Guitar News

Question: How does sitting position affect my classical guitar technique? 

Your sitting and guitar position affects all aspects of your classical guitar technique. It is essential to succeeding in classical guitar studies. Whenever I examine any technique skill in a student I always start by inspecting their sitting position and guitar angles.

Here are some common playing elements that are usually improved by small adjustments to positioning:

• Wrist and Posture Ergonomics – Healthy positioning can be much more ergonomic and stop dangerous bends in the wrists, should and neck pain, spine and back issues, and more.
• Horizontal Stretch or Reach – With a proper position students can ofter accomplish much further reach and stretches.
• Vertical Stretch – Playing on the 6th and 1st string can be difficult but is much easier when the guitar is angled properly.
• Barre Chords (using gravity) – A good position allows gravity and the weight of the arm and hand to help with barre technique.
• String Clearance – Combining finger curvature and good guitar positioning will allow for better clearance.
• Perceived Scale Length (guitar size) – A steeper guitar angle can make your guitar feel closer and even smaller.

Tips and Lessons Regarding Guitar Position

Check this this lesson on: 6 Common Technique Problems Solved with a Better Guitar Position (video below).

You might also want to see my full Lesson on Guitar Position Classical Guitar Position (How to Sit and Hold the Guitar).

Questions & Support

If you need clarification on this particular Q&A please leave a comment below. For new and existing questions please visit the main Classical Guitar Q&A page. If you are enjoying the free Q&As you can support the site here.

The post How does sitting position affect my classical guitar technique?  first appeared on This is Classical Guitar.

Question: How can I improve my tremolo technique on classical guitar?

You are not alone in finding tremolo technique challenging. Many players, even fairly advanced ones who can play most late-intermediate to advanced techniques, still have trouble with tremolo. First, let me discuss some misconceptions and common issues I see with tremolo practice and then I’ll give some practical tips and exercises to improve your tremolo.

Side note: Remember that tremolo technique is not just a technical skill but also a musical one. Tremolo aims to create the illusion of a continuous sustaining melody created by rapidly repeating the melody note. The tremolo line of repeated notes is almost always the actual melody. Therefore, if played evenly with a nice tone and good phrasing, even a moderate or slow tremolo technique can still sound beautiful.

The Importance of a Well Rounded Technique Overall

The first thing I do when examining someone’s tremolo is to look at all their other technique skills first. Tremolo requires a well rounded technique with lots of control and relaxation. I usually start by checking a student’s scale technique. It is essential that they be able to play scales equally with i-m, m-a, or a-m-i patterns. It is very common that if a student can not play m-a scales proficiently with speed and control, they won’t be able to play tremolo either. I look at arpeggios and planting techniques to make sure their hand is organized, balanced, and relaxed. I’ll also take a quick look at their rapid speed bursts and reflex-oriented light playing. Further, some simple single string playing on the 2nd string can help me check accuracy in the right hand. If any of these elements are out of order, that is usually my starting point. It can be disappointing to the student if I start them their tremolo journey with m-a scale work but it is absolutely essential.

Do you practice tremolo exercises everyday?

You need to practice tremolo exercises every day. I know this sounds silly, but many people only focus on tremolo when they want to play a tremolo piece. Ideally, tremolo would have been practiced everyday along with scales and arpeggios as part of the student’s technique routine for most of the years they’ve been playing. This way, when they want to play a piece with tremolo they are almost ready to do so without much extra practice. Just as with scales, arpeggios, slurs, bar, independence, and stretch exercises, if you don’t practice a skill regularly the skill will start to degrade. So, please start practicing tremolo exercises even when you are not working on a tremolo piece. You can find exercises in my Full Technique Book.

Check out my video lessons on tremolo

• Tremolo Exercises for Classical Guitar (video below)
• Beginner Tremolo Exercise for Guitar
• Intermediate to Advanced Tremolo Lesson and Exercise
• How m, a scales can improve your tremolo and arpeggios

Practice Tips for Improving Your Tremolo

Create a balanced practice session. You might want to watch my lesson on How to Practice Music and Organize Your Practice Session.

Practice a well rounded technique routine. This is essential to achieving tremolo evenness and speed. If you are at the intermediate level you might also want to see my article and video on: 7 Technique Categories to Practice Every Day on Classical Guitar.

More specifically, practice tremolo exercises every day. Tremolo exercises are designed to improve your accuracy and the evenness of your tremolo from a rhythmic standpoint. You can find exercises in my Full Technique Book.

Staccato Speed Bursts – Getting your finger into the starting position before it has to begin the stroke is key to building speed. Practice staccato and contrast with legato. I recommend you keep track of your metronome speeds and gradually work increase over a series of weeks or months…or years.

Check my Lesson on Speed and Relaxation.

Speed = Economy of Motion + Accuracy + Relaxation

• Economy of motion is the act of eliminating unneeded movements. Keeping your fingers close to the strings and preparing your fingers directly over the frets increases efficiency.
• Accuracy is self-explanatory but should not be overlooked. Placing your fingers close to the frets allows you to play with less pressure and tension.
• Relaxation enables you to access reflexes connected to your body’s natural ergonomic movements. Focus on slow, accurate playing and relaxation. Allow speed to come naturally as a result of good practice.

Are your expectations too high?

Another aspect of this conversation is whether you are ready to play tremolo. Tremolo is an intermediate technique at the least. To play it fluidly with speed is an advanced technique. Are you an advanced player? When I say advanced, I mean truly advanced. Not just able to play some advanced repertoire but overall in terms of both technique and musical skills are you advanced?

Even if you are an intermediate player you can still play tremolo but you have to put your expectation in order. A successful intermediate tremolo can be super beautiful but it will often be slower than the advanced tremolo we hear in the professional level player. However, if you play evenly with good tone, tremolo can sound very nice in intermediate hands. So that should be your primary aim.

Additional Considerations

• Nail shape. When I recently switched to fake nails my tremolo was greatly improved. Not fixed or suddenly worked, but improved for sure. Here’s my lesson: Fingernails for Classical Guitar: How I Shape My Nails 
• Get every book you can and practice all the crazy tremolo exercises people recommend. My book is a very practical choice since I have video lessons on each exercise but you might also consider The Bible of Classical Guitar Technique by Käppel and Kitharologus: The Path to Virtuosity.
• Have a qualified teacher assess your technique. Not just tremolo technique but also scale and arpeggio technique. A deep dive into your technique will likely reveal why your tremolo is having difficulty.
  

Need a Technique Book?

Check out my book Classical Guitar Technique: Essential Exercises, Scales, and Arpeggios. The 122 page book includes: Practice Routines, Tips, 100 Open String Exercises, 120 Giuliani Arpeggios, Scales, Slur Exercises, Shifts, Finger Independence, Barre, Tremolo, Common Harmonics, and much more.

Questions & Support

If you need clarification on this particular Q&A please leave a comment below. For new and existing questions please visit the main Classical Guitar Q&A page. If you are enjoying the free Q&As you can support the site here.

The post How can I improve my tremolo technique on classical guitar? first appeared on This is Classical Guitar.

The GFA Community Orchestra with Check Hulihan conducting, perform Folds by Ryan Ayers at the 2024 Convention in Fullerton, California. This comes via the Guitar Foundation of America and the GFA YouTube channel. Great to see such a coherent group of guitarists following a conductor and performing with a sound that truly reflects an orchestral experience.

The post GFA Orchestra Play Folds by Ayers first appeared on This is Classical Guitar.

Antonio Rugolo performs the Complete 24 Exercises (Studies) Op.48 by by Mauro Giuliani (1781-1829). This comes via Rugolo’s YouTube channel (go subscribe). It’s amazing to hear these etudes performed by such a great musician. This is a wonderful example of the musical potential these studies can have in the hands of professional guitarist and how they can be expanded from intermediate student works to full-fledged virtuosic displays. For those who have played any of the Giuliani concertos, they are essentially the etudes thrown into one big piece with a motivic focus in sonata form.

• Video Times
• 00:00:09 Studio n. 1 – Vivace
• 00:00:51 Studio n. 2 – Moderato
• 00:01:25 Studio n. 3 – Prestissimo
• 00:01:54 Studio n. 4 – Moderato
• 00:02:42 Studio n. 5 – Allegro
• 00:03:38 Studio n. 6 – Allegretto
• 00:04:28 Studio n. 7 – Maestoso
• 00:05:33 Studio n. 8 – Allegro
• 00:06:33 Studio n. 9 – Presto
• 00:07:21 Studio n. 10 – Vivace con brio
• 00:08:24 Studio n. 11 – Allegro maestoso
• 00:09:26 Studio n. 12 – Allegretto
• 00:10:23 Studio n. 13 – Maestoso
• 00:11:30 Studio n. 14 – Allegretto
• 00:12:34 Studio n. 15 – Andantino
• 00:14:10 Studio n. 16 – Allegro maestoso
• 00:15:30 Studio n. 17 – Andantino
• 00:17:10 Studio n. 18 – Con brio
• 00:18:07 Studio n. 19 – Allegro
• 00:19:57 Studio n. 20 – Grazioso
• 00:20:08 Studio n. 21 – Tempo di Polonaise
• 00:21:25 Studio n. 22 – Allegro maestoso
• 00:22:44 Studio n. 23 – Allegro con brio
• 00:23:50 Studio n. 24 – Allegro

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Music Theory Lesson No.2a: Why do we use music notation? In this lesson I discuss the reasons for using music notation and break down each element that that makes up the definition. This is an important discussion before we start diving into music notation and theory. You can find all the lessons at the Music Theory Lessons page. Here’s the Youtube link if you want to watch it there.

Written Pitch and Rhythm allows for a relatively consistent performance in a universal musical language. 

Let’s break down this thick sentence to understand each element.

Consistent Pitch – Regardless of exact tuning over the past hundreds of years, the relative distance of pitches in music notation are relatively consistent. If I play the opening passage of a piece of music (for example, the below) it sounds, relative to tuning, the same as it did when it was written. The distance between each note remains the same regardless of time period or musical instrument.

Consistent Rhythm – Similarly, the rhythm of the above piece is also relatively consistent. The quarter note bass and the overall eighth note rhythm would be performed relatively the same as it was when originally written or published. Even the tempo and articulation would be relatively the same. The tempo might have more flexibility but in general an allegro tempo is quick. Interpretation might change the delivery but the overall rhythm would be relatively the same.

In a Universal Language – This is the most important aspect of the answer. Both composers and musicians who read notation can look at music notation and understand what is happening in the music. Music notation is a visual representation of the pitch and rhythm. An interval such as a perfect 5th is literally 5 steps apart on the staff (we will learn about this later). Regardless if you are a guitarist, a pianist, and conductor, or singer, you can look at the above notation and understand it both musically and from a music notation perspective.

In contrast, tablature is not a universal language, it’s a secret guide to the instrument specific to guitarists or lutenists. It does not show music theory on the page, it only shows you where to play the note on a specific instrument. Music notation is a visual representation of the pitch whereas tab is a visual representation of the guitar. Although a guitarist might be about to reverse engineer the music theory in their head, it does not show music theory readily on the page. Intervals for example can not be measured on the page, instead an in-depth knowledge of the instrument is needed to work out the written distance of the actual pitch.

This is not a criticism of tablature, but the universal language aspect is simply not a part of tab and not of use to non-guitarists. It is also not a direct visual representation of the musical pitch. Tab has other directly applicable usages for guitarists but not for music theory discussions.

Final Thoughts

As we learn more music theory you will come to understand how the complexity of the musical system created over hundreds of years is embedded in music notation, giving performers, composers, and musicologists insights and information about the music as well as the motivations and ideas of composers.

Hope you found that helpful. Find more theory lessons on the Music Theory Lessons page. I’m offering these lessons free of charge but feel free to support the site here. If you need any clarification on this particular lesson please leave a comment below.

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Question: How can I deal with performance anxiety in music and guitar?

Before I give you practical tips and step by step approaches, let’s first look at some misconceptions about performance anxiety. People can often perform a piece well at home but in front of an audience during their first performance they freeze up mentally or physically, their hands shake, it’s all jittery etc. So let’s first look at what you’re actually seeing in a good performance.

When you see a good performance (ideal preparation)

Let’s examine the dedicated music student in a conservatory or university for context on an ideal development of a performance. Students who perform well might have worked on that piece for a whole year, or two years, or more. They have likely performed the piece every week for their teacher, possibly 26 times or more. They might have played in masterclass every week, so another 20 sessions. They have played it for friends, family, and smaller concerts. So by the time you see them perform it well in a concert they could have played it 50-80 times for people already (whether fragmented or not).

They’ve had success and failure and worked through it, and they just kept doing it. The same piece over and over for months or years. They learned about how much they shake, what tempo is actually needed to play it well, what techniques helped (right hand planting?) and which didn’t (fast tempos and light risky touch?).

Therefore, the student gets practice at performing and discovers regularly how it feels to make adjustments in order to have a successful performance. They learn to play in a way suited to a performance, not the ideal way they imagined at home. It is performance-framed and set by the reality of their actual performing skills.

What about us normal people?

Not everyone can have all the performance opportunities I discussed above but the advice remains the same. Play for people as much as possible way before any concert. Do this without worries about how well it will go. You can ask people to listen to you and tell them that you are trying to work through some performance anxiety. Don’t apologize for it, don’t say it went better at home, just let them know and then play. Maybe you can play it for them at two different tempos to compare the results. Keep doing the same piece over and over so you can learn how your body reacts.

Q&A Video on Performance Anxiety Acknowledge that performance nerves exist

Don’t try to hide behind your performance nerves or cover them up. They exist, and that is ok. Performance anxiety affects all performers to some extent and is a very common challenge. So acknowledge that you have it. Don’t apologize to the audience or yourself, just accept it. Then, remember to remind yourself about how you love music and want to share it with others and are willing to work on it. The best things in life do sometimes take work.

Do what’s best for the music (public vs private you)

As a performer there will be a Public You and Private You. The Public You does whatever is best for the music at any given time. Actually, the Private You should do this too but it’s even more true in performance. So if that means that Public You needs to play your piece at a slower tempo to make it a better performance, then Public You plays it slower. Stop saying, “it went better at home”. Public You is the one who performs and you need to discover what that means for your body and the music.

If you practice the same way every time you could be hurting your performance flexibility. The way you feel on stage might be different than the practice room so you need to be flexible to making changes on the spot while performing. You need to adapt to the situation. Of course, you also need to perform often to discover what Public You needs to adjust in the elements of the music for the situation.

This is largely a discussion on your vision of an ideal performance or a practical performance. But don’t confuse practical performance with an unmusical one. It’s simply a matter of making choices about how to present the music based on the reality of the situation. If you need to play slower it is simply an opportunity to play with better legato and phrasing.

Practical Tips to Help Performance Anxiety

Play for people as often as possible – As discussed, the more you play for others the more you will understand how the Public You needs to respond to the situation. Play the same piece for people over and over. If you let them know you are working on performance anxiety they will be happy listen to you play it more than a few times.

Take lessons with a teacher – A teacher can help make certain choices for you to speed up the process of defining the Public You and what musical elements need to be adjusted to make a beautiful and musical performance in the context of your unique performance anxiety.

Choose a performance tempo (practice at different tempos) – Practice your music at a variety of tempos so you aren’t thrown off guard by needing to change the tempo. You can replace tempo with other musical elements. Maybe a slightly slower tempo will allow an absolutely beautiful legato phrasing.

Work on right and left hand planting and contact – If your finger is on the string in the right place before it has to play, you will have a higher level of accuracy and shaking hands won’t be as much of an issue. I once read that the great David Russell will even finger his music specifically to have fingers down more often to help with this. Lessons: Right Hand Planting & Preparation and also Left Hand Preparation.

Focus on the music – Don’t focus on yourself or what people might be thinking. Both you and your listener are here for the music so stay connected to what you are playing and enjoy listening to it as you play.

Focus on sustain and sound – One of the first things to go in a nervous performance is sustain and sound quality. In our frantic attempt to play the music we keep letting go of notes and jittering toward the next. Even more freaky is the silence between notes when there shouldn’t be, it makes us even more jittery. Stop that. Enjoy sustain more than ever during a performance. It will make you feel more comfortable hearing a beautiful sustaining note. It will fill the space with comforting sound that you play over.

Build relaxation into your pieces just like the muscle memory of playing the notes – Take your time at the ends of phrases and before difficult shifts. You can practice doing this at home. Sustain the note before a difficult shift and then calmly do the shift as if it was easy. This might have a better musical result in performance compared to frantically leaping up. I’ve taught people to relax shoulder tension at the end of each phrase and I’ve notice them subconsciously doing it in performance because it has become a learned habit in their muscle memory. Build in relaxation and decaffeinate the experience.

Pre-Concert Relaxation – Some people like to do some deep breathing and meditation before a concert, if that helps you, great. I like to practice a set technique routine and incorporate breathing during that. I find playing easy technique to be a meditative experience in its own right. Just nice calm motions on something I know well.

Have a easy technique routine of around 5 mins – If the situation allows, having and easy technique routine of about 5 minutes long is great for pre-performance preparation. If you only have 5 mins, great. If you have 10 mins you can repeat it twice. Make it easy and memorize it so you have something to do besides sit there getting nervous. Don’t play your piece, it’s not going to get better just before the concert and if you made a mistake it might freak you out. Play your easy routine and feel confident before a performance.

Remind yourself why you are performing – You love music, you want to share it and take part, remind yourself of that. You can actually say to yourself, “I want to do this.” To hear yourself say that is actually very comforting and reminds you to focus on the positive vibe that should exist.

Treat yourself in the same way you would treat a child or friend

What would you say to a child or friend who was nervous to perform? What would you say to them after their performance if it didn’t go as planned? Unless you are a total jerk, you probably were super positive and supportive. You also likely told them that the few mistakes they made were not a big deal at all. Why would you not be this kind to yourself? Why would you not be nurturing a positive and supportive vibe within your own studies? Be kind, share music, make mistakes, learn about yourself.

Questions & Support

If you need clarification on this particular Q&A please leave a comment below. For new and existing questions please visit the main Classical Guitar Q&A page. If you are enjoying the free Q&As you can support the site here.

The post How can I deal with performance anxiety in music and guitar? first appeared on This is Classical Guitar.

Vladimir Gorbach teaches a technique lesson on practicing scales with a focus on planting and timing as a way to build control, speed, and tone quality. Framing the discussion is maintenance of tension and reflexive relaxation in practice at slow tempos. Despite the corny thumbnail of the video, this is an excellent look at detailed practice with a plan for future development and success.

This lesson is presented by Tonebase and via their Youtube channel with the following description:

In this lesson, Vladimir Gorbach breaks down his approach to developing fast scales. When practicing scales, Gorbach aims to maintain control of the fingers at all times and therefore begins his study at an initially slow tempo. After walking through a brief warm up exercise and discussing rest and free stroke differences, Gorbach guides you step-by-step through the different levels of speeding up your scales. Play along and see what BPM you can reach with one, two, three, and four notes per beat.

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Question: What notation software do you use for creating classical guitar scores?

I mainly use two software programs for creating music notation: MuseScore and Sibelius, but Dorico by Steinberg is my recommendation to anyone who wants to start using a professional level software. MuseScore is an excellent choice for hobbyist/affordable free software.

Sibelius: I loved the old Sibelius 6 but the new Avid owned Sibelius is something quite different. To be clear, you can make excellent scores with Sibelius but the actual software, user interface, and layout of the program is terrible. I can’t believe they sell the software the way it is and haven’t improved it. I am constantly baffled by the choices they made when designing the usability and and near anti-intuitive nature of it. Nevertheless, I know it and it works and the formatting is rock solid from my scores from 15 years ago, it opens exactly the same which I am very grateful for.

MuseScore is free and I highly recommend it but I do have concerns about it. When they update it, it often causes layout problems that make corrections to scores a huge pain. I have a few longer books in Musescore where I’ve had to correct one tiny fingering error which caused me to completely fix the layout of the entire book which is hours of work. I now only make small 2-3 page scores on MuseScore. Nevertheless, the MuseScore network and community is amazing and I love it. I even pay for premium and give money to support its development.

My actual recommendation is Dorico by Steinberg. I’ve heard nothing but excellent feedback about it and everyone raves about the quality. I believe it was created by the original Sibelius programmers from before the Avid buyout (double check that though). Regardless, it is a modern notation software that actually makes sense and gets updates for usability and new technology. I have highly considered using it but I have so much content in the Sibelius and MuseScore infrastructure that I’m stuck there. However, I believe Dorico is the new standard for quality in the industry.

The post What notation software do you use for creating classical guitar scores? first appeared on This is Classical Guitar.

Ready to take your classical guitar playing to the next level? As you move beyond the basics of open strings and first position, a world of beautiful and challenging repertoire opens up. This guide...

Paul Bizot performs Quatre pièces pour la guitare by Sir Lennox Berkeley (1903–1989). This comes via Siccas Guitars and their YouTube channel (go subscribe). Great performance by Bizot filled with nice motivic delivery, articulation, and orchestration of the guitar soundscape.

Emmanuel Sowicz sent me this note regarding the piece when I posted his performance: “It’s Lennox Berkeley’s still relatively unknown Quatre Pièces, which he wrote for Segovia while in Paris c.1927 (one of the first guitar pieces written by a non-guitarist composer, soon after De Falla’s 1920 Homenaje). As you may guess, seems Segovia didn’t play them. They were found in his archive in 2001 and published by Bèrben soon after…”

You can read an article by Allan Jones on the work. “This article explores the background and implications surrounding the discovery of Lennox Berkeley’s Quatre Pièces pour la Guitare, highlighting its significance for guitarists and scholars. Emphasizing Berkeley’s education in Paris and influences, including his interactions with Nadia Boulanger and jazz, the piece reflects his understanding of the guitar and musical idioms of his time.”

The piece is readily available, edited by Gilardino via Bèrben.

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Music Theory Lesson No.1b: Musical Time (Pulse, Beat, Tempo, Meter, Rhythm). In this lesson I discuss some terminology for musical time including: pulse, beat, tempo, meter, and rhythm. This is an important discussion before we start discussing music notation and why we use it. You can find all the lessons at the Music Theory Lessons page. Here’s the Youtube link if you want to watch it there.

Pulse and Beat 

• Often used interchangeably, which is totally fine at this point. 
• Pulse is the undifferentiated and equally spaced feel of the music, whether that be taps or clicks.
• Beat is the same but later on when we discuss time signatures and measures the beat can mean something more specific than a simple pulse. The beat might indicate that some beats are stronger or weaker than others, hierarchy and structure there

Tempo

• The rate or speed of the beat. Fast tempo or slow tempos. Pulse and beat can certainly mean different things when discussing tempo. If we have a fast tempo the beats might be going by quickly but the feel of the pulse might be more simple. For example, feeling the pulse only on the first beat of each measure.

Meter

• The grouping of beats into patterns. For example,  group of 4 beats (4/4 time) or a group of 3 beats (3/4 time).
• In a later lesson we’ll discuss how the meter will offer structure and form measures in notation. 

Rhythm

• A generalized term for all this content. However, it can be used more specifically to describe the vast variety of short or long durations of notes often highly patterned and organized in relation to the beat or extending over multiple beats. 

Word Usage can be confusing for students – Generic usage vs specific to note duration

• The piece is filled with interesting rhythms (Generic)
• Let’s discuss the rhythm of this piece (Generic)
• This piece is very rhythmically interesting (Generic)
• The rhythm is a quarter note not an eighth note (specific)

Hope you found that helpful. Find more theory lessons on the Music Theory Lessons page. If you need any clarification on this particular lesson please leave a comment below.

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Canadian guitarist Drew Henderson performs Suite for Lute, BWV 995 by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) on a seven-string guitar. This comes via Henderson’s YouTube channel (go subscribe). Henderson’s sheet music edition will be coming soon via his website. Brilliant and refined performance by Henderson with an excellent sense of balance and pacing. Here’s a small except from his YouTube description, read the full write-up at his video.

I’m happy to present my 7-string arrangement of Bach’s magnificent Suite for Lute, BWV 995 (G minor) which is derived from his Cello Suite no. 5, BWV 1011 (orig.C minor). This performance marks the first step before I record it in a beautiful church acoustic for an upcoming album featuring this and two other Bach suites.

This piece is especially significant for guitarists interested in seeing how Bach himself added bass notes to a cello suite. To my knowledge, it’s the only example of that process, and it’s also a prime illustration of how Bach transposed music into different keys to better suit an instrument. Interestingly, the original cello suite calls for a scordatura, where the high A string is tuned a tone lower to G, making the piece much less awkward than in standard tuning.

Movement and Video Times

• 00:00 Prelude
• 02:09 Tres vite
• 06:00 Allemande
• 11:32 Courante
• 13:21 Sarabande
• 16:37 Gavotte 1
• 18:34 Gavotte II
• 20:52 Gigue

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Question: How do I get back into regular practicing after taking a long break from music and classical guitar?

After taking a few months off practicing classical guitar (or more) it can be difficult to return to a structured and regular practice session. The key to success is making your practice sessions enjoyable and special and slowly introducing structure and balance once a routine has been established. Here are a few tips:

Build Motivation and Inspiration
Find a few super easy pieces that you love play or inspire you to learn. This is immediately make your practice session more enjoyable and something you’ll look forward to. Listen or watch some of your favourite musicians while making a tea or coffee to get inspired. Read some music history or watch a short lesson, whatever inspires you.

Make it Special
Make your practice session a special time of the day. Get some good treats, make a nice coffee or tea, clean up your practice area and make it look nice. Listen or watch some great performances (not necessarily guitar) to musically inspire you. Make it a sanctuary of “you-time” that is special and almost self indulgent. It’s a luxury to get to study music and improve yourself, as well as flex your creative muscles. Unless you are professional musician you have to ask yourself, “why did I start playing music?”. It wasn’t to be hard on yourself, it was for enjoyment, creativity, intellectual curiosity, and artistic challenge. It should be a positive endeavour and an enjoyable one.

Make it Consistent
Even if you only start with 5 minutes a day, that is a great accomplishment. But do it every day. If possible do it at the same time of each day. Schedule it in as ‘you-time’ and make it happen. Again, even if it’s only 5 minutes. You can increase the amount of time later. Practicing for 5 mins a day is better than 2 hours twice a week.

Slowly Introduce Structure and Balance
Once you have some enjoyable easy material you should start building a technique routine to get your ‘chops’ back and to develop and progress in your technique and musical skill building. This is a good start to having some structure but it won’t overwhelm you. You can just start with some scales or alignment exercises. Don’t try to build the whole routine at once. Just some technique and nice easy repertoire to start the process.

Then Get Organized

See this lesson to get fully back into practicing:

• How to Practice Music and Organize Your Practice Session – A lesson on how to practice music, classical guitar, and organize your practice session. Fully integrate this once you’re practicing everyday.

If you are at the intermediate level you might also want to see my article and video on: 7 Technique Categories to Practice Every Day on Classical Guitar

You can find practice routines for each level in my Full Technique Book.

• You can find easy repertoire here:
• Easy Classical Guitar, Vol. 1, Grade 1-3
• Easy Classical Guitar Vol. 2, Grade 1-4

Questions & Support

If you need clarification on this particular Q&A please leave a comment below. For new and existing questions please visit the main Classical Guitar Q&A page. If you are enjoying the free Q&As you can support the site here.

The post How do I get back into regular practicing after taking a long break? first appeared on This is Classical Guitar.

Question: What should I include in my practice sessions for classical guitar?

It’s important to develop a balanced practice session for classical guitar in order to both improve and to enjoy yourself. As a basic overview of the practice session, you should include the below areas:

• Technique Routine – Including both exercises that you know well to focus and warmup the hands but also exercises to help you develop your technique.
• Learning Materials – This can be method books, etudes, sight reading, fretboard knowledge, research, whatever you are learning at any given time. Beginners and intermediates should be using method books in one form or another.
• New Repertoire – Always be learning at least one or two new pieces. They might be easy material or very difficult. New content expands our knowledge and challenges us to work through new musical ideas and fingerings.
• Concert Repertoire – It doesn’t matter if you are playing concerts, recording pieces, or practicing alone, this is repertoire you are memorizing and playing at your highest level.
• Enjoyment & Reward – In this section you should play some manageable pieces that you can play well without too much concentration or effort. Or anything that makes you feel good.

Don’t be worried or overwhelmed if you don’t have each category yet. You can start with just the Enjoyment section and the technique routine and continue to add structure slowly.

See my full in-depth article on practice sessions

How to Practice Music and Organize Your Practice Session – A lesson on how to practice music, classical guitar, and organize your practice session

If you are at the intermediate level you might also want to see my article and video on: 7 Technique Categories to Practice Every Day on Classical Guitar

You can find practice routines for each level in my Full Technique Book.

Questions & Support

If you need clarification on this particular Q&A please leave a comment below. For new and existing questions please visit the main Classical Guitar Q&A page. If you are enjoying the free Q&As you can support the site here.

The post What should I include in my practice sessions for classical guitar? first appeared on This is Classical Guitar.

Question: How do you know when to upgrade your classical guitar?

When your skill set and requirements for either performing, recording, or listening outpace the instrument it’s time to get a new classical guitar. But there are many variables to this question depending on the player, their current instrument, their skill level, if they are performing in large halls, and their financial situation.

Just as refinement in playing comes in small increments, so does improvement in guitars as the cost goes up. That said, the more refined your playing becomes the more you will want to match that skill with a refined instrument that, as a tool for music making, helps you accomplish your goals.

Super tricky question for me to answer but I’ll try to offer some criteria and advice as best I can.

Please note: Remember to not get distracted by wanting a new guitar. Even the best pros can make beautiful music on an inexpensive guitar so don’t let it ever get in the way of your practice or music making. Enjoy each instrument for it’s unique qualities and get back to work. Also, don’t forget to use quality strings and to replace them often, this can breathe new life into your guitar.

Responsiveness and balance – The ability to bring a note out of a musical texture is very important. A responsive instrument will allow you to do this with less effort. The balance of the instrument across the strings is also important as it creates an equalization that ensures rogue notes won’t pop out. You also want definition and clarity along with a pleasing sound and inexpensive guitars have a tendency to be muddy and lack definition. In general, inexpensive guitars have less of these qualities. So if you are finding it difficult to refine your sound in this regard it is either time for more technique practice or time for a new guitar.

Sustain – In general, better guitars have better sustain compared to beginner instruments. Beginner guitars also have a tendency to have ‘dead notes’ that don’t sustain well. A quality instrument is going to have pretty good sustain on all the notes in a balanced way.

Tone Quality – Great guitars have great tone…usually. Some guitars emphasize certain elements over others so you can have a high end guitar with terrible tone (whatever that means). But in general, most people buying an expensive guitar expect the quality of the sound to be pleasing.

Volume – Volume isn’t everything but if you are playing in large halls or ensemble music with others it is certainly a factor. Funny thing though, expensive concert guitars are intended for good projection in large halls. Sometimes, student guitars can be just fine in the practice room but get them into a hall and they suffer dramatically. But if you are struggling to get more volume from your instrument and are pushing it way too far and getting a bad sound due to extended effort it may be time for a guitar that has a bit more volume and a better effort-to-volume ratio. But volume is relative and there is nothing wrong with a softer guitar if the balance is good. You don’t want to emphasize volume over other elements like tone quality.

The Player – One of the biggest reasons a player sometimes wants a new guitar is not just upgrading from their inexpensive beginner guitar but because they want a particular sound and responsiveness from their instrument. At other times they may just want a change to spice up their practice sessions. Some of this comes down to personal preference but also the repertoire they are playing and their aspirations in music.

Consider Your Skill Level – It takes skill to make a professional level instrument sound its best. Don’t get me wrong, an expensive guitar will help you but it won’t ‘solve all your problems’. In some cases it won’t help at all. Some concert level instruments are designed for players with advanced technique and the action is high and more difficult to play because pros are digging in hard to the strings to reach the listeners in the back row of the concert hall. Just because you’ve bought an expensive guitar doesn’t mean you be able to utilize it to it’s fullest. But it is a good investment in your skill and you will grow into it as your develop your technique.

Some advice on financial vs quality considerations

If you can afford a great instrument, go for it. It’s your art, your tool, and your friend. If you are buying a single-luthier made guitar it is also a work of art and you are supporting the culture of guitar making.

If you are more on a budget you’ll have to pace yourself. With my students I usually recommend their first guitar be of a minimum quality (for examples, a Cordoba C5 or C7). So, not expensive but not super cheap either. The solid woods and design usually mean that the student can play the instrument for a few years and not have any huge concerns.

Once the student is starting to refine their skills, perform, or just practice more regularly, they usually jump to an instrument in the $800-2000 range. Then they have an instrument that won’t hold them back as they enter the intermediate playing level. It’s not a super responsive or loud instrument but it does fine and sounds good.

At this point I usually stop the student from buying instruments in small increments and encourage them to save up for a professional level guitar. Buying in increments is difficult and the difference between the instruments is not always very large. That said, there are few new companies offering guitars that aim to keep up with expensive single-luthier instruments. But the best guitars are still made by luthiers who have honed their skills and give individual attention to the woods being used and their design.

There are too many variables at this point. A career-path student playing in halls or next to other students who have nice guitars will need either a professional level instrument or a special workhorse guitar that emphasizes volume and responsiveness in order to keep up. A hobbyist practicing at home for themselves may not need volume so they can do with other elements in a guitar. The variations are endless.

Final advice

Socialize with other guitarists and ask an advanced guitarist if you can try their instrument and compare it to yours. People are usually very open and friendly in the classical guitar world and willing to let you play their instrument if you are careful and respectful. Ask them how to be careful with their instrument. This will allow you to see what a new guitar can possibly do for you.

Questions & Support

If you need clarification on this particular Q&A please leave a comment below. For new and existing questions please visit the main Classical Guitar Q&A page. If you are enjoying the free Q&As you can support the site here.

The post How do you know when to upgrade your classical guitar? first appeared on This is Classical Guitar.

1. Sam Ho on The Myth of Bach’s Lute Suites by Clive TitmussNovember 6, 2025

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7. Michael McGrath on Late-Beginner Collection for Classical Guitar (Free PDF)November 1, 2025

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8. Bradford Werner on How to Practice Scales on Classical GuitarOctober 31, 2025

   Yes, here is my curriculum page where you can see all my educational materials: https://www.thisisclassicalguitar.com/learn-classical-guitar-education-series/

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10. Thank you for the guidance! on 2025 Marcus Dominelli Classical GuitarOctober 30, 2025

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12. Bradford Werner on Grade 3 Lesson: Bella Gioiosa by Fabritio CarosoOctober 30, 2025

    Yes, you play with a capo and pretend that it is not there. So the open 1st string is E…

13. Oliver on Grade 3 Lesson: Bella Gioiosa by Fabritio CarosoOctober 30, 2025

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18. Stephan Flores on 2025 Marcus Dominelli Classical GuitarOctober 30, 2025

    First, beautiful sound-look of this wonderful new guitar! Question-request: I wonder if the next time you change strings, for this…

19. Bradford Werner on Curriculum for Classical GuitarOctober 28, 2025

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20. Samraj on Curriculum for Classical GuitarOctober 28, 2025

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21. Bradford Werner on Left Hand Position Lesson for Classical GuitarOctober 27, 2025

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The post Recent Comments first appeared on This is Classical Guitar.

Music Theory Lesson No.1 for Classical Guitar: Pitch Direction and Letter Names. I’ll be teaching classical music theory lessons and relating it to the keyboard, guitar, and notation to see the implications of music theory on the instrument. This first theory lesson might seem rudimentary but it’s the essential first step in orienting ourselves to both music notation and our instrument.

Pitch

The word pitch describes how high or low a note sounds. This is literally governed by the rate of vibrations producing it, in this case, from the strings. A classic organization of high and low pitch groups is the vocal comparison of soprano, alto, tenor, bass, which are classifications of singing voice, based on the range of pitches a voice can comfortably produce. Soprano being the highest, then alto, then tenor, and bass being the lowest.

The below content is all explained in the video.

Pitch Direction on the Piano Keyboard

High and low pitch direction on the keyboard is quite simple. The keys to the right get higher in pitch, the keys to the left get lower in pitch.

Pitch Direction on the Guitar

High and low pitch direction on the guitar is a little bit more complex.

• On a single string, frets from the head of the guitar toward the bridge get higher in pitch
• On a single string, frets from the bridge to the head get lower it pitch.
• Additionally, playing across the strings gets higher in pitch from the low E to the high E string.
• You can also travel across the fretboard combining the two ways.

Pitch Direction in Music Notation

High and low pitch direction in music notation is quite simple. Notes higher up the staff get higher in pitch and notes lower down the staff get lower in pitch. The staff is the five lines which we will discuss in the following lessons.

Letter Names in the Musical Alphabet

The Letter Names in the Musical Alphabet are ABCDEFG 

These repeat continuously getting either higher in pitch or lower in pitch.

CDEFGABCDEFGABC – Continuous on keyboard

CDEFGABCDEFGABC – Continuous on Guitar

As you can see below the letters on the white keys of the piano repeat from one C to the next. The C higher than the first is one octave higher but you don’t need to know this terminology yet.

There are actually 12 pitches in the musical alphabet when we learn about accidentals (sharps and flats) but we’ll cover that in a future lesson. But as a basic intro, the white keys of the keyboard are CDEFGABC and the black keys are the accidentals (sharps and flats). You don’t need to remember this, it will be covered in a future lesson.

See the video above for a demonstration of continuous lettering on the guitar.

Hope you found that helpful. Find more theory lessons on the Music Theory Lessons page. If you need any clarification on this particular lesson please leave a comment below.

The post Music Theory Lesson No.1 – Pitch Direction and Letter Names first appeared on This is Classical Guitar.

Daniel Schatz performs his arrangement of Agradecendo by Brazilian composer who’s best known as Pixinguinha (1897-1973) [Alfredo da Rocha Viana Filho]. This comes via Schatz’s YouTube channel (go subscribe). Agradecendo was likely written with the piano or for a general instrumental ensemble in mind, but it is fundamentally a choro piece. Really nice crisp and clean articulation and rhythmic delivery by Schatz but not without a nice sweet touch on occasion.

The post Daniel Schatz Plays Agradecendo by Pixinguinha first appeared on This is Classical Guitar.

I already play guitar, where should I start with classical guitar?

If you’ve already played guitar before I usually recommend students still start from the beginning with my Volume 1 method and use it as a 5-10 minute review before continuing with their usual content. This way you can fill any gaps in your learning. As you become more familiar with reading notation and my materials you can increase the amount of time and slowly transition into a structured and full routine. If you find the material super easy, great! Take the opportunity to play with a new level of refinement and reexamine your technique and musicality as if for the first time.

However, if you feel that it’s way too rudimentary you can go to the curriculum page or the sheet music page and explore some different grade levels until you find an appropriate fit. There are some free pieces from a variety of grades to quickly check out your skills. I always recommend you pick a grade level below where you think you are so you can aim for a higher level of refinement as well as making your practice sessions easy and enjoyable.

Once you find a general level to enter, you want to build a routine via my Curriculum for Classical Guitar. This is an outline of the different grades and levels to proceed through along with details on materials needed and practice advice.

Questions & Support

If you need any clarification on this particular Q&A please leave a comment below. For new and existing questions please visit the main Classical Guitar Q&A page. If you are enjoying the free Q&As you can support the site here.

The post I already play guitar, where should I start with classical guitar? first appeared on This is Classical Guitar.

Question: What are grade levels in classical guitar?

Grade levels help classical guitar students find repertoire that is close to their musical and technical skill level. They are helpful in finding pieces to play that will be successful and manageable. But music is a flexible art form and categorizing music in this way can be problematic. Much of the time, a grade level is very flexible depending on your desired tempo and level of refinement. Higher grade material isn’t better music and doesn’t mean you are a better player. Remember that pros play from all levels and you should often play from lower grades to play musically well. With that in mind, we can use grade levels successfully to progress methodically toward higher achievements in music study.

I generally group the grades into some basic areas:

• Beginner – This level often includes a beginner method book teaching the basics of reading and playing melodic material and arpeggio textures. My Volume 1 and 2 method books cover this level and even dive into some grade 1 material to prep the student.
• Early-Intermediate (Grade 1-3) – This is real classical guitar playing but without much awkward fingering, stretches, upper positions, or barre technique. Often, Grade 1 can be a transitional grade bridging the beginner method books to the first three grades.
• Intermediate (Grade 4-6) – This level includes all the main guitar techniques but the scope of the pieces and technique level is manageable if the student’s technique is in good order.
• Late-Intermediate (Grade 7-8) – This grade includes some advanced technique work but the pieces tend to be manageable in length. Increased tempos can turn many of these works into advanced pieces.
• Advanced (Grade 9-up) – There are many factors that can make a piece advanced including scope/length of the piece, musical maturity of the work, awkward shapes or stretches, technique requirements, and extended or irregular techniques.

Please see my Curriculum for Classical Guitar – This is an outline of the different grades and levels and how to proceed and learn classical guitar with details on materials needed and practice advice.

I highly recommend you play lots of music from lower grades. For example, I have my grade 4 students play a lot of grade 2 pieces to work on musicality. Students who perform well might have worked on that piece for a whole year or more, played in lessons, masterclass, for friends, family, and smaller concerts. They’ve had success and failure and worked through it. All your ambition and goals should be related to playing music well rather than progressing to the next grade. Find good music that just happens to be playable for you. You might want to see my lesson on Six Misconceptions About Grade Levels in Music Studies (video below).

Questions & Support

If you need any clarification on this particular Q&A please leave a comment below. For new and existing questions please visit the main Classical Guitar Q&A page. If you are enjoying the free Q&As you can support the site here.

The post What are grades in classical guitar? first appeared on This is Classical Guitar.