Introducing Pamela Goldsmith With Classical Guitar (Guitar Lesson)

Chapter 1: (01:05) Intro Enjoy some classical guitar music from JamPlay instructor Pamela Goldsmith! Chapter 2: (13:53) Some Things About the Classical Guitar Pamela's Website

Pamela teaches private lessons in the Portland area. If you are interested in taking some lessons with Pamela, you can contact her through her website.

I. Origins of the Classical Guitar

A. The Roman Cithara

Around 40 AD, the Romans entered Hispania (modern day Spain). They introduced the Spaniards to an instrument called the cithara (sometimes spelled "kithara"). This instrument had a wooden sound box. The sound box or body consisted of two tables connected by ribs. The strings were stretched from a tuning bar to a bridge-like tailpiece on the body.

B. The Arab Lute

It is not known whether the early descendants of the guitar were invented by Romans or Arabs. The long necked lute was first produced in Mesopotamia (modern Iraq, northeastern Syria, and southeastern Turkey) around the 4th century BC. The lute is typically associated with the ancient Arab kingdom.

In the 8th century AD, the The Moors brought an instrument called the oud from Africa to Spain. The oud was a tear-shaped lute. It was flat in front and round on the back. Ouds were typically made with four strings and did not have frets.

C. Short Necked Lutes

The European "guitar" was classified with short neck lutes. Short necked lutes appeared centuries after long necked lutes. These instruments had gut frets that were tied to the neck. They either had flat or round, carved backs. The lute originally had four courses of strings. Courses were invented in the 14th century. A course is a pairing of two strings tuned in octaves.

D. The Vihuela

In Spain, an instrument called the vihuela replaced the once prominent lute. The Spanish vihuela is the closest instrument to the modern classical guitar. This instrument was created in the fifteenth century during the Renaissance period. Some of its features include a smaller and thinner body in comparison to the modern guitar. The original vihuela featured four courses of strings. A fifth course was added in the 15th century. The 6th bass course was added later in this century. The third string was tuned to F#. For this reason, many Renaissance pieces arranged for classical guitar require the third string to be tuned to this pitch. The tuning of the first string varied from E up to an A depending upon the piece.

There are 8 books of music written for the vihuela. These are the first publications of guitar music.

1. Luis Milan - El Maestro (1536)
2. Luis de Narvaez - Los Seys Libros del Delphin (1538)
3. Alonso de Mudarra - Tres Libros de Musica en Cifra para Vihuela (1546)
4. Enrique de Valderrabano - Silva de Sirenas (1547)
5. Diego Pisador - Libro de Musica de Vihuela (1552)
6. Miguel de Fuenllana - Orphenica Lyra (1554)
7. Juan Bermudo - Declaracion de Instrumentos(1555)
8. Esteban Daya - El Parnaso (1576)

II. The Modern Classical Guitar

The first modern classical guitar was built in Italy around 1779. The body of this guitar was slightly smaller than classical guitars produced today. By the middle of the nineteenth century, the size of the body was increased to expand the volume range of the instrument. In addition, the bracing within the body was changed to the modern fan style. Antonio De Torres, a 19th century Spanish luthier, is credited as the first to make these adjustments.

Classical Guitars Vs. Steel String Guitars

There are many notable differences between classical guitars and steel string acoustic guitars. Classical guitars are strung with nylon strings. Most acoustic guitars are either strung with phosphor / bronze strings or steel strings. Nylon produces a softer, slightly more expressive tone compared to steel. Unlike steel strings, nylon strings do not feature a ball end that is held in place by a bridge pin. Instead, nylon strings are tied to the bridge. Also, the tuning keys face backwards on a classical guitar. On steel string acoustics and electrics, the tuners extend directly outward from the headstock. In terms of the neck, the classical neck is wider and does not taper. This will definitely take some getting used to if you are a traditional acoustic or electric player. Lastly, a pickguard is typically not installed on classical guitars. Nylon string guitars with pickguards are called Flamenco guitars. Rapid strumming and percussive sounds are important to the Flamenco style. Over time, these techniques eventually wear away the protective finish applied to the wood. The pickguard is glued to the top of the body to prevent damage to the finish and wood.

Using a Footstool

The classical guitar is held in a much different manner from the steel string acoustic guitar or the electric guitar. The classical guitar is positioned on the left leg instead of the right leg. The left leg is elevated with the help of a footstool. A footstool can be purchased at any music store where classical guitars are sold. If you currently do not own a footstool, you can rest your foot on any flat object that is roughly 6-8 inches tall. For example, a wah pedal stacked on some phone books might get the job done. For performances however, you will want to purchase a footstool.

Most footstools feature four height settings. Adjust the footstool so that the angle formed by the neck of the guitar and the ground is roughly forty five degrees. The headstock of the guitar should hang roughly at eye level.

You can also purchase a guitar cushion to fine tune the height of the guitar. Cushions come in a few different sizes.

Using Suction Cups

Instead of a footstool you can buy a ramp outfitted with suction cups that attach to the body of the guitar. This device allows you to place the guitar on the right leg instead of the left.

Proper Playing Posture

Legs

The legs are the foundation of the body and proper posture. Any structure requires a solid foundation. Always follow the following guidelines regarding proper leg positioning.

1. Keep the feet about shoulder width apart if not slightly wider. For right handed guitarists, the footstool and left foot should be placed just inches ahead of the right foot.

2. The groin area and feet should form an isosceles triangle (two equal sides). The ancient Egyptians understood that the triangle is the strongest geometric shape. Consequently, you must position the base of your body in this formation.

3. Sit on the edge of a flat chair or bench. The hamstring muscles should not make contact with the surface of the chair.

Holding the Guitar in Place

The guitar is held against the body at three points.

-The top of the guitar's body rests against the sternum.

-The lower shoulder of the guitar rests against the upper left thigh.

-The lower hip of the guitar rests lightly on the inner portion of the right thigh.

Watch Pamela in the lesson video for a clear demonstration of how the guitar should be positioned against the body.

Note: If you play a left handed guitar, simply reverse these directions.

In addition to the guidelines listed above, the back of the guitar should be tilted slightly inwards towards the body. This allows for maximum comfort while playing. It also promotes solid tone production. The vibration of the back of the guitar must not be eliminated by laying it flat across the abdomen. In addition, tilting the guitar results in the loudest, most powerful tone, since the soundhole is facing upward at a slight angle. When the guitar is held flat against the body, the soundhole faces down towards the floor at a slight angle. Consequently, the vibrations exiting the soundhole are aimed towards the floor instead of towards the audience's ears. Some of these vibrations are absorbed by the floor, resulting in a quieter, insufficient tone.

The Shoulders and Back

The spine must remain straight and relaxed at all times. Stretch your spine towards the ceiling without arching your back. While doing so, do not allow your shoulders to slouch in a forward direction. The shoulders must remain relaxed and loose at all times. Do not shrug them at all. Your arms should feel like they are hanging effortlessly from your body. Do not lift your right shoulder to bring your right hand closer to the strings.

The Abdominal Muscles and Lower Back

The abdominal and lower back muscles support the upper structure of the body. You must find a position where the spine remains straight while utilizing the minimum amount of effort from these lower muscle groups. Using the minimum amount of effort is of paramount importance to proper guitar technique.

Pain and Discomfort

If you experience pain or discomfort in any body part, immediately stop playing and address the issue. Adjust your playing posture until you feel comfortable and relaxed. If you are used to playing an electric or steel string acoustic, classical guitar posture will feel quite awkward at first. This will pass in time. However, always draw the line between feeling awkward and experiencing pain or discomfort.

Left Hand Fingerings

Within the score of a piece, you may see some left hand fingering designations.

1 = index finger
2 = middle finger
3 = ring finger
4 = pinky finger

*The left hand thumb is almost never used to fret notes when playing classical guitar.

Right Hand Fingerings

In terms of the right hand, the Spanish names for each of the fingers are used. Within a musical score, the appropriate finger is indicated by the first letter of each Spanish word.

p - pulgar (thumb)
i - indicio (index) In English, this word literally translates into "indication."
m - medio (middle)
a - anular (ring)
c - chiquito (pinky)**

**The pinky is only used when performing flamenco guitar techniques such as the "rasgueado." For more information on the rasgueado, please visit the following lessons:

Pamela Goldsmith - Classical Guitar Lesson 6
Danny Voris - Classical Guitar Lesson 6

Numbering of the Strings

In a piece of guitar music, the string number may be indicated next to a note to indicate which string the note should be played on. The strings are ordered from smallest to biggest. The small E string is labeled "1," and the fat E string is labeled "6."

Definition of Left Hand Position

The position that you are playing in on the fretboard is usually determined by the first finger. Within a specific position, each finger carries out a specific duty. For example, if the first finger is playing notes at the first fret, than you are playing in first position. Within this position, the second finger plays notes at the second fret. The ring finger plays notes at the third fret. The pinky finger plays notes at the fourth fret.

Left Hand Guidelines

A. Preparing the Left Arm

1. In order for the left hand to be positioned correctly, the entire body (especially the shoulders) must be positioned correctly. Remember to keep the spine straight and the shoulders relaxed!

2. Keep the left hand in a natural, relaxed position at all times. Do not squeeze the neck!

3. Let the left arm hang limp at your side. Your left shoulder and arm should feel completely relaxed. Then, slowly bring the left hand up to the fretboard at seventh position. Seventh position is a perfect location to work on technique since the left hand is directly in the line of vision. Also, the frets are not far apart like they are in the lower positions on the fretboard.

B. Thumb Placement

1. Keep the thumb perpendicular to the neck. Do not curl the thumb or bring it up over the top of the neck. Also, Do not turn the thumb so that it runs parallel to the back of the neck. This greatly limits the range of motion of each finger.

2. The thumb should rest on the neck directly behind fingers one and two.

3. The thumb may move up and down slightly in order to accommodate various left hand positions.

C. Palm Placement

1. Keep the left hand palm parallel to the bottom of the neck. Do not allow the palm to make contact with the bottom of the neck. This technique will allow each of the fingers to access all six strings without moving the entire hand. Economy of movement is one of the most important components of proper technique. Wasted movement limits speed, endurance, and accuracy.

D. Finger Placement

When fretting any note, always follow the guidelines listed below.

1. Fret the strings with the very tips of the fingers. Arching the wrist outwards will help accomplish this goal. Utilizing this technique will prevent you from bumping any of the adjacent strings. Making contact with adjacent strings will prevent them from ringing clearly.

2. Position the finger as close to the fretwire as possible without being directly over top of it. The least amount of pressure is required to push the string down in this position.

3. Keep all left hand joints slightly bent. Do not flatten any of the knuckles.

4. Keep the left hand fingernails as short as possible.

5. Keep the wrist slightly bent.

6. Keep the fingers as close to the fretboard as possible at all times. This will ensure that each finger is prepared to play when called upon.

Note: the technical guidelines that Pamela discusses in this lesson are not exclusive to classical guitar. These guidelines should be followed regardless of which styles of music you play. Your technique should only deviate from Pamela's when performing electric guitar techniques such as bends.

Left Hand Exercise

Pamela demonstrates this exercise at 10:00.

Within this exercise, all notes are plucked with the right hand thumb. This enables you to focus all of your attention on the left hand component of the exercise.

This exercise trains you to improve your technique within each fretboard position. Go very slowly! This exercise is not meant for developing speed! Make sure that you follow all of the left hand guidelines listed above at all times.

Leave each finger planted within each position. Lift up all fingers except the index finger when moving to the next position. Practicing in this way will develop the overall reach and flexibility of the left hand fingers. Remember to keep all fingers as close as possible to the fretboard at all times!

Once you reach 9th position, descend back through the pattern. Pamela demonstrates the descending pattern at 11:30.

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Video Subtitles / Captions

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