This is Classical Guitar

Classical guitarists SoloDuo (Lorenzo Micheli & Matteo Mela) perform Intermezzo Op. 118, No.2 by Johanes Brahms (1833-1897). Arranged for two guitars by Lorenzo Micheli. This comes via SoloDuo’s YouTube channel (go subscribe). Filmed in Geneva, Switzerland, Salle Caecilia, November 2025 by Lilium SoundArt. Beautiful performance by SoloDuo with gorgeous phrasing, melodic work and wonderful balance between the parts.

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Canadian classical guitarist Simon Farintosh has a new album of Christmas song arrangements in all 24 major & minor keys titled A Well-Tempered Christmas. Farintosh has completed such a creative and challenging project but also tastefully listenable as holiday album. With a span of influences from jazz, early music, and traditional Christmas fare, this is certainly one of the best holiday albums for classical guitar I’ve heard.  

A Well-Tempered Christmas: Listen on Spotify or Apple Music

Here’s a small note from Simon on the album:

“A Well-Tempered Christmas” is a collection of Christmas reharmonizations I made over the course of several years. The title is a nod to Bach’s “Well-Tempered Clavier,” a famous cycle of preludes & fugues in every key. Each arrangement is a sort of character piece, exploring a certain musical style, mood, or technique. A variety of styles are represented in these arrangements; numbers like “The Christmas Song,” “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas,” and “My Favourite Things” have a clear jazz influence, echoing the whimsical chord melody arrangements of Joe Pass in his iconic album “Six String Santa.” While numbers such as “Silent Night” and “Greensleeves” feel cozy and familiar, others such as “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” and “O Come O Come Emmanuel” feel more dark and obscure, reflecting their Gregorian chant origins.

Video Performances

This comes via Simon’s YouTube channel (go subscribe). 

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Music Theory Lesson No.3a: The Staff and Introduction to Clefs. In this lesson we will learn about the staff and the idea of clefs as well as how we map out pitches and musical time on the staff. You can find all the lessons at the Music Theory Lessons page. Here’s the Youtube link if you want to watch it there.

The staff (plural staves)

Music notation is written on a staff. The staff has five lines and four spaces.

Notes and rhythms can be placed on the lines and spaces of the staff to indicate pitch and musical time.

Ledger lines can extend the range and pitch of the staff. In short, ledger lines create more lines and spaces to place notes on which extends the pitch range of the staff.

The staff is a visual grid that we use to orient musical time (horizontally) and the highness and lowness of pitch (vertically). Musical time on the staff reads from left to right based on what note or rest is indicated. Notes higher on the staff are higher in pitch. Notes lower on the staff are lower in pitch. Notes on ledger lines extend the pitch range of the staff

Line Notes – For a basic orientation, here are some notes on the lines of the staff. Notice that the notehead (the circular part) goes through the centre of the staff line.

Space Notes – Notice how the notehead is placed between the two lines in the space of the staff.

Notes on lines and spaces – Here are some notes on both lines and spaces in order.

Clef

The Clef is a symbol placed on the staff to show the range of the pitch and the exact pitch represented by each line and space on the staff.

Different instruments and voices produce pitches in different ranges. The cello plays notes in a low range. The flute plays notes in a high range. There are many clefs to indicate these ranges.

We’ll be focusing on just two clefs for the first little while: the treble clef and the bass clef.

The Treble Clef

The treble clef (also called the G clef) indicates the location of G on the 2nd line from the bottom. For example, a soprano voice or a flute produce notes in a high range and use the treble clef to indicate notes on the staff. This tells use that the range is generally high and it also tells us what pitch is assigned to each line and space of the staff. 

This image shows how the treble clef indicates G on the 2nd to bottom line.

Here is the note G occurring on the same line as above.

You can see in the below image, the musical alphabet works in order when we place notes on each line and space of the staff with G as a reference point. This is a C major scale.

The Bass Clef

The Bass clef (also called the F clef) indicates the location of F on the 4th line. For example, a lower bass voice or a cello produce notes in a low range and use the bass clef to indicate notes on the staff.

This image shows how the bass clef indicates F on the 4th line from the bottom.

Here is the note F occurring on the same line as above.

You can see in this image that the musical alphabet works in order when we place notes on each line and space of the staff with F as a reference point. This is a C Major scale.

You don’t have to remember any specifics for now.

The only thing to know for now is that the clef is placed on the staff to show the general range and the specific pitch represented by each line and space on the staff. 

You won’t have to worry about it while playing guitar because you’ll only be reading the treble clef and you will simply get to know it super well without thinking about this. 

Summary

The staff, in conjunction with a clef, allows musicians to know the range and specific pitch represented by each line and space on the staff as well as musical time and rhythms reading from left to right.

In future lessons we will look at pitch classes and the grand staff to understand how the different clefs form all the commonly used pitches in music.

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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Classical guitarist Meng Su performs Where the Echo Sings by Viet Cuong (b.1990). This comes via the Omni Foundation and their Youtube channel (go subscribe). Amazing performance with such clarity and control over the texture as well as excellent dynamic phrasing. Very effective composition in a unrelenting perpetual style that can be challenging for guitar but worked very well in the hands of Meng Su.

Here’s a small bio of the composer via their Youtube description:

Described as “alluring” and “stirring” by The New York Times, the “arresting” (Gramophone), “irresistible” (San Francisco Chronicle), and “exhilarating” (Chicago Tribune) music of Vietnamese-American composer Viet Cuong (b. 1990) has been commissioned and performed on six continents by musicians and ensembles such as the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Eighth Blackbird, Kronos Quartet, Sandbox Percussion, Alarm Will Sound, Sō Percussion, PRISM Quartet, and Dallas Winds, among many others.

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Learn more or buy from UpGuitarbus

Review: UpGuitarbus Stand and Support for Classical Guitar – I had a great time trying out the UpGuitarbus guitar stand and support from France. This is a high quality and fully adjustable guitar stand allowing you to play while standing promoting stability, good posture, and customizable positioning. Here’s my YouTube review link if you want to watch it there. Here are some of their promotional lines:

PLAY STANDING
PLAY PAIN FREE
PERFORM AT YOUR BEST

The first stand designed entirely for classical guitarists to perform upright with perfect posture — relieve your back and elevate your music. Classical guitarists often struggle with posture and fatigue. UpGuitarbus offers an ergonomic solution: play standing, naturally, and protect your health — without sacrificing technique…the challenge was clear: create a support that doesn’t damage the guitar, doesn’t alter its natural sound, and provides a comfortable, balanced posture. – upguitarbus.com

Features

Stand and play guitar naturally – “Maintain perfect posture, reduce back pain, and rediscover the pleasure of a standing performance.” It really does feel amazing standing naturally with the guitar. However, I will admit, after 30 years of playing sitting it feels quite different. The reduced contact with the guitar feels less secure but imparts a huge freedom of movement aspect that I will continue to explore.

Fits your guitar, fits your style – Adjustable for various guitar sizes, but your instrument body must be at least 85mm deep. If your guitar is slimmer, please contact them.

High quality materials – It’s super sturdy and high quality. The laminated beech wood is very strong and has felt to protect your guitar. The sturdy steel bars are over the top and I would trust my life with them. All the threaded attachments are metal so this will never wear out. The K&F aluminium tripod is amazingly adjustable. Coincidentally, it’s actually the same tripod I use for my camera.

Fully adjustable – Customize height and tilt easily in any direction thanks to the tripod and ball-head system.

Protects your guitar – “Screws with felt-covered articulated foot pads touch the reinforced edge of your instrument and preserve your tone quality while saving its flawless finish.” I trust this completely with my expensive guitars, very well thought out in this regard.

Feel the vibrations – There is almost no contact with the actual vibrating back or soundboard except around the very edge. This should allow the guitar to vibration at its full potential.

Assembly & Mounting Video What I like

• Health – Putting aside whether you like playing with it or not, it’s very likely this is a much healthier way to play. My posture and positioning was exceptional with this support. It took some time to get the right position as it feels very different than sitting but the highly adjustable tripod makes nearly any position possible.
• Quality – Super high quality build and thoughtful design.
• Standing – You can stand while playing and the guitar is perfectly stationary.
• Additional Usage – I would use this for special camera work where I need a hand free for the camera or to teach and point. The stationary aspect is perfect for recording and video applications.
• Unique – Whether you want to stand while playing or not, this has clear applications for special circumstances.
  • People with health concerns preventing them from sitting.
  • Possibly application for people with disabilities. Maybe possible for wheelchairs but I don’t know the logistics of this. A special clamp might be needed.
  • Using this with small children could be interesting. You’d be able to set them up correctly and know they would be in a good position.

Concerns

• Not much – I don’t have any concerns about the usability or quality of the product. Obviously this is a very specific device with a very specific intention.
• Aesthetics – Clearly, there is an aesthetic consideration. With the tripod and clamps it has a bit of a contraption-aspect to it. But it is a nice mix of usability and design and you can see the full guitar at least.
• Mobility is clearly limited in one way and opened up in a different way. Overall there is increased mobility due to you body being able to move around but the stationary aspect of the guitar could be limiting for some people who twist and turn with the guitar as they play. This will largely be a personal choice.
• Cost – At the moment the cost is €390.00 (please check at their website though as it is subject to change). The quality of the device and what it comes with matches the price so no worries there. But that is still a steep price for some people. Maybe in the future with expanded sales it could come down a bit or a student model could be designed at a lower cost. But don’t worry, you’re getting your moneys worth, it’s a quality product. Professional guitarists. or just those who care about their body and instrument, will enjoy the high quality of the product regardless of price.

Ideas

• Could there be a mounting option for a chair, wheelchair or other situations? I know this is not within the nature of the device as it was designed for standing but I’m interested if that could be an option in the future.
• Could the clamping attachment mechanism be on the back instead of the front for visual reasons?
• Can there be a more affordable student model below this professional model?

Summary

The UpGuitarbus is a high quality and fully adjustable guitar stand and support allowing a standing position for classical guitarists. With excellent build quality and a thoughtful design you can play in a healthy way and feel confident your guitar is well protected and resonating. It has clear implications and usages for players with health or sitting issues as well as a wide array of applications for special situations. An important contribution to the world of guitar supports and a viable option for professionals and amateurs alike.

Learn more or buy from UpGuitarbus

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Question: Does the headstock have to be at eye level for classical guitar?

Having the headstock of the guitar at eye level is a guideline that helps to ensure a healthy 45 degree angle or steeper for your guitar position and provides an easy to remember tip for quick positioning. However, it’s only a starting point and generalized tip, not an absolute rule. Some players will have the headstock higher than eye level and some will have it lower. Variables such as the player’s height, guitar size, chair height, guitar support will decide how much this guideline is followed.

Keep in mind that I am promoting the modern classical guitar technique so there can be differences if you look back 25 years or more.

Let’s look at my playing position in the below three photos. I am quite short and as you can see the headstock is at or above eye level regardless of whether I’m using a foot stool or various guitar supports. It’s actually a bit higher with the guitar supports but not by much.

See my full lesson: I have a full dedicated lesson on Sitting and Position for Classical Guitar so check that out first as it has tons of tips and photos with diagrams for much more context. I’ve included the video and a few pictures below.

Let’s look at some professional guitarists. Below you can see Adam Cicchillitti (left) and Steve Cowan (right). Adam’s headstock looks at eye level or below. Steve’s looks quite above eye level.

Below Hao Yang’s headstock is quite a bit above eye level.

Below, Drew Henderson also has a headstock position at or above eye level.

Below, Rebeca Oliveira has a headstock position above eye level.

Below, Lorenzo Micheli (left) and Matteo Mela (right) are a bit different. Lorenzo is a bit below eye level whereas Matteo is above.

As you can see from all these videos, the general guitar angles are all similar but the exact position of the headstock varies slightly. Continue watching the videos I post of pros on the site and you’ll see guitarists of all sorts of heights and body types. Watching all the different players will give you a generalized view of classical guitar positioning.

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.

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Pièces caractéristiques pour guitare, Op.123 (1964) by Belgian composer Jean Absil (1893-1974). Performed by Bradford Werner. I’m trying to feature more music by modern and contemporary composers and external publishers on the site and this is a great piece to start with. I’ll be adding all ten movements to this post over the next few weeks so check back often. The sheet music is by Editions Henry Lemoine.

Jean Absil (1893–1974) was a Belgian composer, organist, and teacher known for his modernist style blending neoclassicism with modal and polytonal techniques. A student of Paul Gilson, Absil composed symphonies, concertos, and choral works, and served as a professor at the Brussels Conservatory, influencing generations of Belgian musicians.

Jean Absil wrote a good number of guitar works primarily for Nicolas Alfonso, a prominent Belgian guitarist and pedagogue. Alfonso was one of the leading classical guitarists in Belgium during the mid-20th century and collaborated with several composers, including Absil. I suspect this work was also written for him but I haven’t found any additional information yet.

Pièces caractéristiques Op.123 (Pieces and Youtube Links)

• I. Prélude
• II. Invention
• III. Pastorale
• IV. Humoresque
• V. Valse
• Cantilène
• Scherzo
• Chant du soir
• Pavane
• Tarentelle

This video was performed on a Marcus Dominelli classical guitar with Augustine Regal strings and a GuitarLift Ultimate support. All my gear here. Subscribe to the free membership newsletter and if you’re enjoying the site you can consider supporting it.

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Thomas Viloteau performs Chôro No.1 by Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959) with a Le Support guitar rest which he designed. This comes via his fantastic YouTube channel (go subscribe). As he mentions, “Heitor Villa-Lobos…composed fifteen Chôros between 1920 and 1929 for various instrumentations.”

Wonderful performance and fun interpretation with driving rhythm, beautiful phrasing, and variety of articulations and jazzy additions. The performance really breathes new life and flavour into the piece. Brilliant!

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Question: How proficient should I be at a piece before I continue to the next one? For a bit more context on this question, the actual question asked was: When using your method books without an instructor, how proficient should I try to be with the pieces in a lesson before I continue on to the next lesson?

The answer to this question has a number of variables based on the level of the student and the repertoire. Let me explore the variables and give some practical tips to help you. Here’s the YouTube link if you want to watch it there.

Accepting Mistakes Based on the Level of the Student

With beginner students in my Volume 1 and 2 method books, I don’t worry too much about mistakes as long as their sitting and hand positions are healthy and on the right track and they are playing musically. The more advanced the student is, the more I will start to require less mistakes in their playing. 

There are exceptions. If a student, regardless of level, makes a mistake in the same spot in the music every time they play it, I fully examine the cause. If you are self-learning, I highly recommend you do the same. For example, if you make a mistake every time the 4th finger is used, that is a mistake that must be corrected and examined to discover the root cause. In contrast, if a beginner student is making a few random mistakes due to the multitasking nature of music, that is more acceptable. 

The Number of Mistakes

Making one or two mistakes in a piece is fine but make constant mistakes indicates that the skill level of the music is overpowering the skills of the student.  Adjustments to both the level of the repertoire and the skills of the student must be made.

Tempo Considerations

As with mistakes, I don’t worry too much about a student’s tempo at the beginner level. At whatever tempo they can play the music well is perfectly fine. As the student becomes more advanced, I consider tempo more and more. Especially at the grade 4-6 range where I really want to start refining skills and examining any issues getting in the way of reaching desired tempos.

So, when to move from one piece to the next?  

When a piece can be played with a reasonable amount of confidence, at a comfortable tempo, with not too many random mistakes, it is likely time to move on to the next. Again, if the mistakes are occurring in the same spot each time, more examination into the cause is needed before moving forward. That said, pieces within each of my books are usually around the same level but have different textures and compositional styles so it’s not exactly true that each one is more difficult. They are just different and require new skills.  

Also, I rarely have the student stop playing the piece altogether after moving on. They will likely continue to play the previous piece as they start learning the next. In fact, I usually review all the pieces in a book with my student as they progress onward. On rare occasions I might have students leave a piece outright if I think too many bad habits have formed and the psychological outlook is negative. Then a fresh start with a similar piece might be needed but this is rare in my studio where I’m keeping a close watch on the student.

Do you have a teacher? 

Students studying with a teacher have it a bit easier. The teacher can decide if the student has reached their maximum potential with a work, or if an educational objective has been met. That said, most self-study students will know if they are comfortable and proficient with a work. They can sometimes be too easy or too hard on themselves but the above indications can still be observed. 

Performance Considerations

If a student is planning to perform the piece a much longer process of development is often needed and requires many trial and error mini-performances to work out what will be best for the piece in performance. 

Advanced Students

If a student is more advanced, let’s say grade 6 and above, the issue of refinement and technique proficiency is much more important. Ideally, students would be perfectly balanced in their skills up to this point but I have rarely if ever seen this to be the case. It’s kind of just a part of being human. Therefore, specific refinement in certain areas need to be concentrated on and practiced either with the piece or through technique and “cross-contamination” pieces. As in, there will be much practice and work to be done outside of the piece at hand. An array of technique exercises might be needed to improve a skill, more pieces with a similar texture at lower levels might be needed to raise musical skills.

Don’t Worry

You should regularly review pieces and not just move from one to the next. Therefore, you don’t have to completely done with one piece in order to start the next. You just want the overwhelming number of tasks to be reduced so you can practice proficiently without dedicating all your time to one piece. 

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.

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Hao Yang performs Music of Memory by Nicholas Maw (1935-2009). This comes via Guitars International via their YouTube channel with video and recording by Drew Henderson. Absolutely amazing performance by Hao Yang who continues to impress with a shocking combination of technique virtuosity and beautiful musical phrasing. This level of technique mastery along with expressive musicality feels like something very new in the guitar world. You can check out the other videos of Yang on the site where she is equally at home with contrasting repertoire.

You can get the score via Faber where they give this description of the work:

The work’s title, ‘Music of Memory’, refers to the long-term memory of a golden age (and the corresponding hope that it can continue to nourish our own art) represented by the Mendelssohn; the short-term ‘memory’ of an original that lies behind the variation form; and the use of the different kinds of memory-related techniques and materials during the work – ‘guitar sounds’ typical of the instrument and its repertoire, and the ‘memory recalls’ of the coda.

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Classical guitarist Sam Desmet performs Concerto pour guitare et petit orchestre, Op. 155 by Jean Absil (1893–1974) with the Casco Phil Orchestra, conducted by Benjamin Haemhouts, in Waregem, Belgium. This is a world-premiere performance bringing Jean Absil’s guitar concerto to the stage for the first time. Recorded live in concert. Video via Desmet’s YouTube (go subscribe).

It’s so great to hear this concerto which coincidentally got released while I record Absil’s little works Pièces caractéristiques, Op.123. Absil’s guitar works are very underplayed considering the excellent quality of the works. I’ve been looking at all the available solo and duo works and was delighted to now hear the concerto. As Desmet mentions, “Composed in 1971, yet never performed during Absil’s lifetime or beyond, the concerto—expressive, modernist, and vividly orchestrated—now appears for the first time in its complete form, accompanied by a full-length video release.” Read more info about the concerto here.

Movements:

• 00:00 Allegro energico
• 04:10 Andante cantabile
• 10:58 Allegro moderato

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Enfantillages Pittoresques by Erik Satie (1866-1925) arranged for classical guitar duo. Originally for solo piano. PDF sheet music for classical guitar duet including a notation edition with left hand fingering in score format. Intermediate level, the lower part is easier. This is a PDF download.

My PDF Sheet Music via Werner Guitar Editions

• Enfantillages Pittoresques by Satie (PDF)

I’m very pleased to present this beautiful little duet arrangement for two classical guitars. The arrangement required almost no alteration whatsoever beyond changing the clefs to treble clef. Big thanks to my good friend and colleague Nicole Payie for joining me in the performance video. 

Erik Satie (1866–1925) was a French composer and pianist known for his eccentric personality and his minimalist, atmospheric works such as the Gymnopédies and Gnossiennes. A precursor to modernism, he influenced later movements including ambient music, surrealism, and the avant-garde. His unconventional ideas and understated musical style left a lasting imprint on 20th-century composers.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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