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Hey,

In terms of learning large volumes of work quickly, what's best to do when if you have a variety of difficulty levels is just play through the easy ones that you know will be OK every day. With the harder ones take care to isolate the difficult passages and practise them not only slowly but with different rhythms - if you have a fast quaver passage then practise it 4 times with dotted quaver (dotted eighth note) - semiquaver (sixteenth note) in the place of quaver - quaver. Then another 4 times with semiquaver (sixteenth note) - dotted quaver (dotted eighth note). Experiment with different rhythms.

To get used to the pieces it might be a good idea to get a few versions of the harder pieces you have to learn onto your mp3 player. Just get used to hearing them in the way the best players play them. It might result in your interpretation being pretty close to the guy's one on the track you listened to 10 times on repeat during your morning jog, but to be honest when you only have 2 weeks to learn a bunch of pieces you really want to make sure you can play it. If you feel really shitty then obviously it would be a good idea to ask maybe some of the players (a drummer and a few horns?) if they would play with you a few times away from the orchestra, in their own time, before the concert.

Are you used to playing with nails? If not then this will be a small part of a many year journey to find the right shape anyway... Don't apply any varnishes or anything - even many so-called strengthening solutions are just layers of a kind of varnish that ultimately damage the real nail. Eating a boiled egg in the morning helps keep them strong, as does jelly. Start doing things more with your left hand (ie. opening doors). Buy a nail buffer and look at Scott Tenants Pumping Nylon as a starting guide to nail care:

http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk/hand-care/accessories/big-nail-shiner.aspx?cm_mmc=FusePump-_-GoogleShopping-_-TagMan-_-Link&gclid=CLPjnKa0gbcCFVMftAodomUAgQ

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pumping-Nylon-Classical-Guitarists-Technique/dp/088284721X

Good luck :D

> Do you use your thumb for picking?

Nope. Can't say that I know any classical guitarists that use thumb picks. Even those that played classical guitar second to plectrum steel string generally went without. I occasionally use a thumb pick but it's when playing other styles and always on a steel string guitar.

>How often do you fix your nails? Any particular shape?

This can be a bit individual but the most common accepted shaping can be seen in the link below.

https://www.thisisclassicalguitar.com/fingernails-on-classical-guitar/

>I'm a total noob when it comes to partiture reading, do you think I should learn or I can do fine with tabs?

If you want to study classical guitar at all seriously, you should learn to read music (which is what I assume you mean, partiture is reading different parts on multiple staves).

You can certainly learn well enough with tabs at the start but tabs rarely contain the depth of information sheet music will contain such as fingering, stroke type, dynamics, etc.

>Could you recommend some specific songs/pieces for improving my fingerstyle (considering that my left hand skills are not a problem)

Giulliani's 120 right handed studies + lots of scales work. You'll feel like a boss in no time.

http://www.classicalguitar.org/freemusic/exercises/Giuliani120.pdf

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I would also recommend this book. They are included. Great technique book and includes these in a modified order in the back that makes a bit more sense.

https://www.amazon.com/Pumping-Nylon-Complete-Classical-Guitarists/dp/0739071580

>I'm mostly interested in playing flamenco, could you suggest some increasingly harder songs, for some orientation.

Sorry never played a whole lot of flamenco.

>Right now I'm playing on a cheap steel string guitar. I hope to buy a nylon guitar on the next month. I'm not sure if I should get a flamenco or a classical guitar, I would like to get a flamenco guitar but most of them are out of my budget (no more than 400 U$D). Is there a big difference between the flamenco and the classical guitar? I mean, is it worth it?

They are very similar with subtle differences mainly in construction, woods used, and set up. The biggest thing things that I often notice are that classical guitars have higher string action, better (imo) tones on the high end and better sustain (flamenco have lower strings for faster action). Flamenco guitars tend to pack more punch/be more percussive (so as to be heard in the midst of a group w/ dancers etc).

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Hope this helps a bit.

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As a fellow music educator and as a guitarist who is currently student teaching in an orchestra classroom, I can empathize with what you are going through right now. First of all, there are probably hundreds of music teachers each year who are thrown into teaching a guitar class with little or no prior experience with the instrument, so don't feel too bad about your inexperience with the guitar. Like others have said, it is important that you learn the basics of the guitar (basic chord shapes, posture, note names in first few positions, guitar-specific notational systems, etc.) and that you acquire a decent amount of instructional materials (scale diagrams, chord charts, arpeggio diagrams, ensemble materials). I know that a teachers schedule leaves little time for privates lesson, but I would suggest that you take a look at the nearest university to see if they offer a summer guitar class for music educators. The university that I am currently studying at offers a 2 or 3 week guitar class that counts for graduate credits or professional development credits and is aimed at people in your situation.

Now you may be thinking "well that's great and all, but what can I do right now? First, remember that as a certified music educator you have received all of the pedagogical knowledge that you need in order to teach a music class, whether it be a k-6 general music program or a high school band. Are you expert at all the instruments? probably not, but I am sure that during your studies you had the experience of teaching another instrument other than your own.

With your beginners, relate what you already know how to teach (in your case violin/orchestra) to the guitar. The difference in content knowledge aside, how would you teach a beginning orchestra the D major scale? You can approach the concept, as it relates to the guitar, in the same way. Since you are not proficient with guitar you may need to display a scale diagram (similar to a fingerboard chart, but with frets) on the board or with a handout and then use your ear to detect mistakes. Most concepts on the guitar can be approached in this way, the main difference will be chords and for that I would suggest that you think back to how you learned chords on the piano (I assume you had to take some piano for your degree) and drill them on chord shapes and I-IV-V cadences. If you prefer a more structured approach I suggest that you find a good method book so that you do not need to "re-invent the wheel" for every lesson plan. The method book that I used in high school was A Modern Approach to Classical Guitar by Charles Duncan, I think it does a pretty good job of introducing classical technique while also teaching other basic techniques that are used in all styles (rock, pop, etc.), but there are many others that will do the job as well (including "Standard of Excellence").

For the more advanced class you can continue to introduce new scales and arpeggio patterns (again relying on diagrams and your ability to hear mistakes), but I would recommend that you start working on ensemble material because that is something any music teacher can do with out having to be able to play it themselves (I doubt that all band teachers can play the bassoon or clarinet parts in every piece their ensemble plays). If you need material, I would suggest Forrestguitarensembles.com which has hundreds of free ensemble and solo pieces for guitar and are graded by difficulty.

If you need instructional materials (chord, scale, arpeggios diagrams) or need help with knowing how to approach teaching a certain technique feel free to send me a pm and I can send you some materials or give my thoughts on particular lesson plan if you need.

You're not going to get a lot of people in r/classicalGuitar that are going to answer this without some kind of recommendation that you just improve your regular score reading skills instead. Tab can be a great tool at times, but more often it seems to be used as crutch.

My advice is to start sight reading as much as you can whenever you find tab-free scores because it is skill that you can only develop with dedicated and focused practice. Whenever you go to the effort to transcribe a score to Tab, you are still leaning on a crutch because when you start playing, you aren't using the music, you're using your Tab instead and not actually getting any score reading practice in. In your mind, you are probably translating your scores to Tab instead of actually reading the score. Tab and score notation are similar in that respect. In fact, I suspect that if you just force yourself to give up tab you'll see an amazing and very rapid increase in your ability to process standard scores.

Here is a personal example: When I read Spanish I am not actually reading Spanish... I'm translating it into something I am familiar with. I still have to learn to transform my thought process into Spanish before I am truly reading Spanish. Once I stop communicating by saying buenos noches to mean "good afternoon/night" and I just start saying buenos noches when I mean "buenos noches", I am actually speaking Spanish. Until then, I am just translating words. That won't change until I immerse myself in Spanish without clinging to English as my crutch. The same thing applies to changing from Tab notation to score notation.

http://www.amazon.com/Sight-Reading-Classical-Guitar-Level/dp/0769209742/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1333574358&sr=8-1

I have this book and it is great practice in sight reading and you may want to check it out. It is nothing more than a bunch of short sight reading exercises. Teach yourself one or two of them a day without transcribing them to tab first and I am absolutely confident that your reading skills will improve noticeably.

If you are really insistent on using Tab though, classtab.org is decent.

This book has some decent stuff in it as well: http://www.amazon.com/Easy-Spanish-Guitar-Solos-Book/dp/1603780599/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1333575720&sr=1-1

Actually just had this sprung on me today (for a wedding this Friday, and I'm out of practice...yikes). If they want classical music, uptempo, major key Bach works well. I've recommended this Bach book time and again because it is easily sightreadable while not sounding too overly simplistic. Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring; Awake, awake, a voice is calling; and the Gavotte from Cello Suite 6 are all suitable for recessionals.

If you have more time or already have some of this in your repertoire, I've played Nikita Koshkin's first Ballade, Andrew York's Sunburst, and Stanley Myers's Cavatina for recessionals before.

Moving into poppier territory, there are plenty of arrangements out there of Beatles songs that would probably be suitable. I've played Here Comes the Sun for weddings before (Bridal Procession), but a lot of the happier hits would be good--Something, When I'm 64, All my Loving, All you need is love, etc. I've had success with Disney themes as well. Kiss the Girl and Can You Feel the Love Tonight have both made their way onto my wedding playlist.

I've recorded myself a bit with both budget and hi end mikes. I have used a Zoom H4n Pro ($219) portable recorder for a project I have with classical guitar improvisations. All the recordings are done either in living rooms or outdoors. There's no fx on the recordings, only a little bit of eq and compressor. Here's a link to these recordings on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5XAY5a4uUdTP4EYave3ND3?si=AraITj7DQ8yUnF-Uk0t8wA

I also record original classical guitar compositions using expensive Schoeps mics (Collette stereo set w/Mk5 capsules), here's a solo guitar tune recorded with these mikes in a parallel configuration with added reverb:

https://open.spotify.com/track/4Nju2e1clXsp0SW0nycdM4?si=CtAFUNuFR0y_UpRpFzok-A

I happen to like the sound of the Zoom because it feels more "real" or "natural" to me. Like sitting in the room with the player. The good thing with doing recordings is, you'll have to practise getting less scratching. I get scratching all the time, but recording myself has helped me being aware of this and try to improve it. Same thing with playing, recording can help you improve because you'll probably start hearing what you'll need to practise when listening to your recordings.

Personally I don't like the sound of line/piezo much, but I guess it can sound more controlled and you'll probably get less scratching sounds as well. But budget mikes today can be great, I would do some experimenting with mic placement and maybe recording in different rooms if that's an option. Especially where you place the mic does make a huge difference, so I would advice to start with that. I like the sound of stereo recordings much better than mono also, it sounds more natural to me, and less honky.

Link to Zoom:
https://www.amazon.com/Zoom-H4N-Digital-Multitrack-Recorder/dp/B01DPOXS8I

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Link to Schoeps:

https://schoeps.de/produkte/stereo/sets/stereo-set.html

Tremolo is a huge undertaking, while I personally have not mastered the technique by any means, I am currently in the process of learning Recuerdos De La Alhambra and I'll give you some pointers on where to start.

First, master sequential planting. If your planting technique is lacking, develop that before progressing any further with learning tremolo. Tremolo is essentially a huge sequential planting technique, learning to plant will directly translate over into your tremolo. I would also recommend learning your tremolo on the B string, this will force you to train your right hand to keep your A-M-I tight. Giuliani 120 Right Hand Studies covers both sequential planting and tremolo, I would highly recommend starting there. Also, I would suggest checking out Scott Tennant's Pumping Nylon which covers tremolo technique in detail. This would be a great place to start with your tremolo studies. The timing between your A and P is absolutely critical, take great care with your right hand development.

I will stress that learning the technique is absolutely necessary before learning any specific tremolo piece. Internalize the motion in your right hand, when you get it down and can fully trust your technique you will learn to relax and fall into the groove so easily.

EDIT: Consider learning Carcassi # 7 as well, this is a great piece that is not too demanding during your right hand development.

I was taught in a group guitar class from the Christopher Parkening books--they're okay as far as method books go (though our class tended to joke that Mr. Parkening must be a raging narcissist with all the glamour shots of him sprinkled through the book).

I eventually discovered the Frederick Noad series of books and immediately fell in love with them. His Solo Guitar Playing 1 book is very meticulous and comprehensive. Most of the pieces include parts for a teacher and student, but its still useful for solo learning. He's also published a several compendiums of period music (Renaissance, Baroque, Romantic era, etc.) that are fun to play from.

The "Library of Guitar Classics" is also pretty good to have around as it is a nice compendium of solo classical guitar works from all eras and from many composers. It'll keep you busy for a looooooong time.

Almost. There are other differences between "classical" nylon string guitars and steel string. Neck width (I mentioned space between the strings, which it's related to) is one, for sure.

Another "family" difference is modern steel strings tend to have the neck intersect the body at the 14th fret. Classical guitar necks join the body at the 12th fret. This matters somewhat if you sit and play "classical style" with the guitar balanced across your left leg (if you're playing typically right handed), neck inclined at more than 45 degrees, with the headstock level with your chin. See here for examples A steel string neck will be a bit longer than the classical neck, and the guitar will balance differently. Not a huge deal (I play my steel string in a classical position), but another difference.

Here's a huge difference - the sound. The steel string guitar was engineered with steel strings in mind. The tension exerted by steel strings on the bridge is about twice that of nylon strings. The bracing, thickness of the sound board, etc., are all designed with that in mind. Lower tension nylon strings just won't drive as much sound out of your guitar as they would a classical guitar (with much lighter bracing and thinner top). Also, you'll run into a technical problem with where/how to tie off nylon strings on your bridge. Unlike steel strings that terminate in a little round thingy that is trapped under the bridge pin, nylon strings just... end. On a classical bridge they're looped around and tied off in a fancy knot.

So my original advice stands, I think. Play your guitar just as it is. If you really like playing the classical pieces, consider getting a used classical guitar.

Now, as far as your complaint re: damping strings near the top of the neck. I hate to say this but that's your technique, not the guitar itself. Yeah, it's a bit easier to not interfere with strings on a wider classical neck, but there are plenty of steel string players that need to play clean chords without any thumping or buzzing. One thing classical lessons are good for is learning efficient techniques with left and right hands - practicing from the get-go on getting your left hand fingers pressing down vertically on the strings with the tips of the fingers, not slanting the fingers, keeping the thumb low behind the back of the neck, the curve of the hand, keeping it all relaxed and ergonomically sound... There really is a reason the "classical posture" evolved to what it is - it's about as ergonomically neutral (i.e., not holding lots of unnecessary strain or twisting) as you can get playing a guitar.

I started learning on a steel string guitar, too, using Noad's Solo Guitar Playing. I played on a steel string for a couple of years in high school before getting my first classical guitar, so it's possible!

Edit: fixed link.

For the sight reading, I can't recommend these books enough (this is the higher level one, there's another lower one)

https://www.amazon.com/Sight-Reading-Classical-Guitar-Level/dp/0769212859/

The exercises are written for guitar, rather than keyboard, they progressive smoothly, and there's plenty of good advice in the notes.

I'm not sure if you've looked at online courses - I use Classical Guitar Corner's and am very happy, but I don't know what else is out there.

> Anyway all the resources out there seem to focused on dead beginners playing songs that I can play drunk and on fire.

That kind of rings an alarm bell with me. Are you playing with your left and right hand in good position? How's your tone? If that's all good, fine.

Pumping Nylon is great. I'd also look at Noad's classical guitar tutors, which I found very valuable.

Good luck!

Make sure you experiment with which nail shapes work for you. To start, I would just shape my nails around the contour of my fingers and try playing and see which sides need less or more nail. It will take time to get the perfect shape because everyone has a very small difference in the movement of their dominant hand.

Replace your strings every 3 months or so, I recommend D'Addario strings.

Since you haven't played classical before, I assume you have a habit of sticking your non dominant thumb up so it can be seen above the neck. Try to get rid of this. It should be in the middle of the neck, centered with the palm or pointer finger.

Don't use boring outdated instruction books, as it may bore you and cause you to quit classical guitar, though to be fair some 100+ year old books are still great.

This is a great book that I would recommend in a few months once you are a bit better: http://www.amazon.com/Library-Guitar-Classics-willard-Series/dp/0825614759/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335741059&sr=8-1 another good one that you should get right now is Pumping Nylon by Scott Tennant.

If you can't read music you should start forcing yourself to learn it. It will be very tough for a while but if you keep only reading musical notation you will get good at it pretty quickly.

"And most importantly, have fun!"

Save yourself a lot of time and find a good classical guitar teacher. makes all the difference. Even for just 6 months or so, they will get your hand technique going and have you playing in no time.

Also start to read music if you don't already. This will really help. just simple stuff (15 min/day)the pumping nylon book/video is great as well.

This was my first book and it worked, Its very well laid out and a great teacher of the guitar

https://www.amazon.com/Classic-Guitar-Technique-Vol-Shearer/dp/0739057103

Guitar is a yamaha g-55-1 from the 1970's bought from someone on craigslist. It has a lot of dings and a few of the frets were peeling out, but after gluing the frets back down it plays just fine. I got the book A Modern Approach To Classical Guitar plus a music stand, a capo, and a new set of strings.

I am pretty excited. I have tried to teach myself guitar before on an electric but I never stuck with it and always ended up giving up after learning a few chords and scales. I have been using the book for 2 weeks now and I'm liking this a lot more than just trying to learn chords and scales and winging it.

this will probably have a bit of what your book has, but it's worth the look. I have this sucker and it's HUGE. all kinds of good stuff is in there. some Sor and Giuliani variations, and some other really big pieces. There is a Guitar Classics 2, which I can't vouch for other than that its online sample looks nice. and they're only about $20. not a bad deal, in my opinion. I actually got my copy about 7 years ago and it's holding up well.

http://www.amazon.com/Library-Guitar-Classics-willard/dp/0825614759/ref=pd_rhf_se_shvl17

OK. This is a beyond a beginner level, but hear me out -

If you are serious about learning the classical guitar, you should really look into picking up Kitharologus: The Path to Virtuosity, by Ricardo Iznaola. It can challenge even a seasoned player, but if you begin now and are serious about your practice, the drills in this book will have you playing better and more confidently without a doubt.

The main mistake people make is: "I'll just teach myself".
Don't. You'll get so far and get stuck and have no idea why you're stuck.
Get a teacher.
You'll get from A to B faster and when you get stuck someone will explain to you why you're stuck and what you need to do to correct it.

As far as specific common technical errors goes there are a couple of decent videos here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPBqjgF9-l8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qs4Oo3R3GVQ

Another common problem beginners make is that they don't know how to practice. To a lot of people "practice" means "I'll pick my guitar up and play it for a bit". OTOH good quality practice is planned and it has a point (learn a new piece efficiently, improve your technique, hone your musical interpretation) - it's not just noodling around.

Practice planning doesn't have to involve the ludicrous Tom Hess version of planning which is something like "You will have a five-year goal and then work backwards and work out all the steps to achieve that goal in minute detail". If you try and do that you'll spend more time planning than you will doing any playing. Planning is a fairly simple activity where you review what you need to do, take on board your teacher's suggestions, and then work on all that in an organised fashion.

Another practice-related point is that "practice" like "science" is a blanket term that covers many different techniques and strategies you can employ to get better. You could do worse than buy and use Practiceopedia. It's aimed at kids but the points are just as valid for adults. I've used every technique in this book at one time or another over the past 15 years. I'd also suggest doing a bit of reading around the subject of practice - there are many books, articles, youtube videos covering the subject. I'm not going to make specific recommendations because I'd be here all night - just use your common sense and ask questions if you get stuck.

As far as guitar setup goes: This is one area classical players don't generally get involved in. You buy a guitar and there's very little else to do. You don't have to adjust the bridge or the saddle - that's the luthier's job. You'll need a basic guitar to get you off the ground (acoustic, nylon-strung - not steel strung or electric) and that guitar is probably going to sound like ass. Don't worry. Once you've done a bit of practice and you're ready to invest in something better if your teacher is amenable get them to come with you to the guitar shop when you buy your next guitar. I've done that with every guitar I bought except my first guitar and it's worked out nicely.

Good luck!

If we're talking about the white and red book with spiral binding here...

It really helped my sight reading and right hand techniques. Helped my sight reading significantly too.

Below are some links I really like for beginners books. Copy pasta from another post I did

First two are beginners books. The third one is one I used pretty heavily to teach you hand techniques, especially for the right hand. Help you learn different patterns and finger movements. Took me forever to find it on Amazon but it's awesome.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0793526272/ref=pd_aw_sim_14_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=VA5WMPNKD6HVPG4R4141

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0793543681/ref=pd_aw_sim_14_of_36?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=2Q2B4NZZQ9KEG6WCDV5R

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0786627239/ref=pd_aw_sim_14_of_24?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=DH1SGFCDSDFGT56VZQJ2

I think the standard classical text is the book series by Frederick Noad, but I never cared for it personally. I’d recommend this book of etudes by Fernando Sor, edited by Segovia:
https://www.amazon.com/Twenty-studies-guitar-Andres-Segovia/dp/0793543681

The studies are graduated and start pretty simple. They sound beautiful as well.

An answer I gave to a similar question a month ago:

• Pumping Nylon has been mentioned;
  
  
• Sight Reading For The Classical Guitar, by Robert Benedict - Book 1 - and Book 2 are well worth the study;
  
  
• Pebber Brown:
  How To Read Music (pdf)
  
  
• Mauro Giuliani's 120 Right Hand Studies (pdf) is great for development of right hand technique.
  
  
• Fernando Sor Opus 33 (24 progressive lessons for students)
  
  
• Fernando Sor Opus 60 (An introduction to learning the Guitar)

I recommend trying a technique book. I use Kitharologus: The Path to Virtuosity by Ricardo Iznaola because I think it covers a lot of the really in-depth skills needed for playing. And it's good for discovering your individual flaws, as you seem to have already noticed, so you can use the exercises to improve those flaws.

I know this doesn't address your specific question, but I believe Kitharologus is one of the best technique books out there.

The latest incarnation of the Royal Conservatory Guitar Series are published by Fredrick Harris. Look for the Bridges series in the guitar section. They are the graded repertoire books for those doing their RCM examinations (here in Canada). The books are great. I use them with my students regardless if i have them doing the exams. They are not specifically devised for learning to sight read, just good broad ranging repertiore arranged by difficulty. For sight reading, Robert Benedict's books are good. For technique and nail advice check out Scott Tennant's, Pumping Nylon... cheesy title... great book!

I recently picked up and haven't found anything I haven't liked in the first volume of The Guitar Music of Spain, pieces by Bartolome Calatayud. Most of it is simple enough to get through in one session as far as difficulty goes(as an intermediate player), but still leave me surprised by how good it sounds with such simplicity. Also a good variety of techniques and rhythm throughout it that makes it easier to recall them individually.

The Sagreras studies are collected in two books here's the first one. As for improvising, learn a few Spanish sounding pieces and figure out the chord progressions. Then make up your own melodies over top. Yes, improvising is that simple, no, you won't come up with something amazing the first hundred or so times you try it. If you really want to get good enough to work professionally, get yourself a good teacher. And I'm not sure what version of Recuerdos you're looking at, it's essentially a tremolo study and doesn't really change much at all.

For Spanish style, this book is actually quite nice: https://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Music-Spain-One-Traditional/dp/0711933030/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1502215026&sr=8-1&keywords=calatayud
This is mostly pretty easy, and it gets a little more difficult as you go along. The next volume in the series will get into different composers and definitely be more advanced.

Here's links on Amazon to the Method in Two books by Sagreras:

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Books 1-3: https://www.amazon.com/Julio-Sagreras-Guitar-Lessons-Book-ebook/dp/B00WYNM8C4/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1562105162&sr=8-2

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Books 4-6: https://www.amazon.com/Julio-Sagreras-Guitar-Lessons-Books-ebook/dp/B019EHCLPG/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=julio+sagreras&qid=1562105183&s=gateway&sr=8-4

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Hope you all check it out if not for yourself but for great material for your students, I also look forward to hearing some of your interpretations from people who participate!

I recommend reading basic exercises in higher positions. That's the best way I've found. That said - I do like these two sight reading books:

Sight Reading Classical Guitar Levels I-III


Sight Reading Classical Guitar Levels IV-V

They appear really basic but there is more to them than meets the eye as far as phrasing, musicality and rhythms go. I read the first volume all in higher positions for the challenge. The second volume has upper position playing and covers a lot of common classical guitar styles in short snippets. I have them both and they are both worth checking out.

Get this book immediately! Also, get inspired by listening to great classical guitarists - Segovia, Julian Bream, John Williams, Sharon Isbin and compare and contrast the same pieces among them.

https://www.amazon.com/Solo-Guitar-Playing-Book-4th/dp/0825637112/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=noad+classical+guitar&qid=1565963200&s=gateway&sr=8-4

It'll be hard to develop by looking at complicated, long pieces. You need to practice the underlying structure. (Just like it's hard to get better at figure drawing just by learning how to draw shadows and texture or slowly tracing finished pieces.)

I've been using this series, and it's been going pretty well:
http://www.amazon.com/Sight-Reading-Classical-Guitar-Level/dp/0769209742

To give OP a nice suggestion of a book to learn from, I'd say This one by Charles Duncan. It's easy, informational, and they're really easy to memorize if you practice several pieces for a couple hours throughout the week.

https://www.amazon.com/Solo-Guitar-Playing-Book-4th/dp/0825636795

You may find it a bit tedious, having played steel string for a while, but I have enjoyed it.

I'm always surprised at how many people recommend pumping nylon and nobody ever recommends Kitharologos from Ricardo Iznaola. That book covers the entirety of modern technique.

http://www.amazon.com/Kitharologus-Path-Virtuosity-Ricardo-Iznaola/dp/0786617748


(Though I do admit that I've never seen PN)

The Noad book is a good start. Scott Tennant's Pumping Nylon has a lot of good excercises, too.

Pick up the Noad book (https://www.amazon.com/Solo-Guitar-Playing-Book-4th/dp/0825636795). It covers all you need to know about rhythm and notes and comes with a lot of exercises. Learning to read music and actually being able to play from sheet are two entirely different things and takes lot's of practice. It can be quite frustrating to start out doing the simple exercises when you're able to play more advanced pieces but if you want to play classical guitar you'll need to bite the bullet eventually since a lot of pieces are only written in standard notation.

A lot of practice...

This book has tons of exercises for all your needs (fingerpicking, scales, finger strengthening, etc)

Ah, so I should get his book? Looking at some of the sheet music I found online in .pdf I wasn't too interested in learning. Thanks!

http://smile.amazon.com/Andres-Segovia-Studies-Guitar-Book/dp/0793543681/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1449268325&sr=8-3&keywords=sor+studies

That's just standard technique on a classical or flamenco guitar. The two strokes used for single fingers and called rest strokes and free strokes. Strumming is referred to as rasgueado.

The book I started with way back when is Frederick Noad's Solo Guitar Playing. Here:

http://www.amazon.com/Solo-Guitar-Playing-Book-Edition/dp/0825636795/

I know no shortage of guitarists who use it to teach and who started with it themselves. You'll learn a ton even if you already play, really can't recommend it enough.

I've known a number of players who sort of consider Scott Tennant's "Pumping Nylon" to be sort of a classical guitar technique bible. I found the speed burst exercises very helpful, myself. The Segovia scales and Christopher Parkening's method books were also somewhat ubiquitous when I was a young player... maybe not like "Hanon" ubiquitous, but very common.

Edit: Added links

If you can get your hands on Frederick Noad's Solo Guitar Playing 1, or Christopher Parkening's Guitar Method 1, you could go a long way. If money is an issue, I know my local library has the Parkening book, so that might be a resource to check into.

Scott Tennant has a book out that will keep you busy: http://www.amazon.com/Pumping-Nylon-Classical-Guitarists-Technique/dp/088284721X

My personnal recommandations (which is what I work with currently):

• For sight reading this and that.
  
• Etudes: Sor and Cassini
  
• Methods : Pumping Nylon and Kitharologus

Here is the mobile version of your link

Any of the old jams posted in the sidebar will give you a selection of pieces of varying difficulty. You could also pick up the Noad book, Solo Guitar Playing vol. 1 for exercises and shorter pieces.

The classical guitar pieces not in standard tuning are few. Off the top of my head I can only think of one in drop D, and it's an arrangement of a piece originally for another instrument.

*edit to add link for the book.

Does the [Library of Guitar Classics] (http://www.amazon.com/Library-Guitar-Classics-Jerry-Willard/dp/0825614759/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1464631638&sr=1-1&keywords=Library+of+Guitar+Classics) contain TAB? I couldn't find a preview. I have nothing against TAB, and I'm not an elitist; I just find it takes up too much space on the page and it distracts me.