How to Play Classical Guitar

Essentials Tips on How to Play Classical Guitar

There are a few formal aspects of classical guitar playing that you might not be aware of if you've never studied this genre before. The most important ones are listed below.

Finger Nails

If you bite your finger nails habitually, this is the first lifestyle change you're going to need to make in order to learn how to play classical guitar. Classical guitarists don't pluck the strings with the tips of their fingers or with picks. The traditional technique is to grow long fingernails and use these nails to pluck the strings. You will need a nail grooming kit containing a pair of high quality finger nail clippers, a nail file and even some very fine sand paper to make sure the undersides of your nails are shaped properly. Having nails that are carefully maintained is an important part of developing the right tone from the instrument and making sure your playing has the proper attack.

Posture

Classical guitar study requires more than a folding chair and a music stand. Correct posture is vital if you are to attain the highest levels of your technical abilities. The goal is to put the guitar in the most natural position so that your arms, hands, and, most importantly, fingers can do their work in the most comfortable fashion. Ironically, this classical posture might at first seem very unnatural for those who have never studied classical guitar. The left foot (if you are a right handed player) is placed on a foot stand to elevate it approximately four to eight inches off the ground. This allows the guitar to rest easily on the left thigh and holds the guitar in a perfect playing position with no effort from the player's arms or hands. While this might feel strange initially, it is very important. If your posture isn't perfect, you could develop serious injury to your hands and wrists after periods of prolonged practice. Much like an athlete needs to stretch and use the correct form when competing in a sporting event, the classical guitar player needs to understand and execute perfect form when practicing and performing.

Guitar

Obviously, a guitar is an essential component! While any guitar with nylon strings is generically referred to as a "classical" guitar, not all nylon string guitars are suited for serious study of classical music. Arguably, no style of guitar music is more dependent on the instrument itself than classical guitar. When playing a steel string electric guitar, guitarists typically play with a pick and often play with other musicians playing different instruments. When a steel string acoustic guitarist is strumming along with a small band, the guitar almost becomes a percussion instrument, and its tones are absorbed by the rest of the instruments to the point where it is hard to isolate the way the guitar itself sounds. Similarly, electric guitar players use amps and pedals to delay, distort, modulate and modify the sound of the guitar until it is almost unrecognizable at times.

Classical guitar music, on the other hand, is a pure expression of how this particular type of guitar actually sounds. There are no other factors that influence the guitar's tone. Therefore, the quality of the guitar itself is of more importance than if you are playing guitar in a garage band and can get by quite happily and successfully with a cheap electric guitar. Of course, you don't need to go out and buy an original handmade Torres guitar, but if you are serious about learning to play classical guitar, you should really take the time to research guitars and buy a respectable instrument that will help you appreciate the depth and beauty of the music you will be studying.

Don't Forget the Basics

Once you decide that you want to learn how to play classical guitar, you need to understand what separates this style from other styles of guitar music. Classical guitar requires carefully groomed fingernails to get the best sound, correct posture to encourage the best technique, and a competent guitar to make the music you're working hard to play sound as beautiful as it should.