When it comes to hand positioning and the manner in which you pluck the strings, the methods employed in classical guitar playing are drastically different from those used in any other style. In this online classical guitar lesson, Grammy Award-winning guitarist and ArtistWorks instructor, Jason Vieaux, demonstrates proper right and left-hand technique and how to play with appropriate form.

“Very simple exercises are the best way to start learning proper hand placement,” Jason explains. “At this early stage, we can avoid a lot of very common bad habits.”

Through a series of carefully crafted exercises, Jason provides a unique, step-by-step method for mastering these fundamental skills. His alternating index and middle finger free stroke and rest stroke patterns are the heart of his right-hand technique. When combined with a relaxed, fluid left-hand approach, these practices become the critical launchpad from which any student can flourish as a player.

“With your left hand, you really want to avoid hugging the neck,” Jason explains. “You commonly see a lot of electric guitarists do this, and it creates a hinge or fulcrum with the first finger. While this might work really well for things like bending, this does not work in classical guitar playing.”

For classical guitar students of any level, mastering these technical skills is essential to crafting a strong foundation on which to build. Beginning players, take your time navigating these exercises. It may feel tedious at first, but taking it slow and perfecting the basics will pay off ten-fold as you expand into more complex compositions and performance methods. For intermediate and advanced players, it never hurts to revisit these fundamentals. Working out potential kinks in your technical approach might just be exactly what you need to take your playing to the next level!

So, grab your guitar, file your nails, and begin tackling this important fundamental of classical guitar with virtuoso musician, Jason Vieaux: