Playing classical music is so beneficial

[Fruitloop]

Sorry if this is stating the obvious. Ever since I started on my journey with my classical my understanding of music has grown exponentially, in all styles.
I've been playing guitar for about 20 years with most of that time spent the electric with metal, rock and prog. I only started playing classical about a year and a half ago when I bought a new guitar, ironically for recording acoustic sections in songs. I'd had a cheapo classical for many years but never played it. The beautiful sound of the new instrument kept drawing me back to it and soon it was the center of my attention.

Up to that point I wasn't really familiar with other players in the genre than Segovia and John Williams (and Paco De Lucia if you want to count him). Jumping into this brave new world I discovered many new players and composers like Tarrega, Albeniz, Dowland... Youtube showed me a wealth of extremely talented guitarists.

Once again I felt deeply passionate about the guitar, the same instrument that had stagnated for me for a long time. It was difficult to adjust as I had very little skill in fingerstyle playing. It was very helpful though that I had a good fretting hand so it was mostly the picking hand I needed to acclimate.

I started with pieces like andantino in G by Carulli and Lagrima. They were difficult and playing something like Asturias seemed like a distant dream. I also started learning Jesu, Joy by Bach and working only with a tab it was excruciatingly slow to memorize. At this time I was very much still rooted into the rock/metal thinking and level of understanding.

Fast forward a year and so I feel my abilities have grown tremendously, I am now able to play most of the things I want to. Still working on my picking technique (speed and tone) but it's getting there. More importantly my aural understanding has deepened considerably. I can work out things like Bach by ear and make chord-melody arrangements. My overall enjoyment of listening has also increased.

And even my electric chops seem to increase from this, jamming on it from time to time I am able to alternate pick and shred at the same level as before or even better.

In conclusion: classical guitar is good for your soul

[Vognell]

Agreed, and definitely count Paco DeLucia (and Juan Serrano, and Carlos Montoya, and Sabicas, and all the other great flamenco guitarists).

[Trevor B.]

Hey Fruitloop,
As a lifelong classical guitar player it's great to see so much appreciation for my preferred idiom from someone with different musical roots.
It's also wonderful to see the name "Sabicas" included in Vognell's response.
Best Wishes to you on your fantastic journey!

[rick-slo]

It good to have a method to the madness. That's one thing studying classical, it's methodical.

[Special B]

Agreed.

I have always played with my fingers, but learning classical technique has greatly changed the way I play electric guitar, and even how I hold it. Both hands are much more dexterous and efficient, especially my right hand.

I like to do rasgueados when I play funk. They fit the staccato and percussive nature of funk guitar. Using all of my fingers to play blues rather than just my thumb and index finger has opened a lot of new avenues.

[softballbryan]

Classical guitar training adds a layer of quality to most other styles of play.

[Nailpicker]

I've got to agree with everything said here. That said, I've migrated away from my short classical period because although I love the sound of nylon strings when someone else plays them, when I play a nylon string guitar I just don't like the sound. I sold my classical guitar. I still play an occasional classical-ish piece on my steel string acoustic guitar although I know that is considered blasphemy.

[Vognell]

There are two major improvements that studying CG have made to my playing:

1: Better ergonomics: The angle at which the neck is held for the classical guitar is intended to reduce stress on the right hand, as the wrist and forearm come up to the neck at a neutral angle with the wrist straight in relation to the forearm. The thumb is kept behind the neck, and the fingers curve higher over the strings. I feel that I can shift positions more comfortably, experience less wrist strain after extended playing, and can finger the strings more cleanly.
2. More attention to playing cleanly, and achieving better tone. I have never played my bluegrass or blues more cleanly than I do now that I have been practicing classical guitar. CG performance is not forgiving at all of muffed notes.

CG has also forced me to learn to read music, and practice with a metronome more.

[Trevor67]

Very true. I have only begun to scratch the surface of CG but, it is all I want to play now. I have 2 CG's, a Gibson and a La Patrie and rarely pick up the old steel strings anymore.

I will say I just can't get into the more formal old classical pieces. I am very passionate about the more Spanish influenced works. Not so crazy about Flamenco either. Personal preference I suppose.