Classical Guitar

Posture (Tư thế ngồi)

Tirando (Móc dây)
Apoyando (Ép dây)
Fingernail (Cách để móng)
Contents 1

Contents
Contents ..................................................................................................................... 1
Classical Guitar Posture ....................................................................................... 1
Key Principles........................................................................................................................... 1
Good Classical Guitar Posture .................................................................................................. 1
Sit Up Straigh ....................................................................................................................... 1
Foot Stool or Guitar Support ................................................................................................ 2
Legs ..................................................................................................................................... 2
The Triangle ......................................................................................................................... 4
Left Arm .............................................................................................................................. 4
Right Arm ............................................................................................................................. 5
Final Thoughts ......................................................................................................................... 6

Tirando (Free Stroke) .......................................................................................... 7

What is ‘Tirando’? .................................................................................................................... 7
Position.................................................................................................................................... 7
Knuckles............................................................................................................................... 7
Space ................................................................................................................................... 8
Technique ................................................................................................................................ 9
Move from the Knuckles ...................................................................................................... 9
Play into the Space ............................................................................................................... 9
Elbow and Shoulder ............................................................................................................10
Play and Spring Back ...........................................................................................................10
Alternate.............................................................................................................................10

Apoyando (Rest Stroke) ....................................................................................12

What Is ‘Apoyando’? ...............................................................................................................12
Position...................................................................................................................................12
Knuckles..............................................................................................................................12
Technique ...............................................................................................................................13
Move from Knuckles ...........................................................................................................13
Straight Fingers ...................................................................................................................13
Rest on String ......................................................................................................................13
Elbow and Shoulder ............................................................................................................14
Alternate.............................................................................................................................15

Fingernail Lesson for Classical Guitar .........................................................16

Photos & Diagrams .................................................................................................................16
More Video Lessons on Fingernail Shapes & Filing ................................................................23
Classical Guitar Posture 1

Classical Guitar Posture

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Correct posture is an essential part of a classical guitarist’s overall technique. It forms the basis of
all of the core movements. Posture may seem like a trivial thing to get right, but it is essential if you
are to truly master the instrument.
Good classical guitar posture promotes free and unrestricted movements. It allows us to focus on
creating music instead of struggling with our technique. It also means we can play for extended
periods of time without pain in the back, shoulders or wrists.
Bad posture can cause all sorts of problems. Some are only temporary and disappear as soon as
our posture is corrected. However bad posture can also lead to long lasting damage to our body if we
do not rectify the issue swiftly.
Key Principles
There are two key principles I want you to keep in mind as you read through this lesson. Every
aspect of good posture I cover in this lesson can be traced back to one or both of these key
principles.
Key Principles of Classical Guitar Posture
Minimise tension
Maximise range of movement
By minimizing tension you will be able to play quickly and smoothly when required. This is
because the fingers will not be fighting against tension in the shoulder, arm or wrist.
By maximizing your range of movement you will be able to perform all techniques without
restriction. The right hand must be able to play from the bridge (ponticello) right through to the edge
of the soundhole near the neck (tasto). The left hand must be able to comfortably reach the notes in
the first position as well as fret notes way up on the 18th or 19th fret (see picture).
Good Classical Guitar Posture
Let’s take a look at the key aspects of good classical guitar posture. I will discuss the most important
features of good posture, however you may wish to discuss some of the finer details with your guitar
teacher.
Please note, the following directions are for a right handed guitarist. If you are a left handed
guitarist, simply replace switch left for right and vice versa.
Sit Up Straigh
2 Classical Guitar

You’ve heard it at school, at the dinner table and now you’ve heard it from me. The best
classical guitar posture begins by sitting up straight in your chair. A hard chair or one with
a lightly padded cushion works best. Sitting on the sofa or the edge of your bed is often
too bouncy. This means you end up exerting extra effort (tension – see key principles) to
keep yourself upright.
When sitting on your chair, keep your head up and don’t hunch your shoulders over the
guitar. I refrain from saying ‘keep your back straight’ because this sometimes makes
people tense their backs to be as straight as possible. Your back naturally has a
curve. In fact the spine has several curves; Cervical, Thoracic, Lumbar and Sacral. To
make it completely straight requires too much tension. So keep your head up and just
relax your upper body.
Make sure you’re sitting on the edge of your chair. If you sit too far back, the guitar may
end up balancing on the chair itself. By sitting on the edge of your chair your guitar will
have enough room to rest between your legs.
Foot Stool or Guitar Support
To elevate the guitar into the correct position, you will need to use a foot stool or guitar
support. The foot stool is a more traditional choice. You set the foot stool to the correct
height and place your left foot on top of it. This raises the guitar up and also changes the
angle of the guitar. You’ll notice that instead of the neck running parallel to the floor, it will
be at an angle of approx. 45 degrees.
Many classical guitarists are now opting to use a guitar support instead of the traditional
foot stool. A guitar support attaches to the side of the guitar and does the same job of
raising the guitar and changing the angle. The main benefit of a guitar support is that it
allows you to keep both feet on the floor which promotes good back health. Raising your
foot on a stool for prolonged periods of time can result in back ache.

Legs
The left foot should be placed just in front of the body. The thigh should be facing
forwards or pointing ever so slightly to the left hand side.
Classical Guitar Posture 3

It’s important that the thigh doesn’t point too far out to the side, because this will cause
the neck to be positioned behind the body. This position would introduce tension into the
left arm, which is something to avoid.
The right leg should be positioned far enough to the side to allow the lower bout of the
guitar to sit comfortably between your legs.
If the right leg is positioned too far to the side, the guitar will slide away from you. To
correct the slide, you would have to grip onto the guitars neck with your left hand or
clamp it with your right arm. Both of these would introduce more tension and restrict your
movements.
If the right leg is positioned too close to the left leg, the guitar does not sit comfortably
between the two. This can cause the angle of the neck to be too shallow/flat. This causes
the guitarist to stretch in order to reach the lowest frets (near the head), restricting
movement.
4 Classical Guitar

The Triangle

When you’ve found the best position for you legs, you should be able to rest the guitar against your
torso. This creates a triangle, with it’s points where your guitar touches your torso, where the guitar
touches your leg and the joint of your hip.
You should angle the guitar so that you just about see the 1stand 6th strings along the fret board and
sound hole. If the guitar is very flat, you will have great visibility but limited left hand movement. If the
guitar is closer to 90 degrees to the floor, you will have better left hand movement, but limited visibility.
By positioning the guitar so that you can just about see the 1st and 6th strings, you find the optimum
balance between movement and visibility.
Left Arm
The left hand fingers are used to push the strings down behind the frets. This effectively shortens and
lengthens the string, creating different pitches.
As you progress onto more difficult music, the job of the left hand becomes more complex. You will
need to hold down multiple strings, make big stretches and change from one fret to another very
quickly. These complex and challenging movements require the left arm and hand to be as free from
tension as possible.
Because we need to minimize tension, the left arm cannot be frozen in place by tensing the muscles. It
must ‘hang’ with minimal tension. With practice, the fingers will become accustomed to exerting just
enough pressure to fret the notes. Knowing exactly how little pressure to use helps to ease the
amount of tension in the arm.
The best way to set up your left arm posture is to imagine it is a piece of string. The two ends of this
‘piece of string’ are attached at the shoulder and where the fingers meet the strings. Try to imagine
that the left arm simply hangs between these points and does not influence the movement of the hand.
Classical Guitar Posture 5

Right Arm
The right arm should contact the guitar somewhere between the wrist and the elbow. The
exact point will depend on the length of your arm and size of your hand.
The arm should sit on the highest point of the lower bout. This stops it from sliding too far
into the centre or towards to bottom of the guitar. If you place the arm anywhere but the
highest point, it may require tension to keep it in place.
The fingers of the right hand should touch the strings around the edge of the sound hole
(closest to the bridge). This is called ‘natural’ position. By placing the fingers on the edge
of the sound hole you do not block the sound from being produced.
As an approximate guide, the knuckles of the right hand should be roughly hovering
above the 1st, 2nd and 3rd strings. There should also be plenty of space underneath the
hand. This allows the fingers to push through the strings and move into that space.
There are two main types of right hand technique; Apoyando and Tirando. I won’t go into
too much detail regarding right hand position at this stage, because it is different for each
technique. You can find out more about these techniques in the following lessons:
6 Classical Guitar

Final Thoughts
If you’re a beginner, establishing the correct posture is the first thing you’ll need to do. As
detailed as I’ve tried to make this lesson, it is impossible to establish the perfect posture
from day one. It will take time, practice and experimentation to get it right.
This lesson should act as a guide to get you started with establishing your posture. Work
with your guitar teacher to fine tune your posture where necessary. People come in all
shapes and sizes, so a ‘one size fits all’ solution does not exist.
Whenever you change an aspect of your posture, be sure to bear in mind the two key
principles; range of movement and tension.
Tirando (Free Stroke) 7

Tirando (Free Stroke)

This lesson will give you an overview of the tirando technique. It will look at the specific
position and movements required to establish a good tirando technique.

If you are new to the guitar, I strongly urge you to read this article on posture before
continuing with this lesson. There are some important concepts discussed in that lesson
which will help lay the foundations for this one.

I would also recommend finding a good classical guitar teacher in your local area to help
get you started. The basic positions and movements for tirando are important, so it’s
worth investing the time and money in good instruction. It will pay off long term.

This article is aimed at right handed guitarists, who will be using their right hands to play
the strings. If you are left handed, simply substitute the word ‘right’ for ‘left’ in this article.

What is ‘Tirando’?
Tirando is one of two main fingerstyle methods of playing the classical guitar. It is often
called free stroke, as this describes the movement of the fingers as they play the strings.
It is best used in situations where notes are required to ‘ring on’ as others are played.
Tirando is also good for playing two strings at once. This is because the movement does
not involve touching any string other than the one you intend to play.

The other major right hand technique is called ‘Apoyando’ (aka ‘Rest Stroke’). I’ll be
writing a lesson for this in due course.

Position
For the position of the arm and wrist, please see this article on posture.

Knuckles
For the tirando technique, it is best practice to keep your knuckles (MCP joint) hovering
approximately over the string you wish to play. This means that when it comes to playing
the string, the finger will travel towards the palm of the hand unobstructed and will not
contact other strings.
8 Classical Guitar

Space
When playing tirando, it is good to keep lots of space underneath the hand for the fingers
to move into. If the hand is too close to the strings, the fingers will need to adjust their
movement. This can result in them performing a less optimal stroke, introducing too
much ‘bounce’ into the hand.
Tirando (Free Stroke) 9

Technique
Move from the Knuckles
The main movement of the finger should come from the knuckle joint (MCP joint). This should be the
driving force behind the movement. The other joints in the finger (the PIP and DIP joints) should be
relatively relaxed, using just enough energy to help them push through the string. This combination
of movements from all 3 joints of the finger should produce a very controlled stroke.
The hand itself should remain as still as possible. If the hand is still, the fingers will remain in the
correct place (hovering above the string they want to play). If the hand moves, it drags the fingers
with it and moves them out of position. This can result in less accuracy.
Play into the Space
When pushing through the strings, you should aim to push freely into the space underneath the hand
without touching any other strings. This is the premise of the tirando, or ‘free stroke’, technique.
As an exercise to develop your tirando technique, try pushing the finger all the way underneath the
hand until it touches the palm. To do this you will need to fully engage the knuckle joint, which is
good practice.
When playing a piece of music it is not advisable to make such big movements, but as an exercise this
will help to develop the movement from the knuckles.

Before

After
10 Classical Guitar

Elbow and Shoulder

To begin with, keep the wrist completely straight. Imagine drawing a straight line between the tip of
your elbow and your middle two knuckle joints (m and a fingers). When you push through the string
and into the palm, try finishing with your finger pointing towards your elbow.
If you’ve positioned yourself as described in this lesson, you will end up pushing through the string at
an angle of approximately 45 degrees. This typically helps to produce a thick and rounded tone.
Playing ‘towards the shoulder’ typically results in a brighter, clearer tone. This tone can be useful too
so it’s worth taking the time to experiment with both.

Playing Towards the Elbow

Playing Towards the Shoulder

Play and Spring Back
Once you’ve played a note, the finger should spring back into it’s original position. This ensures that
it’s always ready for the next note. If you don’t get used to springing back into position, the finger
may not be available when you next need it. This is particularly true of fast pieces of music.
Alternate
When playing notes with the right hand, it is good practice to alternate fingers. This helps to share
the workload and create more legato melodies. Classical guitarists typically use 3 fingers plus the
thumb.
A simple exercise is to play the open E string using every combination of these fingers. Practice
alternating using the following combinations:
im
ia
ma
Tirando (Free Stroke) 11

I hope you’ve found this lesson on how to use the Tirando (Free Stroke) technique useful. If you have
any questions please feel free to leave a comment and I’ll reply as soon as possible.
12 Classical Guitar

Apoyando (Rest Stroke)

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This lesson will give you an overview of the apoyando technique. It will look at the
specific position and movements required to play with apoyando.

If you are new to the guitar, I strongly recommend you read this article on
posture before continuing with this lesson. There are some important concepts
discussed in that lesson which will help lay the foundations for developing your apoyando
technique and positioning.

This article is aimed at right handed guitarists, who will be using their right hands to play
the strings. If you are left handed, simply substitute the word ‘right’ for ‘left’ in this article.

What Is ‘Apoyando’?
Apoyando is one of the two main fingerstyle methods used by classical guitarists. The
other method of playing fingerstyle is called ‘Tirando’. You can learn how to play using
the tirando technique in this lesson.

Apoyando is often referred to as ‘Rest Stroke’. This is because when playing apoyando,
the finger pushes through the string and rests on the string below. Many guitarists find
that it’s easier to produce a thick, rounded tone when using this technique.

Position
For the position of the arm and wrist, please see this article on posture.
Knuckles
For apoyando it is advisable to position your knuckles above a lower string than the one
you intend to play. For example, if you intent to play string 1 (high E) with the ‘i’ finger,
position the knuckle of your ‘i’ finger above the 4th (D) or 5th (A) string. Factors such as
the size of your hand and preferred angle of attack will dictate exactly where your hand
will be. The important thin to note is that the knuckles should be hovering above a lower
string than the one you intend to play. This will create an angle that will send your finger
down towards the string so that it may rest once it has played.
Apoyando (Rest Stroke) 13

Knuckle position

Resting after playing string 1 (E)

Technique
Move from Knuckles
It is best to move the finger from the knuckle joint (MCP). Once this joint has been properly
developed, it is much easier to control than the smaller joints in the finger (PIP and DIP joints).
Straight Fingers
Playing with ‘straight fingers’ should be taken with a pinch of salt. The fingers of the hand are of
different lengths, which makes it impossible to find the perfect position to play with straight fingers.
That being said, you should strive to play apoyando with your fingers as straight as possible so that
the string is pushed down towards the guitar, and not plucked upwards or across. Pushing
downwards means your finger will rest more naturally on the string after it has played.
Rest on String
After you have played the string, your finger should rest on the string below. For example, if you play
the 1st string (E), your finger should rest on the 2nd string (B). This is why apoyando is often called
‘Rest Stroke’.
14 Classical Guitar

Elbow and Shoulder

As with the tirando technique, it’s possible to achieve different effects simply by playing ‘towards the
elbow’ or ‘towards the shoulder’.
Playing towards the elbow creates an angle of approximately 45 degrees when plucking the strings.
This helps to produce a thick, round tone.
Playing towards the shoulder creates an angle of approximately 90 degrees when plucking the
strings. This helps to create a bright, clear tone.
Both methods have their merits. It is up to the guitarist to choose when to play towards the
elbow/shoulder to achieve their musical goals.

Playing towards elbow

Apoyando (Rest Stroke) 15

Playing towards shoulder

Alternate
As with tirando, it’s important to alternate your fingers when playing apoyando. This helps to ease
the workload compared to using a single finger for every note. Alternating can also help to create
smoother sounding melodies compared to a single finger, particularly for faster passages of music.
Practice alternating using the following combinations:
im
ia
ma
I hope you’ve found this lesson on how to play apoyando (rest stroke) technique useful. If you have
any questions please feel free to leave a comment below and I’ll reply as soon as possible.
16 Classical Guitar

Fingernail Lesson for Classical Guitar

Fingernail lesson for classical guitar. YouTube video link (4k). By popular demand, a
lesson about filing and shaping your nails. This is all about how I shape my nails and
might be of interest and a starting point for students. Make sure to see the bottom of
the post where I have videos by pros that use the opposite shape. Like this
lesson? Help Support the site & free lessons.
No guitarist is the same – This is not a post on how to file your nails, this is only the
way I file mine. This is not a definitive answer and is not a static or unchanging
description. This post is how I file my nails for my guitar, sound, style, and personal
preference.
Why Use Ramps? Whether your fingernails are curved perfectly in an arch or you
create a long ramp, the idea is to have the string travel up the ramp and get pushed
into the guitar. Just like a piano hammer pushes the string (rather than plucks it like a
harpsichord), your nail directs the string in toward the soundboard when it moves into
the palm. See the video above for clarification.
How to find the correct shape for you: Play a comprehensive range of guitar technique
when filing your nails. For example: scales, arpeggios, slurs, rest-stroke, free-stroke,
sweeping etc. Make sure you can play all the different techniques with ease. Beginner
student’s nails are often too long at first making rest-strokes or having a nice arched hand
position too difficult. Listen to your tone and find out why/how different nail shapes
affect your sound. Experiment with different shapes to discover what works best for
you.
Photos & Diagrams
 Contact Point – This is where the string makes first contact on the fingertip. I
recommend you have both the flesh and the fingernail touch the string at the same time.
 Release Point – After the string travels up the ramp of the fingernail it releases from the
nail. You have to make sure it releases easily if you want a good tone and ease of
playing.
 String Direction – The direction the string travels up the ramp of the fingernail.
Below is a picture of my fingernails. You can see from the markings where the
contact point begins and the release occurs. I’ve tried to keep the perspective from
the player’s view so if you hold your hand up in front of your face it will look the same.
I’ve also added a flip view for clarity.
Fingernail Lesson for Classical Guitar 17
18 Classical Guitar

Below is the i fingernail contact point from the player’s perspective followed by an outside
view.
Fingernail Lesson for Classical Guitar 19

Below is the m fingernail contact point from the player’s perspective followed by an
outside view.
20 Classical Guitar

Below is the a fingernail contact point from the player’s perspective followed by an outside
view.
Fingernail Lesson for Classical Guitar 21

Thumbnail – Here is where players greatly differ on shaping style/direction. Actually,

many of my favourite guitarists uses the opposite thumbnail shape that I use. Watch
the below video to see my explanation. The reason I use this shape is that when I
rest my nail on the string at the contact point it doesn’t move up the ramp until I apply
pressure to overcome the resistance. My thumb bends quite far at the tip joint, almost
90 degrees so my shape might differ from your as with the length of the ramp.
22 Classical Guitar

Below is the thumbnail (p) contact point from the player’s perspective followed by an
outside view.
Fingernail Lesson for Classical Guitar 23

More Video Lessons on Fingernail Shapes & Filing

Matthew McAllister gives a lesson on filing the nails for classical guitar. This
comes via the excellent Siccas Guitars and their fantastic YouTube channel. He has
some excellent points about filing and interacting with the string during the process.
The Opposite Shape: A video by Thomas Viloteau with the opposite shape. This
comes via his fantastic YouTube channel. One of my favourite pros, Viloteau talks
about filing and shaping the right hand finger nails. He shapes his nails in the
opposite direction to mine which is great as it shows the variety. Clearly it works for
him!