Classical Guitar Lessons
Welcome to the section dedicated to classical guitar lessons. Classical guitar combines melody, harmony, and bass using a finger style technique. In essence you are a one man band, playing all the essential parts simultaneously. It is a beautiful genre perfect for the solo guitarist. Lessons cover specific classical techniques along with popular classical pieces such as Lagrima and Malaguena. As a prerequisite, the finger style series in the Skill Category should be studied first.
Segovia Scales C Major
In this lesson we will learn a Segovia style scale. The scale is a 2 octave C Major scale. The emphasis of this lesson is on shifting positions and practicing the rest stroke in an alternating fashion with the index and second finger.
Segovia Scales G Major
In this lesson we will study a 3 Octave G Major Scale Segovia style. The focus is on shifting positions and free stroke alternating technique. Andres Segovia was a virtuoso classical guitar player from Spain. He proposed that scale practice would correct faulty hand position, improve finger strength, and prepare the joints for more speedy studies.
C and G Major Workout
In this lesson we will learning an exercise focusing on a 2 pattern with the C Major Scale
C and G Major Workout 2
In this lesson we will expand on the C and G Major scale workout.
Malaguena Guitar Tab and Lesson
In this lesson we will learn a basic rendition of the Malaguena. Malaguena is a very popular Spanish classic. There are many versions out there but it very pliable in its arrangement. As you will see in the Malaguena guitar tab and lesson it uses a repetitive picking pattern between the thumb and 1st or 2nd finger.
Song Difficulty: 3
Arpeggio Picking Patterns
In this lesson we will cover several common arpeggio picking patterns. These are great exercises and should practiced regularly.
Greensleeves
This is a great classical style piece to learn as a beginner in the fingerstyle / classical genre.
Song Difficulty: 2
Lagrima Part 1
In this lesson we will learn the first part of the classical guitar tune, Lagrima. It is one of the best known original tunes buy Spanish guitarist Francisco Terrega. The composition consists of 16 bars and follows an ABA pattern. The A section is written in E Major and the B section is written in E minor. Each section consists of 8 bars. In this lesson we will study the E Major section and also provide the Lagrima tab.
Song Difficulty: 3
Lagrima Part 2
In this lesson we will focus on completing Lagrima with the 2nd Part. This part moves to the parallel minor key of E minor.
Song Difficulty: 3
Romanza
Romanza (Romance) is a standard classical tune in the key of E minor and E major. The piece has 2 parts, the first being in Em and then shifts to an E major section. There is no particular arrangement for this song. It is open to interpretation and being creative on your own. It has been performed many different ways by arranging the 2 parts. This is a complex classical style tune and I highly recommend studying Volume 12 on finger picking before attempting this piece.
Fur Elise by Beethoven
Great piece to learn for beginners to intermediate classical players. Basically consists of 2 sections that repeat.
Song Difficulty: 3
The Roll Technique
In this lesson we will learn the Roll technique commonly used by classical players.
Canon In D by Johann Pachelbel
In this lesson we will be studying Canon in D. The piece is built around a D, A, Bm, F#m, G chord progression that builds in complexity throughout. We are going to learn it in parts. In part 1 we will focus on the first 3 passes. Please remember to tune your low E string down to a D.
Song Difficulty: 4
Canon In D Part 2 by Johann Pachelbel
In this lesson we will be studying Canon in D Part 2. The focus is on the next 3 passes of the chord progression. These are significantly more complicated than the first 3 passes, building on the theme and melody.
Song Difficulty: 5
Canon In D Part 3
In this lesson we will be studying Canon in D part 3. The piece is built around a D, A, Bm, F#m, G chord progression that builds in complexity throughout. We are going to learn it in parts. In part 3 we will focus on 2 passes that contain a lot of single note melody runs.. Please remember to tune your low E string down to a D.
Song Difficulty: 4
Canon In D (Part 4)
In this lesson we will cover the last few passes and outro.
Song Difficulty: 4