Classical Guitar: Most Common Mistakes 

How to Get Started with Classical Guitar: www.classicalguitarshed.com/beginner-classical-guitar/

Thank you to my teacher in college 30 years ago., Dr. Ming Fang for correcting all of these issues that I came with to his studio. I have carried all I have learned throughout my life with my guitar. Where ever you are now Dr., thank you.

I just started and this video is a game changer. Not everyone can afford private lessons. And the attention to detail is going to save me from so many mistakes!!!! I also have a very serious spine injury and ordered the guitar support. Best vid ever'

I am just starting the classical guitar (been playing acoustic steel-string for over 40 years), and this was of great value to create correct habits from the beginning. I am going to watch every one of Allen's videos. Thanks!

First time I grabbed a guitar it flew into space, so I know what you are saying

well after 3 months of playing guitar i can successfully tell you i've done none of these but i was holding the guitar upside-down

Thanks for taking the time to share your knowledge .

I'm self taught and after years of playing I have developed the bounce. I think it's mainly lack of practice on the classical guitar as I play other styles too. I'm hoping it will decrease as I practice more, it's very annoying and stopping me from playing pieces that I used to play easily. At least I'm aware of it now and that it's not just me. Thanks for highlighting it in this video.

I taught classic guitar at college level while in my early 20s. My teacher had noticed that I had a good sense of instruction. Your are able to tie in, real world scenarios to make your point. This promotes understanding and greater retention. Your presentation is also well produced.

Right on the nail! Have battled with all of these both personally, and helping other students. Thank you.

I am a self taught guitarist and now have to unlearn 2 years of pretty much all of these mistakes😅. Pray for me.

"push through the note" i love it...this helped out a lot. thank you for this video.

Really helpful stuff, and vindication for some of the things I've done naturally while playing. I'm a self-taught guitar player like many, and there is so much conflicting information. I taught myself to finger-pick and NEVER braced my hand against the guitar with my pinky. I've seen so many people do this and have even been told I was playing incorrectly, but it was incredibly uncomfortable to have any part of my hand touching the guitar because it completely immobilizes your pinky and also restricts your range of motion for your ring finger, which is vital to have.

Incredibly helpful video, thank you! I just started about two and a half weeks ago, so I haven't fully developed bad habits yet, I've stopped bracing because of you, so thank you so much for that. However, bicycling is something I struggle to fix. Kind of a hard concept to identify. Perhaps the problem is I'm practicing on a steel string acoustic for now until I can buy a classical.

Just starting out with classical guitar and this video is super helpful, thanks!

Your information very helpful, and absolutely educational. Thanks

“bicycling”...awesome tip. I’m a beginner and glad I learned that now. Thanks

Thx for the videos. Insightful and funny at times. Keep up the good work.

“Dont touch the top of the guitar” Me, who plays flamenco on my classical guitar, “too late” lmao

THANK YOUUUUU!!!! Pretty good tips were these. They helped a lot.

"Where is he bracing now? I don't know". All said with a straight face. Brilliant 😂 Another outstanding video. So many pearls so clearly and succinctly communicated, thank you.

This is Excellent! Thanks for sharing. peace

This lesson is so important. Very good video and instruction. Thank you .

Thanks for the good hints! Bouncing by bicycling is a serious mistake to check, which is unnoticed before. Hope I have it not.

Excellent video. This is really eye-opening!

Thanks for the info Allen! Very helpful, and it's a pleasure to watch you teach!

Bouncing, splayed finger, bicycler here. 🤣 thankfully, I am very new. 1 year of practice with no formal training. Just a book and some you tube. This is going to help me improve a lot. Thanks for the well delivered and very informative video. It was a pleasure to watch.

I'm definitely a cycler, and a finger splayer. I remember looking at videos of how you're supposed to pluck the strings, but when I tried I would also hit the adjacent strings. So the bicycling was my solution. I guess I'll have another try at it. I would love a video on how to pluck properly while avoiding hitting other strings. The guitar strings are such a small space to work within, especially if you have fatter fingers!

Just recently stumbled upon your channel and just in time since I think I'm going to give playing the classical guitar a shot. Hope to learn much from your videos.

Great tips. Thanks a lot for sharing!

Thanks for the great lesson.

Thanks a lot. I make pretty much all the mistakes. I'm trying really hard to get my wrist straight, but I bend it automatically as I'm used to it. I wish I had watched this video two years ago.

As a music education grad, it's so interesting to see the parallels and differences between good piano technique and that of classical guitar. Both strive for economy of motion. I just bought a student classical guitar for myself. Watching your videos reminds me that there is much I can learn to practice before I even play a note. I plan to take lessons but I will refer to your videos to allow me to ask intelligent questions of my future teacher(s). Special gratitude for offering all this for free--a sign of a dedicated player who shares for the love of the art and craft of music!

Big fan. I love your personality and so articulate, great knowledge and tips. Subscribed and watching all your videos this Saturday with my big ol' classical guitar on my lap. You are terrific.

Always, always great to review. Thanks

This video was very helpful - thank you for the time you put into it.

it really is a simple as opening and closing hand...finally understanding that now, very cool

Thanks, very helpful. I feel like you've been watching me play. I've been guilty at time of all the errors you mentioned. Especially the bouncing.

I mostly play fingerstyle and hawaiian slack key, and was told to use my pinky as a support to the guitar top to keep a good reference. However, getting told to do that repeatedly I was never able to do that. I just never got the hang of that. Now I want to learn some classical gutiar, I am positive it will help me with fingerstyle and slack key as well. Plus there are so many beautiful classical pieces to listen to. would be wonderful to play some of them. These videos are very informative, thank you

Great considerations. A must for all guitar players!

Great lesson, Thank you!

this is a great informative video. thank you for posting

You're worth you're weight in gold. I studied classical guitar many many years ago I quit playing for 20 years. I'm bidding on a Ramirez guitar classical of course and I'm going to, I want to play The works of Sor. I am 68 years old. This is my bucket list. You're helping me recognize my bad habits

Hi Allen. Thanks so much for the video. I am a self taught classical guitarists and I am always looking for some way to improve. My dad has played guitar all his life and so has my brother, but I am the only one that has really decided to play classical. I am 17 years old and have played guitar for some years and classical for about 1 1/2 years. While I thankfully don't have any of the problems mentioned here except I might "bicycle" a little, it has shown me what to watch out for and has greatly instructed me. Thanks again, you teach amazing!

Thanks for the time you put into your videos. You are very patient in your approach to teaching. I've subscribed and look forward to watching the rest of you videos. Thanks again! John

Initially I use my pinky as a reference point when finger picking. I don't really anymore, but it was a useful crutch

Good stuff. Will definitely check out your other videos man. Subscribed.

awesome tips buddy! Thank you for such a great lesson:))

I think you really did a fantastic job with this video. I'm self taught and your videos help me immensely.

hey , really thanks for the tips , i started playing guitar by my self. never paid attention in right hand technics , bycicling and claw is something now on i'll paid attention!!!

Super lesson thank you for the bicycling correction tip>

Thank you very much!. That was very informative.

this is such an incredibly good video...thanks for posting it

Started with a Yamaha classical, age 21. Now 72 and play classical, steel, 12 string and electric. Have been anchoring with my pinky, but now want to anchor with my forearm. Think this teaching will enhance playing in all genres.

Thank you very much for this - I am also self taught, and with the help of this video I have recognized I have 2 out of five bad habits: bicycling and splayed fingers. Which are in a way related to each other. I think the single most valuable tip you gave in this video is to teach ourselves to keep fingers together, touching each other. In a way, it is counter-intuitive. But when you go several steps back, you immediately see the point - progress in technique happens almost instantaneously. My guess is that in this way you achieve 2 positive outcomes: you limit the amount of movement of each finger so it is the best way how to achieve movement economizing, but also - this helps you with precision, because by touching other fingers you actually give each finger good reference point in the space. Do you think this is true? At the beginning, it is kind of uncomfortable to hold fingers close to each other as you explained - because it brings tension to whole hand. I understand that it is the temporarily correction (example of tree branch you mentioned) - but, as some other watcher asked you, do you think that using several rubber bands might help us achieve such habit without this tension in fingers? I tried it today, it looks silly ( pasteboard.co/JfxurkS.png ), but it seems to work very good.

Tanx a lot dear Allen .that was so intersting, extremly nice n useful👏👏👏🤗🤗🤗😍😍😍

Love your teaching. Have a few questions: 1. I just started learning the guitar. I love classical guitar sounds, but I also love country, blues and even some rock licks. If I focus my attention on classical, will I still be able to play those other forms when I feel like it? 2. I just bought one of those rests for your leg, but without it, the guitar slides off my leg, I feel like I have to fight with the guitar to keep it on my lap, either with pressing it with my right arm (then it wants to squirt out away from me at the bottom), or holding on with my left hand (which makes it hard to move to a different location quickly), both violate my relaxation. Everyone (teacher) on RU-vid seems to hold it effortlessly and it doesn't go anywhere. I am a former bodybuilder/powerlifter and have highly developed legs (so they are roundish - not fat) nothing for the guitar to hang on or hang up on. So is there something really wrong with my physiology?? 3. I don't want to grow my fingernails, so is it ok to use metal fingertips or something? Anyway, I'm retired now and am devoting a lot of time to this and really want to be a good player.

I found this really useful. Excellent tutorial. Thank you. Will check out your website

What a trip! I was Just watching a video of a man repairing Willy Nelsons guitar "trigger" he kept talking about that hole. then you mentioned it here...

I have just started Classical Guitar and was surprisingly ok except the 'Bicycle'! That improved my sound in 2 seconds! Thanks!

Helpful! Thank you!

I'm probably not the first one to mention this, but you're completely wrong about banjo technique. The reason the pinky and ring fingers anchor the right hand has nothing to do with dampening sound or weakness in "self-taught" players. The picking technique for a 5-string banjo is completely different from a classical guitar: if I were to use the same technique on a nylon string guitar as I do on my banjo I would rip the strings right off. The fingers are held perpendicular to the head (the drum head) and usually the more force the better. Also, you do not want freedom of movement: the emphasis in the right hand is on keeping the fingers together. The other reason to anchor the hand is to use different hand positions (closer to or further from the bridge) to achieve different tones, especially when playing up the neck. If your pinky and ring finger aren't touching the head there's no reference point for smoothly moving the right hand away from the bridge. Classical guitar and 5-string banjo technique evolved from different places independently. The players who pioneered modern bluegrass playing were banjo players first and did not adapt the technique from classical guitar playing. The reason the technique is different is because it's a different thing, not at all because it's a deficient version of classical guitar.

This is great stuff, please continue making these, perhaps best practices with sight reading and making breakthroughs in sight reading and reading music.

Very illuminating indeed.

Willie Nelson's hole comes from the picking of his classical guitar (Trigger) . His band mates said you can see it come off in pieces like shrapnel when he is playing on stage. However willie stated in an interview he likes to put his fingers in it.

I love classical guitar , and to be honest i'm guilty of some of these, thank you so much for taking the time to explain. Now off to practice , oh by the way I subscribed to your channel, keep these vids coming, very very helpful

I WILL CONTINUE TOUCH THE GUITAR TOP THANK YOU VERY MUCH

HI! Thanks Shed, I made some mistakes, but i think now I got it and I will work on that. Great video!

Brilliant - thank you.

Excellent video, thank you.

Hi Allen M.. Good job..I was self-taught and like rightly stated I realised the drawbacks in my playing Classical Guitar and some of them are applicable to me and I am changing my approach as mentioned and demonstrated in this video to rectify.. Thanks so much.. Please keep up this good job..warm cheers..siva..gtr.. India..👍😊🎶🎸

This was incredible! Can you recommend a video to watch as the first thing when getting into classical guitar? Thanks!

Hello. It has been a while since you've done this vid. The "common errors" someplaces did and someplaces did not resonate with me. I do "spade my fingers" and didn't really realize it. But I spent hours following John Williams book that taught something that looks like 'bicycling' but emphasized a good "follow through". But you and my past instructors (and instructors in proxy like Fernando Sor) justified each other on parts of the need to worry about your wrist and tendons, practice, find a way to practice the exajerated motion. I second the person who asked for a video about nails and string care. Also, sometimes the "claw" pattern can be beautiful in and of itself (Jerry Reed or Chet Atkins) For those who are into fusion or a fusion of genre's like me, those two are where classic guitar and country guitar cross paths.

thanks, good lesson

Great video!

Self taught. Going on 4 years. Wish I started with your videos man. Thx for the tips.

This is a very helpful video.

great lesson ... not only for students but for teachers too...

Thank you for the proper method of playing classical guitar. FYI, there are people on RU-vid teaching to play by the bicycle method.

You deserve more views my friend. very nice videos you have. congratulations for the work!

Thank you for all the tips. Can you play the song Tonight I celebrate my love.. couldn't find a good tutorial and find finger style difficult

I like to play with a thumb pick and am currently learning flamenco techniques as well as classical. My questions are; is it ok to learn these two musical styles (flamenco and classicsl) together? And is it ok to use a thumb pick? I am having problems with speed in tremolo, I am learning malaguena by Michael lucarelli and have been stuck on the tremolo part of the piece which is near the end. I have been stuck for months and that's all I need to complete the piece.

Thank you!!!

Although I can keep my right hand as instructed, in-line with my fore arm, (and I do the ginger stretching exercises as shared elsewhere) I have a tough time to get my fingers engaged on the string to get a clear resonance. It often results in a very annoying 'thud' or 'thump'. I can't get my finger off the top of the string to allow it to vibrate... I guess that will improve with time.

I don't 'bicycle', but the tip about using your fretting hand as a gauge is great for figuring out the technique of moving your fingers, the only way to move without touching your other hand is pivoting the finger joint and knuckle. As a lefty that plays right-handed guitar, this helps a lot. Nothing feels natural to me so knowing simple tricks like this is extremely helpful.

Brilliant! Really useful:thank you.

Sir, do you have any videos on tone production? I think that is very important. It would be great if you had a video on that. You are an awesome teacher!

I know I’m 8yrs behind but this is worth sharing. I got cured of pinky bracing when I had no choice but to play a Yamaha silent guitar for a few months. There is nowhere for the offending pinky brace, you just learn to float and it does make tone better.

Good points..thanks much.

Thank you !!! I have learned to fix some bad habits !!! thank you You are a great instructor !!!

Thanks...ALL helped me a bunch..

I really enjoyed your lesson. I am a middle aged engineer just starting my 3rd year of lessons. (Never too late to start.) I see I do about 3 of the 5 errors you pointed out am encouraged by your video to work on these. Do you have any videos on the thumb? I struggle controlling my thumb, especially playing tremolo. I tend to swing my thumb in a clockwise motion lifting about an inch off the strings. My teacher says to just stop doing that, but easier said than done. Thanks for sharing!

I want to get Yamaha CG122MC. I have never played/owned a guitar. Is it for a beginner?

I'm self taught! Thank You for the tips !!!

Thank you soo much

This was really beautiful!!

Good points, all, and I've studied at Sydney Conservatorium and taught for many years. I was fortunate to have these points almost rammedat me but I'm grateful for the efforts of my early pedagogs. Two things that I think you s/could put in are the importance of getting the best teacher you can - NOW, and the benefits of a fll length mirror to be used when practicing. Just suggestions but both of those points helped me immensely and I'm sure you're not self taught and have used a mirror before. Both are invaluable. Oh and with the right hand being the 'sound maker' I'm pleased to bothe agree with all your points ( Apoyando will help show how the last digit in the right hand should feel even when playing tirando) and that it is more imortant as such than the left. I'd rrather hear a beautiful Cmajor scale than a fast, furious, scratchy Chaconne any day. Both hands are important of course but with any stringed instrument the sound must come first.Good Video

really helpful, thanks!

thank you so much ... by the way I am a student so I have no enough time to practice .. but I am trying hardly to find some time ..dose it affect alot ?? (lack of time) .. I am really happy to see your reply ... thanks again ... could you tell me about the guitar position .. I like the one that the end of guitar nick is as high as my head .. but it's a bit hard to control ... I would love to see your reply .. thanx again

Allen, thanks for the tips on this. Looking forward to watching more of your work. Just an aside, Willie Nelson's guitar has that big hole from the guitar pick hitting the top for year after year, not from bracing. :) Again, enjoying your lesson. Bob