Using Large Technique Books Maintenance & Exploration

Using Large Technique Books: Maintenance and Exploration – Large technique books have hundreds of exercises, so how can you use them in a constructive way without feeling aimless? The key is to separate them into two sections: Maintenance and Exploration.

Maintenance: Remember to stay focused on the core elements of intermediate playing: Scales, arpeggios, slurs, barre, and stretch/finger independence. Most of your time can be on scales, arpeggios, and slurs. Then a little bit of time for barre and stretch. If you can get a little of each in every practice session then you are doing well.

Exploration: This section is for seeking out problems and working to solve them. For example, in my book you might go through my 100 open string exercises for the right hand. First go through all of them and make sure you can play each one at a reasonable speed. Check them off as you go. Once you’ve covered them all, focus on a select few that give you trouble. After that you can probably just play the Giuliani Arpeggios to save time. Pretty much the same advice for all the sections, go through everything, focus on your weaknesses and make them your strengths.

The book I mention is my Classical Guitar Technique: Essential Exercises, Scales, and Arpeggios. The 122 page book includes: Practice Routines, Tips, 100 Open String Exercises, 120 Giuliani Arpeggios, Scales, Slur Exercises, Shifts, Finger Independence, Barre, Tremolo, Common Harmonics, and much more.

Here’s the YouTube lesson link if you want to watch it there.