwhelming. At least, if you chose Origami
way back then, a cute paper bird was created and you felt creatively successful.

But now you're ready for the truth and you're ready to do anything to rekindle that spark you felt
5 to 25 years ago or just yesterday.

Make no mistake about this one.....

Classical Guitar Technique Has a Critical Path, a Very Specific, Critical Path !

From beginning to end. And that's where the problem is. Most Guitarists hop in mid stream of
some teacher's "Practice Routine du Jour" some in the middle, some at the end, most never at the
very beginning and if they do by some miracle, they don't follow it to the end.

Why ?

Because that teacher doesn't really know what a true Critical Path is and their practice routine
quickly falls apart when others follow it.

You don't start with music, etudes and scales, you start with the individual fingers on each hand
and then multiple fingers on both hands, identifying the weak and strong ones, correcting
deficiencies slowly and gradually more rapidly through a process where eventually, both hands
are working in concert, many times for the first time.

And you'll take years off your practice time and you'll get to your music years ahead of schedule.

It won't happen overnite but it will happen in less time than you think.

Longer or shorter doesn't matter, isn't the point. The point is that you'll have a technique you can
travel with anywhere in the world, sit down and play.

How long have you wanted to be able to do that just once in your life ?

To Your Music and To Your Success !

Classical Guitar is the Perfect Instrument for a Child to Learn

2009-12-04T17:17:00.000-08:00

By Will Kalif

There is no arguing with the fact that teaching a child to learn an instrument is something that can potentially bring him or her a lifetime of joy and enrichment. But keeping a child interested in practicing can be a challenge. Among all the instruments that a child can learn how to play the classical guitar is among the best. Here are the reasons.

The classical guitar takes advantage of the allure of the rock star. Every child is familiar with pop music and every child who is interested in playing an instrument would probably take very quickly to playing the guitar. Any child would be quick to brag to his or her friends that he is learning to play the guitar. It is a highly romanticized instrument and this is what I call the allure of the Rock Star. You can take advantage of this attraction to popular music by teaching a child to play classical guitar.

Playing classical guitar is a bit different than playing pop and rock but there are some distinct advantages to classical guitar. The child will learn the fundamentals of sound music theory and will focus on learning how to read sheet music. Along the way the child will learn the basics of classical music.

But he or she will not lose interest in playing because while the classical guitar is a good instrument for learning theory, history, ability, and classical music, it is also an instrument that offers an incredible range of pieces to play in many genres. With the ability to play classical guitar comes the ability to play in every other genre that the guitar is played in. He or she will be able to play pop, rock, easy listening, country, jazz, blues, or any other type of music where a guitar is used. It is because of this wide variety of music that will be available to the student that he or she will be much more prone to continue practicing and continue playing. And this is another great reason why the classical guitar will bring a lifetime of enjoyment and enrichment. As the child grows and his musical tastes change the guitar can be right there through all the changes.

There are also some very pragmatic reasons for the classical guitar

Portability: The classical guitar is something that can be carried to and from lessons and to and from a friend’s house. Classical Guitars are also made in half size and three quarter size which gives young children the ability to play on an instrument more suited for their small hands.

Expense: professional guitars can be very expensive and run into the thousands of dollars but with the popularity of the guitar as an instrument there is a tremendous selection of inexpensive yet well made guitars. An adequate first guitar can usually be found in the fifty to a hundred dollar range.

Quiet Instrument: the classical guitar is an instrument that can be played in a room without the music being intrusive to other people in the house.

What if there is no classical guitar instructor in your town or city?

Upon the surface or during an initial look this may be true; there may be no official classical guitar instructors available to you but there is no doubt a large list of teachers who teach rock guitar. And one thing about the genre of rock and rock guitarists is that they have a reverence for classical guitarists because classical guitarists are renowned for their technical ability -classical guitarists are simply great guitarists and any rock guitarist can probably name his favorite classical guitarists.

To overcome the lack of an official classical guitar instructor you can simply ask rock guitar instructors if they are willing to take on a child that wants to learn classical guitar. Many of them will jump at the chance because it will also broaden their horizons and musical ability.

But there is one question you should ask any potential rock guitar instructor. Make sure that he or she can read sheet music reasonably well. This is of paramount importance for learning classical guitar. Some instructors may not fit this requirement because rock guitarists often learn their craft through ear training and using tablature, which is a notation form of music. This type of instructor wouldn’t be suitable for a student of classical guitar.

The classical guitar sometimes has the reputation of being a bit of a high-class instrument. But it is an instrument that crosses all genres of music and if you are considering the classical guitar for your child I applaud your decision. It is an instrument that can bring him or her a lifetime of musical enrichment and enjoyment.

Right Hand Technique Used to Play Classical Guitar

2009-12-01T17:15:00.000-08:00

By Stephen Parkin

You may have noticed that in order to play Classical Guitar players keep their right hand finger nails long but on their left they are usually clipped very short. The reason that the right hand nails are kept long is because they are used to pluck the strings and to play correctly a combination of the finger tip and nail is used to strike the string.

There has been much debate over how short or long the right hand nails should be in order to correctly play Classical Guitar, some players like the hard sound of just the nail striking the string and others prefer the softer sound of the meat of the finger. There is no "Correct" way it is a matter of personal preference and the ambiance that the piece is supposed to project. Part of the joy of playing Classical Guitar is the practicing of various pieces and experimenting with the different sounds as your mood changes.

If you want to see what I mean about the styles then you can watch the You Tube videos of John Williams and Andres Segovia playing Asturias they play in very different ways and yet both versions are beautiful! Both these players are and were the best in the world in their respective eras. Andres preferred shorter nails and used the top part of his fingers more and John uses more of the nail, which gives the more staccato sound to his music.

The right hand fingers used in picking are the thumb (p) the index (i) the middle (m) and the ring (a) each finger operates separately from the others and either side of the nail can be used to strike the strings. However it is usual for the fingers to strike the strings coming upwards and the thumb going downwards. The little finger is used to support the hand and usually rests on the face of the guitar just beneath the strings. Flamenco players however use all their fingers to strike the strings and mostly use a down stroke from the fingers. The "pima" sequence of the fingers is often used as an annotation to Classical Guitar music and this is one way that you can tell music that is specifically for the Classical Guitar.

Another aspect is the shape of the finger nails Scott Tennant the author of Pumping Nylon and one of today's better players likes to shape the nails squarer than usual and advises that they should be angled so that the straight part strikes the string evenly, this enables a smoother release of the string. Segovia is said to have kept his nails shorter and not much longer than twice the width of the strings. Whichever shape and length you choose it will be necessary to use a high quality fine nail file preferably a stainless steel one, as these last longer, some extremely fine grained jeweler's sandpaper and a high quality leather nail buffer. These are used in sequence to shape the nail and then smooth the tip, so that there are no parts that may snag the string. The buffer is used to polish all parts of the nail so that the string release is extremely smooth and predictable.

John Williams playing Asturias

Andres Segovia playing Asturias

I hope that this article was informative and that you enjoyed reading it.

Great Places to Find Classical Guitar Songs to Learn

2009-11-28T17:13:00.000-08:00

By Nick Andersen

If you were to do a quick search on the Internet for classical guitar songs to learn, you will find that there are hundreds if not thousands of websites designed just for this purpose. They are all set up to help students like you learn classical guitar.

So if you want to take up the guitar or just to vary your practice songs, make sure you go online and check out the many resources Internet has on offer. Not only will this improve your playing, but it will also help you stay motivated.

How to Find Classical Guitar Music

If you have looked into how many classical guitar songs that are available online, you probably already know that there are much more than you can learn in a lifetime of practice. In fact, no one has troubles finding classical guitar songs songs to learn and practice on as the real issue is to know where to start!

The best piece of advice is to find a website that offers a wide range of materials:

* forums,
* articles,
* songs in sheet and
* audio formats,
* tutorials created by pros,
* fundamentals of music theory, and
* even guitar and music history.

If you can find a website that features all this, you are in for an enjoyable experience, as you will surely find great hints, tips and tricks to improve your manner of playing.

Why Listening is Essential

Ever since YouTube, there are so many audio and video materials on the World Wide Web that you cannot simply view and listen to everything, and much less master it. But the essential thing about classical guitar songs to learn is that you should listen to those who actually do it best.

Since you are starting from scratch, is it very important to build your knowledge and skills correctly from the very beginning, and hearing the pros performing will help you do just that. By simply watching them play you will unconsciously start absorbing concepts such as rhythm, tempo, dynamics, tone, as well as musical expression.

Later on, as you continue your progress, you will learn more difficult classical guitar songs, so it is important to understand the fundamentals very early. It does not matter if you do not get everything right from the very beginning. However, you will need to be persevering and continue to practice as often as possible to get where you want, even if playing classical guitar is just a hobby and not a career choice.

Learn Classical Guitar - Tips

2009-11-25T17:11:00.000-08:00

By Ed Webber

When you learn classical guitar, you will find that it is almost the same as learning any other type of guitar. The first thing you do is learn how to hold the guitar and position your fingers appropriately. Then you learn how to play different notes and chords. Before you know it, you will be playing your favorite classical songs without a problem and you might even be composing your own music. Even though many of the techniques are the same, there are some differences. Jamorama is a great online course that can help you learn anything you need to know about how to play any guitar style.

The trickiest part about how to learn classical guitar is that there are subtle tones and sounds that are made when you apply a very specific amount of pressure on the strings at a specific time. These pressure variations can give you anything from a beautiful soft harmony to a loud and expressive guitar rift. This method is very common when playing classical guitar music.

To play classical guitar music, you need special strings. When you go to your local guitar shop to pick out an acoustic guitar, let the salesperson know that you intend to play classical guitar music. They will happily provide you with the right type of strings and show you how to tune the guitar. Alternatively, you can pay someone to tune your guitar for you. Make sure that you purchase extra strings and picks so that you have them on hand. The guitar shop may offer guitar lessons, but these types of guitar lessons can be inconvenient and also expensive. Since Jamorama is an online course, you can learn from your own home and on your own time.

Play Classical Guitar

2009-11-22T17:09:00.000-08:00

By Stephen Parkin

To play Classical Guitar no study is complete without the great Spanish Masters, Fernando Sor, Ferdinando Carrulli, Matteo Carcassi, Mauro Giuliani, Isaac Albeniz, Dionisio Aguado, etc. These player composers were the founding fathers of the modern era of Classical Guitar music. These great artistes all lived in the late 1700's and early 1800's and between them laid down most of the currently played and recognized Classical Guitar repertoire.

If you learn to play Classical Guitar you are sure to come across these composers very quickly.

Such was their mastery and skill that some of the recognized Great Classical Composers notably Beethoven and Bach wrote works specifically for the Guitar! Beethoven once commented "The Guitar is a veritable orchestra unto itself". Fur Elise was written as a classical guitar piece for his niece who was learning to play.

In The Classical Guitar (Ariel Publications, New York, 1976). Frederick Noad wrote

"Many of the celebrated Vienna composers were familiar with the guitar and played it as an accompaniment to songs. Both Schubert and Von Weber were players and both published a number of songs with guitar accompaniment. In The Guitar and Mandolin (Schott, London. Revised edition 1954), P.J. Bone wrote, "The majority of Schubert's accompaniments were conceived on the guitar, and only afterwards did he set them for the piano, and many of his early songs were originally published with guitar. Many of his accompaniments show clearly and indisputably the influence and character of this instrument; they are in truth guitar accompaniments.""

The size and portability of the guitar made it a very popular instrument and early versions were played and were popular as far back as the Elizabethan era and earlier in the UK. It is hardly surprising therefore that when electricity made the amplified electric guitar a possibility the instrument began a second career as the instrument of choice for Rock Bands, Country Musicians and bands in general.

The instrument is plucked with the finger nails of the right hand and the notes are selected with the fingers of the left hand on the fret board which is usually made of a hard wood such as Rosewood or Mahogany, the body is made of softer woods to allow for the shaping, The Face Board should be solid many cheaper instruments will be plywood faced, which can degenerate with time. The strings will be nylon with the base three (typically) being wound with metal. Some brands of string wind the G and B strings with finer nylon (Saverez for one), this is to give the string a consistent width and purer sound for each note, nylon tending to stretch with age and distorting notes due to the variations in string width.

The Classical Guitar is a great choice for your or your child's first instrument since the wider neck makes it easier to avoid left hand fingers touching the wrong strings, the nylon strings are also easier on the left hand finger tips than steel strings would be, and finally the classical guitar is played ergonomically. The position is seated on a square backed chair with the left leg supported on a foot stool, so that the guitar rests on the left thigh, the inside of the right thigh and the top back of the body rests on the lower part of the chest. The fret board making an approximately 45 degree angle to the ground, this leaves the left hand totally free to move up and down the fretboard, the left hand should play no part in supporting the instrument.

In order for children to learn to play before their fingers are fully developed Classical Guitars are made in 1/2 (4-8) and 3/4 sixes (9-12) as well as full size. There are copious amounts of guitar sheet music available on line, and even teaching and lesson systems. The biggest plus of all is if you learn to play classical guitar you can play any style of guitar music! So why not give it a try?

How to Play the Guitar - Classic Guitar

2009-11-19T17:07:00.000-08:00

By George Sandler

Classical music has been around for many years, dating as far back as the 16th century. It's true that many individuals experience the belief that they will never be good enough to break out of the beginner mold and be the true classic that their classical guitar hero is, but that shouldn't hold you back. The best thing to do is to take some step forward, no matter how small, and work at a pace that you are comfortable with.

Guitar music is widely available on the internet, and if you are looking for a place to begin, the internet should be a great place. You will be able to find several websites where you can get lots of background information, free tips and even some guides to start you off in your endeavor. At some point, you might decide you want to enroll in online courses in guitar instruction, through which you will be privy to online course textbooks, audio sample songs, and detailed video instruction. The courses that charge you money should only be consulted if you know for certain that you want to continue in your efforts to learn classical guitar music.

Reading classical music can be a challenge, since unlike regular sheet music, you will probably see lots of special notations around the notes and staves that might confuse you at first. Typically, the better music books include a thorough explanation of those special symbols and what you need to do in order to play them. The really great news about classical music is that because it's been around for hundreds of years, you will have an easy time looking for sheet music. In addition, its age frequently means that it is no longer subject to copyright, meaning that in many cases it is free or very inexpensive to purchase. A terrific source to find sheet music is the internet.

Fingernails play a larger role in classical guitar than you possibly realize, and the hand you strum with should be allowed to grow out its fingernails. Nails play a large role in tone, volume, speed, and accuracy. Since the nails can be viewed as an extension of the finger itself, it is only reasonable that the longer ones will make it easier to pick the strings. Learning classical guitar is the type of hobby that is made simpler through the wide availability of internet resources. Being successful in your new hobby will require large amounts of patience, practice, and dedication, as is the case with any new musical instrument.

Learn Classical Guitar Online Music Online

2009-11-16T17:05:00.000-08:00

By Michael Max

What distinguishes a classical guitarist and guitar? It is the three treble and three bass nylon strings. The bass nylon strings are wrapped in brass wire. The guitar is symmetrical, wooden and the volume resonates from the guitar body with no electronic amplification.

Most quality classical guitars are made of well dried and aged spruce, rosewood and cedar. The neck is about 2" wide and straight its entire length. A classical guitar price is largely determined by the grade of the woods and the makers reputation for quality. Real cheap guitars can be plywood, compressed wood and laminates.

The first guide to buying a classical guitar for a beginner is buy one you can easily afford. The Japanese manufactures like Yamaha, and Takamine have products that are inexpensive, good quality and are perfect for beginners. The Yamaha C140 sells for about $150 online at Amazon or eBay. The guitar is very high quality and the pegs hold the strings in tune enabling it to resonate rich tones without a lot of tuning. Takamine G124 also is an excellent guitar. The finish, playability and true sound is impeccable and provide exactly what you want. It sells for approximately $190.00.

The quickest way to learn to play classical guitar music and avoid trouble progressing is through practice and then more practice. Always practice properly and do not just play around. Purpose each time to work on a goal like improving picking skills or work on tablature. The more you play the better you will become and playing will be second nature. It is like learning a new language, through repetition intuitively you acquire an understanding and playing is a lot easier, but always stop practicing if your fingers are sore and hurting.

Everyone wants to skip the basics and go straight to playing songs. But first, buy a classical guitar beginner book and learn a few classical guitar fundamentals. Also there are a lot of online resources to help. Some starter lessons are free and include all kinds of information from holding a guitar to remembering the hand positions to chord and to tab. Tab or tablature are musical notations which indicate guitar fingering. They are not the best tools for conveying music because the majority of classical guitar pieces are available in formal written music. But start with the easy things, gain confidence, and progress to Stairway to Heaven and Blackbird.

Retain a teacher or mentor and have them help evaluate your strengths and weaknesses. They can track your progress, see your style, picking, strumming and fingering techniques, evaluate acoustic problems and make sure your guitar is operating optimitely.

Use a metronome (electronic metronome and tuner) when practicing classical guitar because it helps your timing, tone and will increase performance. The metronomes two main functions are help with rhythm and tuning. Both functions are available simultaneously.

How to Play Classical Guitar

2009-11-13T17:03:00.000-08:00

By Ricky Sharples

If you, like many people, are intrigued by the classical guitar and are wondering about how to play it, you might enjoy this little expose. I will be talking about the ways the classical guitar is different from other acoustic guitars and, of course, the techniques employed in playing classical guitar music.

If you look at a classical guitar the first difference you will notice is the way the neck joins the body. Electric guitars and steel string acoustic guitars often have a cutaway neck to allow the guitar player to fret notes at the top end of the scale. This kind of neck is actually a modern innovation. Even though classical guitar players have always utilized the uppermost notes on the guitar fretboard, classical guitars stuck with the original guitar shape.

Another difference between the classical guitar and other kinds of guitars is the width of the neck. On the steel string acoustic guitar the neck is slightly narrower than the original design retained by the classical guitar. If you try to play a classical guitar for the first time you will probably find this difference a little hard to get used to.

The classical guitar uses nylon strings exclusively. They have a very warm, mellow sound. Of course, it is debatable that the nylon string sound is the best for classical music (just look at the success on YouTube of the kid playing Pachabel's Canon on electric guitar) but the use of nylon strings is due partly to tradition and partly to the fact that steel strings are a lot harder on the guitar player's fingernails.

Now to the way you play the classical guitar. The basic thing to understand is that plectrums and fingerpicks are not used by classical guitarists. The sound produced is a product of the guitar player's fingertips or fingernails plucking or striking the nylon strings. It is the guitar player's choice whether to use nails or just the flesh of the fingertips. Many people think that it is more difficult to play the guitar without nails, but players who just use their fingertips say it is no more difficult to learn to play that way. If you have your right hand close to the bridge of the guitar you will produce a sharp, dry tone. If you pluck the strings with your right hand nearer the neck you will get a warm, mellow sound.

The plucking of the classical guitar strings can be done in two ways. The "rest" stroke is where the thumb or the fingers pluck the string and come to rest on the next string. The "free" stroke is where the thumb and fingers attack the string in such a way as to avoid the adjacent strings. If you need to know more about the difference between these two techniques a search on the internet will give you videos and pictures that illustrate the two strokes. When you try to use these techniques you will notice the marked difference in sound. Another technique used in classical guitar playing is the tremelo technique where the right hand thumb plays a bass note followed by the index, middle and ring fingers playing melody notes in quick succession. A famous piece employing the tremelo is Recuerdos de la Alhambra by Francisco Tárrega. Finally a rather tricky technique is used for playing solos using the sound of harmonics. This involves the right hand index finger damping the string while the ring finger plucks.

When you play chords by scraping the right hand fingers or thumb across the strings it is called a rasgueado. You can strum chords with the thumb using a down stroke, the index finger using up or down strokes or, less commonly, by using the flamenco rasgueado which entails the little finger, ring finger, middle finger, index finger and thumb following each other in a down stroke across the strings.

I realize that you are going to need to do further research to see what these guitar techniques look and sound like, but if you are interested in playing classical guitar or using classical techniques to play modern music, sheet music and tabs for classical guitar are readily available on the internet.

Classical Guitar Lessons - Where Will They Take Me?

2009-11-10T17:00:00.000-08:00

By Ricky Sharples

The classical guitar is a gift to the guitarist who wants to sit down and play a "complete" piece of music - melody, bass and chordal accompaniment on one guitar. Alot like the kind of freedom that piano players have. If you are thinking of taking classical guitar lessons you have a tradition of composers and guitar players who have made full use of the incredible versatility of the guitar. Many classical composers played and composed for the guitar. Niccolo Paganini is a famous example even though his guitar compositions are a little on the ordinary side for modern music lovers. Much more substantial compositions were written by Antonio Vivaldi, Dionisio Aguado and Domenico Scarlatti.

So, apart from a hefty heritage left from the Baroque, Renaissance and Classical periods we have the ongoing work of twentieth and twenty-first century classical guitar players who are devoted to making the acoustic guitar an expressive instrument endowed with a natural beauty unaided by electronic wizardry. A classical guitarist aims at training his body to bring a range of forces to bear on the guitar so that he has a range of subtle techniques at his disposal to enable him and his guitar to say whatever they want.

All guitar players who take their instrument seriously have an ability to create and interpret music. This musical ability is a product of the time and effort put into practicing their guitar playing and experimenting with different ways of playing music. In a sense a rock or jazz guitar player is on an equal playing field with a classical guitarist as far as the ability to interpret or create music is concerned. The rock or jazz guitar player will even have an advantage over the classical player as far as improvisation goes. Classical guitar lessons will not help you to improvise.

The difference between a classical guitar player and a plectrum player is the groups of muscles used to play classical guitar music. Somebody like Eric Clapton works alone at copying blues artists and in a few years he is a professional guitarist and in about ten years he is one of the greatest electric guitarists of all time. A classical guitar student might just be finding his voice after ten years of playing. There is much more blood, sweat and tears involved in classical guitar lessons.

A classical guitarist needs to cultivate his fingernails. Or his fingertips. Whatever is on the ends of his fingers is where he makes physical contact with the guitar strings. There are ways of shaping them so they sound just right. There are secret potions for making them impervious to cracking. And there is a whole art to playing the classical guitar without the benefit of nails. The attack made by nails on guitar strings is similar to that of a plectrum. The flesh of the guitarist's fingertips gives a much softer tone. This is achieved over time and with much work. Callouses will eventually form on the fingertips which will lessen the discomfort felt by the guitar player and help him make contact with the strings.

There are books available for anybody who wants to teach themselves classical guitar but it is much better to learn from a seasoned classical guitarist. If you insist on learning from books, Frederick Noad's "Solo Guitar Playing" is probably the best of them.

Playing the Classical Guitar - The Ways and Benefits of Learning

2009-11-07T16:58:00.000-08:00

By Annie Lie Clapano

Learning how to play the classical guitar is one of the most interesting and exciting activities you can ever do during your pastime. It is a rewarding experience, yet a very intimidating endeavor as playing the classical guitar is not just a matter of taking lessons and learning from, but really a long process at the same time.

Yes, learning how to play the classical guitar is a long process wherein amateurs need to exert effort and time just to perfect the craft. It is also a process that demands great attention and interest, two of the factors that trigger people to practice and practice. So when you hear someone saying that you can learn the art of playing guitar in just a matter of an hour by following some instructions, then don’t just easily believe. Fact is, you can’t just learn the craft by just sitting on one corner following some instructions and guides and out of an hour you are playing it like a pro. Practice makes perfect, as the popular adage say.

Ways to Learn the Classical Guitar Music

As mentioned earlier, learning the music of the classic guitar takes a whole lot of process. It is typical that you may be asked to attend some classroom sessions conducted to teach you the basics of the game. The proper posture and proper guitar handling will be taught here, as well as how to read the right notations. All of these basics are of great importance simply for the fact that people who don’t know how to handle the guitar properly and how to read notes will find the task confusing or puzzling. There are a lot of marks and notes that you will encounter along the way, after all.

For the beginners, it is a rule of thumb to try growing your fingernails in just a little length. This is needed especially if you’ll consider strumming, which tends to be painful for those who aren’t used to it. So as a way to protect your fingers from any damage, let your fingernails grow a little bit.

Benefits of Learning the Classical Guitar Music

Learning the music of classic guitar has a lot of benefits to give. In the first place, finding the right sheet music that could help you develop your talent is as easy as pie right now. You can find them both offline and over the internet with a lot of downloadable music sheets available out there. There are also some guitar magazines and guitar CDs that you can use while learning.

Aside from that, learning the craft of classical guitar music will allow you to entertain your friends and families anytime you want to. You can even explore the fields and join the orchestra if you jus want. There are even some restaurants, especially those that are run by Spanish owners, which hire classical guitar players for their own businesses. People will turn show how amazed or happy they are seeing you play your favorite piece. Isn’t it rewarding?

With all the possibilities you can do for yourself and others, learning how to play the classical guitar is truly a great endeavor to pursue. But for you to be able to succeed, just gather some interest and dedication, and be willing to practice until you perfect the classical guitar music.

Locating Classical Guitar Sheet Music

2009-11-04T16:56:00.000-08:00

By Morgan Hamilton

Classical guitar sheet music can be found in large quantities on the Internet. You can browse your server to whatever information you want to get about classical guitar music. You can download music, purchase online music, chat in specific forums with other guitarists, read through different articles and so on.

Aside from your local music store, Internet can be a great place to look for hidden treasures. There are a few very interesting places, which will offer you anything you dream of when talking about classic guitars. Most sites are made for people who are looking for specific music. You can download anything you find interesting. You can also purchase valuable classical guitar music, which is not so easy to find on local music stores.

Classical guitar music sites can be very helpful for professional guitarists. They are also meant for newcomers in guitar playing. Some sites offer tablatures, which can be really useful for people new in guitar playing. Tablature shows where your fingers should stand when playing. Every song has a tablature and you can always check up with the right position of your fingers. Learning guitar is really easy with the available tablatures on the Internet.

Another great priority of classic guitar music on the Internet is that they give you a wide insight into the tradition and history of guitar music. You can listen to selected playlists of different classic guitar music and find your own place among the guitar lovers.

Selling and buying things on the Internet is really easy. That is also valid for all sorts of classic guitar music. Classical guitar sheet music can be purchased individually by piece, or in books that feature a collection of works. You can order them or even get them at discount prices, if available.

For the newly- involved guitar maniacs, it is easier to use Internet to sharpen their abilities. You can search through and find manuals about playing classical guitar. You can order either on CDs,DVDs or MP3s and get the thing you need. All kinds of teaching tools, experiences, recommendations are just waiting for you to buy. The moment you begin collecting these, you will find that your abilities are improving. There is no stopping you when you find that you are advancing. You can learn to play as good as you want to, and admire all the valuable teaching tools that you can find on the net.

How to Play Lightning Fast Classical Guitar

2009-11-01T16:53:00.000-08:00

By Will Kalif

Blasting out lightning fast scales on the classical guitar is a very impressive feat. It sounds so good and really raises the emotional level of your playing. You really can increase your playing speed if you understand a few basic principles.

The first principle of speed on the classical guitar is the fact that whole pieces are not fast. Speed in compositions comes in bursts. This is the basic tenet of comparison. A piece played Largo might have Andante passages that are fast. But these Andante passages are slow if compared to a composition that is presto. So be aware that speed is not necessarily how many notes a second but more a factor of notes and phrases in comparison to each other.

Practice, Practice, Practice

You already know that practice is critical to speed. You have to practice your scales just for the practice, and you have to practice a wide variety of scales. Classical Guitar is like every other form of kinesthetic art; as you practice the motions you make will settle into deeper regions of your brain and your body will learn how to do it without you even thinking about it. With practice you will be able to blast out very fast scales that will amaze you.

Now, all of that sounds good but what about some practical advice on how to get faster?

This part is easy, and the single best thing you can do to improve your speed is to make a conscious attempt at finger crossing patterns with your right hand. This is usually the biggest challenge to playing speed. Practice, on a daily basis if possible, crossing string patterns.

What are string crossing patterns?

This is the way you pick across the six strings with your right hand. If you are playing a scale and you transition from string to string with the right hand you will use a pattern such as playing the first string with your index finger then playing the second string with your middle finger. On to the third string you are back to your index finger and for the fourth string again back to the middle finger.

Avoid the same crossing patterns and create new ones

As you become aware of your finger crossing you will see that you have very distinct patterns that you use. You should create and practice new patterns that are not comfortable for you. This truly will dramatically increase your speed. A good example of a new pattern you might try is to switch your starting finger. When practicing scales you probably start the first note with your right hand index finger. And as you progress through the scale you cross scales in the same pattern. You should try starting the scale with your middle finger. This will totally change the crossing pattern you use for playing the scale and once you get a bit of practice like this your speed will increase significantly. Vary this crossing pattern in as many ways as you can and make sure you also do double strikes where you cross using the same finger. Try playing using only two fingers and then try using only three fingers. These new approaches will create new crossing patterns for you.

To improve your playing speed on the classical guitar you have to practice and you have to bump yourself out of your normal routines of playing. But with some conscious effort you can significantly improve your speed.

How to Read Guitar Music Tablatures - A Guide to Improve your Guitar Playing

2009-10-29T16:51:00.000-07:00

By Janeth Tuazon

Guitar is a popular stringed and fretted musical instrument that is used to create rhythm or music simply by strumming or plucking its string. Guitar is one of the oldest and most popular musical instruments that are still in use today. The fact that everybody loves music is the main aspect of the popularity of guitar music. People of all ages and various walks of life have their own preferences for guitar music be it for relaxation or entertainment purposes. Listening to guitar music is one of the best way to loosen up after a long and stressful day.

On the other hand, for some, listening to guitar music is not enough. Some would people prefer to play the musical instrument, especially those who know how to play the guitar. Some find it difficult to play the guitar but because of the numerous guitar tutorials (either in electronic form or not) that are available these days, playing the guitar can be quite easy and simple. All you have to do is just follow the guitar music sheets – an illustration that contains lines and chords for you to follow – or more known as guitar music tablatures. This way you will learn how to play the guitar and play along your favorite song.

It is quite easy to read the guitar tablature; the illustrations make it a lot easier to learn the numerous guitar chords. And for those who already know how to play but are not quite good, guitar music tablature will help you improve and enhance your guitar playing skills.

On the other hand, the guitar music tablatures also have some disadvantages. The main disadvantage of guitar music tablature is the absence of rhythmic notation. You must know the song properly in order to properly play the song. For some people, in order to quickly learn how to play their favorite song, they usually play along with the guitar as the song plays on the background while studying the guitar tablature.

This is one of the fastest and most efficient ways of learning how to play the guitar. This way, you will save yourself a significant amount of money because instead of taking up guitar lessons and paying for a tutor, you will just be study on your own pace. And as soon as you memorize the numerous guitar chords, playing along your favorite song will be like a walk in the park.

The Outstanding Sound of Classical Guitars

2009-10-26T16:48:00.000-07:00

By Paul Hundrieser

Guitars are among the most popular of all music instruments in the world, practically used in almost all genres of music there is. Whether it's the bass line for the latest rap song hit, or the lead solo in a jazz fusion piece, guitars could be found resonating their sounds in almost all types of music there is in the world.

Dating back almost 5000 years ago, the first generation of guitars were used. However, these ancient guitars didn't exactly resemble the ones we see today, but the basic structure is pretty much remain the same. Today, guitars come in various types and various classes, the most common distinction of which would be acoustic and electric guitars. With acoustics, there is the classical and the steel stringed guitar. For electrics, there is the basic and the archtop.

Now, there are actually more guitar types, but these stand out as the most popular. Between all the mentioned guitar types, the classical guitar would be the perfect one for bringing the classical music genre to life. This is because it has a softer, more endearing sound.

The classical guitar is basically an acoustic guitar designed for plucking and strumming. Classicals could be hooked up to an amplifier by way of pick up systems, if you're looking to perform in front of larger audiences.

The physical differences between steel stringed acoustic guitars and classical guitars is that the classicals have a wider neck, allowing for more finger placements for chords and other playing improvisations. The strings on classical guitars are nylon, while from steel stringed acoustic guitars, which obviously, use steel strings. The nylon strings make for more comfortable use, and the resonating sound results to more softer tones, which makes classical guitars perfect for the rendition of classical pieces.

When talking about all guitars in general, one thing to remember is that there is no rules in guitar playing that indicates that classical pieces could only be played using a classical guitar. Classical pieces can also be played on acoustic steel strings, or even electric guitars. The nature of the sound produced by classical guitars could also be used for various musical genres. However, they are the perfect type to be used to get that fantastic sound for classical music.

How Andres Segovia Changed the World of the Classical Guitar

2009-10-23T16:46:00.000-07:00

By Will Kalif

There is no disputing that Segovia was one of the greatest classical guitarists that ever lived but his impact on the world of the classical guitar extended far beyond just his ability to play. He had a profound impact on every aspect of the modern classical guitar.

Before Andres Segovia the classical guitar was considered an instrument for the common people. It was deemed to be something played in bar rooms and taverns. This reputation was well deserved for several reasons. There was no solid repertoire for the guitar, no good transcriptions of traditional classical music, few composers writing for it, and no instruments with sufficient volume and sound quality that could play in large concert halls. Andres Segovia addressed and corrected all of these issues and in the process he elevated the classical guitar to its modern status of respected solo and ensemble classical instrument.

Segovia as Classical Guitarist

His approach to how he played classical guitar was a microcosm of his approach to the art and music of the guitar as a whole. Since the beginnings of the classical guitar a debate has been raging, and will continue to rage, as to whether a classical guitarist should play with the fingernails or fingertips of his right hand. Segovia, true to his ability to break new ground, developed his own unique approach to this. He played with both! He had the unique style of using both a part of the nail and a part of the fingertip to pluck the guitar strings. This gave him a very distinct sound and it gave him the ability to play in a very broad range of tone.

Segovia as Guitar Maker

Not only did he transform the way guitars were played but he also transformed the way guitars were made. And while he didn’t make any guitars himself he did work closely with leading guitar makers in the early years of the twentieth century to create and design guitars that were better suited to playing classical music and better suited to playing in larger venues. He worked with guitar makers to find and select better woods and to achieve shapes and sizes that better expressed the volume and tone needed for larger concert halls. He also championed and popularized the use of nylon strings, which is what all classical guitars use today. He is generally attributed as being a major contributor to what is now known as the modern classical Guitar.

Segovia as the Bridge between Classical Music and the Guitar

One of his most important contributions to the world of classical guitar was his tireless transcription of traditional classical music pieces into works for the classical guitar. This brought many of the popular composers and works to the repertoire of the classical guitarist and it gave audiences a fresh new look at some of the old classics of the genre. Before him there was very little repertoire for the classical guitarist to choose from and among his many transcriptions that of Bach’s Chachonne is considered to be one of the finest and most difficult works for the guitar. As he found fame and the guitar grew to new heights of respectability contemporary composers turned their eyes and their ears to the guitar and wrote compositions specifically for it and for him. Heitor Villa-Lobos was one of the foremost composers taking this new instrument to new heights and he wrote many works specifically for Segovia.

His Legacy

Because of the tireless work and lifelong passion of Andres Segovia the classical guitar has taken its place as one of the premiere solo and ensemble instruments in the realm of classical music. He addressed and overcame every obstacle that faced the guitar and brought it to the height of respectability it now holds. Famous students that studied directly under him such as Eliot Fisk, Christopher Parkening, and John Williams carry on the tradition of this wonderful instrument.

Information That Can Help You Learn More About Classical Guitar Music

2009-10-20T16:44:00.000-07:00

By Chris B Simpson

Many people have musical interest of different types and classical guitar is an amazing kind of music that can give you such great joy and happiness. The best ways to learn more about classical guitar music, is to do the proper research on the internet or check out some self help books on learning classical guitar at the library. There are many resources that you can go through to gather the information that would be required for learning about classical guitar music. If it is something you are truly interested in and have the time to practice as much as will be needed, then it may be time for you to get to it, and eventually you may be able to show off your musical styles to your family and friends. They will be delighted and so proud of you for being so driven and dedicated to learning something new. It will also give you a great feeling of accomplishment.

While surfing on the internet you will find that there is so much helpful material that can help in guiding you on your journey to learning more about classical guitar music. Perhaps you could even get your hands on an instructional manual which would teach you how to play it and you might even be able to find out about some classes, available to you, for teaching you more about the art and style of learning it. If you are really interested, then you should have no problem when it comes to getting started with this new attraction in your life. You may be able to find someone around your town that knows some about guitar lessons, of various styles. Maybe they could give you information that would be helpful in getting you started with your guitar lessons.

As you are searching for ways to teach yourself classical guitar music, just know that you had better be prepared for a great challenge. It is not always going to be easy but if you allow yourself enough time and have enough patience, it can be accomplished. This type of music has been around for many, many years, so there will be an abundance of information available for teaching you this style of guitar playing. For many people, learning how to read sheet music is probably one of the more difficult tasks. Learning how to read classical music sheets can be even more of a challenge, not just for beginners that know nothing about it, even experienced guitar players would probably have a tough time with this style of sheet music. It can be quite tricky.

You will find different mp3's that would be available to you, for listening to the guitar music styles that you choose, there are some sheets of music that you could actually find on the internet that will not cost you a dime. Listening to this music can give you a better idea on what you will be attempting to play, just getting to know the music is very important. You just have to know where to look and who to talk to about this new interest and you should be well on your way to a new hobby or perhaps even a new career.

Some Tips To Learning Classical Guitar Music

2009-10-17T16:42:00.000-07:00

By Evert Du Toit

Do you have an interest in classic guitar music? Maybe you have heard a master play and now want to learn the same skills yourself or maybe like many people you have an old guitar in the house that you have always wanted to learn to play.

Classical music has been around for many years, dating as far back as the 16th century. To hear and see a master at work playing classical guitar music, it might be intimidating to a beginner, but that does not mean you cannot learn. You need to start somewhere and you can work at your own pace, but it is important to take some action. Nothing happens if you do not take action.

A good place to start might be start searching on the internet for websites dedicated to guitar music. You will be able to find several websites where you can get lots of background information, free tips and even some guides to start you off in your endeavor. You can also find detailed instruction courses, which includes textbooks, audio files with sample songs, and even video that shows you exactly what to do. But you might want to stick to the free resources available until you are certain you want to spend the time and money necessary to become really skillful playing classical guitar music.

Reading classical music can be a challenge, since unlike regular sheet music, you will see lots of special notations around the notes and staves that might confuse you at first. If you bought a good music book, it should have an explanation of the special symbols and what you need to do to play them.

Classical music has been around for hundreds of years, and that is great news for you when it comes to looking for sheet music. A lot of this kind of music is no longer subject to copyright and has passed into the public domain, which simply means that you should be able to find it for very cheap and even free. Once again the internet can be a great resource for this.

Believe it or not, but your fingernails will play an essential role in your playing classical guitar music. It is suggested that you grow out the fingernails on your strumming hand. Your nails play a huge role in the tone and volume and helps with speed and accuracy. Also, since the nail is an extension of the finger, it makes it easier to reach the strings and make picking much easier.

If you are looking for a new hobby, taking up guitar is a great choice, and a lot of help is available at your fingertips on the internet. But remember learning to play any musical instrument takes practice and dedication.

Classical Guitar Music

2009-10-14T16:40:00.000-07:00

By Kevin E Brown

The good thing about classical guitar music is that it can be found in mass all over the internet. It doesn't matter if you're looking to buy classical guitar music or simply find it for free you can do that online. Granted it will be a bit more difficult to find the free music but it is possible!

If you know where to go the internet can be a treasure chest full of classical guitar music ripe for the picking. You will have to do a bit of searching to find the good sites though since most sites are going to try and make you buy the music. A lot of sites will also only give you a certain genre of music so if it's a mix your looking for, more searching will be required.

Professional guitarists will get a great benefit from the classical guitar music sites that are scattered across the net since most of these sites off tabs along with sheet music. Tabs are great for professionals and beginners alike since they make the music much easier to read and understand. If you are a beginner classical guitarist I would highly suggest hunting down some classical guitar music sites that have tablature, it will make life much easier for you.

One other great benefit of finding classical guitar music on the internet is that the sites that host the music will also give you a lot of information about the history and culture of the classical guitar itself. You will usually find that you can listen to some clips of great players as they do fancy licks and solos on their guitars.

If you decide you want to purchase the classical guitar music that you see around the net make sure you look it over first to double check that it is what you want and have a chance at being able to play.In most cases once you purchase the sheet music you wont be able to return it if it's too difficult.

Once you increase your playing skills I would recommend you go out and buy some classical guitar music cd's and try to play along with the guitarists. This will greatly improve your ability to play notes by ear and increase your speed as well.

Learning Classical Guitar Music

2009-10-11T16:37:00.000-07:00

By Morgan Hamilton

What is your level of understanding about classical guitar music? Don't know much about it? Well, you can always learn. You might even own a classical guitar or have heard one played before, or maybe you just want to learn how to play a wonderful instrument. The guitar has a glorious history, dating back to the 16th century, and can seem almost intimidating when you see a master playing it. But that doesn’t mean you can’t learn classical guitar music and play it at your own pace while enjoying the challenge.

Surfing the net, you will find quite a few websites devoted to the guitar. Instructional manuals on how to play classical guitar music, various firms advertising free classical guitars, and in-depth classes on how to play like a professional in just one hour, yeah good luck with that. Some vendors charge for course materials, whereas others offer a little bit of information for free on their website. Some free websites will give you short classes on the correct posture, the proper playing position and where to begin.

Reading classical music of any kind can be a challenge. Unlike regular sheet music, there are a lot of special notations and marks around the notes that can be very confusing to the uninitiated. Some free websites will actually list what all these notes and symbols mean and how to play them on your classical guitar.

Your fingernail is an essential part of playing this instrument. Interestingly, in classical guitar music it is suggested that you grow your fingernail out just a little bit in your strumming hand. This may sound silly but you should seek information on proper grooming and care of your fingernail. You want to play classical guitar music well, but don’t want to damage your precious little finger do you? Needless to say, playing classical guitar is part art and part science.

The music has been with us for multiple generations. That’s great news if you’re looking for sheet music. In many cases, after a certain number of years have passed from the original composer’s death, music then becomes public domain and copyright laws no longer apply. That simply means that you can probably find a lot of classical guitar music for free. While many companies will no doubt still try and charge you for complex pieces, keep looking and you will find your favorite classical guitar music theme for quick print or download. Along with sheet music there are also MP3’s and Midi files available to listen to so you can get a real good feel of the music as well as the notes.

Learning any musical instrument regardless of what it is has mainly to do with good practice. If you’re planning a metamorphosis, looking for a new hobby or even a new profession, think about the classical guitar. I promise you will have plenty of help available on the Internet and it might not even cost you anything to get you going. Besides, of course, buying the classical guitar itself, that is!

Guitar Lessons

2009-10-08T20:31:00.000-07:00

Trying to find the right guitar lesson experience? In this world with all kinds of styles of music and bands, finding someone to teach you what you really dream of playing is kind of tough. It all depends on the individual. Have you ever had a guitar lesson that just seemed to never end. A good guitar lesson should be about teaching you to develop what you are passionate about. If you’re not passionate about classical guitar styles, then why learn them?

This means they can play a variety of styles. The majority of us just want to just pick up a guitar and PLAY! We don’t want guitar lesson after guitar lesson of boring theory and stuff that doesn’t really help us PLAY!

Anyways, finding the right guitar lesson should be more about finding what YOU like. If you want to play rock music, find a rock guitarist to teach you. If you want to play jazz, find a jazz guitarist. If you want to play classical guitar, then get you some classical lessons. It’s a matter of learning a few chords and going from there. The problem is finding a teacher who’ll give you a good guitar lesson that doesn’t include all the stuff that really doesn’t matter when it comes down to just playing a song. It may be hard to find free guitar lessons. Most teachers won’t offer free guitar lessons. If you can find one that’s great. I recommend finding an online alternative if you’re just itching to get started.

I’ve seen some good online sites come and go. If you can find a good online guitar lesson site that is inexpensive you’re doing well! Why? Because you can learn at your own pace and learn what you want to learn. Information about these sites can be found at any search engine and most offer nice programs. You should be able to download a small application or set of pdfs/docs that include all this info, if the site is set up well.

Guitar Lessons - With Some Determination You'll Play Like a Pro
Does anyone really need to take guitar lessons to learn to play the guitar? Aren't there a million websites that can teach you to play the guitar in a week?
Most people who offer guitar lessons are professional, accomplished musicians earning who have trained for many years to become proficient at the guitar. The more certified your instructor, the higher the hourly wage. Teachers who are affiliated with schools or other professional institutions usually charge more due to larger overhead costs. Some people shy away from guitar lessons because they are nervous about playing badly, but no matter how old you are or how inexperienced you are, your guitar teacher has likely seen and heard it all.
You are paying them for their expertise, so let them fix the mistakes and make you a better guitar player. In order to learn as much from your guitar instructor as possible you need to be very comfortable with them. You will be spending a fair amount of time alone together and you should feel positive about your learning environment and the teaching style of your instructor.

Guitar lessons are only as successful when people are committed to making them successful. Making a schedule and sticking to it is the only way to learn the guitar. Guitar instructors can provide lessons on chords, fingering and they can even assign practice work, but unless the student practices, none of the instructor's work will do any good. Find a quiet, comfortable place to practice where you won't be disturbed. Once you start your practice, don't stop. Practice for the entire hour without any breaks. Guitar lessons are the most effective the longer you use them. Once the six month period has elapsed, both the instructor and the student can re-evaluate the learning plan. Recent studies have shown, that students who learn the guitar from a professional instructor, one hour per week, learn to play proficiently, 60 times faster than those who don't learn from a professional.

Luckily for everyone, guitar lessons are available in many different formats. Today, people can access live tutorials over the internet. Some cable television stations have weekly shows that provide excellent instruction for beginning guitar players. Learning the guitar will provide you with many years of enjoyment and fun, but it does require determination and effort. Practice often and attend a lesson once a week and you will be playing complex melodies in no time.

Learn to Play Electric Guitar

2009-10-05T20:29:00.000-07:00

With the increased pressure to "go electric," many artists who played the guitar at the height of the Rock n Roll movement switched their acoustic instruments to electric versions. Unlike bass guitars, which can often be converted into electric basses, a purely electric guitar will not produce melodic sounds without the help of an amplifier which carries the tune produced through an electronic current. Electric guitars also allow the player to partially manipulate the sound coming to the amplifier through equalizing, distorting, and other methods.
If you want to teach yourself the electric guitar, you are going to first have to choose which type you want to play. If you are learning to play an electric guitar from a professional instructor, then you will learn using the classical method, where learning the exact difference between notes, chords, and octaves is essential. This will allow you to read sheet music, even if you have never heard the music before. While this is a slower process, the foundation you are laying for future guitar success is greater because you will have already mastered reading music. Many guitar enthusiasts, who simply want to learn the electric version for fun almost never choose to learn to read music. Instead, they generally learn the four-stringed electronic guitar in chords, which allows them to "play by ear". A four-stringed instrument is made up of regular note progressions, and switching in and out of different chords as well as training your left hand to switch and hold a chord in a certain fret as you strum in rhythm to the song of your choice is a lot easier.

The electric guitar is a great choice for those who want to play rock and roll, jazz, blues, and even modern versions of classical or contemporary music. If you haven't bought an electric guitar yet, then you'll have to consider what version you'd like. A hollow-bodied guitar uses its inner cavity to bounce the sound around before it is emitted for amplification. A regular solid electric guitar emits the sound without any sort of resonation before it hits the amplifier.

Learning to play the electric guitar is as fun as learning to play a regular bass guitar. For those wanting to learn the fundamentals of guitar playing then an instructor might be the best option. But, if you simply want to learn for fun, practice using a four-stringed instrument by learning to play in chords and strum according to what you hear.

Electric, Classical, Acoustic - Which Guitar Is Best For You?
The lute, harp and lyre are the three stringed instruments from which guitars evolved. The features of guitars vary for each musical period. Bands and gigs will not be complete without guitars. There are various types of guitars that can suit the intended purpose of the user such as the twelve strings guitars, six strings, classical guitars and electric guitars. Twelve strings made up the twelve strings guitar to achieve a rich tone compared with the standard six string guitars. The courses of strings are played together though the sound produced are
different from the other. On the bass course are two strings tuned an octave apart and on the treble courses are the other pairs of strings that are tuned together.

The third string in the third course can be tuned by using unison strings or the distinct high-pitched octave guitars strings. The style of standard six string guitars can allow the user to have easy contact on the higher frets on the finger board. This type needs an access on the frets to produce the desired sounds and effects.

Classical guitars of the olden days have cat gut which later on developed into nylon strings. These types of guitars have a flat fingerboard and wide neck. Other guitars experts suggest that classical guitars are the best types for beginners since it has greater string gauge and lighter string tension but still the decision is on the buyer since the classic guitar may not suit
their preferences and style. Classic songs and music are best played using classical guitars.

Electric guitars are made up of different materials and use various components to produce the needed sound.
Alder, Mahogany, Walnut, Maple and Ash are the commonly used types for the body of electric guitars. Electric guitars are used in various forms and styles of music may it be pop,country, rock and roll, jazz or blues.

In buying guitars, the user must make sure that the chosen guitar will match his budget, playing style and skills. An electric guitar is easier to play compared with an acoustic guitar. Acoustic guitars can produce audible sounds without using amplifiers. Package deals are at times offered for beginners which may include a guitar together with other options like a tuner, pics, strap and case. The soundboard of the guitars must be carefully inspected to determine the type of sound produced. Producers of good quality guitars are usually the well-known companies in the industry like Taylor, Gibson, Yamaha, Fender, Ovation, Martin and Ibanez.

How To String A Classical Guitar

2009-10-02T20:27:00.000-07:00

When changing the strings on a classical guitar it is best to change one string at a time. As well as this, never tune the string more than a tone above its normal pitch. You can tune it a little sharp (for example, one semitone above normal concert pitch) as this can make the guitar a little ‘brighter’ to play. Tune it any higher and you risk breakage.
Never put steel strings on a classical guitar. It is not constructed to take this exertion and it is easily damaged (the neck can break away from the body).
To string the guitar:
- Unwind the old string until the tension is completely released and the string is quite floppy
- Unthread the string from the Capstan in the Headstock
- Next untie if from the bridge and discard it

You’re now ready to string the guitar:
- Start by slipping the string through the corresponding hole in the bridge from the sound hole end
- Leave approximately 1½ inches of the string sticking out past the back of the bridge
- Pull the extra string length towards the sound hole and loop it around the string where it originally entered the bridge
- Loop the string under and over itself on top of the bridge twice. This forms a figure 8.
- Pull the string tightly away from the sound hole and attach it to the tuning peg as shown below
- Loop the string at the peg head and then twist it around itself before tightening the peg
- Continue to restring the other strings one by one using the above method

After all the strings are restrung, start to tune the strings by starting with the first E treble string. Use the tuning fork to get the A note on the 5th fret. You can tune the other strings from this.

There is another way of securing the string to the bridge. This is called the Letter D method. This is usually used only for the 4th, 5th and 6th strings and is done as follows:
Some things to take note of while restringing and tuning:
- Nylon strings, especially trebles, are very stretchy. Uneven strings do not play in tune
- Most intonation problems are due to uneven strings
- Experiment to find the string that sounds best

Remember to take your time when first restringing a guitar. Take care that you learn the correct method. When you first put on new strings play all the semitones, fret by fret, along the string length and then retune the guitar. This will allow the strings to stretch more quickly and settle down and stay in tune. There are a lot of classical guitar strings on the market. Restringing a guitar can be a bit daunting at first. Approach the task slowly and take time to learn the correct methods.

Learning Classical Guitar - The Five Basic Physical Elements of Technique
All Classical Guitarists are connected by a common thread.
A real love for the instrument itself even if we don't play it. If you have ever recorded yourself playing something, and then played it back, you know what I'm talking about. So what we all strive for is to match our idealization with real playing and that becomes the motivation to mush forward with our pieces and pedagogy. I'm always talking about "frame of mind" and the "Five Disciplines of Technique" because the two go hand in hand. I also believe in the theoretical ideal of mastering technique first before any music goes on the music stand. I realize that this "ideal" concept, in reality, isn't totally achievable but if our hope for effortless and inspired playing is an "ideal pursuit" and we endeavor towards it each time we pick up our Guitars, then why shouldn't we endeavor to perfect our technique each time we pick up our Guitar.

How does one overcome the moving sands of trying to play effortlessly and musically plus find the time in the day to devote to technical mastery..? The all too common, but incorrect, solution is putting our favorite piece of Guitar music on the music stand and living vicariously through the composer's notes but always falling short in being able to really play the piece.

The result ? Classical Guitar technique breaks down into five basic physical categories or Disciplines, as I call them.
The First Discipline: Playing one single string with one finger and only after that playing one single string with multiple fingers. No Left Hand yet.
This Discipline takes time to perform correctly and is the cornerstone of your technique. If you don't master it the rest of what you'll do will be... absolutely ...pointless. If you can't consistently stroke one string with one finger with loud volume and full round tone then you probably can't get through ten measures of a piece of music without faltering.

The Second Discipline: The Right Hand alone playing multiple strings.
This Discipline is the next building block to technique and when perfected will eventually become what I call the backdrop to effortless playing.

The Third Discipline: The Left Hand alone on a single string.
This Discipline is the most deceptive, and counter intuitive one of all the disciplines. It's the reason no one practices it but until you are completely aware of the micro movements of your Left Hand Fingers individually, the complex array of Left Hand fingerings contained in pieces of music will be nothing short of mind boggling.

The Fourth Discipline: The Left Hand alone on multiple strings.
Here is where the muscles really get a work out and endurance becomes a major factor so learning to exert only the pressure required to stop a fretted note is the secret to many aspects of playing, speed being the biggest one.

The Fifth Discipline: Both Hands playing on single strings and then multiple strings. No, not music yet.
Remember that learning to play classical guitar by playing music will only ingrain bad habits that you'll have to unlearn someday.
Usually when your lack of progress and frustration has reached its pinnacle.

Classical Guitar Tablatures

2009-09-29T20:25:00.000-07:00

A classical guitar is slightly different in shape from an ordinary guitar (i.e. rhythm guitar, bass guitar, Hawaiian guitar, etc.) The fret board, also known as the neck of the guitar, is slightly broader than that of other guitars. The guitarist must stretch his fingers a bit more than when he is playing an acoustic or an electric guitar. When it comes to the string, the difference is that a classical guitar uses nylon strings instead of metal ones, making for a mellower sound.

Classical guitars are based on the classical mode of music and follow classically oriented instructions. But the modern day guitar tablatures follow a slightly different course from that of classical notations. Playing classical guitar is more inclined to figure work and plucking. Therefore, these classical guitar tablatures are more meticulously structured and they are much more complex and intertwined with more uses of notes (i.e. C, Bb, G, A, F, F#, etc) than others.

Then by the 17th century various systems of tablatures existed in Germany, Italy, Spain and France. Nowadays tablatures, guitar tabs in particular, have vertical lines which represent the strings of the guitar (no matter what kind of guitar it is), horizontal lines for the frets, and dots signifying the position of the figures.

Guitar Lesson: Learn To Play Classical Guitar Without Nails
Is it possible to play classical guitar without nails? Let me tell you the advantages of no nails playing and give you some tips!
Sharon Isbin in her Classical Guitar Answer Book wrote... "Classical guitarists can play without nails, but they should be aware that in doing so they are sacrificing certain possibilities of tone color and projection - all of which affect interpretation and musical presentation."

I have played classical guitar and also improvisational jazz and blues guitar for many years and have been teaching others professionally. I have played with long nails, shorter nails and no nails at all. I have seen guitar students struggling with their tone on the guitar. Guitarists with problem nails, guitarists not taking care of their nails and subsequently with a terrible tone and some guitarists with perfect nails and still not a good tone because of faltering technique. I have also met guitarists that were playing without nails and I have seen electric guitarists finger playing without nails like Mark Knopfler and others.

I like playing without nails for these reasons:
1. It's a challenge to find the tone and get the most out of the guitar playing without nails. You have to play with more force to find the upper harmonics and you have to work even more with the guitar technique.
2. I like the sweet sound of my fingers touching the strings. The sound created is mellow but the volume will still be satisfying if you play with force and with calousses developed by practising.
3. You will be able to play piano with correct finger posture.
4. You can play electric guitar with your fingers without risking to destroy your nails.

I will now give you some of my own advice and experiences from playing without nails. You might find some more information on the net as there are many other classical guitarists and lute players who want to play without nails.
1. It will take a week or so to build callouses on your fingertips after having filed down your nails.
2. A way to build callouses is to play finger picking on electric guitar or steel string guitar. I have experienced that my blues guitar playing is much more musical and more dynamic as I play with my fingers instead of with a pick on my electric guitar. Sometimes I use to alternate between my thumb and index finger when playing scales and licks and other times my index finger and middle finger or in another classical guitar playing way.
3. You will get a softer and in many ways a more beautiful tone if you cultivate your playing without nails.
4. As you practice exercises on your guitar you need to play slowly and with a little more force to get a good tone. It is important that you don't build tensions as you play. All musicians benefit from learning relaxation techniques and stretching to prevent injuries.
5. Practice especially playing apoyando (support strokes) with all your fingers and listen to the tone and try to improve it as part of your playing.
If you feel that playing completely without nails is to hard for you, you might after this test period let them grow but you can keep them a lot shorter as your technique has improved. Mostly not used but still affecting your tone and supporting your playing. As with long nails you will have to polish them and take care of them.

There are many more things to say about playing guitar without nails but personally this technique gives me a tone I like and an exciting and rewarding challenge.

How to Choose an Acoustic Guitar For a Beginner

2009-09-26T20:22:00.000-07:00

All my pupils must have an acoustic steel strung guitar because learning on this type of guitar is the best way for complete beginners. You can still have a beginners electric guitar or even a classical guitar but you must have an acoustic guitar to learn on.

What is the best acoustic guitar for beginners?
There are many criteria for beginners buying a guitar but the main criteria is that you purchase it from a specialist music retailer. This can be online or a real music shop but the seller must be a specialist. Will only stock guitars of a good standard because as musicians themselves they know a good guitar from a bad one. Any self respecting guitar shop will only offer good instruments. In the UK we have general stores selling guitars that are very cheap and they are basically only good for firewood. The shops have no staff who can help you or know how to set up a guitar. For buying online you should again check that the seller is a specialist guitar retailer and they have a solid returns guarantee.

Should you buy a named brand acoustic guitar.
The big name in guitar would have you believe that they have the best guitars and they certainly do sell great gear. But the Yamaha guitars and fender guitars are usually too good for a beginner. If I had £150 to spend on a beginners guitar I would spend it on a top of the range copy guitar rather than the real thing. Secret tips for selecting a guitar.
If you are investing £3500 in a Martin then you can rest assured it will be perfect. If you have a small budget then two guitars that are supposed to be the same will be quite different in playability.

Get Ready to buy your second guitar
If you really persevere with your guitar playing you must plan on buying your second guitar in a year. A year of lessons on the guitar and a year of practice will show you what you like in a guitar. Then you can invest in a guitar to last you a lifetime.

Learning To Play An Acoustic Guitar
Guitar happens to be the most important and magical musical instrument, which has transformed the entire musical landscape globally. With the proliferation of a number of musical colleges, learning music is no longer an expensive proposition.

Learning the basics of acoustic guitar can also be an engaging process provided you take lessons from the right institution or person. So it makes sense to go through some of the important acoustic playing tips that are going to make the learning of the basic acoustic guitar techniques an absolutely fun filled experience. There are several kinds of acoustic guitars, which come with different price tags. Some of the remarkable qualities of acoustic guitars are as followed.

Beautiful sound quality.
The pitch quality is also absolutely perfect.
There are various types of acoustic guitars.
• Takamine G-240
• Fender DG-7
• Fender DG-7
• Fender DG-7
• Washburn D10S
• Blueridge BR-40
• Washburn D10S

With the proliferation of the online media there is no dearth of proper information on this type of guitar for the beginners. Many of the guitar tips come handy and are quite helpful in making beginners learn the basics of the acoustic guitars. There are also many acoustic guitar tip books, which provide a storehouse of knowledge to the beginners. There are many comprehensive niche guitar softwares in which you will get written lessons and popular guitar tabs, which have been developed by the famous guitarists. Acoustic tips can also be acquired from the known and veteran workshops, which give a detailed step-by-step layout for the beginners. The lessons include notes, photos and diagrams and guitar tabs to assist the new learners.

Whether you will opt for an acoustic guitar or an electric guitar largely depends on the what suits your needs best. Generally, these guitars are more suited for beginners; it is also less expensive and portable than an electric guitar. The entire journey of learning how to play an acoustic guitar can turn out to be an absolutely enthralling experience provided you have the right kind of motivation and devotion.

A typical guitar studio for the acoustic playing should have the following parts
• Gross Audio Recording Studio
• Flatpicking Guitar
• Fingerstyle Guitar
• Tom-tom drum
• Rolly Brown
• Mark Cosgrove
• Elvis Presley
• Elvis's Martin D-28
• Neil Young
• Hank Wiliams

Acoustic guitar techniques are fast catching the fancy of people.

Beginner Acoustic Guitar Lesson - History of the Acoustic Guitar

2009-09-23T20:20:00.000-07:00

Guitars can be divided into two main categories: acoustic guitars and electric guitars. Acoustic guitars have a hollow body and the sounds they create are amplified using the resonance of the guitar body, which creates a real natural sound. Electric guitars are typically made of solid wood and the sound produced by the guitar strings is amplified by electricity. Various types of signal processors can be used between the guitar and the amplifier to create unique sounds.

Acoustic guitars can also be divided into two main categories: nylon string acoustic guitars, such as the flamenco and the classical guitar, and of course the steel string acoustic guitar, such as the western guitar (used in folk, country), the twelve string acoustic, the resonator guitar, the baroque guitar, and the archtop guitar. The most commonly used type is the steel string guitar, which many rock bands play during acoustical jams.

The baroque guitar is the original instrument. Introduced back in the baroque era, around 1600, it is the first acoustic guitar ever to be played. Strings were made from animal gut, and the size of the guitar was much smaller than acoustic guitars you see today. Classical guitars represent the modern acoustic guitar, and are played by classical musicians. They are also known as the Spanish guitar. The fret and the distance between strings is bigger on a classical guitar, as the players pluck the strings with their fingers instead of using a pick (which is typically used on steel string guitars). This is an excellent way to learn how to play the guitar, and gives beginners a great foundation for learning the instrument.

Acoustic guitars have remained uniform in size and shape over the last century. The classical guitar is unique from a typical acoustic guitar due to the nylon strings used. Also, players hold the classical guitar in a unique position: the left leg is raised onto a footstool, and the guitar is positioned on this leg (steel string guitarists typically use the right leg). The classical guitarist holds the instrument in place with their right arm.

It is imperative to mention some of the most profound classical guitar players when talking about the classical acoustic guitar. Andres Segovia is probably the most well known classical guitarist, the man who once said he “rescued the guitar from the hands of flamenco gypsies”. He built a great classical repertoire and gave the classical guitar a place in concert halls around the world.

Although many people did not believe that the new sounds of Segovia’s classical guitar would be accepted by the guitar community, he was able to prove them wrong with his amazing technique and unique touch. He single-handedly managed to revive the acoustic guitar and gave it a well deserved place in concert halls.

What's Easier- Electric Or Acoustic Guitar?
There seems to be a misconception floating around that starting your first lessons with an electric guitar is somehow more difficult than starting with an acoustic guitar. The neck of an electric guitar is longer and thinner than an acoustic guitar. The action (space between string and top of fretboard) is generally lower on an electric guitar also. As a result, less strength is required to push the strings down onto the fretboard, thus making it easier to play.

The classical guitar would be next in line as far as ease of playing is concerned. This is because it has nylon strings which are more flexible than the wound steel strings of a dreadnaught acoustic guitar. The challenge with classical guitar, especially for those who have small hands, is playing a wider neck.
So, when rating guitars from 1. being the easiest to play, and 3.
1. electric
2. classical
3. acoustic steel string (dreadnaught)

Now, when it comes to style, that’s another matter…
Each of the instruments I mentioned above are generally associated with a particular style of music. Electric guitars have a long history of association with rock and roll music. Likewise, classical guitars were developed to play classical music and acoustic steel string guitars are most often associated with country-western music. Each style of guitar music has it’s own merit and unique level of difficulty. We can all think of great musicians in each field… Eddie Van Halen, Segovia, Chet Atkins- all of whom were supurb guitarists in their particular style of choice.

How to Play Lightning Fast Classical Guitar

2009-09-20T20:18:00.000-07:00

Blasting out lightning fast scales on the classical guitar is a very impressive feat. It sounds so good and really raises the emotional level of your playing. You really can increase your playing speed if you understand a few basic principles. The first principle of speed on the classical guitar is the fact that whole pieces are not fast. Speed in compositions comes in bursts. This is the basic tenet of comparison. A piece played Largo might have Andante passages that are fast. But these Andante passages are slow if compared to a composition that is presto.

Practice, Practice, Practice
You already know that practice is critical to speed. You have to practice your scales just for the practice, and you have to practice a wide variety of scales. With practice you will be able to blast out very fast scales that will amaze you. This part is easy, and the single best thing you can do to improve your speed is to make a conscious attempt at finger crossing patterns with your right hand. This is usually the biggest challenge to playing speed. Practice, on a daily basis if possible, crossing string patterns.

What are string crossing patterns?
If you are playing a scale and you transition from string to string with the right hand you will use a pattern such as playing the first string with your index finger then playing the second string with your middle finger. On to the third string you are back to your index finger and for the fourth string again back to the middle finger.

Avoid the same crossing patterns and create new ones
As you become aware of your finger crossing you will see that you have very distinct patterns that you use. You should create and practice new patterns that are not comfortable for you. This truly will dramatically increase your speed. When practicing scales you probably start the first note with your right hand index finger. And as you progress through the scale you cross scales in the same pattern. You should try starting the scale with your middle finger. This will totally change the crossing pattern you use for playing the scale and once you get a bit of practice like this your speed will increase significantly. Try playing using only two fingers and then try using only three fingers. These new approaches will create new crossing patterns for you.

To improve your playing speed on the classical guitar you have to practice and you have to bump yourself out of your normal routines of playing. But with some conscious effort you can significantly improve your speed.

A Popular Music Repertoire for the Classical Guitar
Just because you play classical guitar doesn’t mean you have to limit yourself to hundred year old music! There are many modern pop songs that translate very well to the classical guitar.
One of the biggest challenges any classical guitarist faces is that of trying to assemble a repertoire of music that a wide audience will appreciate. The classical guitar is capable of interpreting this popular music in a very distinct and pleasant way. Here is a selection of popular pieces that translate well, and sound well, on the classical guitar.

Stairway to Heaven – This is the anthem of a whole generation of rock music and the guitar arrangement by Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin is one of the best pieces of guitar music ever written. It is a stunningly beautiful piece of music.
Vincent – (Starry, Starry, Night) This is a beautiful song written by Don Mclean and it is a great piece for classical guitar. It is quite possibly the best piece of guitar music ever written.
Blackbird – by the Beatles - This is a perfect piece for a beginner to learn.
Yesterday – Another piece by the Beatles and arguably one of the most beautiful melodies ever written.
It has a haunting melody and a great arpeggio style of finger picking that sounds great on the classical guitar. This is a great intermediate level piece.
It is a novelty but sounds great.
Unchained Melody – Alex North and Hy Zaret – This is a piece of music that has been performed for over 50 years now and for good reason.
Hotel California – The Eagles - Originally written for the 12-string guitar this song plays extraordinary well on the classical guitar and really expresses that 70’s soft rock feeling.
Time In A Bottle – Jim Croce had a very unique style of playing folk guitar and this style translates well to the classical guitar. This piece is one of his best pieces in that it showcases some really beautiful, and unique, guitar phrasings.
Tears in Heaven – Eric Clapton is hailed as the king of rock and roll guitar and for good reason. Tears in Heaven is the perfect slow pop piece to showcase how the classical guitar can cross genres into the world of pop music.

The Classical Guitar is an extraordinarily diverse instrument and it can sound good in almost any genre of music but learning a solid repertoire of popular music is something that can enable you to reach and connect with a very wide audience.

How to buy a Classical Guitar - Tips and Hints to Help You Make a Good Purchase

2009-09-17T20:15:00.000-07:00

Purchasing a classical guitar can be a difficult task particularly if you are not yet an accomplished player. Here are some tips and hints on finding a good quality classical guitar whether it is in the hundred dollar range or the thousand dollar range.

If you are have ever gone into a well stocked guitar shop you have no doubt been confused by the selection of guitars. There are literally hundreds of shapes, sizes brands and types of guitars. When in a guitar shop and looking at the guitars you should always ask a sales person to help you. This way you can take guitars down and play them. If you cannot play very well you should ask the sales clerk to play for you so you can get a feel for the sound of the different guitars. If the sales clerk doesn’t play you should ask if there is someone working in the shop that does play. Not listening to the different guitars is like shopping for a car but never test driving any of them. Guitarists are usually a very gregarious bunch and a guitarist will almost always jump at the chance to play for someone else. If you don’t yet play well and you can’t find somebody to play for you I recommend you not purchase a guitar.

Check the size and shape of the guitar
Your body shape has an effect on this. If you are over six feet tall the smaller guitars might not be comfortable for you and the fret board may be uncomfortable for your hands. So even if you can’t play music you should always hold and sit with the guitars to get a sense of how the different ones feel.

Check the mechanics and playability of the guitar
Here are several things you should do when considering the purchase of a classical guitar.
1. Play every note on every string all the way up and down. Listen for frets that don’t play properly. They will give a rattling sound and if this occurs on any fret at all you should put the guitar aside and try another one. This is a sign of inferior quality. Every string should play cleanly on every single fret.
2. Check the action of the strings against the frets in terms of how much pressure is needed to play notes and chords. You should play bar chords all the way down the frets to insure good pressure. If it is too hard to press the strings in order to make a clear chord this could be a sign of an inferior guitar.
3. Play harmonics on the strings. This is an excellent test of the quality of the guitar. Playing harmonics is the technique of plucking the note with your right hand and only lightly touching the string with your left hand. Test the harmonics of all the strings on the 5th, 7th, 12th and 19th frets. If you do not know how to play harmonic notes ask the sales clerk to help you.
4. Examine and test the tuning pegs. Wind and unwind them while watching and feeling for smooth turning motion.
5. Visually examine the whole guitar. Are there any small cracks? Are the frets firmly installed into the fret board?
6. Tap on the front of the guitar (The sound board) in a variety of different spots. Does it have a rich echoing sound or are there spots where it sounds dead and limp? The internal structure of the classical guitar is very important for the sound and important for the longevity of it. Dull thud sounds could be an indicator of an inferior instrument.
7. Examine the details.
8. Don’t hesitate to take a good look inside the guitar sound hole. If you see sloppy globs of dried glue around these braces it could be an indicator of inferior craftsmanship.
9. Remember that there are three distinct areas you must consider when purchasing a classical guitar: The Look, The Feel, and the Sound. If you keep all three of these things in mind and carefully examine the guitar in relation to these you will be able to choose an instrument that will bring you a lifetime of trouble free playing enjoyment.

A Classical Guitar is a purchase that can give you a lifetime of enjoyment and you should consider the purchase carefully. Even if you don’t plan on playing every day you should buy an instrument that is of good quality so it will maintain its sound quality for a lifetime.

Acoustic Guitars - What to Look For When Buying
What is an Acoustic Guitar?
The origins of the classical guitar go back centuries and were strung with strings made from animal gut. As these guitars developed acoustic guitars strung with steel strings started to become popular. These days, when we refer to a classical guitar it generally means to be strung with nylon strings (they evolved from the animal gut given its cheapness and playing qualities) whilst reference to acoustic guitars means those that are strung with steel strings.

Acoustic Guitar Qualities
Acoustics guitars (steel stings) are loader and have a punchy, jangly and vibrant sound. This enables the instrument to cut through other band noise to provide a rhythmic sound and edge to the band and have therefore become popular with both the country and rock genre of music. The good quality acoustic guitars are made of solid hard woods like rosewood, maple and mahogany which, apart from making the instrument more robust, enhance its sound qualities. Some cheaper instruments are manufactured using laminated woods but this does affect the tonal range and quality. Some mid priced acoustic guitars will use a mixture of solid and laminated woods.

Since the 70's the acoustic guitars manufacturer Ovation, started to develop and build acoustic guitars with solid wooden tops but plastic bowls or backs. These again have provided a further individual sound for the acoustic guitar. Acoustic guitars have been further developed to include built in pick-ups, pre-amps and graphic equalisers to further manipulate the tone. Coupled with that, specialist amplifiers for acoustic guitars have been developed that enable the natural sound of steel strung acoustic guitars to be mirrored at high volume levels.
If you are serious about your guitar playing, I would always recommend spending as much as you can afford and try not to skimp.

Learning to Play Acoustic Guitar for the Beginner

2009-09-14T20:12:00.000-07:00

The very first step toward learning to play acoustic guitar is to develop confidence and to destroy that "I can't do it" mentality. Your biggest obstacle in your acoustic guitar playing is not going to be money, time, or the absence of a good teacher. Once you learn how to tame the negativity inside, you will be that much closer to becoming a good acoustic guitar player.
Frustration is normal during the learning process. Resistance is what helps us grow. So the next time you are working on a scale, or chord progression, and you find yourself fumbling or messing up, don't throw down the guitar with frustration, instead welcome the challenge and have patience in it.

YOUR FIRST GUITAR
Buying a first guitar is an important step for the beginner guitarist. You should have a good understanding of the acoustic guitar as a whole as well as a good idea of what your goals are as an acoustic guitar player. There are two kinds of acoustic guitars that you can purchase and they are your classic or nylon string guitar and your steel string guitar. The classic or nylon guitars produce a round or dull tone, where as the steel string guitars are much different, producing a bright tinny or metallic sound. Only time will tell.

Another thing you will have to consider is the body style of your acoustic guitar. Acoustic guitars come in a variety of different body sizes from small to jumbo. Each size has its own distinct sound. Smaller body guitars have more treble and midrange sounds and are much easier to hold. Lead guitarists tend to favor smaller body guitars because they tend to have a more balanced sound to them and are easier to make out when playing with other musicians in a band. Your larger body guitars have more bass and are more difficult to hold. Your best bet is to find a guitar that you are comfortable holding and playing. Guitar playing is challenging enough in the beginning and you do not need any added difficulties.

Guitar quality will differ depending on the model and brand. It is also recommended that you bring along an experienced musician when you go guitar shopping. An experienced guitar player will be able to better judge the quality of a guitar.

Buy the best guitar that you can afford. Many of the guitars that sell for under $100 are poorly made for the most part. If you cannot afford to spend more, then save up and wait until you can. A well made guitar will be easier to play, more appealing to the eye and more responsive. If you enjoy playing your instrument more, you will then be more inspired to play. You can find a fine beginner acoustic guitar for under $500. You may also want to look into the used acoustic guitar market. Make sure you take an experienced guitar player with you if you decide to buy a used guitar.

LEARNING & PRACTICE
There is probably no substitution for a good guitar teacher, but it can be rather expensive over time, so many guitar players are left with no other choice then to learn on their own. The more often you play the faster you will learn. Your brain can only absorb so much information before it needs a break and your hands and the rest of your body need time to recuperate as well. Twenty minutes of quality focused practice is much more effective than an hour of sloppy practice.

Study Your Instrument
Take some time to learn more about the parts of your acoustic guitar. Learn about how it is constructed and how all the parts work together to produce those beautiful sounds that you hear.

Learn How to Tune Your Guitar
You can find free step by step guides online for tuning your acoustic guitar. Make certain that you spend time learning how to do this. Purchase a guitar tuner at any local music store and practice tuning your guitar with the guitar tuner. When you begin to develop a better ear, try tuning it without the guitar tuner. Then use the guitar tuner to check and see how accurate your ear was. This will help you develop a good ear.

Learn the Right Posture
If you are accustomed to just grabbing your guitar and sitting down to play in any old position, then you are at risk of injuring yourself and developing bad playing habits.

Learn Your Chords & Scales
Learn as many different chords and variations of the same chord that you can and practice your scales. This will give you a well rounded familiarity with the frets on the guitar and it will build up strength in your fingers and hands.

I hope this article has helped with your acoustic guitar learning. Keep a positive attitude and practice! Before you know you will be playing acoustic guitar like a pro. I wish you well. God Bless.

The Classical Guitar - A Rich Heritage
The "classic" or classical guitar that was first developed in Spain by Antonio de Torres, sometime during the 1800s, is considered to be the foundation stone and model for all modern guitars. Torres broke new ground in the world of guitar making by using an innovative "fan-strutting" technique that he applied underneath the top for better sound distribution and strength. As time progressed, the old strings were eventually replaced with nylon treble-strings and nylon steel-wound bass-strings which lasted longer and produced a better sound.
The classical guitar has a wider neck than the average steel-string acoustic guitar in order to facilitate finger picking. Each finger of the guitarist's right hand is identified with a letter from the Latin word which represents a particular finger.
P = Pulga (thumb)
I = Indicio (index)
M = Medio (middle)
A = Anular (ring)

Favorite woods used in construction often include Brazillian or Indian rosewood for the body, cedar for the neck, and silka-spruce or cedar for the top. Well made classical guitars produce a beautifully deep, rich, mellow tone. The sound resonates clearly through the woods and can be easily distinquished from the brighter tone of it's cousin, the steel-stringed acoustic. Because the strings are made of nylon, they are usually softer and easier to play as well.

The guitar probably originated from the "Vihuela," an instrument that was used during the 16th century to entertain royalty. The classical guitar fell into a brief period of obscurity during the 18th century due to the increasing popularity of the piano, but this didn't last for long! Virtuosos such as Dionisio Aquado, Mauro Guiliani, and Fernando Sor began to appear on the scene, keeping the music alive by demonstrating their creative genius and technical skills. By the time the 19th century arrived, Fransisco Terrega was teaching a school of students and performing the works of great classical composers. Next in line was Andres Segovia of the 20th century who almost single handedly re-established the classical guitar as an important concert-hall instrument. He also went on to become the master-teacher of one of todays most popular classical guitarists- Christopher Parkening. Many styles have since developed, either directly or indirectly, as a result of those who made the effort to preserve our classical guitar heritage.

Learning Classical Guitar Music

2009-09-11T10:42:00.000-07:00

What is your level of understanding about classical guitar music? Well, you can always learn. You might even own a classical guitar or have heard one played before, or maybe you just want to learn how to play a wonderful instrument. Surfing the net, you will find quite a few websites devoted to the guitar. Instructional manuals on how to play classical guitar music, various firms advertising free classical guitars, and in-depth classes on how to play like a professional in just one hour, yeah good luck with that. Some vendors charge for course materials, whereas others offer a little bit of information for free on their website. Some free websites will give you short classes on the correct posture, the proper playing position and where to begin.

Reading classical music of any kind can be a challenge. Some free websites will actually list what all these notes and symbols mean and how to play them on your classical guitar.
Your fingernail is an essential part of playing this instrument. Interestingly, in classical guitar music it is suggested that you grow your fingernail out just a little bit in your strumming hand. You want to play classical guitar music well, but don’t want to damage your precious little finger do you? Needless to say, playing classical guitar is part art and part science.
The music has been with us for multiple generations. That’s great news if you’re looking for sheet music. In many cases, after a certain number of years have passed from the original composer’s death, music then becomes public domain and copyright laws no longer apply. That simply means that you can probably find a lot of classical guitar music for free. While many companies will no doubt still try and charge you for complex pieces, keep looking and you will find your favorite classical guitar music theme for quick print or download. Along with sheet music there are also MP3’s and Midi files available to listen to so you can get a real good feel of the music as well as the notes.

If you’re planning a metamorphosis, looking for a new hobby or even a new profession, think about the classical guitar. Besides, of course, buying the classical guitar itself, that is!

You Can Learn to Play Classical Guitar
Did you take guitar lessons in high school? Can you strum a few bars of a Bob Dylan song, or play along with the Rolling Stones? If you are considering learning classical guitar, you are in for a whole new experience! Before you begin learning to play classical guitar, you will want to study its history and learn a few other things that make the classical guitar different from a regular acoustic guitar.

The main difference between classical and regular acoustic guitar is the way that you play them. A classical guitar has to almost become a part of you. Your body needs to move with the guitar as you play. If you are willing to take this approach, the music you play will have much more passion and movement than if you sit straight up and strum stiffly on the guitar.
Playing classical guitar requires the musician to be relaxed, both in mind and in body, and to become part of the music. Any thoughts or ideas you have of playing acoustic guitar will probably not apply to classical guitar. Be open to changing any habits or ideas that you have; this will help you to learn more quickly and to become a classical guitar player that people love to listen to.

Although classical guitar will seem difficult, take the time to learn the basics. Practice and patience are very important when you want to learn classical guitar.
There are different ways to learn to play classical guitar. You can buy a book, CD or video, or even find information on the Internet. The most successful way to learn is to find a classical guitarist to teach you. It is much easier to learn how to sit, how to hold your guitar, and how to play the music if you have someone right there to show you and to correct you if you make any mistakes.