Lets begin with some terminology so that reading through the materials will be a little easier. Even if you know a few of these already, read this list from beginning to end because the terminology builds on itself as we go along. The left hand We have four fingers on each hand and one [...]
Reading TAB for the classical guitar
October 20, 2012 by
Tablature or TAB is a really great way to communicate finger instructions on the guitar, and its simple enough that a beginner can start reading it with very little frustration. There are enough challenges with playing the guitar already without figuring out notation straight away! TAB does have some pretty serious failings and it is [...]
Shifting in the Left Hand
October 20, 2012 by
Once you have had enough with the lower frets, you are going to have to make the big dive into the abyss of the upper positions. Who knows what notes you might find… To get your fingers up towards the twelfth fret and beyond you will have to shift your left hand up and down [...]
Right Hand Preparation
June 11, 2012 by
We had our first introduction to right hand preparation in Right Hand Arpeggios for the Classical Guitar. Now we can look at extending that idea and applying it to a range of scenarios. Right hand preparation offers stability, accuracy and certain articulation possibilities on the classical guitar. Some might argue that it is one of [...]
Right Hand Arpeggios – Part 2
June 10, 2012 by
Right Hand Arpeggios 2 In right hand arpeggios 1 for the classical guitar, we looked at playing an arpeggio going from low to high strings with the right hand fingering p – i – m – a. Playing the arpeggio in reverse – a – m – i – p requires some different movements [...]
Right Hand Arpeggios
June 9, 2012 by
Now that you have learned the right hand position for the classical guitar, lets put it to use. To start off with, lets set up our fingers into the default position with the P on the 4th string (D), i on the 3rds string (G), m on the 2nd string (B) and a on [...]
120 Right Hand Studies by Mauro Giuliani
March 31, 2012 by
The 120 Right Hand Studies were written by the Italian virtuoso Mauro Giuliani (1781 – 1829) in the early nineteenth century, and the fact that they are still widely used today is a testament to their quality. Using a simple alternation between a C Major chord and a G Dominant Seventh chord, Giuliani has come [...]
The right hand position
December 15, 2010 by
With both the right and left hands it is important to develop positions that are comfortable and allow the tendons to move freely through the wrist and finger joints. The wrist can gyrate and rotate in many directions allowing for a very wide range of possibilities when it comes to hand position. However, just as [...]
The sitting position
December 15, 2010 by
The correct sitting position to play the classical guitar is the easiest task to master, and guess what… you already know it. Start by sitting down without the guitar – sit on a chair without arms, towards the edge, with a good posture, both feet on the ground, shoulders level, and eyes looking forward… you’ve [...]