If you’ve been working through the bending lesson, you already know how to move a note from one pitch to another. Vibrato gives you another way to shape the note once you arrive. By making a small, repeated change in pitch while the note rings, you can add movement and expression to a sustained note. … Read more
In this lesson, we’ll learn Opus 35 No. 13 by Fernando Sor, a short classical guitar study in C major. This Andante comes from Sor’s collection of 24 exercises, Op. 35. Although the harmony is relatively simple and the left hand stays within a fairly compact area of the fretboard, the piece is a great … Read more
Slides give you another way to connect notes in a lead phrase. Instead of picking each note separately, you keep contact with the string and move directly into the next fret. In this lesson, we’ll practice sliding up and down, compare legato and shift slides, then apply the technique inside familiar pentatonic phrases. Skill Builders … Read more
Prelude in C Major, BWV 846 by Johann Sebastian Bach is one of the most recognizable pieces from The Well-Tempered Clavier. Built around a steady flow of broken chords, the music creates a calm, continuous sound while the harmony gradually moves underneath. This guitar arrangement is especially helpful for developing even fingerpicking, smooth chord changes, … Read more
“Along The Way” is a bright fingerstyle piece that begins in G major, built around a warm, jazz-influenced chord progression and a gentle melody. A few unexpected key changes give the piece a natural sense of surprise, openness, and lift. The title is simple, but intentional. It quietly reflects Jesus’ words, “I am the way, … Read more
Dionisio Aguado’s Study in A Minor is a short classical guitar piece that develops fingerstyle coordination, smooth arpeggios, and control between the bass and upper voices. The main challenge is bringing out the moving bass line with your thumb while keeping the higher notes flowing quietly above it. Grab your guitar, and let’s get started. … Read more
Bending gives you a way to change the pitch of a note after you play it. Instead of simply landing on a note and holding it, you can raise the pitch into another note and give the phrase more movement and expression. In this lesson, we’ll work on the mechanics of a bend, learn how … Read more
Hammer-ons and pull-offs give you another way to shape scale notes instead of picking every note with the same attack. These techniques connect notes more smoothly and can add contrast inside riffs, melodies, and improvised phrases. In this lesson, we’ll learn both techniques, clean up the most common problems, then apply them inside the A … Read more
I started sketching this song a few years back. It stayed with me ever since, shifting a little each year, until it finally felt like time to share it. Here’s “In Due Time.” It’s in D major, 6/8, fingerstyle. A little jazzy, a little folky, built around a sweet melody and a gentle rhythm that … Read more
Scale shapes are useful because they give you clear fretboard positions to practice. But if you always stay inside one shape, it can be difficult to move smoothly into another part of the neck while you’re playing. The 3-notes-per-string system gives you another way to organize Major scale notes across the fretboard. Its consistent finger … Read more