Week 1: "First Steps & Fresh Tunes"

martin i've tried using the practice plans, just some feedback, some of the recommended learnings are a particular section of a wider course. Not all of them make sense to break it into sections. For example I was recommended Step 13 of the Carlevaro Left Hand Technique, there are quite a bit of other techniques involved to perform the step 13 such as displacement, shifting etc. So it makes more sense to to go through the entire course than jump straight into step 13. Thanks!

don Hey Don. I have worked on the Chopin op.28.15, Raindrop Prelude and hope to revive it in the next few weeks (months?). I have a couple of transcription, Tarrega and Paul Palmer. I use the Tarrega transcription, which I like. I have not worked thru the Palmer transcription. What transcription are you using?

Jack Stewart I'm learning the Drew Henderson's arrangement in drop D tuning, it sounded a bit closer to the piano version which I like. But there are some crazy stretches that I cannot overcome, even I can reach those notes, I won't be able to do it in tempo. :-(

But do check out his version, I've not heard of Palmer's arrangement but I prefer's Drew Henderson's arrangement over Tarrega's. 

don I went back and listened to Henderson's performance and it is really good, such that I just purchased to score from his website. I did notice some very intimidating stretches, esp in the 'storm' middle section. I'm not sure I am ready to take that on. I also listened again to Lorenzo Micheli's recording of the Tarrega transcription. It has always been my model/ideal. If you have not heard it, it is worth hearing. I don't feel anything is lacking in his performance, though Henderson's is much fuller.

BTW, Artyom Dervoed has some really good LH stretching exercises in his Technique Mastery Course on TB. I've started incorporating some of them in to my daily practice.

Jack Stewart just listened to Lorenzo Micheli's performance! I like it a lot but for Tarrega's arrangement, my favorite has to be Rafael Aguirre's performance. 

Glad you like the Henderson's version too. I attempted it for a bit I think other that than the crazy stretches, the piece seemed easier than Tarrega's arrangement but of course that stretch is one key part of the piece 

Andre Bernier I hope you don't mind a suggestion/observation. I have the impression that your practice program gives too much attention to the  right hand, at the expense of the left. Both need to be developed, in about equal measure. (Personally, I devote far more time to my fretting hand, but this is due to a need to rehabilitate it following an injury.) Among the types of exercise that I think you would find useful are scales (various sorts); legatos (a.k.a. slurs, i.e. hammer-ons and pull-offs); intervals (thirds, sixths, octaves, and tenths); and chords (this last often neglected by classical guitarists). It's probably neither possible nor advisable to cover every element in a single practice session, but over a longer period, say a week or two, I think it is beneficial to have devoted at least some time to each. Like you, I incorporate such technical work into a warm-up. (My 'go-to' source for exercises at the moment is Carcassi's op.59, which has a wealth of material to choose from. I have a strong preference for exercises that are musical, but many guitarists prefer material that is rather dry, on the grounds, I suppose, that this permits one to focus one's full attention on the mechanics of playing. I'm afraid I don't have the patience for that!)

David Krupka  I really like to get suggestions or comments from the Tonebase community including yourself. As I say, I do not have a specific guitar teacher but with Tonebase I feel I have many experienced guitar players willing to share their experience and wisdom. 

Your observation is right on. Effectively, my actual practice plan is Right Hand loaded. This can be easily explained by two elements.

First:

I consider myself a beginner (1 year) classical guitar player (level 2-3). However, I am coming from a background of 4 years of acoustic guitar playing including intermediate finger picking techniques.

Starting from the beginning in my classical guitar journey, I found that the left hand techniques are very similar to what I have been learning on acoustic guitar.  However, the right hand techniques are completely différents. As the head educator of Guitar tricks was saying, in modern guitar and when accounting of flat picking, hybrid picking, finger picking and finger picking with a thumb pick; the right hand techniques are the Far West.

Bottom line, I need to learn new skills for the right hand but still keep the good one I learned for acoustic guitar. This is mainly why I am actually concentrating a lot on the right hand.

Second:

As an intermediate acoustic guitar player, I am already comfortable with slurs, Hammer-on and pull offs, I have solid foundation on chord structure and chord progressions, Good understanding on scales , key structures, circle of fifth  and on and on. 

As I am still practicing and progressing in my acoustic guitar journey, I do not see the need at this point of time to focus more on the left hand techniques.

You made a very good suggestion with the  Carcassi's guitar Method (op. 59). I got a free pdf version on the Web and despite there is not a lot on Tonebase from that Opus; I see the value to progress with this method in parallel with the Tonebase level system.

Anyway, Thanks for your comments and suggestion; this is very much appreciated.

Andre Bernier Thanks for explaining that, Andre! I thought perhaps the ToneBase algorithm was failing to suggest a more balanced program, but obviously that's not what you're looking for. I agree that the fretting hand is used in much the same way across a wide variety of styles and genres. (And arguably, the demands on the left hand are greater in non-classical playing: at least we don't have to worry about string bending, fretting with the thumb, or even making particularly fast chord changes. For us, the great challenge is finger independence.) One thing I would suggest is that you consider tackling some more ambitious repertoire, just to see how you do with it. (While continuing with what you're already doing, I mean.) Possibly Tarrega's well known study in E minor would be a good starting point. (For some reason, ToneBase categorizes their course on it as 'all levels' but it is not a difficult piece.)