Question: How do I play rest stroke thumb with free stroke fingers at the same time on classical guitar? Variant: How do I play free stroke thumb with rest stroke fingers? Answer Summary: The ability to play each technique separately…
Question: How can I improve my slurs (hammer-ons, pull-offs) on classical guitar? Answer Summary: Improving your slurs should begin with a review and examination of good guitar positioning and left hand hand alignment followed by accuracy and relaxation exercises. Once…
Question: How is the weight of the left arm used in classical guitar technique? When proper technique, sitting position, and curved fingers are in use, the weight of the left arm can be used to help pull the fingertips into…
Question: Is it better to memorize pieces in music and classical guitar? Short answer: yes. Long answer: depends on the situation. Yes, it is generally it is better to memorize your music for performance. Memorized music often results in a…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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,…