How to Play Classical Guitar Introductions

Classical guitar is different in sound and technique from folk or western-style guitar. Classical guitar focuses more on complex melodies and playing, whereas folk or western-style guitar primarily accompanies with rhythms and chords. Play classical guitar introductions to introduce a classical piece.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

1. Look at your guitar with the instrument in its normal position. When you look down, the top three strings are bass strings, and the bottom three strings are the treble strings.

2. Study the notes for classical guitar by purchasing a guitar fingerboard at your local music store or online. Fingerboards give fret-by-fret note locations in an easy-to-read format.

3. Practice the linear position for the classical guitar. The linear position puts all five fingers of the left hand in a relaxed position over a single string. This acts as a home base from which to play all other notes.

4. Use the nonlinear position to play chromatic octaves in the first position. The nonlinear technique trains the fingers to judge nonlinear distances and how the different notes on a string relate to each other.

5. Try playing full bars and partial bars with other techniques. Do this by practicing arpeggios in the right hand while doing bar chords with the left hand.

6. Play legatos or slurs by doing the down motion and pull-up motion together, then again separately.

Tips & Warnings

• Do stretching exercises for the left hand to increase your ability to stretch the fingers apart.
• These techniques are not unique to playing classical guitar introductions. Use these steps to practice any type of classical guitar music, including introductions.