Basic Level Players
Articles
History of the classical guitar
An abridged account of where the classical came from and how it developed over time.
Knowing your classical guitar
A description of the composition, parts, and aspects of the classical guitar
Selecting a Guitar: Four Pertinent Questions By John M. Gilbert
The late John Gilbert gives sound advice on what to look for when purchasing a new or used classical guitar.
Cleaning and polishing your classical guitar
Read this article before rushing out and buying expensive guitar maintenance products.
Fundamentals of the classical guitar
This is a good introductory article by Simon Powis
Laminated versus solid wood in classical guitars
Most luthiers and experienced players agree that classical guitar tops should be constructed with high-quality solid wood instead of a laminated wood. A solid top generally has superior vibratory qualities to a laminated top and also improves in sound quality as it ages. However, laminated woods are by no means inferior when it comes to back and side construction. Many classical guitar enthusiasts look down their noses at instruments made with laminated wood sides and back, yet such guitars are often more robust and have bigger ‘voices’.
Practising with a metronome
There are many free metronome apps for android, apple, and windows systems, so it shouldn’t be necessary to buy a special unit. In this article, Bradford Werner discusses the pros and cons of using a metronome.
Shaping your nails
Bradford Werner lays out the basic principles and techniques of filing the right-hand nails for classical guitar playing
Sight reading
Simon Powis on basic sight reading for classical guitar
Practice techniques
This article by Simon Powis has a link to a free e-book on practising which is worth downloading.
Fingering principles
Simon Powis introduces the dynamics of left-hand fingering.
Shifting up and down the neck
Simon Powis gives advice on how to move accurately up and down the fretboard. The next article also deals with a way of doing this.
The guide finger
This article by Simon Powis is also about how to accurately navigate the guitar fretboard.
The pivot finger
This is the third article by Siman Powis.about how to move around the fretboard.
Great tuning apps for Android smartphone or tablet
In this article, I compare the best Android guitar tuning applications, give recommendations, and provide demonstration video clips.
Humidity and your guitar
Humidity is a very important consideration – too high and the guitar gets dull and unresponsive; too low and it can crack!
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