An award-winning classical guitarist, author, educator, founder of KinderGuitar and Six String Journal. Other interests: nutrition, running, yoga, hiking, reading.
Very early on in my guitar adventure, my teacher at the time said that he would never perform anything unless he could see it physically happen in his head. He had me read a few articles on visualizing, and, because I tried to be a good student and wanted to be a good guitarist, I tried his advice. It was hard work. I SO much preferred to "do." I close my eyes and mentally sweat to "see" my fingers on the fretboard. No, thank you.
But I persisted. And, having read enough about it, I am convinced . . .
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If you’re practicing diligently and still feel stuck, more hours probably aren’t the answer.
Skill does not respond to effort alone. It responds to specific kinds of effort. Decades of research in motor learning show that certain practice structures reliably produce improvement, while others only create the illusion of work. That distinction matters.
Psychologist K. Anders Ericsson, who is known for his work on expertise, found that improvement comes from deliberate practice, which is highly focused work on specific weaknesses with clear goals and immediate feedback. In other words, playing through a piece from beginning to end is not necessarily practice. It may feel productive, but it often reinforces what is already comfortable. Growth happens at the edge of difficulty.
For classical guitarists, this means identifying the technical bottleneck with precision. Is it the balance between voices in a fugue by Bach? Is it right-hand clarity in a quick arpeggio passage? Is there a left-hand shift that appears unreliable when under pressure? Instead of restarting the piece, isolate the measure. Reduce it to its smallest workable unit. Solve that problem. Record yourself to see if the problem is solved.
Slow practice, often dismissed as old-fashioned advice, is strongly supported by motor learning research. When we repeat a movement, we strengthen the neural circuits responsible for that movement. If we practice sloppily at tempo, we are encoding sloppiness. Precision at a slower tempo allows the brain to build efficient motor “chunks.” Once the movement is encoded cleanly, speed can be added without adding tension. If the body tightens, the tempo is too fast.
Spacing is another principle consistently supported in the literature. Distributed practice—shorter sessions spread out over time—produces stronger retention than massed practice. Two focused 20-minute sessions will often outperform a single 40-minute block. Sleep then consolidates those motor pathways further. For difficult repertoire, it is more effective to revisit problem passages several times a day than to grind them into fatigue.
Interleaving also plays a role. Instead of practicing one piece exclusively for an hour, rotating between sections of repertoire and technique introduces what researchers call “desirable difficulty.” It feels less smooth in the moment, but it improves long-term retention and adaptability—essential qualities in performance.
Finally, rest is not weakness. Attention and motor precision degrade before we consciously notice it. Brief breaks every 25–30 minutes restore clarity and reduce injury risk. Elite athletes train in cycles; musicians should as well.
All of this matters most when the stakes are high. Performance anxiety often exposes whatever is least stable in our preparation. Under pressure, we do not rise to the level of our aspirations; we fall to the level of our training. Clean neural encoding, spaced reinforcement, and deliberate correction create margins of safety. When a shift feels problematic in the practice room, it is far more likely to be a problem on stage. Science does not remove nerves, but it reduces uncertainty—and uncertainty is what amplifies fear.
As I write this, I remember a quote from the Brazilian guitarist Edson Lopes, who said in an interview that, in translation, it was something like, “Humans can be conditioned.” Practicing is behavioral conditioning. Good playing is built through biological adaptation. Practice is about shaping the nervous system with intention. When we approach the instrument like scientists—observing, adjusting, and refining—artistry becomes more reliable, and performances feel less accidental. Maybe instead of “Practice makes perfect,” it should be, “Practicing deliberately using science leads to improvement.”
Want to Go Deeper?
If the science behind effective practice interests you, these two books offer a strong foundation:
Glenn Canin built this guitar for me in December of 2023. It is a spectacular cedar/cedar doubletop with beautifully figured Madagascar rosewood back and sides in excellent condition. If you’ve played Glenn Canin’s guitars, you know that they are compellingly powerful with rich sparkling trebles and dense round basses. This guitar is no exception and represents his best work to date. Part of the appeal of Glenn’s guitars is that the tone quality has the complexity of the best traditional guitars, like Bouchet, Friederich, and Ruck, but with the power, depth, and response of the best modern doubletops. Their rapid response occurs without any loss in the density of the fundamental note, making them both comforting and a joy to play. This is the type of guitar that will make you sound better. It also is effortless to play: perfect action, perfect fret size, and perfectly calibrated intonation. The scale is 650 mm and 51.5 mm at the nut and comes with Kris Barnett tuners and a TKL case.
Famous players all over the world use Glenn’s guitars. With Glenn’s waitlist and demand, here is an opportunity to have one immediately without the 2+ year wait.
There is a listing on Reverb, but I will sell it directly (USA) for $16000. Shipping is $100; I will pay the difference. If you are interested, email me: leo (at) leonardogarcia (dot) org.
Beyond the Basics: Repertoire Recommendations for Late Beginners and Young Classical Guitarists
As children move beyond the initial stages of learning the classical guitar, the world of repertoire opens up in beautiful and inspiring ways. At this transitional phase—when students are comfortable with foundational techniques and literacy—it’s crucial to provide them with material that both challenges and delights.
Over the years, I’ve found a handful of works that resonate especially well with late beginners and young players. These pieces not only support technical development but also deepen musical understanding and ignite artistic curiosity.
A few of my go-to resources include
Shawn Bell’s engaging pieces and literacy supplements, which help reinforce reading skills in a musically satisfying context.
Nikita Koshkin’s Etudes, which offer a special combination of imagination, texture, and humor—perfect for students ready to explore more expressive possibilities.
Tilman Hoppstock’s “Duets for Children and Teachers,” which are not only musically rich but also foster ensemble awareness and mentorship.
Carlo Domeniconi’s Preludes and Klangbild are shorter works that combine evocative soundscapes with accessible technique.
Simone Ianarelli’s Etudes, which are approachable yet musically rewarding, often introduce more contemporary harmonic language.
Leo Brouwer’s Etudes Simples and Nuevos Estudios Sencillos achieve a near-perfect balance between musical depth and technical growth.
The Royal Conservatory Series has carefully curated music that is organized by musical period and meticulously fingered.
And of course, Fernando Sor’s Etudes, timeless gems, remain some of the best pedagogical pieces in the classical guitar canon.
All of these resources are wonderful—but only after the student has developed strong foundational skills.
That’s where structured early pedagogy is so essential.
Over the last two and a half decades, I’ve dedicated myself to developing KinderGuitar, a child-centered curriculum specifically designed for young guitarists. It’s built around intentional scaffolding, sequencing, and musical engagement to set students up for long-term success—not just technically, but musically and emotionally.
Once students complete the core levels of the KinderGuitar curriculum, they’re remarkably well-equipped to approach the repertoire listed above with confidence. Their literacy is solid and their fingers are trained, but more importantly, they possess the building blocks for being musicians.
If you’re an educator who loves teaching children and is passionate about shaping the next generation of musicians, feel free to reach out to learn more about KinderGuitar program. KinderGuitar is slowly growing a small network of licensed teachers who believe that early guitar education can be as structured and joyful as early piano or violin instruction.
Last Christmas, while hunting for stocking stuffers for my sons, I stumbled across a website called The Soundfile. I wasn’t expecting much—after all, a nail file is about as straightforward as it gets. But The Soundfile’s Next Generation Glass Nail File is one of those small but game-changing tools that makes you wonder how you could’ve gone so long without it.
From the very first use of the Next Generation Nail File, I realized its existence wasn’t just a marginal upgrade. The file creates such a fine, polished ramp that I felt using fine sandpaper out of sheer habit afterwards was unnecessary.
What sets this file apart are two things:
Thickness & Rigidity: Unlike the flimsy feel of the standard sapphire file, this one is thick and completely rigid. That stability translates directly into a straighter, more controlled ramp.
Transparency: You can literally see through the file as you work, which provides a unique level of precision. It’s like having an X-ray view of what you’re doing.
For over 35 years, I had been using traditional sapphire nail files. They did the job, but never perfectly. The thinness and slight flexibility of sapphire files meant that achieving a truly straight, polished ramp was always a compromise. If you are wedded to the use of a sapphire metal file, The Soundfile also has a thicker sapphire file, which is a step above the usual.
It’s rare to find a tool this simple that so clearly outperforms what came before it. Sometimes the best discoveries come when you’re not expecting them. For me, the Next Generation Nail File was one of those discoveries.
Here is the first of several new videos featuring the music of Spanish composer Federico Moreno Torroba. I first fell in love with his Nocturno after hearing it on John Williams’s Spanish Favorites album nearly 40 years ago. Enjoy.
What do you call a dwarf who rides the subways of Paris?
A metronome should be your ally in the practice room. While it may seem like a cold, unforgiving taskmaster, it’s one of the most powerful tools you have for becoming a better guitarist and musician. Beyond simply keeping you in time, the metronome develops your internal pulse and reveals where your playing might be rushing or dragging. There is a lot of fun you can have with the metronome. Here are my favorite ways to use it when I’m practicing:
1. Gradual Tempo Building (“Clicking Up”)
Start at a comfortable tempo where you can play the passage cleanly. Slowly increase the tempo in small increments (2-10 bpm at a time) until you reach or even slightly surpass your target tempo. This method builds accuracy first, then speed.
2. Fewer Clicks, Longer Phrases
Keep the metronome at the same speed but reduce the number of clicks per bar—for example, setting it to click only on beats 1 and 3, or just on beat 1. This approach forces you to internalize the pulse and feel longer phrases instead of relying on every beat.
Metronome-Off Challenge
Set the metronome, play along to establish the tempo, then turn it off and continue playing. After a few bars or phrases, turn it back on to see if you stayed in time. This practice is excellent for developing your internal pulse.
4. Offbeat & Subdivision Clicks
Instead of clicking on the downbeats, have the metronome click on the upbeats (the “and” of each beat) or on subdivisions (e.g., sixteenth notes in a fast passage). For perpetual motion pieces, such as a Bach Allegro, this approach keeps you honest and aids in maintaining rhythmic stability and precision.
Half-Time or Double-Time Feel
Set the metronome to half the tempo so it clicks only once every two beats (or every bar). Alternatively, set it to double the tempo so it clicks on every subdivision. Both methods challenge you to maintain a steady groove and avoid rushing.
Random Dropout Practice (Advanced)
Some modern metronome apps allow the click to drop out randomly. This feature forces you to maintain steady timing when the click disappears, which helps train your internal rhythm consistency.
Polyrhythmic Practice
Set the metronome to a different pulse than the meter you’re playing—for example, a 3:2 feel (triplets against duplets). This develops rhythmic independence and makes you far more rhythmically flexible.
Recommended Metronomes
My favoriteold-school quartz metronome is the Seiko Quartz SQ50-V but here are a few more that I’ve used in the past.
Tonal Energy Tuner (App)—combines metronome, tuner, and advanced rhythmic tools.
Over the years, I’ve explored countless practice resources—but these three consistently rise to the top. If you’re looking to deepen your progress on the classical guitar, these are well worth your time.
Molly Gebrian
The catchy title of Molly Gebrian’s book, Learn Faster, Perform Better, lays out science-backed methods of practicing that will help you become better at your instrument. Gebrian holds degrees in neuroscience and music, is a phenomenal violist, and is a faculty member at one of my alma maters, the New England Conservatory. Her book goes through the concepts of spaced practice, mental practice, attentional focus, variable practice, structured practice planning, and other topics that, if you have not learned in music school, you’ll be grateful to learn here.
Her YouTube channel is an invaluable resource. The videos are short, insightful, and actionable—perfect for classical guitar students looking to level up their technique and musical memory. You’ll find clear explanations, real-world examples, and bite-sized challenges that make her ideas easy to apply right away.
Tonebase
Tonebase has been publishing a wide variety of videos that I’ve found helpful. The videos by Eliot Fisk, Nigel North, and Paul O’Dette discussing various Bach suites are excellent. The videos where Marco Tamayo explains his approach to technique or where Rene Izquierdo goes through repertoire are so insightful that you’ll gain great nuggets of information to inspire you. However, what I found most useful this year were the videos Lukasz Kuropacsewski did on practicing. These are absolute gold because he not only answered many questions I’ve asked myself over the years, but the enthusiasm with which he delivers the advice makes you want to grab your guitar. If you have not seen these, the price of a subscription to Tonebase is well worth it. Use this code SSJ-30 for 30% off.
The Bulletproof Musician
The Bulletproof Musician, created by performance psychologist and Juilliard-trained violinist Dr. Noa Kageyama, is one of the most respected resources on the mental side of music performance. The site is packed with research-based articles, podcasts, and practical advice on topics like overcoming performance anxiety, effective practice techniques, building confidence, and performing under pressure. Drawing from psychology, neuroscience, and decades of performance experience, Dr. Kageyama translates complex ideas into clear, actionable strategies that musicians of all instruments and levels can apply.
While it isn’t guitar-specific, the insights are universally applicable to classical guitarists—especially given the instrument’s intimate, exposed nature and the mental demands of solo performance. Students can benefit greatly from articles on focus, memory, and managing nerves on stage.
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NEW PUBLICATION! I finally published a study score of Agustín Barrios Mangoré’s tremolo masterpiece Un Sueño en la Floresta. I love a compact score! I’ve reduced what editors usually publish in editions of 12+ pages to 4. It is easier to see structure, to manage page turns, and to mark sections for work. There are detailed fingerings for the left hand, optional fingerings, and smaller indications about barring and guide fingers. I have found that these fingerings work best for me and my students. This edition is available through the Six String Journal Payhip store.
