Here is a list of classical guitar exercises and technique lessons from the site. All the video lessons are 100% free to watch. Four main books are mentioned but you can usually get the exercises just from watching the videos. Studying technique exercises is an essential part of a daily practice routine. I highly recommend you practice the exercises at the beginning of your practice session to allow the technique you learn to pour into the pieces your play afterward. With that little bit of preparation and careful practice you might find your fingers behaving much better in your pieces and you’ll be building a foundation that will last the rest of your life. Here are the four books I mention:
Books Mentioned
- 20 Favorite Exercises, Notation + TAB, PDF, Video lessons, Gr.1-6, Great for crossover or a quick boost. Condensed for fast study, only the essential exercises.
- Classical Guitar Technique: Essential Exercises, Scales, & Arpeggios – 122 pages, PDF, Notation, Video lessons. Hundreds of exercises and very comprehensive.
- Major Scales for Classical Guitar – Beginner to Intermediate, Notation + TAB
- Ten Classical Etudes, Gr.4-7, videos lessons, Notation & Notation + TAB
Free Video Lessons for 20 Favorite Exercises
- No. 1 – Right Hand Walking (Alternation)
- No. 2 & 3 – Basic Left Hand Position Exercise and Horizontal Biulders
- No. 4 – Basic Arpeggios + Full & Sequential Planting
- No. 5 – Basic Tremelo Exercise for Classical Guitar
- No. 6 – Left Hand Slur Exercise: Vertical Builder
- No. 7 – Left Hand Slur Exercise: Horizontal Builder
- No. 8 – Right Hand Cross-String Exercise
- No. 9 – Basic Rasgueado Exercise
- No. 10 – Fixed Position Exercise for the Left Hand
- No. 11 – Scale Exercise: Destination Points
- No. 12 – Scale Exercise: Rhythmic Vitality
- No. 13 – Scale Exercise: Articulation and Dynamics
- No. 14 – Slurs and Shifts Combo Exercise
- No. 15 – All-In-One-Arpeggio Pattern
- No. 16 – Barre Exercise for Guitar
- No. 17 – C Major Exercise in Thirds, Sixths, and Octaves
- No. 18 – Chromatic Scale in Octaves
- No. 19 – Scale Etude (alternating i,m)
- No. 20 – Triads & Arpeggios Etude
Free Video Lessons for Classical Guitar Technique: Essential Exercises, Scales, and Arpeggios
- Technique Routines (Discussions on Time Management)
- Beginner Technique Routine
- Late-Beginner Technique Routine
- Early-Intermediate Technique Routine
- Intermediate Technique Routine
- Late-Intermediate Technique Routine
- Early-Advanced Technique Routine
- Lessons for Part 1 – Right Hand Exercises
- Right Hand Open String Exercises with i, m, a (No. 1-19)
- Right Hand Open String Exercises with p,i,m,a (No.20-35)
- Preparation (Planting) in the Right Hand
- Open String Exercises No. 36-71
- Open String Exercises No. 72-100
- Giuliani’s 120 Right Hand Studies
- Lessons for Part 2 – Left Hand Alignment, Shifts, and Scales
- Alignment Exercises for the Left Hand
- Horizontal Alignment 1-4-2-4-3-4
- Chromatic Scale Exercises
- Variations and Ideas for Practicing Scales
- Open Position Scales Through the Circle of Fifths
- One Octave Moveable Major Scales
- Shift and String Squeak Exercises
- Favourite Two and Three Octave Moveable Scales
- Major Scales with Open String Shifts
- Triadic Arpeggios
- Closer Look: C Major Triadic Arpeggio
- Lessons for Part 3 – Slurs, Finger Independence, and Stretch
- Slur Exercises (Hammer-ons, Pull-offs)
- Slurs in Groups of Six and Rhythmic Accents
- Alignment & Slur Exercise with Fixed Fingers
- Selected Slur Scales
- Left Hand Independence, Alignment, and Stretch
- Horizontal Stretch Exercise Lesson
- Vertical Stretch Exercises
- Selected Major Scales in 3rds, 6ths, Octaves, and 10ths
- Lesson: C Major Scale in 3rds for Guitar
- C Major Scale in 6ths
- E Chromatic Scale in Octaves
- Lessons for Part 4 – Additional Techniques
- Barre Exercises
- Tremolo Exercises
- Basic Rasgueado
- Common Natural and Artificial Harmonics
- Speed and Relaxation
Free Video Lessons for Major Scales for Classical Guitar (YouTube Links)
- Tips and ways to practice major scales
- C Major Scales for Guitar
- G Major Scales for Guitar
- D Major Scales for Guitar
- A Major Scales for Guitar
- E Major Scales for Guitar
- F Major Scales for Guitar
- Bb Major Scales for Guitar
- Eb Major Scales for Guitar
- Ab Major Scales for Guitar
- The Five Closed Major Scale Patterns Over the Entire Fretboard
Free Video Lessons for Ten Classical Etudes
- Sor Study, No. 6, Op. 60 by Fernando Sor – Musicality: basic legato, phrasing, and shaping, muting basses
- Allegretto, No. 22, Op. 50 by Mauro Giuliani – Slurs and the four-finger position (one finger per fret)
- Allegro Moderato, Study No. 14, Op. 60 by Matteo Carcassi – Free-stroke scale-work, legato, and position shifts
- Allegro Moderato, Study No. 19, Op. 60 by Matteo Carcassi – Arpeggios, right hand balance, and upper voice melodic phrasing
- Moderato, Study No. 6, Op. 60 by Matteo Carcassi – Right hand balance and voice independence (counterpoint)
- Allegro Moderato, Study, No. 24, Op. 60 by Fernando Sor – Arpeggios, speed work, thumb control and coordination
- Allegretto, Study No. 10, Op. 60 by Matteo Carcassi – Compact left hand position, slurs, thirds, and shifts
- Thirds in G Major No. 5, Op. 1 by Mauro Giuliani – Left hand position, shifts, accuracy, economy of motion
- Octaves in G Major No. 7, Op. 1 by Mauro Giuliani – Left hand position, basic reach and stretch, shifts, accuracy
- Study in B Minor (Allegretto) No. 22, Op. 35 by Fernando Sor – Musicality: balance, shaping, phrasing, arpeggios, melody, tone
