Classical Guitar from Ground Zero

A course that sets the foundation for learning the guitar

This course is for someone who wants to learn or relearn the classical guitar from the absolute beginning. This is a real-time course which means this course is regularly updated with new or additional methodologies that research highlights as successful for students learning the classical guitar.

Here are the following parts of this course:

PART 1:

Starting to Learn the Guitar
PART 2:

Posture - The Classical Position
PART 3:

Posture - The Contemporary Position
PART 4:

The Left Hand on the Classical Guitar
PART 5:

The Right Hand on the Classical Guitar
PART 6:

Playing Free Stroke with P (thumb)
PART 7:

Playing Free Stroke with IM (Index, MIddle)
PART 8:

Playing Free Stroke with IM (Index, MIddle)
PART 9:

Playing Rest Stroke with P (thumb)
PART 10:

Playing Rest Stroke with IM (Index, MIddle)
PART 11:

The Position Rule/ Guideline
PART 12:

Reminders!
PART 13:

How to Read Tabs
PART 14:

How to Read Chord Charts?
PART 15:

The 10 Open Chords
PART 16:

The Twelve Notes of Western Classical Music
PART 17:

Counting Notes on the Guitar

PART 1: Starting to Learn the Guitar

Written Description:

Brief Introduction to starting to play the Classical Guitar

No. 1

What type of guitar should you learn with?

- Nylon string Guitar

- Softer string, easier to play without forming calluses

No. 2

Learning with fingers or pick?

- Learning with fingers first, then learn the pick if desired

- Develop strength in fingers first

No. 3

The Parts of the Guitar

- The body

- The neck or fretboard

- The head

Purpose of this Course

- Build a strong foundation to play any genre of music

2 reasons why students may stop learning the guitar

1) Bored

- set goals

- practice

- understand that any skill takes time

2) Bad Technique

- prohibit you from learning songs

- causes injuries

- discouraging to start over

Video Links:

From COURSE: An Introduction to Guitar (Introduction Lesson)

https://youtu.be/N0XyFYyBS78

PART 2: Posture - The Classical Position

Written Description:

Holding the guitar in the classical position

Using a Footstool to assist with proper posture and technique

Prevents Injury
Elevates the guitar; avoiding a hunched back
Natural Curve of the Spine
LH freedom
RH comes around to the sound hole

Right Hand Posture and Technique in the Classical Guitar Position

PIMAC
Keep slight bend in wrist
Keep thumb (p) in front
Always keep fingers bent
Always alternate fingers

Left Hand Posture and Technique in the Classical Guitar Position

1 2 3 4 5
Never show your thumb, keep it behind the fretboard of the guitar
Always have space between your left hand and the side of the guitar
Keep knuckles parallel to fretboard
Always have curved fingers
Always play with fingertips
Always place your fingers close to the fret

Video Links:

From COURSE: An Introduction to Guitar (Lesson 1)

https://youtu.be/QqH2SwWiq8Y

PART 3: Posture - The Contemporary Position

Written Description:

- Holding the guitar in the contemporary position
- The curve of the guitar goes on your right lap
- The neck of the guitar should be tilted a little up, never down

Video Links:

INDIVIDUAL VIDEO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXyzAP4w9qo

PART 4: The Left Hand on the Classical Guitar

Written Description:
- Names of the fingers of the left hand: 1 2 3 4 5
- The position of the left hand on the guitar
- 6 main points of left hand technque
1) Never show thumb; keep behind the neck of guitar
2) Always have space between the left hand and the side of the fretboard
3) keep knuckles parallel to fretboard
4) always have curved fingers
5) always play with finger tips
6) always place your fingers close to the fret

Video Links:

INDIVIDUAL
https://youtu.be/7kGunRtHDzc

Other Videos:

COURSE: “An Introduction to Guitar” (Lesson 2)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAhIVsDjRws&t=119s

PART 6: Playing Free Stroke with P (thumb)

Written Description:
Playing with P (thumb)

- Keep P (thumb) in front fingers

- Play by striking your thumb downwards
- avoid letting P touch the other fingers (I M A)

- Only hit strike the string that you intended to play
- Stay close to strings

Video Links:

INDIVIDUAL

https://youtu.be/r5FIAQKRhng

PART 7: Playing Free Stroke with IM (Index, MIddle)

Written Description:
Playing with IM
- Always alternate fingers
- Always keep fingers bent
- Play one string at a time to start practicing

- It is best to practice on the 2nd and 3rd string first (as the practicing on the first string may cause bad technique making it harder to play the 2nd and 3rd strings)

Video Links:

INDIVIDUAL
https://youtu.be/Xpd4zD-JePk

PART 8: Playing Free Stroke with IM (Index, MIddle)

Written Description:
Playing with IM
- Always alternate fingers
- Always keep fingers bent
- Play one string at a time to start practicing

- It is best to practice on the 2nd and 3rd string first (as the practicing on the first string may cause bad technique making it harder to play the 2nd and 3rd strings)

Video Links:

INDIVIDUAL
https://youtu.be/Xpd4zD-JePk

PART 9: Playing Rest Stroke with P (thumb)

WrittenDescription:

Playing with P (thumb)

- Keep P (thumb) in front fingers
- avoid letting P touch the other fingers (I M A)

- Play by striking your thumb downwards

- Only hit strike the string that you intended to play

- Your Thumb should land on the string below
- Stay close to strings

Video Links:

INDIVIDUAL

https://youtu.be/XSq4u51Vo88

PART 10: Playing Rest Stroke with IM (Index, MIddle)

Written Description:

Playing with IM
- Always alternate fingers
- Always keep fingers bent
- Start with fingers bent

- Fingers should land on the string above the string being played

- End with fingers bent
- Stay close to strings

- It is best to practice on the 2nd and 3rd string first (as the practicing on the first string may cause bad technique making it harder to play the 2nd and 3rd strings)

Video Links:

INDIVIDUAL

https://youtu.be/N6ZCl-E8asU

PART 11: The Position Rule/ Guideline

WrittenDescription:

- Learning the position rule/ guideline
- Helpful for learning scales, chords and arpeggios
- Every finger is assigned to specific fret. Any note that is to be played on a fret, the assigned finger must play it.
- In First Position:
* 1st finger assigned to 1st fret
* 2nd finger assigned to 2nd fret
* 3rd finger assigned to 3rd fret
* 4th finger assigned to 4th fret
This means that any note played on the 1st fret, the 1st finger must play it.

Video Links:

COURSE: “An Introduction to Guitar” (Lesson 3)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zn-NhScek_0

PART 12: Reminders!

Written Description:

- Reminders and Common Mistakes
1] Don't let your left hand thumb show
2) Always keep a space between the neck of the guitar and your left hand
3} Use your finger tips on your left hand to press down the strings
4} When holding a string down, always press down right before the fret, not directly on the fret or too far
5} Keep your right hand thumb in front of your fingers at all times
6} Don't let your right hand rest on the body of the guitar at any time
7} 1st position is a guideline to keeping your fingers within a certain fret range
8] The first string of the guitar is the bottom string
9] The first fret of the guitar is the fret closest to the head of the guitar

Video Links:

No video links available yet

PART 13: How to Read Tabs

Written Description:

- How to read tabs on the guitar
- The top line represents the bottom string
- The numbers on tabs refer to the fret number
- The number 0 on the tabs refer to open string
- Tabs placed on top one another means you have to play those notes together (at the same time)

Video Links:

COURSE: “An Introduction to Guitar” (Lesson 4)
https://youtu.be/t0pz6kWeNEU

Supporting Images/ Excerpts:

PART 14: How to Read Chord Charts?

Written Description:

Video Links:

COURSE: “An Introduction to Guitar” (Lesson 4)
https://youtu.be/t0pz6kWeNEU

Supporting Images/ Excerpts:

PART 15: The 10 Open Chords

Written Description:

These 10 open chords will allow you to play the most popular songs of many genres of music. This video goes through each of the 10 chords in an organized method to ensure they are easy to learn and memorize.

Video Links:

INDIVIDUAL VIDEO

full video - https://youtu.be/Zc0uA3TEtY8

Or you can learn these important chords broken up into 4 parts.

PART ONE: https://youtu.be/xFDtKgAsteI

Part 1 is learning the three easiest chords of the 10; E minor, E major and A minor.

PART TWO: https://youtu.be/IfXAeXQ7_wU

Part 2 is learning the next 2 chords which are very similar to each other: C major and F major 7

PART THREE: https://youtu.be/nQ36HzqDxyk

Part 3 is learning the next 5 chords which are very similar to each other: G Major, B7, A major, D minor and D major

PART FOUR: https://youtu.be/P2tx-pGsyVY

In Part 4 we go through all the chords one after the next in an organised manner which makes it easy to memorize.

Supporting Images/ Excerpts: