lessons

Right Hand Fingering Concepts: String Crossing and Ergonomics

A lesson on the concept of string crossing and ergonomics on classical guitar and how it relates to right hand fingering choices. In this lesson we cover ergonomic string crossings and awkward string crossings and relate the discussion to finger…

Right Hand Fingering Concepts: Alternation

A lesson on the concept of finger alternation on classical guitar and how it relates to right hand fingering choices. This is from my book: Right Hand Fingering for Classical Guitar: Concepts and Case Studies. This book aims to give students…

Classical Guitar Q&A

Is it better to memorize my music?

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…

Music Theory Lesson No.3a – Staff and Clef

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…

When Should I Move on to the Next Piece of Music?

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…

Classical Guitar Q&A

How does sitting position affect my classical guitar technique? 

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…

Classical Guitar Q&A

How can I improve my tremolo technique on 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,…

Why do we use music notation?

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…

Music Theory Lesson No.1b: Musical Time

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…