How to Use Right Hand Movement on Classical Guitar

Right hand movement for the guitar refers to the playing hand, regardless of which hand is actually used. The method in which the playing hand is moved in classical guitar is quite different from other playing styles. The following steps will show how to use right hand movement on classical guitar.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

1. Play with the right hand in the standard position. Many of the simpler classical pieces call for the thumb to play the bass line on the lower three strings while the melody is played by the ring finger on the first string, middle finger on the second string and index finger on the third string.

2. Observe that with the conditions described in Step 1, each finger has an assigned string which does not change. All movement should come from the fingers and the hand does not need to move at all.

3. Look at more complicated guitar pieces. The bass strings frequently need to be played with the fingers or the same treble string may need to be played rapidly in succession, requiring it to be played with more than one finger. These conditions now require the hand to be moved.

4. Shift the playing hand over the strings by moving from the elbow with little to no movement from the shoulder. This technique allows the hand to retain the correct posture regardless of which finger is playing which string.

5. Practice finger exercises that move across the fret board. Strive to keep the hand in a fixed position while maintaining the same tone on all the strings. You should also ensure that you are not tensing muscles unnecessarily.