I'm always wondering if I should take classical lessons

[TBman]

when I retire, that is.

I know that if I do the right hand studies a few times a week, my right hand gets fairly more competent so I'm wondering if I really need anything more than serious right hand work.

I always tell myself that over 50 years I've accumulated too many bad habits so I'm just better off doing some drills a few times a week instead of just tunes every day.

Has anyone else taken classical lessons, but stayed a steel string player?

[why2]

I took classical lessons many, many, years ago. It was a good grounding and did build a foundation for playing and reading. From that my studies focused on Julio Sagreras's lessons which I did basically on my own. I will admit that I was slow in going through the studies. But I kept going back to the books. They gave me some structure.
I am currently only playing steel string instruments. Part of the issue is less flexibility in my left hand (the neck) so the stretches just don't come easily.
However I have thought of going to lessons again. In a way I just want the guidance and possibly the encouragement to keep playing as well as the structure. I really enjoy playing.

Added:
So the answer is I started classical / folk. Ended up steel, etc.
And I'm now retired so there is more time to concentrate.

More added:
I was working on some warmups shown by Adam Del Monte at the Strings By Mail website. I'm now getting them into my practice routine along with some other right hand patterns. In one study he plays an F6 that I absolutely can't finger as he does. A classical instructor might frown as I have to use the thumb over the neck for the low F which is a stretch for me but I can make it work. I can't play that chord in the first position on my classical guitar at all.

[Arthur Blake]

One tends to think of classical for learning to read music and play in that style, but in my humble opinion it is impossible to play Blind Blake's style of Piedmont Ragtime Blues guitar without knowing classical technique.

As you mention, the right hand position is different. You will never be resting a finger on the sound board, and you will be using P,I,M,A, thumb and three fingers, not two.

Plus you will vary the position of the right hand over the sound hold to alter tone to suit the music.

As you gain proficiency, you gain a lot of versatility.

Left hand fingering will be more precise, and tremolo will be along the string only.

I play a lot of different musical styles, but find classical guitar training to be an excellent foundation.

Whether you can master the techniques overcoming old habits is another question, but doesn't hurt to try.

[rick-slo]

Also exposure to playing the classical repertoire could help the compositional skills for those who write their own music.

I studied classical guitar for about 5 years and without doubt it developed my right hand to a level that I was incredibly happy with. I also learned to read music (albeit slowly) and took grades.

For me it was a means to an end because my heart is in songs and not instrumentals so I moved away from it once I felt I had the technique down.

I found that classical guitar is incredibly unforgiving in that even tiny mistakes ruin the music and so to excel requires an awful lot of dedication. In fact I was rather fortunate to have several Skype lessons with a truly world class player called Denis Azabagic.

I learned a lot about slow practice from him.

Now I’m studying some bluegrass picking and already my plectrum based songs are on another level. I say go for it but be prepared to study hard and practice slow.

Originally Posted by Arthur Blake

One tends to think of classical for learning to read music and play in that style, but in my humble opinion it is impossible to play Blind Blake's style of Piedmont Ragtime Blues guitar without knowing classical technique.

As you mention, the right hand position is different. You will never be resting a finger on the sound board, and you will be using P,I,M,A, thumb and three fingers, not two.

Plus you will vary the position of the right hand over the sound hold to alter tone to suit the music.

As you gain proficiency, you gain a lot of versatility.

Left hand fingering will be more precise, and tremolo will be along the string only.

I play a lot of different musical styles, but find classical guitar training to be an excellent foundation.

Whether you can master the techniques overcoming old habits is another question, but doesn't hurt to try.

Completely agree. Using PIMA is brilliant and that’s just one reason.

[jwayne]

My 2 cents. Unless you really want to focus on classical guitar, skip the standard studies and just learn specific classical pieces that you like.

[Gitfiddlemann]

Hi Barry,
Personally, I think you would get a lot out of it, knowing your style of steel string based playing. I’m thinking of doing the same thing too in the near future, just to get back into it in a more focused fashion. There are some quality on-line sites that offer really good value imo.
I took lessons many years ago and it taught me a lot of good habits which I appreciate every day, now that I’m an “older” player. 😉 (I do play a bunch of classical still, but not exclusively. )

[TBman]

Originally Posted by AndreF

Hi Barry,
Personally, I think you would get a lot out of it, knowing your style of steel string based playing. I’m thinking of doing the same thing too in the near future, just to get back into it in a more focused fashion. There are some quality on-line sites that offer really good value imo.
I took lessons many years ago and it taught me a lot of good habits which I appreciate every day, now that I’m an “older” player. 😉 (I do play a bunch of classical still, but not exclusively. )

How do you get feedback from an online lesson? I was looking at jamplay, but then again, I don't know what I'm looking at.

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by jwayne

My 2 cents. Unless you really want to focus on classical guitar, skip the standard studies and just learn specific classical pieces that you like.

That would be my advice too, but only because that's my (somewhat lazy) approach.

I never had guitar lessons of any kind, but part of my self-tuition was learning to play classical guitar pieces (from notation in books). The books gave fingering indications (right and left hand) wherever the positions were not common sense, so made pretty good lessons in their own right.
I certainly learned the advantages of (e.g.) thumb on back of the neck, and guitar on left leg - at least with a nylon-string. Admittedly I don't stick to the latter (laziness again) because I can usually get away with right leg, at least if I cross my legs. And I won't always use the "correct" p-i-m-a allocation, again if I can get away with my preferred choices (my middle finger is my dominant picking one, not my index).

In fact, I suspect lessons (with a dedicated classical guitar teacher) would have many more benefits than just getting the right hand fingers sorted out. There's stuff about articulation, fine control of tone, dynamics and expression, and so on - even nail care - all that kind of stuff that tends to pass you by as a self-taught folk-blues player.

I have had one or two lessons with a teacher (decades after I taught myself) - on bass and electric, not acoustic - and I was struck by what I learned that I never expected to. Even one lesson can work wonders on weak areas you didn't know you had (or kind of knew you had, but didn't care much).

[Gitfiddlemann]

Originally Posted by TBman

How do you get feedback from an online lesson? I was looking at jamplay, but then again, I don't know what I'm looking at.

Arguably the best way, of course, would be to find a qualified and dedicated teacher near you, from whom you could get live lessons. But landing a good one is not always a given.
But if that's not possible, and you want to do more from home in a less rigid format, you could join a well staffed and structured program like this, with excellent opportunities for direct interaction. Not only with a variety of teachers, but with fellow students in your bracket, whatever that may be.
Classical Guitar Corner
I would think, especially with your recording experience and knowledge (both video and audio, and with forum interactions), i.e. ability to share what you're working on, that it would be a great fit for you as a learning tool.
It's the best such program I've found while browsing around for a quality on-line program. You can browse through that link. You'll see that it caters to a broad spectrum of guitar enthusiasts, and taps into some quality level teaching.
Not trying to talk you into it! I just think that when you retire, and have extra time to dedicate to learning something new and potentially very useful on your own time, programs like these might be a good option for you.
And me too. That's why I'm considering doing something like that myself.

[TBman]

Originally Posted by AndreF

Arguably the best way, of course, would be to find a qualified and dedicated teacher near you, from whom you could get live lessons. But landing a good one is not always a given.
But if that's not possible, and you want to do more from home in a less rigid format, you could join a well staffed and structured program like this, with excellent opportunities for direct interaction. Not only with a variety of teachers, but with fellow students in your bracket, whatever that may be.
Classical Guitar Corner
I would think, especially with your recording experience and knowledge (both video and audio, and with forum interactions), i.e. ability to share what you're working on, that it would be a great fit for you as a learning tool.
It's the best such program I've found while browsing around for a quality on-line program. You can browse through that link. You'll see that it caters to a broad spectrum of guitar enthusiasts, and taps into some quality level teaching.
Not trying to talk you into it! I just think that when you retire, and have extra time to dedicate to learning something new and potentially very useful on your own time, programs like these might be a good option for you.
And me too. That's why I'm considering doing something like that myself.

Ok. thanks Andre!

[Pitar]

Originally Posted by TBman

when I retire, that is.

I know that if I do the right hand studies a few times a week, my right hand gets fairly more competent so I'm wondering if I really need anything more than serious right hand work.

I always tell myself that over 50 years I've accumulated too many bad habits so I'm just better off doing some drills a few times a week instead of just tunes every day.

Has anyone else taken classical lessons, but stayed a steel string player?

You can remedy well practiced poor technique if you want to bad enough, but that would only be because you've decided there are some serious holes in your current skills.

I started out in the classical mold and then opened it up to my idea of how to play rather than commit to its strictest teachings. Technique and form are wrought in tradition and I'm just the sort of rebel to balk at stuff like that. So, I play all wrong, visually speaking, but manage to still coax out of my hands a respectable body of work.

I think everyone should discipline themselves to the study of the classical guitar. It certainly respects a nuanced hand and, once that's developed, the nylon sound begins to grow in the ear and become an essential area of growth.

[mr. beaumont]

Get pumping nylon.

Keep in mind, nylon strings are so much more expressive and responsive to dynamics than steel, so taking classical lessons on steel will only reap you a small amount of the full benefits.

[agfsteve]

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

Get pumping nylon.

Keep in mind, nylon strings are so much more expressive and responsive to dynamics than steel, so taking classical lessons on steel will only reap you a small amount of the full benefits.

Sounds like the OP is going to need ANOTHER GUITAR!