Tremolo

Developing correct tremolo technique will be a long process. It is one of the most difficult techniques of the classical guitar. If not learned correctly, many people find it nearly impossible to fix. First, be very RELAXED. The thumb usually plays the melody line in a tremolo piece, so make sure the notes it plays comes through clearly and is not overpowered by the tremolo. As soon as you pluck the thumb, the ring, middle, and index fingers should be positioned close to the string that the tremolo will be played on. The ring finger goes first, followed by the middle finger, and finally the index finger. As soon as you pluck with the index finger, the thumb positions itself close to the note it will play next. This process of setting up your fingers in advance is called Preparation. In the beginning always start out very slowly, making sure you are well aware of the movements of your fingers. Strive to have an evenness in tone, volume, and spacing on the tremolo, or else it will sound sloppy.

Harmonics

Natural harmonics should be the first type of harmonics new players get comfortable playing. Natural harmonics are played by lightly “tapping” a finger over the metal frets of the guitar with the left hand and playing open strings with the right hand.

Natural harmonic over 5th fret produces a note two octaves higher than open string note.
Natural harmonic on 7th fret produces a note an octave higher than fretted note.
Natural harmonic over 12th fret produces a note an octave higher than open string note.

Artificial harmonics are tougher to master, and thus should be practiced after mastering natural harmonics. Artificial harmonics use the left hand to press down on frets and the right hand to do both the plucking and “tapping”, but 12 frets above the fret you are pressing down with the left hand. The harmonic note produced is an octave higher than the note being pressed by the left hand.

Hammer on

Pull off

New players tend to do hammer on’s very weakly, producing a weak sound. This is natural as we begin to develop strength and precision in our hands. But there should be an improvement of both strength and precision as time passes, or else your technique still stall and never improve. Also, producing an evenness in sound is crucial. A hammered note should not sound any more louder than the previous note. For pulloff’s, new players tend to overlook the “pulling” aspect of the technique and are usually happy just “lifting” the finger instead. If you only lift the finger during a pulloff, the resulting note will be weak, thus producing an unevenness in sound. Only “pulling” on a note will produce an evenness in sound to the first note. Also pay attention for “clean” sounding slurs. If you get squeeks or funny noises, or your slur is just not very clear, you may not be applying a finger correctly. Look in the “Excercises” section of the site for excercises to develop proper slurring technique.

You want to have a very relaxed and natural hand position when doing freestroke. For beginners it can be very tough to “relax” their hands because they are still unsure of their movements. New players tend to tighten and clasp their hands up a lot at first. This is natural in the beginning, but the ultimate goal of achieveing control with a relaxed hand should not be forgotten. Don’t “curve” your fingers under the strings; if you have your hand in a relaxed position, it will naturally curve in, so all you need to do then is place the fingers under the strings. Look in the ‘Excercises” section of the site for excercises to develop proper freestroke technique.

Often new players practice freestroke and reststroke so much that they begin to look at each method in a vacuum, forgeting that both must be used interchangeably. You must find “the spot” where you can change between the two at will, without any awkward hand movements. In the “Excercises” section of the blog you will find excercises to practice freestroke, reststroke, and excercises that use both to help practice alternating between the two.

The finger that is often left to it’s own devices is the right-hand thumb. The thumb is just like any other finger, and should be practiced with as much attention as the others. Often I have seen new players pluck a string with their thumb and then bring the thumb in towards their palm, restricting the movements of the other fingers. Avoid this bad habit at all costs. It is the worst thumb habit you can develop. Just watch the video, watch your thumb, and practice correct form with the “excercises” section of the blog.

In the beginning new players tend to learn to play in reststroke in a fast manner, and rarely take the time to go slow and really focus their movements and finger alternations. If you are new to the classical guitar, now is the perfect time to do things right the first time. Play slowly and really be aware of the movements your fingers are making. Practice freestroke with the excercises provided in the “Excercises” section of the blog, or simply just come up with some of your own.