how can I teach myself classical guitar with a book?(long)

[Julien Lahaie]

Thank you all very much for your valuable input. But really a teacher is out of the question, if i consider traffic, it could very well be a 2hr drive. its an hour and 15 minutes on the highway to get to the closest city exit. However there are few teachers in the small towns from here to there, but none are qualified for classical guitar.

Therefore i will do every exercice in the book and plan the material on a 4 year span, look for additional material here and take advantage of the lessons here as well! If anything changes in my situation (if i move or find a qualified teacher), i will reassess my options. i will also look into some of the other online teacher suggestions.

If any are wondering,.the guitar i have is a la patrie Etude. Despite its mixed reviews, i really love its tone and defenitly like the cedar top better than the spruce top i had been accostumed to!

Regards,

Julien

[Michael Moore]

Hi Julien,

I have a similar musical background to yours, the main difference being that I studied classical guitar with a teacher for 3 years in my teens. After 20 years break from guitar playing, I picked up classical less than a year ago, and started self studying with Noad. You have already had some good advice, but I would like to add my own suggestions.


Marko

Did you find those 3 years being tutored enabled you to get back into the swing of things fairly quick. I only say this as I was surprised at how much I had remembered (without teacher) when I first picked up guitar again.

[Michael Moore]

The online Delcamp lessons look fantastic. He has a workshop starting up in September on here. If I was you I would jump on that as it seems to fit in perfectly with your situation. Check out the thread in online lessons.

[TebotPiws]

My guitar is an inexpensive Alvarez rc16, which cost me £170. I want to earn the 'right' to own and play an expensive classical guitar. That's my goal. I see no point in walking into a guitar shop, ask to try out the best classical guitar they've got and being able to play nothing decent on it!

Thanks to youtube and the internet in general, books can now be supplemented visually via videos of players demonstrating proper technique, not to mention video demonstrations of various studies and methods e.g. Sagreras.

[Julien Lahaie]

The online Delcamp lessons look fantastic. He has a workshop starting up in September on here. If I was you I would jump on that as it seems to fit in perfectly with your situation. Check out the thread in online lessons.

Thanks Michael, already looking into it music sheets in the D01-03 group are excellent, at least some familiar "airs" where as the Noad book didnt provide much, only simple short exercises. It also provides more information on the fingering, which I find myself guessing a lot more with the book. So many great ressources here!!

btw My kids really like "Fais dodo, colas mon petit frere" in d01, i sign it to them every night lol

[Marko Räsänen]

Did you find those 3 years being tutored enabled you to get back into the swing of things fairly quick. I only say this as I was surprised at how much I had remembered (without teacher) when I first picked up guitar again.

Indeed! I was surprised both how well I remembered the basic technique, and how fast my sheet notation reading ability came back. I also remembered specific points my teacher made about the importance of legato playing etc., things I had forgotten over the years suddenly came back as if they had happened only last month. I was of course very rusty at first, but today I can play things I wouldn't dream of when I was taking lessons, with more expression and better tone. Though it needs to be said that I probably practice more nowadays than I used to, and my nails are much stronger, and I know how to shape and buff them. I also have the opportunity to listen to other guitarists play in Youtube and records, and have a huge amount of information available here at Delcamp forums, something I didn't have back at 80's. Although I do not want to underestimate the importance of a teacher, in my opinion learning CG without one has never been as feasible as it is now, at least when you're an adult hobbyist with no specific goals. Working without a teacher has also made me realize something I didn't when I was taking lessons: In order to improve I must work hard. Back then I assumed that taking lessons was enough to make progress.

[Michael.N.]

Of course it's perfectly possible to learn to play the Classical Guitar without a teacher. Hardly the easiest or the best route though. It's very easy to think that you have good technique when in fact you may well be playing with all manner of faults. It just isn't that easy for someone who is relatively new to the Classical Guitar to spot those faults and mistakes.
Teacherless and with this in mind I suggest the Kanengiser and the Tennant DVD's. . . . and a full length mirror.

[Julien Lahaie]

Of course it's perfectly possible to learn to play the Classical Guitar without a teacher. Hardly the easiest or the best route though. It's very easy to think that you have good technique when in fact you may well be playing with all manner of faults. It just isn't that easy for someone who is relatively new to the Classical Guitar to spot those faults and mistakes.
Teacherless and with this in mind I suggest the Kanengiser and the Tennant DVD's. . . . and a full length mirror.

Good advice! Im just a bit confused with the great importance to details many classical guitarists have.. if it sounds clean, does it really matter? Is it a "purist" argument? I mean I really enjoy watching/listening different styles as well, such as Tomi Paldanius, i can even appreciate some of Malmsteen's performances and while they are excellent performers, they do not really hold the guitar in a true classical form?

But, I do understand going the traditional way will save you some hurdles down the road, and im still working on getting rid of that peeping thumb behind the neck and I am going the traditional route all the way right now, but i sometimes wonder if it can be over-rated sometime.

[Michael.N.]

Partly it's to prevent you from getting playing related injuries, economy of effort/movement tends to make playing that much easier and progress that much faster. Of course there are guitarists who have poor technique yet still manage to play extremely well. Tends to be the exception rather than the rule though.
I have a peeping thumb too. My wrist is in line with my forearm though (except on Barres of course). Seems to be better than when I placed my thumb in the centre of the Neck, as shown in many books. Not sure if I'm doing it correctly. I too never had a teacher . well not a Classically trained one.

[robin loops]

Didn't look at the responses so not sure if it's been mentioned but T/he fredrick Noad Solo Guitar Playing 1 & 2, are both great. First one has some great tips on technique and a lot of good basic information and a nice seledciton of pieces fir basic beginners on up to some really nice advanced beginners pieces (some I still play). The second explores techniques and periods much more in depth and has some great intermediate (and a couple advanced) pieces.

[chelson]

hmm...thought I also used another book call A Note A day for classical guitar. This book describe less and go straight to practice. But that was more than 30 years ago, not sure still available.

[Winterdune]

I learnt through Noad, skipping lots of detail and exercises and going straight for the pieces. When, 30 years later, I began lessons, it took about a year for my teacher to correct two specific problems I had developed because I didn't know any better - poor separation of thumb and finger (and poor thumb technique in general) and erratic alternation. I do believe it's perfectly possible to teach yourself, particularly in this Web 2.0 world, but I would pay attention and work carefully through every aspect of whichever tutor material I was using (Parkening is as good as Noad, I think), and supplement it with lots of dvd/online tutorials. And I would get feedback and advice from other players or teachers whenever the opportunity arose. Delcamp is great for that - post some videos of yourself playing and we'll all chime in with our opinions on your technique!

Good luck,
Sean

[sayar]

I am also learning with Noad's book. I cannot afford time to have a teacher too, so am self-teaching. I have so far gone almost to the end of first position, and have found the book very reasonable. I'm sure it'd be better with a teacher, but under the circumstances I'm happy. I also use Guilliani 120 right hand practices, started from #1 and am around #30-40 now.
The book is not 100% perfect, but it's satisfactorily well written. I know I will not (and cannot) be an accomplished player, but as long as I can enjoy myself and maybe some time play a little for family/friends, I'll be happy!

[tbon]

Slow and steady wins the race!

Another vote for this ! Take it slow, this is the best advice that has bee given to me. Volume one from Noad has material for two years work. Each lesson needs two weeks or more of daily practice time, plus one week for each solo piece. Good luck.

[chelson]

Just to add. Please please as I've mentioned don't just learn from a book! I've learned from many books plus those tips I've gave u!!! That's how I can go straight for audition and took my exam with no teacher needed.

Cheers!
chelson