Many guitarists waste time when practicing. Instead of focusing on what really matters, they get distracted and end up noodling around on the guitar. This is a bad habit that can hinder your progress and create bad habits. But there are some methods ...

Let’s face it. Most people waste time when practicing. They don’t have a plan to follow, skip warm-ups, ignore the essentials, and often “noodle around” more than focus on what they actually need to practice. And…This was me when I first started gett...

I will be honest: Developing speed for the classical guitar has been one of my biggest challenges. The speed I have developed has mostly come from blunt force practice. In other words, I slow the metronome down and slowly build the speed up. However,...

I will be honest with you; I do not think about tension and relaxation much when playing the guitar. I can remember years ago I used to play with a lot of tension in my hands and back. However, today, like I said, I rarely ever think about it. So, in...

Recently we discussed common solutions to problems encountered in right-hand technique. In this entry, we will talk about solving common problem areas in our left-hand technique. We are all inclined to develop bad habits when first playing guitar. So...

It has been a very busy year here. However, I do not know how productive it has been. At the beginning of the year, we had a few plans that fell through, some that had to be revised, and some that had to be rescheduled.Well Laid PlansSometimes things...

There are several common problems new guitar students run into when approaching the right-hand technique. We are all inclined to bad habits when first starting the guitar. Some bad habits either have been formed or been taught along the student’s gui...

Before I entered the world of Classical Guitar, I was a steel string strummer of cowboy precision. As an advanced musician (cough, cough), I could play three or four chords together and even “barred” chords, somewhat, with the best of them. However, ...

In guitar music, as in other types of music we have music sentences that can be broken down into phrases. These phases can teach us a lot about the techniques needed to play the piece well.A Slight ConflictionI must admit, I have a bit of conflict he...

To begin with, there are a lot of ways to write a fingerstyle song. There are a few essentials you need to know as far as chords, structures, etc. To discuss the very basics of composition we need to dive into a small bit of music theory. In this art...

A while back I wrote a series of articles on “5 Things You Need to Learn Classical & Fingerstyle Guitar.” You can read those posts if you would like by clicking on the links. The five things on my list are a guitar, a guitar support or footstool,...

When it comes to learning the classical guitar there can be certain unrealistic expectations. Some of those include being able to learn pieces quickly and easily. Since the guitar is sometimes considered an easy instrument to learn, the more advanced...

There is an elegance and beauty to the classical guitar, unlike any other instrument. I love the silky-smooth sounds that you can produce from it. There are many pieces written or arranged for the guitar to sit very comfortably under the fingers. Wit...

Since taking up the guitar in 2009, I have had the privilege of gaining knowledge from many different sources. As with many other guitarists, it has been my goal to improve my technique and overall playing of the instrument. There are a lot of resour...

Wow! It has been a year already. For our new readers/subscribers, I always do a yearly update newsletter/blog in November. There has been a lot on my plate this year. So, without further ado, let’s dive in…What happened in 2023?A couple of things hap...

Some of us who have taken up the classical guitar dogmatically push our skills to the limit. We have practiced and practiced, pushed the envelope, and reevaluated our routines, sometimes excessively. So much so that we fail to take breaks. So, in thi...

In the last article, we talked a little bit about sheet music’s history and a few basic concepts. In this article, I would like to talk a little about, what I call, the composer’s toolbox. In addition to our blank canvas, we have lots of elements tha...

How do you take the stress out of guitar notation? It is very simple actually. However, can I be honest here? Just for a minute? You always try to be honest, right? I have been avoiding this article. Not because of the subject matter. I find the work...

How do you memorize guitar music and Scripture? That might seem like an odd or even polarizing question to ask these days. However, I am a Christian. This is a Christian website (if you haven’t noticed). I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ. So, ...

So, as I have said, in other articles, classical guitar is one of the most beautiful instruments in the world. Nothing compares to it when you have a great piece that is beautifully played. So how do you go about composing for guitar? There are a cou...

The classical guitar is one of the most mellow and beautiful instruments in the world. Yes, that is a biased opinion. Starting from the wood used to the shape of the nails and the strings, it is a rich musical instrument. Let us look at a little hist...

The classical guitar is a beautiful and versatile instrument that has captured the hearts of many musicians and music lovers throughout history. With its soft, warm tone and delicate strings, the classical guitar has been used to create a wide range ...

Sounds Like Rain is the first EP I have released. It took 12 years for 12 minutes of music in 5 songs. Here are a few thoughts on releasing your first EP.I finally did it. After 12 years, I finally got my act together. I released some of the original...

Every musician has a repertoire, but how do you maintain a multitude of pieces? Let’s learn how to add 48 pieces of music to your repertoire and remember them.If you are a musician then you know the importance of keeping a maintaining your repertoire...

CCG had a Winter Festival with workshops on composing, arranging, improvising, new compositions, open mics, and a meet the composers Q&A. Here is my interview.Who is CCG?CCG is short for Creative Classical Guitarist created by Daniel Ni...