Starting classical guitar can feel overwhelming. There are so many techniques, exercises, and opinions that it’s easy to get lost. This guide is designed to give you a clear path from absolute beginner to confident player. You’ll find practical steps, answers to common questions, and links to the lessons and resources that matter most.

Get Started Now – Feel free to jump into my free beginner method book that has everything you need to start as well as video lessons and advice for each page. Grab the book, the video lessons are below the info on the same page. Classical Guitar Method Book Volume 1. The below info is just to clear up some concerns or misconceptions and get you on the right track to succeed.

Guide Contents

Who This Guide Is For?
The Beginner’s Roadmap
Quick Beginner Answers (FAQs)
Your Step-by-Step Lesson Path
A Realistic Daily Practice Plan
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Next Steps & Resources (Final Step)
Additional Tips for Beginners
Closing Encouragement

1. Who This Guide Is For?

This guide is perfect if you are:

A complete beginner or returning player
Learning on your own or with a teacher
Looking for a structured, realistic approach

It’s not intended for intermediate to advanced players. If you already have years of experience, you’ll find some basic material here, but this page is primarily a roadmap for getting started. Intermediate and up should see this post: I already play guitar, where should I start with classical?

2. The Beginner’s Roadmap

Before diving into individual lessons, it helps to understand the big picture. I’ll give you step by step links below but for now let’s look at the big picture and the simplest path for beginners:

Get the gear – You’ll need a guitar, footstool, and music stand.
Set up your guitar and posture – Sit comfortably and hold your guitar correctly. This prevents tension and injury. You’ll find lessons for this below and at the method book page.
Learn right-hand basics – Master simple finger patterns, plucking, and tone production.
Start playing your first pieces and reading music – Begin with single-line melodies, simple rhythms, and simple arpeggio pieces.
Establish a daily practice routine – Consistency beats long sessions.

Find all the above info in the lesson section for my free method book: Classical Guitar Method Book Volume 1.

3. Quick Beginner Answers (FAQs)

Here are answers to the most common beginner questions, so you don’t get stuck:

Do I need a teacher?
The best way to learn is still one-on-one lessons with a qualified teacher but these days the online resources have really improved so learning with a method that has videos for each page is key to success.

What method book should I use?
Use my free pdf Classical Guitar Method Book Volume 1 or buy a hardcopy. It has everything you need to start. I have video lessons for each page in the book to help you learn.

What gear do I need?
You’ll need a guitar and a footstool (or guitar support). I also recommend having a proper music stand. I have an article on this: Beginners will need a guitar and some gear to start.

Is it normal to feel discomfort?
Some mild awkwardness is normal, pain is not. Your body is learning a new position, and your fingers are developing dexterity and movement ability with and without tension. Watch out for the following warning signs of possible injury: sharp pain, numbness, or tension in the neck, shoulders, wrists, or hands. If discomfort increases the longer you play, stop and reassess posture, footstool/ergonomic support height, and hand position. Regularly review my lesson on Classical Guitar Position (How to Sit and Hold the Guitar).

Do I need nails?
No, not immediately. All my beginner students start with flesh-only. Focus on movement and contact with the strings first. Nails help later but I usually don’t introduce nails until my Volume 2 method book so don’t worry about it for now. It’s also okay to play without nails forever but we can discuss that later.

How long should I practice?
You can start with 5 minutes a day to keep it short and interesting. However, the eventual goal should be more around 20–30 minutes daily of focused practice. You can work your way up over a series of weeks or months as you gain confidence and skills. The bigger question is not how long to practice but how to practice well. See my lesson on practice sessions: How to Practice Music and Organize Your Practice Session.

Is it okay to learn pieces before I can read music well?
Yes! My method book is designed to learn pieces from the first lesson, turning simple exercises into pieces you can perform. There is so much information at first but you can start playing without knowing everything. Follow the method book and video instructions and you can start playing today.

Do I need to practice scales right away?
Not immediately, no. As an absolute beginner you should work on the method book material learning the notes slowly with good positioning and relaxation. About three quarters the way through the book you’ll learn a C major scale and can start practicing scales then.

Why does my tone sound thin or small?
This is usually due to the precision of finger placement and the specific and subtle direction of inward pressure from the finger as well as right hand finger follow-through. When building a foundation focus more on your posture and positioning and as you gain skill your tone and volume will improve. Introducing more pressure as a beginner often leads to tension issues so just relax and play softly for now. Slow, relaxed practice will improve tone over time.

Is buzzing normal?
Yes, if it’s only occasionally. Playing closer to the fret is the number one cause of buzzing along with finger alignment and positioning.

When should I move on from a piece?
Once you can play it mostly correctly and understand the main techniques. It doesn’t have to be perfect but if you can play it with good positioning and technique you’ll be building a solid foundation. I have a lesson on this topic here: When Should I Move on to the Next Piece of Music?

4. Your Step-by-Step Lesson Path

Here’s a curated roadmap of lessons and exercises you can follow. Each step links to a full lesson, But this is just an introduction, you’ll want to See My Structured Curriculum Outline to understand what is needed for each grade level.

To be honest, if you have a guitar and footstool you can skip this as my beginner method book that has everything you need to start as well as video lessons and advice for each page. Get the book, the video lessons are below the info on the same page. Classical Guitar Method Book Volume 1.

Overview of what you’ll do first:

Classical Guitar Position (How to Sit and Hold the Guitar) – This is an essential first lesson. I also review this in the first lesson of the method book.
Right Hand Position for Classical Guitar – You’ll also need the right hand position to play your first pieces. Again, I review this in the first lesson of the method book.
Method Book Exercises and Repertoire (First Pieces & Reading Exercises) – The method book has everything you need to start. The first pieces are simple open string melodies and arpeggios. There are videos for everything.

5. A Realistic Daily Practice Plan

For most beginners, 20–30 minutes of focused practice is ideal. You can start even shorter if you are an absolute beginner and work your way up to 30 minutes over a series of months and as you gain confidence and skill. Learning something new can be taxing on the brain and body so start with only 10 minutes a day if needed and eventually increase it by small increments to reach 30 minutes a day.

More time isn’t automatically better. Consistency matters far more than long, unfocused sessions. If you can practice daily—even briefly—you’ll improve faster than practicing longer but less often. If you are busy on certain days try to practice anyway, even if it’s only 5 minutes.

If you’re practicing well, you should feel mentally focused, not exhausted. For a more detailed look at practice sessions please see my lesson on: How to Practice Music and Organize Your Practice Session

Even a short, focused practice session is effective.

Here’s a simple structure based on a 30min session:

Technique Routine (5 min) – Simple exercises, positioning and tone practice. Use the exercises at the end of my Volume 1 Method Book, it has everything you need as a beginner. It might seem very simple but remember that you are trying to build a solid foundation.
Learning Materials (10 min) – Exercises or new repertoire from my method book to help you build skills and develop your musical playing in a structured way.
Main Repertoire (10 min) – You should have two or three pieces from my book or elsewhere that you are focusing on as performance pieces (even if you only practice at home). This should be your best playing, your main focus.
Review Easy Pieces (5min) – End your session with some of your personal favourite easy repertoire. This will make you feel good before putting your guitar away. It may even get you to practice a few extra minutes for pure enjoyment.

If you have only a little time on a certain day just try to get a few minutes in. Even 5 minutes is better than nothing and can keep the musical brain juices flowing.

6. Common Mistakes to Avoid

Practicing too fast – This has two meaning. Practice your pieces slowly and carefully, enjoying the sound of each note while making solid contact with both hands. But also, don’t progress through the book too fast. Take your time and enjoy the learning process, build a strong foundation by practicing slowly and taking your time before proceeding onward.
Not reviewing the position lessons – Review the lessons on how to sit with your guitar and the hand positions lessons often because as you progress you will pick up on small subtleties that you were not able to notice in the first few weeks of playing.
Skipping technique practice – A little bit of super easy technique practice goes a long way in building foundational skills. The exercises in my first method might seem easy but they are the basis of all playing so you really want to learn them well.
Comparing yourself to others – Learn to enjoy practicing and appreciate the progress you make. You don’t need to compare yourself to others, just aim to improve and enjoy your new hobby.
Trying advanced pieces too soon – Playing pieces beyond your level can lead to tension and bad habits. Enjoy the wonderful music at your level and play it so well that it becomes a masterpiece!

Avoiding these will keep your progress steady and frustration low.

7. Next Steps & Resources (Final Step)

Once you’ve reviewed this guide it’s time to get started:

Get the Free Method Book → Classical Guitar Method Book Volume 1
Join me for motivation, guidance, and tips → Free Membership Newsletter.

It’s that simple. Grab the book and follow the video lessons and join the newsletter to stay connected and motivated and to see amazing pro performances.

8. Additional Tips for Beginners

Reexamine your posture and hand positions – Small adjustments in a number of places in your set up can make a big difference. Beginners need to constantly reevaluate.
2. Consider ergonomics on classical guitar – Beginners and intermediate students should closely watch for strange contortions and anything that is not ergonomic. Using a mirror can help.
3. Practice very slowly – I’ve rarely encountered a student who practices as slowly as I think they should. Practicing ultra slowly will ensure you are playing with your best hand positions, sound, confidence, relaxation, accuracy, and more. Once you can play something well at a slow tempo, you can speed it up while keeping an eye on the quality level.
4. Play the melody on its own (keep it simple) – If you can’t play the melody nicely on its own, how can you play all the note? Learn to play the melody nice and legato first and introduce the rest of the notes after.
5. Dive deeper into musicality – Students can get super caught up in their own technique and progress but remember to strive for better phrasing, dynamic shaping, and overall musicality.
6. Quality practice and happiness – Making your practice sessions enjoyable will be key to long-term musical success and development. When experiencing difficulties, break up the piece or exercise into small manageable goals at a speed you can accomplish successfully. Even if you only play a few notes at a time, playing successfully will improve your skills and give you a feeling of accomplishment.
7. Treat and reward yourself – Make your practice session an enjoyable and special time of your day. Have a treat or nice coffee, buy that nice music stand and metronome.
8. Playing well, don’t compare yourself to others (too much) – Focus instead on having a solid rhythm, legato lines, confident and full tone. Forget about reaching fast tempos, develop a solid and beautiful foundation first.
9. Listen to more music (not just guitar) – You must increase your awareness of the larger musical world. Guitar is great but it’s only a small niche and won’t inform you of all the musical eras diversity. Listen to piano, strings, symphonies, Bach cantatas, voice, lieder, and more.
10. Practice everyday, there are no bad days – I don’t believe in good or bad practice days. All days are good opportunities to practice something. On days when you are having trouble focusing or executing material cleanly, slow down your speed and use a metronome until you are playing well. You may have to play at half the speed you intended but you can still get in some quality practice.

9. Closing Encouragement

Classical guitar is a long-term craft. Progress may feel slow at times, but every small, focused practice session counts. Follow this guide, stay consistent, and enjoy the process. You’re on the right path.