GuitarSkool

To me, it’s all about the music. All the practice and study and hours of work are for one thing – to be able to play the music as expressively and effortlessly as possible. I want the music to flow out of me through the guitar. I want to sing through the guitar.

I don’t care about dazzling anyone with my technical prowess. I only want to move them – transport them – through the beauty of the music. Because of this, it’s important to choose pieces that move me – however simple or complex they may be. Don’t waste time working on stuff that you can’t really “get into.” Choose the music that moves you and work it until it becomes a part of you and the only way to get it out is through the guitar.

You must love the music first – then you will do what is necessary to make it live through you and your guitar.

Anyone can learn to play the classical guitar if they learn and practice the solid fundamentals and approach the study of the instrument with honesty, determination, humility and respect.

It is critical to establish and maintain an effective daily practice routine. What works for me is -

• warm-up,
• right and left hand exercises and scales,
• work on trouble spots in program pieces,
• play through program pieces in “performance mode”
• and sight-read and work on new music.

Practice every day for at least thirty minutes – longer if you can. Take Sundays off and just play for fun.

You can count on it – good practice will produce good results.

What we’re after in classical guitar technique is precision, accuracy, fluidity and flexibility in both right and left hands. Strength is not a factor. Too much pressure creates tension which only stifles the above-mentioned attributes. Use only as much pressure as needed to produce the sound. Pressure and release is the key. More on this later as time permits.

Proper left hand alignment and positioning is critical for proper technique. Here are some tips.

• The hand and fingertips should be parallel with the fingerboard as much as possible.
• The thumb should be placed behind the second (middle) finger and in the middle of the neck.
• The wrist should be straight (in line with arm) and not arched.
• The arm and elbow should move the hand in position changes – not the wrist.
• Keep space between the fingers (not touching) as much as possible, especially 2 and 3.
• You should play on the left side of the first finger, slightly on the left of 2, slightly on the right side of 3 and on the left side of 4.

I hope these tips will help you become a better more confident player.

I am developing a series of exercises to help set and establish the left hand and will offer them here soon.

An excellent book for exercises to help improve your technique is Scott Tennant’s Pumping Nylon.

Here’s to better playing!