Classical guitar techniques

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 Fingers (i) index, (m) middle, and (a) ring are generally used to play the melody, while (p) thumb accompanies in the bass register adding harmony, and produces a comparable texture and effect to that of the piano. The classical guitar is one of the very few solo polyphonic instruments, and is notoriously very difficult to master.

Classical guitar technique can be organized broadly into subsections for the right hand, the left hand, and miscellaneous. In guitar performance elements such as musical dynamic and tonal 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 discussion 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 (Section: Performance).

For items such as accessories and construction, see the .

The "classical" guitar is the traditional guitar of Spain. It is built so that the right hand falls at the back of the sound hole when it is placed on the left leg. The player sits on the front of the chair and the left foot is supported by a foot stool or some other device. The right elbow is placed on the box of the guitar so that the hand falls over the strings, with the fingers at an angle to the strings. The right foot tucks underneath the player to make room for the guitar. And the guitar is turned to the player's right so as to rest against the ribs on the player's right side.

Care must be taken to keep the guitar turned to the right. There is a tendency for the guitar to slide down the left leg, collapsing the left shoulder and distorting the right wrist (called "deviated wrist"). Properly held, the fingers play at an angle to the string, not perpendicular. Keeping the guitar turned out to the right is important because, when the guitar slides down the left leg and the left shoulder collapses, the thumb and fingers of the right hand hit each other. In order to play freely, the fingers and thumb must be able to follow-through without hitting each other. When the guitar remains turned to the right, the fingers are at an angle to the strings and the thumb plays without interfering with the fingers.

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