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A lesson on right hand fingering using case studies No.66-68 which are the final case studies in the book. This is from my book: Right Hand Fingering for Classical Guitar: Concepts and Case Studies. This book aims to give students a basic criteria for justifying fingering choices and gaining confidence in deciding fingering for themselves. The combination of concepts and case studies offers a framework for approaching fingering in both logical and musical ways. Here’s the Youtube link if you want to watch it there.

This video covers Examples No.66-68 from the book (Page 54-57).

Video Times

• 00:00 Intro
• 0:51 Case No.66
• 5:06 Case No.67
• 9:48 Case No.68a
• 15:53 Conclusion

The post Right Hand Fingering Concepts: Case Studies No.66-68 first appeared on This is Classical Guitar.

Question: What is the best way to learn a new piece on classical guitar?

Answer Summary: There are many variables involved in learning a new piece such as understanding the composition itself, the guitar techniques involved, and the comprehension and skill level of the player. Regardless, there are a few steps you can easily follow: research the main musical elements; practice the elements separately and then assemble; practice the sections evenly; examine the techniques involved and practice separately. Lets explore all the variables to get a more clear picture of how to approach a new work.

Research the main musical elements

Before trying to play all the notes in a piece the first thing I try to decide is: what will be my musical priorities and how will I approach the piece? Here are some leading questions:

• Is there a main melodic line to play on its own?
• What will the balance of the different voices be?
• Will the accompaniment be super soft?
• Are there dynamics or articulations involved that need attention?
• Is there counterpoint? Is there more than one independent line to bring out?
• Who was the composer and what does their music sound like?
• Is there research on the piece and composer I can study?
• Period Music – What musical era is the work from and how does that era prioritize different musical elements, concepts, and expressive musicality?
• What guitar techniques are involved and do they need extra practice?
• Are there recordings of the piece I can listen to as well as other music from the era and geographic region (guitar or non-guitar listening)?
• Etc. an endless list.

Practice the elements separately and assemble

This can be anything from a listening examination to a music theory analysis. Or it might just be you deciding what you believe are the musical priorities. In a common Classical era work the above questions might result in some predictable practice methods. A melodic piece with a melody, bass, and accompaniment is a common texture which we can practice in the below order:

1. Practice the melody on it’s own until the phrasing and legato is at a high quality level. You might also sing the melody to really understand it musically.
2. Decide the texture and dynamic balance: bring out the melody the most, then the bass voice, and soften the inner accompaniment.
3. Play the notes together very slowly but try to retain the quality of the individually practiced voices.
4. Raise the tempo gradually while retaining the quality level.

Don’t forget: While practicing in the above way, I might also pick a small phrase and experiment with it at a faster tempo to understand the technique requirements. In other words, take a small section and try to simulate what the end result will feel like. This can help us to understand how long it will take to prepare the work and avoid musical choices that only apply to slow practice tempos.

Examine the techniques involved

Some pieces will require a unique technique element that might need to be practiced separately. Ideally you would already be maintaining most guitar technique in a daily routine but that is not always the case and unique situations often occur.

A common example would be a tremolo piece. Maybe you would add extra tremolo exercises to your technique routine to give it a boost. Or a thick counterpoint piece might require you to add extra finger independence exercises. In unique cases you might turn a portion of the work itself into a technique exercise to master a specific situation that is unique to the piece.

Practice the phrases and sections equally

From the first moment you start practicing a new piece, consider assembling the whole piece somewhat evenly and slowly. Do not practice from start to finish or measure to measure.

Phrasing: Consider practicing phrases one at a time so that you are combining your technique and muscle memory with the musicality. You don’t want to develop technique hiccups in the middle of a musical phrase.

Sections: Isolate the most difficult sections and practice those more until you can play the entire work at a very slow tempo. You don’t want to get really good at the first half of the piece while the second half is weak. Consider the big picture by evening out your ability to play all sections slowly and evenly.

Some practice methods to avoid

• Avoid practicing measure to measure. This can result in muscle memory that is not connected to the phrasing and musicality of the work. It’s too arbitrary, instead, pick a musical destination to play up to. One phrase at a time is better than a random measure to measure approach.
• Do not practice from start to finish. Prioritize your work by understanding which sections need more work than others.
• Do not exclusively use or avoid the metronome. I always check my pieces with a metronome to make sure I actually know how to play the rhythms accurately. This is done throughout my practice development of the work. However, in order to play with musicality that sounds natural I also will practice without the metronome. Some pieces, such as those with lots of rubato, do not benefit from metronome practice. But I still check my rhythms and tempo maintence by using it on occasion.

Decide on the timeline

There are short term projects and longterm projects in music practice. When I practice a longterm piece I don’t even play it with all the notes for many weeks. I’ll start with selected musical elements, or experiment with small phrases. I’ll listen to others play the work, read and do research on the work and composer. Anything to start digesting the work without the difficulty of playing all the notes. Once I start practicing the whole piece I will have lots of insights into how to approach it and what I want the end result to look like.

Additional Topics and Lessons

• Practicing and Refining Musical Textures
• Presenting and Interpreting
• Lesson on Practicing
• Practicing & Reaching Higher Levels
• Feel Stuck When Practicing
• Practicing with a Metronome
• Playing Musically on Classical 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 What is the best way to learn a new piece on classical guitar? first appeared on This is Classical Guitar.

Sofia Saggese (mezzo soprano) and Davide Depedro (theorbo) perform Che si può fare (Arie op. 8, Venezia, 1664) by Barbara Strozzi (1619-1677). This comes via Edoardo Lambertenghi’s YouTube channel (go subscribe). Beautiful vocal performance, aria, and accompaniment by Depedro, pure charm.

Barbara Strozzi (1619–1677) was an Venitian composer and singer of the Baroque era, widely regarded as one of the most prolific composers of secular vocal music in 17th-century Venice. Strozzi composed a remarkable number of works, publishing eight collections of music—primarily cantatas, arias, and madrigals. She likely had more secular music in print than any other composer of the era.

The post Saggese and Depedro perform Che si può fare by Barbara Strozzi first appeared on This is Classical Guitar.

A lesson on right hand fingering using case studies No.58-65 which focuses on voice separation and thumb use. This is from my book: Right Hand Fingering for Classical Guitar: Concepts and Case Studies. This book aims to give students a basic criteria for justifying fingering choices and gaining confidence in deciding fingering for themselves. The combination of concepts and case studies offers a framework for approaching fingering in both logical and musical ways. Here’s the Youtube link if you want to watch it there.

This video covers Examples No.58-65 from the book (Page 46-53).

Video Times

• 00:00 Intro
• 1:18 – Case No.58b
• 6:03 – Case No.59b
• 9:24 – Case No.60a
• 11:47 – Case No.61a
• 15:09 – Case No.62a
• 19:04 – Case No.63a
• 24:20 – Case No.64b
• 30:38 – Case No.65a

The post Right Hand Fingering Concepts: Case Studies No.58-65 (Voice Separation) first appeared on This is Classical Guitar.

Norwegian classical guitarist Kristina Vårlid performs Variations on a Theme of Scriabin by Polish composer Alexandre Tansman (1897–1986), written in 1972 for Segovia, after the Prelude, Op. 16, No. 4 by Alexander Scriabin (1872-1915). This comes via Varlid’s Youtube channel (go subscribe).

Beautiful performance by Vårlid with excellent pacing and a range of delicate to pianistic playing. I award a special prize for the flicking of the 6th string with the right hand pinky finger at 1:17. Some more info via Graham Wade on this Naxos recording:

The Polish composer, Alexandre Tansman, having been introduced to Andrés Segovia during his stay in Paris in 1921, was persuaded to write for the guitar…Variations on a Theme of Scriabin, dedicated to Segovia, was written in 1972. The theme, Prelude, Op. 16, No. 4, in E flat minor (for piano), was arranged by Segovia in B minor for guitar (publ. Celesta Publishing Co., New York, 1945). This melody has a haunting quality with poignant accompanying chord progressions, though Tansman has at certain points reworked the original harmonization of the theme. The composition has six variations, the first being a transference of the theme to the bass line, with an accompaniment in the treble. Var. II, slightly faster, explores the harmonic potential of Scriabin’s melody, while Var. III is a virtuosic Vivo episode in semiquavers. Var. IV changes the tonality and explores some ingenious harmonic modulations. The fifth variation, Allegretto grazioso (quasi Mazurka), is the composer’s homage to Poland, presenting the national dance with a dash of humour and elements which evoke the music of J.S. Bach. The last variation is fugal, a contrapuntal working out of the melodic implications, which gives way to a final, slightly modified, gentle statement of the theme itself.

The post Kristina Vårlid Performs Variations on a Theme of Scriabin by Tansman first appeared on This is Classical Guitar.

The Shearer Method: Classroom Guitar Year 1 & 2
by Aaron Shearer, Thomas Kikta, and Dr. Alan Hirsh
Released 2025

Buy the Books via Aaron Shearer Foundation

The famous revised Shearer Method is now available as a Classroom Guitar series including a year one and two sequence and optional instructor’s manual appropriate for both guitarists and non-guitarist teachers. This is the most detailed and dedicated classical guitar classroom method available. Plus the online resources (video, audio, apps) for students and teachers offer clarification and continuity across the learning experience.

The inclusion of solo, duo, and trio repertoire is perfect for either small group classes or large classrooms where confidence in numbers keep students aligned. The repertoire in year one is original material which makes sense for creating a perfect match between educational content and repertoire experience. Year two includes a few arrangements of folk songs and ensemble arrangements of classical repertoire. Chord strumming exercises ensure classical guitarist learn some basics from the greater guitar world.

The biggest strength of the books might be the detailed information within the book itself and the teachers manual. This provides both teacher and student with enough content to have classroom activities and content to cover but also at-home practice reminders for students. Online videos, audio, and apps also aid students and teachers outside the classroom making the method very versatile and practical in large classes.

The content of the books include

• Developmental solos
• Student/teacher Duets. (Teacher accompaniments include chord symbols for non-guitarists)
• Developmental Guitar Ensemble in a diversity of musical styles and tailored to the sequence. Optional Contrabass parts available in Year 2
• Integrated study of Guitar Harmony
• Strumming duets to apply the learning of new chords and rhythms
• Guitar Percussion
• Online instructional videos
• Online audio support of all duets and trios
• Online Note Recognition App for supporting note reading
• Online Sight-reader App for supporting note reading
• Instructor’s Manual and online Instructor’s supplement available

Videos from the Shearer Foundation

All videos found via Aaron Shearer Foundation, check it out to learn more.

Example 1st Year Technique

Moderato, Ensemble No. 2, from Classroom Guitar

Shearer Foundation Virtual Forum Jan. 13, 2026

The post The Shearer Method: Classroom Guitar Year 1 & 2 first appeared on This is Classical Guitar.

A lesson on right hand fingering using case studies No.54-57 which focuses on playing across the strings. This is from my book: Right Hand Fingering for Classical Guitar: Concepts and Case Studies. This book aims to give students a basic criteria for justifying fingering choices and gaining confidence in deciding fingering for themselves. The combination of concepts and case studies offers a framework for approaching fingering in both logical and musical ways. Here’s the Youtube link if you want to watch it there.

This video covers Examples No.54-57 from the book (Page 42-45).

Video Times

• 00:00 Intro
• 1:04 – Case No.54a
• 6:30 – Case No.55a
• 9:00 – Case No.56a
• 12:14 Case No.57a

The post Right Hand Fingering Concepts: Case Studies No.54-57 (Across the Strings) first appeared on This is Classical Guitar.