Lesson: Slurs and Shifts Combo Exercise for Classical Guitar – This is Exercise No. 14 from my pdf book 20 Favorite Exercises for Classical Guitar for beginner to intermediate classical guitarists. Includes: notation, TAB, fingerings, practice tips, video lessons. YouTube Lesson Link.
This exercise & lesson, No. 14 – Intermediate Shifts and Slurs Exercise for Classical Guitar, is a great way for intermediate guitarists to practice both shifts, slurs, relaxation, and accuracy all at once. I love these types combination exercises. Shifts are so common in repertoire but rarely practiced by students. This exercise combines slurs and shifts to develop an accurate and mobile left-hand. The trick is to not tense up during the shifts. Think of each shift as an opportunity to release the tension from the hand and relax. Aim for a shift directly to the fret without any after-the-fact adjustments. It would be best to memorize it at first and look directly at the fret and shift perfectly into place. Play right next to the frets and keep all the fingers/knuckles parallel with the strings.
