“Simon Powis is the rare combination of a virtuoso guitarist and a thoughtful, forward thinking pedagogue”
Simon Powis is at the vanguard of classical guitar pedagogy. By following his method, one can build a solid classical guitar foundation and much more. I have been using and recommending his scales and arpeggio book for years now and find it to be one of the very best available. Simon presents all of his material with great enthusiasm, clarity and authority. He is the rare combination of a virtuoso guitarist and a thoughtful forward thinking pedagogue.
Benjamin Verdery
Professor of Guitar, Yale University
“Although he has performed, taught and given master classes all over the world, the talented and personable guitarist is perhaps most widely known these days for his highly regarded online classical guitar pedagogy: Classical Guitar Corner.”
Classical Guitar Magazine
Editor, Blair Jackson
“Simon provided me with the many tools necessary for me to improve my playing and prepare me for a Master’s degree in guitar performance. ”
I had the pleasure of studying with Simon as an undergraduate at Yale University. Simon played an influential role in my development as a guitarist and my interest in pursuing a career in music. Prior to studying with Simon, I had been playing guitar for many years but had never received extensive training in technique and efficient practice methods. Simon provided me with the many tools necessary for me to improve my playing and prepare me for a Master’s degree in guitar performance. It was through Simon in which I learned the importance of practicing scales and working on technical exercises, as well as how to be my own teacher so that I could understand what methods of practicing worked for me. In addition to giving me many helpful ideas and tips, Simon constantly pushed and encouraged me to strive for improvement and explore new opportunities, such as entering a competition and giving my first solo recital; as a result, I gained a deeper passion for guitar. Through Simon’s guidance, I realized that I wanted to pursue guitar as a career.
Koh Kazama
Masters of Music (Yale) Doctorate of Music (Stony Brook NY)
“I am very pleased that I can now read a sheet of music without having to stop and pencil in the notes!!”
Reading Music – I had fallen into the habit of using tablature to learn new songs. This had been drummed into me from day 1 when, at 11 years old, I took my first guitar lesson. No music, only tab. I had grown comfortable with this so having to back up an learn music again was really tough. I am very pleased that I can now read a sheet of music without having to stop and pencil in the notes!! The structure of the course really helped me to do this and the advice on how to practice (slow and constantly) plus how to structure my practice time really helped.
Michael Mallen
CGC Academy Member
“Finding this site has been one of the great joys in my life.”
Barry
I’ve seen a lot of change in guitar pedagogy in my life and I think that the clarity of your teaching as well as your expert use of technology provides enormous value to guitar students at all levels.
– Lou
I am now 56 years young and it took a lot of trial and error trying to learn on my own and jumping from one you tube channel to the next without any clear path for progression until I came upon Classical Guitar Corner!
– Chris
“I hope that you will please excuse me, as I am still getting over the shock of the amazing quality of this site, our teacher and all of you! I looked at the free lessons skeptically and then joined for just a month (because what could that hurt really)….but honestly I was prepared for the experience to be an utter waste of time and money. I could not have been more WRONG. Now that I’m in the middle years of my life I’m excited to have time to re-focus my efforts and I’m thrilled at having found this incredible resource! Looking forward to meeting my fellow students and sharing our passion for guitar.”
– Cheryl Ann
I just went back and played scales I had been practicing in Segovia’s scale book before I discovered your courses…what a difference in how I played the shifts in those scales…thank you, thank you, thank you!
– John R.
Hi Simon
I’m still loving all the stuff you have taught me and supplied so far. Hopefully I will be ordering the Technique & Musicianship course at the end of the month because I am thoroughly enjoying my playing again with renewed enthusiasm.
Many thanks for all the pleasure you are enabling me to have with my guitar.
– Tony Stamp
I’ve just got to say I love your website, the sense of community, the podcasts and more importantly for me I’m really making progress.
I took lessons 30 years ago, however, I realise I was never taught how to practice and this is making a huge difference. Not getting hung up on little errors when keeping tempo is also a new approach for me. I used to do the classic ‘fix it up’ error as you have talked about.
– Paul L.
Dear Simon,
A very very late thank you for all the material you have so generously given us free access to. There is so much I could say in praise of your abilities, that it might crash my email server! Suffice it to say that I know I have got the best tutor I would wish for even though you’re across the Atlantic from me. I did have a guitar tutor, but found that I got really stressed out before the lesson and had to stop, so this form of ‘distance learning’ really works for me.
– Vivian
For six months I took beginning classical guitar lessons from a local instructor. While I did learn to play, I suspected I was not learning proper technique. For example, I questioned my instructor repeatedly about which fingers to use on my right hand. “Anything that feels comfortable” was the answer. Eventually I went in search of better instruction. Because there were no other local teachers, I took a leap and tried online. The first course (not Simon Powis) was geared toward more advanced players and left me frustrated. I almost gave up, thinking perhaps I was just not a good student. Then I found Classical Guitar Corner. At last, succinct and clear explanations of basic techniques and, even more valuable, how to practice. I was grinning from ear to ear while viewing this lesson on string alternation and crossing: here was the simple answer to the many questions I asked my first instructor. Thanks to Simon, I have re-booted my classical guitar “career” and feel like I finally have a roadmap that will get me to my destination. PLEASE keep offering these courses!
– Patti
Hello Simon,
I recently ordered your 20 Practice Routines, and wanted to let you know how impressed I am with it. I have many classical guitar books with technical exercises in them, but yours are absolutely the best I’ve ever seen anywhere! In fact I was in the process of creating my own daily practice exercises when I ran across yours. Yours are much more thorough and detailed than mine. Thank you for saving me so much time. I have put your exercises into a notebook with Giuliani’s 120 arpeggio studies for the right hand and now I have a great practice routine for everyday. Thanks so much for a really great publication! I will be ordering some more of them soon.
With best regards,
René
I was initially learning the guitar in a very random, haphazard and unfocused way so thanks for making these videos; I’m finding them very well paced and I’m enjoying the learning process greatly so far :) The strings (and indeed, the guitar as a whole) no longer feel as unfamiliar as they did to my inept fingers – I think I’m bonding with it :)
– David
Your online videos allow me to have an instructor ANYTIME!, I really really love your calm demeanor, your comment when you’re demonstrating a technique (i.e. the finger planting exercises) – and you buzzed – it allows me to know that it’s OK to buzz, just go back and focus on correcting THAT the next time. I’m doing your exercises for intermediate to advanced daily and really really enjoy them. I need structure – I can get in WAY over my head and have to back track to focus on excellent execution and technique. I find that after I watch your instructional videos, I have a calmer demeanor and am less stressed when I practice – so great job!
– Laura
Love the duet. Admittedly, the first two times I was so distracted by your cool part that I repeatedly flubbed my own. Finally I just listened to your part while *mentally* playing mine — and that did the trick for me. Once we were fully in sync, I recorded the piece and beamed with unabashed pride at the music coming out of my little Bose wireless speaker. Dude, we sound great!
Seriously, I live in a small town and really relish the opportunity to play with another guitarist, even a virtual one. Hope you will keep the duets coming.
– Patti
Hey Simon, I am a classical guitar student who is immensely grateful to have discovered your website while searching the vast universe of stuff out there in cyber land. I can only imagine how much effort and time goes into a making the most organized, methodical lessons out there. So thank you!
I have purchased several of your workbooks and hope to start working on Lagrima soon. Please keep those video lessons coming.
– Veronica
What a great feat of brilliance you have accomplished at ClassicalGuitarCorner. So many thanks to you that you cannot count them.
– Marilynn
Really thrilled – just did the two classes on Introductory harmony and chords. I have often been puzzled by these phrases, major fifth and seventh! This was a marvellous introduction. I not only am beginning to know how to play some chords but why they are so useful in playing music – Thank you again . By the way one of the advantages of learning this way is that I can repeat your lessons several times as I did in the case of these two.
– Ruth