Classical guitar technique

In classical guitar, the right hand is developed in such a way that it can sustain two, three, and four voice harmonies while also paying special attention to tone production. The index (i), middle (m), and ring (a) fingers are generally used to play the melody, while the thumb (p) accompanies in the bass register adding harmony and produces a comparable texture and effect to that of the piano. The classical guitar is a solo polyphonic instrument.
Classical guitar techniques can be organized broadly into subsections for the right hand, the left hand, and miscellaneous techniques. In guitar, performance elements such as musical dynamics (loudness or softness) and tonal/timbral variation are mostly determined by the hand that physically produces the sound. In other words, the hand that plucks the strings defines the musical expression. Historically, this role has been assigned to the dominant hand which, for the majority of players, is the right hand. Similar reasoning is behind string players using the right hand for controlling the bow. In the following article the role of the hands should be reversed when considering left-handed players.
An introductory overview of classical guitar technique is given in the article Classical guitar.
The "classical" guitar is the traditional guitar of Spain, designed so that when the instrument is placed on the left leg, its right-hand side naturally falls over the sound hole. Key considerations in choosing a playing position include:
In the traditional position, the player sits at the front of the chair with the left foot supported by a foot stool or similar device. This support elevates the left leg so that the guitar can rest comfortably on it while the right elbow is placed on the guitar's body, allowing the right hand to fall naturally over the strings at an effective angle. The right foot tucks underneath the player to create additional space, and the guitar is rotated slightly to rest against the player's right side.
Several guitar supports have been designed to facilitate a posture recommended by the Alexander Technique, which promotes a straight, untwisted spine, level shoulders, horizontal upper legs, and both feet flat on the floor. These supports position the guitar correctly above the legs, relieving the player from having to contort their body to support the instrument.
Some guitarists use tripods to support their instrument. A notable historical example is the tripod used by Dionisio Aguado y García, as depicted in lithographs from his era. Tripods can help maintain an ideal playing angle while reducing physical strain.
Although more common on steel-string and electric guitars, some advocates suggest that straps can also be useful for classical guitars—especially early instruments or for specific performance circumstances.
Some performers, such as Paul Galbraith, use a cello-like endpin arrangement to support the instrument. This method can offer a stable playing position while reducing tension in the shoulders and back.
Over the history of the guitar, many schools of technique have emerged, often associated with the virtuosos of their time. For example, Mauro Giuliani (1781–1829) is closely associated with arpeggio playing; his compositions frequently incorporate intricate arpeggio passages, and his "120 Right Hand Studies" were developed as a method to achieve greater independence among the right-hand fingers.
In contrast, Andrés Segovia maintained that rigorous scale practice—such as playing scales for two hours a day—was essential for correcting faulty hand positions and building a solid technical foundation. Both approaches underscore that mastery of the classical guitar relies on extensive, repetitive practice, whether through free-stroke arpeggio exercises or the rest-stroke techniques favored by Segovia.
In 1983, Richard Provost outlined principles of scale and arpeggio technique based on his study of anatomy to make the 'inherent kinesthetic tendencies' ("our limitations") of the human body work for the player. Rather than working around them, the intention being production of "a musical, articulated sound within our physical limitations". The basis of this technique is referred to by Charles Duncan as "the awareness of the release of tension".
The traditional names of the right-hand fingers are pulgar, índice, medio, and anular, derived from Spanish. They are generally abbreviated as p, i, m, and a, with "p" representing the thumb and "a" representing the ring finger; "c" is sometimes used for the little finger (also known as "chiquito").
The four fingers of the left hand, which are used to stop the strings, are typically designated as 1 (index), 2 (middle), 3 (ring), and 4 (little finger). The numeral 0 is used to designate an open string (a string that is not pressed down). On the classical guitar, the left-hand thumb is rarely used to stop strings from above due to the instrument's wide neck and the conventional hand position in classical technique.
In standard musical notation for the classical guitar, scores (as opposed to tablatures) do not systematically indicate which string should be plucked; the performer usually deduces the appropriate string from context. When string designation is necessary, the strings are numbered 1 to 6 (with 1 representing the high E and 6 the low E), typically indicated by the number enclosed in a circle.
Similarly, the fret or position where the first finger of the left hand is placed on the fingerboard is usually not indicated in the score. However, when needed (especially for executing barré chords), Roman numerals may be used to indicate the position, counted from the nut (position 0) towards the bridge.
The two primary plucking techniques are:
Rest stroke is useful for single-line melody playing, while free-stroke is mainly used in arpeggio ("broken-chord") playing. They are often combined to provide contrasting voices between melody and harmony; "rest-stroke on the melody" is a common approach to balancing the voices.
One of the tenets of right-hand technique in melody playing is strict alternation of the index (i) and middle (m) fingers—that is, no right-hand finger (excluding the thumb) should be used twice in a row. The ring finger (a) is occasionally used if strict i–m alternation creates awkward string-crossings. When the ring finger is incorporated, i–a or a–m fingering is generally preferred over m–a, due to the physical constraints of the hand.
Historically, from the Baroque era through the classical/romantic repertoire of Sor and Mertz, the free-stroke was predominant. One of the first classical guitarists to adopt the rest-stroke was the Spaniard Julian Arcas (1832–1882) (and it may have been used by Jose Ciebra as well), though rest-stroke was already common in flamenco.
The choice of stroke is ultimately motivated by personal preference regarding tone quality, dynamic control, and efficiency.
"Preparation" refers to the act of positioning the finger on the string so that both the flesh and a portion of the nail make contact with the string before the plucking motion. This technique produces a more articulate sound and is a concept found in other plucked instruments as well.
Tremolo is the rapid reiteration of a string by repeatedly plucking it—often with the same finger—in quick succession. In tremolo playing, although there is still a preparatory contact with the string, that preparation becomes less perceptible as speed increases. Common finger patterns used for tremolo include:
Arpeggiation involves plucking the strings separately rather than repeatedly plucking the same string, as in tremolo. A typical pattern begins with the thumb (p) on a bass string and the index (i), middle (m), and ring (a) fingers on three successive treble strings. Common finger patterns for arpeggiation include:
Modern practice typically combines the use of the right-hand nails with the flesh of the fingertips to pluck the strings. In the 19th century, many influential guitarists such as Fernando Sor, Francisco Tárrega, and his pupil Emilio Pujol played primarily using the flesh of the fingertips, following techniques similar to those used in lute playing. This approach was easier with gut strings due to their textured surface but became more challenging with the smoother nylon strings introduced later. The typical plucking action involves first contacting the string with the fingertip, then the nail, and finally allowing the string to glide along the curvature of the nail until it is released.
While the right hand is responsible for the sound of the guitar, the left hand performs two functions: pressing on the strings (to shorten their effective length and change the pitch) and articulation, i.e. slurring (commonly known as "hammer-ons" and "pull-offs") and vibrato. In musical notation, the left-hand fingers are referred to as 1, 2, 3, and 4 (starting with the index).
The basic position for the left hand is much the same as that of the right, except upside down. Unlike many players of steel-string and electric guitars, which have a narrower fingerboard, classical guitarists do not place their left-hand thumbs over the top of the neck. Instead, they place them behind the neck, usually behind the second finger.
It is possible to play the same note on different strings, a process known as "registration" or "registering". For example, the note "e" (the 1st string open) may be played, or "registered" on any string.
The guitarist often has choices of where to "register" notes on the guitar based on:
Slurs, trills, and other ornaments are often executed entirely with the left hand. For example, in an ascending semitone slur (a hammer-on), a note stopped by the first finger at the fifth fret is played normally, then, without any further action from the right hand, the second finger is placed at the sixth fret on the same string, raising the still-ringing note by a semitone. A descending slur (a pull-off) works in the opposite manner; the higher note is played and then the finger is lifted to allow the lower note (already in position) to sound, sometimes with the active finger plucking the string as it lifts. Three specific descending slurs exist: (1) the active finger lifts directly off the string, (2) the active finger rests against the adjacent string immediately afterward, and (3) a hybrid approach in which the finger briefly bumps the adjacent string before lifting. Repeating these techniques can create a trill, and sometimes alternating fingers (for example, 2–1–3–1) is used for variation.
The classical guitar vibrato is executed by rocking the tip of the left-hand finger(s) back and forth horizontally within the same fret space (along the string axis, rather than across it as in a vertical bend common in rock or blues). This produces a subtle variation in pitch, both sharper and flatter than the starting note, without significantly altering the fundamental tone.
Natural harmonics are produced by lightly touching a left-hand finger on specific points along an open string without pressing it down, then plucking the string with the right hand. The left hand must be positioned at a nodal point along the string—typically at divisions such as the 12th fret (one octave higher than the open string) or the 7th fret (one octave and a fifth above the open string).
Artificial harmonics are produced by stopping the string normally with the left hand, then using the right-hand index finger to lightly touch the string at a nodal point (commonly 5, 7, 9, or 12 frets above the left-hand finger) while plucking with another right-hand finger (often the ring finger or thumb).
In the left hand, each finger is generally assigned to a single fret. For each hand position covering four frets, the left hand remains stationary while its fingers shift to cover the range. This “one-fret-per-finger” rule means that three hand positions (covering frets 1–4, 5–8, and 9–12) can span a full 12‑fret octave on each string.
Classical guitar playing uses formal left-hand positions. The "nth position" indicates that the hand is positioned with the first finger over the nth fret.