What would you say are the main differences between playing classical guitar and.....

[hovishead]

I don't play classical guitar (I did a bit years ago), and I have heard various other folks whom I respect on here saying that they play one style or the other.

What would you say are the main differences between playing classical guitar and modern acoustic styles?

[JonPR]

Well, there are lots of "modern acoustic styles" .

Classical style tends to be based on strict posture and hand positions (because they are the most ergonomic and effective given the design of nylon-string guitars and the type of music usually played on them).

Steel-string acoustic playing is more flexible. Necks are narrower; styles vary. The picking hand can rest on the body or bridge.

Classical players pick with nails only. Steel-string players may use picks (flatpicks, thumbpicks, fingerpicks), or just the flesh of fingertips.

Steel-string styles involve a lot more strumming than classical. (The only strumming in classical is a specific rasgueado technique from flamenco.) That's one reason the right leg is preferred to the left, because the right arm is in a better position for strumming.

Classical fingerstyle (picking hand) involves thumb and 3 fingers, relatively equally.
The most popular steel-string fingerstyle is alternating bass (Travis picking or Piedmont style), which comes from folk and blues, where thumb does a lot more, and the fingers relatively less.

Etc...

[Scotch]

I play both. Modern stuff from antoine dufour, Andy Mckee, Don Ross, Thomas Leeb.
Classical. Well i forget all there names but songs called Bouree, solace, winter mistres.

I find Modern Guitar is more smooth, flows well and always very unique in playstyle being finger picking, strumming (even this can be played in way where is unique with the sound). I enjoy it as it's always developing and sometimes trys to go into new branchs and sounds.

Classical very strict. This music and playstyle is absolutely fantastic. Fingerstyle you play can be differnt as some as transposed to gutar from piano. What give me most enjoyment is the playing of it. Playing bouree for example you keep changing shapes the left hand is moving constantly, right hand less complex but it's amazing to just play.

Classical = more strict based fingerstyle
Modern = Do what ever you want but make us go oooohh.

[rick-slo]

There is lots of overlap. You can successfully play both. Taken to a high level of tone control there is some variation
in right hand technique - nylon strings being more sensitive to picking attack angles and locations. There are also
differences in string sustain, and string to string tone changes and clarity. These you need to account for to get the
best pronunciation of melody versus harmony and inner voices.

[steveh]

Technically, the biggest single difference is the rest stroke.

This ties with what Rick says above re the more profound difference that the right hand makes in nylon vs steel strings.

cheers,
Steve

[Bern]

Discipline, is one.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by hovishead

I don't play classical guitar (I did a bit years ago), and I have heard various other folks whom I respect on here saying that they play one style or the other.

What would you say are the main differences between playing classical guitar and modern acoustic styles?

Hi HH...

Classical guitar has a wider fingerboard with a flat fingerboard. Acoustic six strings have a radiused fingerboard which is narrower. The tone of the strings and the two types of guitars will be very different.

The same notes you play on acoustic steel string can be played on a classical guitar...but if the song demands a lot of sustain from the guitar, they will sound better on a steel string.

The same chords you finger and strum on the steel string, you can strum and fret on the classical.

They will sound and perform differently.

For what it's worth, the classical songs one plays on the classical guitar can also be played on the steel string guitar. With some techniques unique to classical playing the steel string player would need to rehearse/practice/learn in classical fashion.

I'm not one who says people should limit themselves to a single musical discipline. Nor do nylon strings need to avoid steel string music and vice versa.

[Paikon]

Originally Posted by Bern

Discipline, is one.

LOL yes

Seriously now ,Fingerstyle acoustic style is somehow close to classical playing ,all the other are differences.
Of course there are techniques on classical guitar that there aren't used YET in fingerstyle acoustic