classical guitar studies/methods

i ma classical guitar player too.First concerntrate on basic techniques like open barre chords.Play them as clearly as possible.Speed is no good.Only then go for some piece if you may.If you really wanna be a classical player , learn fingerpicking.Its tough but do it.

Thanks for the advice. I have been doing the fingerpicking pretty diligently, and started working on it around my 4th week of playing, so it's going well. Barres are taking more time, but I'm putting in the practice. Still, might there be some etudes or pedagogic-type pieces that can help me along?

Not a method book, but a book I've found very helpful: Pumping Nylon. A great book to help improve technique.

I have to second Pumping Nylon.
It has greatly improved my abilities and is a must have for any serious guitarist classical or otherwise.

I just started myself 2 weeks ago and took my 1st lesson Thursday. There are 2 book out there that the teachers where I go recomend the books Solo Guitar playing 1 by Fredrick M Node or Classic guitar technique by Aron Shearer
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/sim-explorer/explore-items/-/0825694000/0/101/1/none/purchase/ref%3Dpd%5Fsxp%5Fr0/103-9284780-9315012
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/sim-explorer/explore-items/-/0898985722/0/101/1/none/purchase/ref%3Dpd%5Fsxp%5Fr0/103-9284780-9315012
I have both books and I am using the one by Node. Both teachers like this book better for some reason. I am still a beginner in this fingerstyle so that is the best info I can offer

The Eythorsson website is an excellent resource, but knowing where to start there is like knowing where to start here at Guitar Noise.

I would recommend you look at the four "Guitar Moment" books there, starting with number 1. There are some very simple exercises in the opening pages, followed by some relatively easy pieces that still sound attractive enough to keep you interested.

The collections of Etudes at Eythorsson.com, the Sor, Carcassi and Coste collections particularly, begin at Grade 1 level and finish up requiring a very high level of competency and you have some way to go before you get up to Grade 1 as you've not been playing very long. Avoid the Bach stuff - not only is it highly technical but very frustrating when it doesn't go right. Above all, remember that you're going to need to get out of the safety zone at some stage - a lot of the works at Eythorsson.com is at Grade 8 and harder, and will require you to play at anything up to 12th position, which is where the neck joins the body of your guitar.

Have fun, though, and let us know how it's going.

Best,

A :-)

At Eythorsson, how do you tell what level the pieces are at? I'm interested in trying some basic classical pieces, but I'd rather not jump in at lvl 8...

There's no easy way to tell, but anything by Bach is hard, and lots of stuff by Sor or Carulli is quite easy. Stuff by Tarrega is quite complicated. The "Guitar Moment" volumes are ideal in that there is a visible pathway from easy peasy to complex stuff.

Best,

A :-)

Update:

I just posted this link in another thread - it's for Classical Guitar mp3's. It always helps if you can listen to something whilst you're working out if it's easily playable or not.

Clickety click

Best,

A :-)

Allan, thanks for the link!

Alan,
Just noticed your reply. Thanks a lot for for the recommendations. I've been working with Carulli's 30 easy pieces or something like that, but I will certainly check out guitar moment. So far the easiest part is the reading, followed by the fingerpicking, although I know my technique must be horrible (rest vs. free stroke and all that). The "easy" pieces seem to be built on relatively simple chord progressions, so it's just the changes that are difficult on those.

Follow up question regarding scales and arpeggios, which I printed out:
The first few scales indicate thumb, index, middle, and then leave the top part of the scale without indication of which finger to use. Does this imply using the ring finger, or alternate, or something?
Thanks.

To be honest, the best thing for scales is to use alternate i-m or m-a. Some of the Eythorsson fingerings don't work for me.

If you were doing a quick run up part of a scale in an actual piece you'd find it worked a lot easier to use i-m or m-a to get it nailed, and if you ever take the Grade exams you'll need to use alternate i-m or m-a (especially when playing two-octave scales at 152 quarter notes per minute)

One of the things Jamie said on her site is to label all you fingerings as it makes life easier for playing.