Our classical guitar course is one of our signature programs. Studying the classical guitar at Los Angeles Guitar Academy can prepare you for conservatory auditions, a career as a professional guitarist, or learn the guitar for the sheer enjoyment of learning to play the instrument. In addition to guitar lessons in our studios, we now offer private classical guitar lessons on live webcam.
Classical Guitar 101:
Our initial series of classical guitar lessons is designed to develop a basic understanding of guitar musicianship through a wide scope of traditional and modern techniques. Topics include basic position, left-hand technique, free and rest strokes, stretching, warm-up exercises; establishing a practice routine, introduction to the Alexander Technique and its use in guitar playing, diatonic scales, left/right-hand coordination exercises, staccato and legato. Flamenco and Latin strumming techniques (rasgueados) are incorporated to enforce a solid rhythmic background, thus helping the student to establish a balanced, well-developed right-hand technique, while at the same time developing an appreciation for the rich repertory and performance practices of the instrument.
Our teachers customize each student’s repertoire with regard to musical taste, areas of strength, and skills which need improvement.
Classical Guitar 102:
Our second series of classical guitar lessons will introduce more advanced techniques of guitar technique while developing an understanding of Renaissance, Baroque and Classical music in Western music history. Topics include the following: higher positions on the finger board, effortless shifting, sight-reading techniques, damping, memorization, tonal shading, nail care and preparation, tone quality, vibrato, articulation, phrasing, hinge bars, advanced arpeggios, and ornamentation.
A customized repertoire for each student ensures that the student will maximize their learning curve while enjoying the challenge and beauty of intermediate-level pieces.
Classical Guitar 201:
Our most advanced series of classical guitar lessons will develop the student’s musicianship to its highest level. Students will learn visualization and mental practice techniques, which will help decrease the time students need to practice, leading to a reduction in overuse injuries. Students will learn to establish a healthy physical and mental connection between the instrument and the musician in order to express their own personalities while performing. Topics covered include mental practicing, improving inner hearing, advanced coordination exercises, speed scales, natural and artificial harmonics, mixed meters, advanced rhythm exercises, polyrhythm and more.
At this level, you will add many technically challenging pieces to your repertoire which include many major works in the standard concert repertoire for the classical guitar.
Competition/ Audition Preparation:
We have designed these professional guitar lessons for those serious musicians whose career goals include becoming a music professional. Current music professionals will also benefit from this series. Topics covered include; Alexander Technique, stage fright, performance anxiety, power of focus in performance, dealing with mistakes and memory slips, planning and preparation, and advanced Alexander Technique.
This course will prepare you for the concert stage, perfecting both your artistry and your technique on the classical guitar, using major works that are the standard concert fare for professional classical guitarists.
Chamber Music for the Classical Guitar:
Meet with other students; experience the joy of making music together. This class is open to all of our students.
Classical Guitar Coach for Film and Television:
Our teachers have garnered numerous awards for their performance on the classical guitar. Their masterful instruction can help actors master the nuances of portraying a classical guitarist on film.
Our classical guitar coaches have worked successfully with students from many levels, from complete beginners to professional musicians in many genres.
Classical Guitar Education as a Foundation to Other Styles
We get this question occasionally from guitar students as they consider enrolling in our in-studio classical guitar lessons. If you already play the classical guitar, you know how much classical training can help guitarists of all styles. For those of you who are still skeptical about the advantages of taking classical guitar lessons online or in our studios, a word of explanation is in order.
Learning to play the classical guitar grounds you in a firm technical foundation, as well as a basic command of musicality and interpretive skills. Classical guitar technique forms the foundation that every other guitar style is based upon. With the intricate textures, harmonic structure, and technical expertise required to succeed even in rock and pop music industries today, guitarists of all styles need classical guitar lessons to give them an edge over the competition in their chosen genre – even in country, blues, and rock!
The knowledge of chords, music reading, intervals, harmonic and melodic structure that you will learn that will make songwriting, arranging , and performing a breeze. Classical training is essential if you want to tackle film scoring or composition.