Learning Classical Guitar is an Art

I am a professional song-writer with SOCAN and a musician. I taught myself classical guitar at a tender twelve years of age and would like to assist others who have in mind of wanting to learn this artistic skill.

Every now and then there will be a child born within a family that will tend towards a special artistic skill that perhaps no other family member may have. They are tenacious and will pester their parents to no end to obtain the needed tools to sharpen that skill. I was such a child.

At eight years of age, I wanted to be a classical guitarist. At the time, my mother simply didn't have the funds to procure a guitar for me, let alone a personal tutor or an instructor. Needless to mention, I was extremely disappointed. I must confess that my grandmother was exceptionally gifted in music as well, being a pianist, fiddler and accordionist. But I wanted to be a classical guitarist. I would have settled for the fiddle, but somehow her brother's son obtained it and it was seen no more. Alas, another disappointment. I contented myself with playing the piano and romping through the country fields with a simple harmonica and flute stuffed in my pocket. Still, it was not what I yearned for.

Four years trickled before I was finally able to obtain my very first guitar. I had no tutor. However, I was determined to learn. And here begins guidelines which I would like to share with aspiring young musicians of today.

Motivation

True, I've already stipulated that my tenacity in wanting to become a classical guitarist was there in advance. However, one strong point must be mentioned: before cultivating the talent relative to any musical instrument, the motivation to learn must be there. Without it, one will soon become disinterested. Also to bear in mind, wanting to learn the skill of a musical instrument is an entire different reality than learning how to play the artistic tool, where it will at least sound pleasantly audible to the human ear. It takes perseverance and patience to forge that inseparable bond between the tool and the artist.

Knowing the Instrument

When I obtained my first guitar, it was a cheap (believe it or not) $16.00 instrument. Did it deter me? No. I was quite content I even had one. Now that I look back, I'm glad it wasn't the state-of-the-art instrument that every musician prefers to obtain. The trick in the whole process of learning is to produce music, not noise. There's a difference. The guitar had 6 "La Bella" nylon strings. The frets were not too spaced apart and that was fine by me.

After practicing and learning the technics, I then purchased a better quality guitar which served to enhance the graceful motions of the songs I wanted to play. Hearing the sounds emerging so ethereally from a stringed instrument, only inspired me to play and to compose more songs. But I had to master the instrument before.

Many times in the mastering of the instrument, the tedious labor in the way of practice may become associated to the instrument itself. Hence, it is crucial to understand that the first instrument purchased should not be the best, for if you become discouraged with the best then what will you have left to keep your inspirations heightened?

Word of advice: start with a simple instrument. It will absorb all the wear and tear, as well as teach you how to search for the best sound possible. Starting off with a simple instrument, not only yields better results in the long run but teaches - most significantly - the art of refinement.

The Rudiments of Learning

Along with my first guitar, a complimentary small leaflet-book was included. I will never forget opening the first page and seeing some very basic guitar notes and chords, indicating the position where my fingers should be placed on the neck and frets of the guitar. The first attempted song I ever played was, "Oh Clementine". At one point I stared in the air and I immediately knew this was not the way I would succeed in learning how to play the guitar. Being a summer day, my bedroom window was open, and then suddenly I casually picked up the leaflet book and tossed it out the window from two-stories high (as the angels be my witness). I suddenly realized that to keep myself motivated, I had to compose my own songs - not someone else's.

I also understood that in order to compose the songs, I needed to learn the guitar chords. I returned to the store where I had initially purchased my guitar and with the few extra dollars I had been able to muster, I found "Mel Bay's Guitar book". A virtual one-inch thick encyclopedia of every imaginable guitar chord which could be learnt (variations included). I was in heaven.

I hurried back home and slowly began to place the tips of my fingers on the strings. And yes, it did hurt. I felt a bit awkward with long fingernails, so I sacrificed them to a shorter length to enable pronouncing the guitar strings more firmly upon the frets. For the first two weeks, the tips of my fingers ached but I persisted. I contrived songs within my mind and sought to find the necessary chords for them. Indeed, it was a process. But hearing my songs coming to life was the satisfaction I desired. It also kept me motivated.

After a month of continuous practice, with the pleasure of deriving more songs, my fingertips no longer felt the harshness of the strings. There was a toughening of the skin and I no longer worried about the trivial pain. At that point, my interest shifted towards my other hand - I wanted to start "finger-picking the strings" instead of strumming them.

By this time, I had decided to adopt my favourite music artists within the interests of my learning on how to play the guitar. Joan Baez, Leonard Cohen, Judy Collins, Peter/Paul/Mary, Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens, Joni Mitchell - were only but a few folk artists I came to treasure in keeping me motivated.

Motivation was always the key element in the process of learning. I followed the trend of folk artists for a while, but I stayed true to myself and my own compositions. The more songs which surfaced within my mind, the more I wanted to learn to master guitar chords. And the more guitar chords I mastered, the more I became an accomplished guitarist.

Throughout time, the finger-picking unfolded naturally. Five years following, I knew I could sound the guitar as I wanted to. By the time I purchased my Giannini - a beautiful Brazilian guitar - the guitar notes flowed gracefully and effortlessly. I had learnt the timing, rhythm and the exquisite refinement of knowing when and when not to emphasize the strings. This is a musical phenomenon called "sound flowing". In one moment, the striking of a few guitar strings can hold an enormous amount of passion and, thereafter, in the next moment can settle into a more tranquil, sensitively-inclined delicate pitch.

Conclusion

Motivation, practice, timing, proper rhythm, refinement and focus are all traits and key elements which an accomplished classical guitarist should learn. Naturally and needless to mention, a good ear is essential. With all this kept in mind, ethereal creativity is the result for a well-versed and accomplished classical guitarist.

References:

SOCAN
La Bella Strings
Mel Bay's Guitar Book