Hello Studio goers, I thought I would create a thread for the discussion of performing Classical music on the various instruments used.

I am in University pursuing a Bachelor's of Music: String Performance on guitar, and will be focusing on Classical guitar. I have a really nice Martin steel/bronze string acoustic guitar, but I'll have to get a nylon string Classical guitar. My professor suggested either an entry level Cordoba or Yamaha, and I'm thinking about possibly getting the Cordoba C7.



I might end up trying to find something a bit nicer on the used market, but not sure. Any other Classical guitar players here? If so, any recommendations for good nylon string guitars?

So this semester on the Classical guitar front, I'm taking applied lessons, as well as playing in the University guitar ensemble! I'm also taking Piano II, drum lessons, and I'm also singing in the University Choir!

I'll post some stuff I'm working out throughout the semester, which starts Monday! Would love to chat with others here about performance of Classical music!

I went and played some Cordobas today at the local music store.

The C1 sounds like a toy.
C5 is pretty decent.
C7 is really quite nice.
C7-CE with the cutaway doesn't sound as good as the standard C7.
GK Studio is ok.

Leaning heavily towards the C7, but would like to try a C9 before buying.

i have a Cordoba 55FCE and I def love it. Sounds great, and has stood up to 3+ years of daily usage, probably 2-3 hours a day for the last 2 years.

However I am not a performer.

Not sure if that helps, but I really love playing on my Cordoba. I actually play it way more than any of my other guitars now and I'm not exactly a classical guitarist or anything.

Also good luck with your musical endeavors! sounds like a lot of work but also a lot of fun!

Hey thanks for your reply! I'm not familiar with that model of Cordoba, I guess it's a flamenco model? Do you get any fret buzz on it or anything like that? My guitar professor said that flamenco guitars are supposed to buzz a little because of the attack it makes.

yes sorry its a flamenco model, I was just trying to get across that the Cordobas are really great instruments and how much I enjoy playing on mine, of course a very subjective thing.

yes it does have some inherent buzz, especially strumming but it suits me well as I love playing alzapua style. also great for apoyando and tirando style plucking

I'm gonna have to look up those last three things you just said!

Ok so I guess alzapua means rest stroke and apoyando means free stroke? I've been working on those, haven't learned the one with the thumb yet.

Even though I've been playing for 20 years I'm pretty much completely new to finger style. I use picks. The closest I've come to finger style is some hybrid picking with a pick and middle finger, occasionally plucking with ring finger as well, but this style of playing is very new to me.

i used the fancy terms to try and act cool but dont be intimdated I didn't know their formal names either until 10min ago lol

anyways alzapua is actually just the flamenco style of rapidly strumming with your thumb...something I do very well naturally.

im not an expert or anything of finger style, I use my own techniques that feel most comfortable and intuitive and from what I've learned, a lot of the common techniques that are taught today are just what is easiest for MOST people. used to be a lot more variations in technique but things have started to homogenize as the world gets smaller.

also it really depends what kind of music you intend to play...some of these techniques and styles are useless unless you're playing a very specific style of music.

So I've learned most of the repertoire I'll be working on in my various things, very important things.

In my Guitar Ensemble we are performing a recital later in the semester in which we play as a group:

Austin Tango






Goliwagg's Cakewalk






Paint it Black




I am also performing a solo piece, which I do not know the name of. I think it's an etude/exercise out of a Spanish guitar book and maybe doesn't have a proper name? I'll try to find out.



My piano class will culminate in a multi track recording on the school's Yamaha Clavinova digital pianos. I'm not entirely sure of the piece I will select yet, but I'm leaning towards Erik Satie's Gymnopedie No. 1






And in the University Choir, it turns out that they sing a lot of religious Christian stuff that I can't stand, such as Ride On, King Jesus. Some of the words go like this:

Ride on King Jesus
no man can hinder you
ride on, King Jesus
ride on, ride to me

As a Satanist, I think these lyrics are very inappropriate, and I absolutely will not be singing king jesus. I was originally just going to sing "ride on eee eee-uuuhh", but I think I found a better solution! So the lyrics I will be singing for this piece are:

Ride on, King Beavis
no man can hinder you
ride on, King Beavis
ride on, ride to me


Fire! Fire!

How do you keep your nails, Mergin?

awesome post! thanks for the vids. I particularly enjoyed the piano piece by Erik Satie that you are considering...i love the pace/tempo and I think that would be an amazing thing to hear live, in person. the song moved me, it has a haunting quality but without melancholy. beautiful selection, indeed.

well that's sort of a funny question for me so let me preface by saying I may have some mild form of aspergers or something. I just find myself to be really sensitive to the sensation of touch/textures. Anyways, I simply *cannot stand* having long nails, if they get too long it literally feels like nail-on-a-chalk board 24/7 but in tactile form.

I know its useful for playing finger style but I just can't do it lol. As such, I keep my nails trimmed pretty damn short and def hampers my ability to pluck at times. I just see it as another obstacle to overcome

I really like that Satie piece! Not sure where I originally heard it, but it's a pretty popular piece of music. I agree with your interpretation of it being haunting but without melancholy, it's a pretty amazing piece of music!

I'm the same way with my nails! Absolutely cannot stand having them long, but I'm growing them out on my right hand to try to go ahead and fully dive into classical finger style guitar. It's starting to become really irritating though, because holy **** I need to cut my nails so ****ing bad

My guitar professor said you don't necessarily have to have long nails for classical guitar, but without them I won't be able to bring out all the different colors/tones the guitar can produce, so I'm giving it a shot.

yeah well because of you, I've been listening to Satie for the last 2 hours now...its a wonderful thing.

but yes if you can tolerate it, I would def try to grow them out and get used to playing finger style. it definitely provides you with a more complete arsenal.

lol awesome that you like it so much! Had you never heard it before?

i have heard him and some other composers of his era many years ago, but I was too young and dumb to appreciate it. I was more interested in music that I thought was "cool" at that time.

but I'm 31 now, my musical palate has evolved and broadened(especially with my growing interest in guitar)...and sometimes you just hear the right songs/artist at that perfect moment in time.

his music hit the spot tonight, per say...remarkably atmospheric.

anyways thanks again for the share, made my otherwise lackluster evening rather enjoyable. also sorry I just realized I misread your post. So you're not performing the piece but instead recording it? if so, please post and share!

James Taylor has a great YouTube video on nails. He uses fakes.

ughhh bad news but i wanted to share in hopes of getting some advice from others....about 4 days ago i hurt my pinky finger on my fret hand(left) while in the middle of playing. its hard to say exactly what I did, but I was making a slide with my pinky on the high E string when I got a sudden sharp pain shooting up from the last joint near the tip of my pinky. i tried to play through it for a few minutes but it became pretty obvious that this is serious as I was unable to hold down a note using my pinky and the pain started radiating down the side/underside of my entire pinky finger.

its been 4+days and I've only attempted to play once, unsuccessfully right now i'm really really worried that this could become a nagging injury and keep me from enjoying one of my few passions in life. really fkn depressing

anybody had experience with this? i dont know what to do, it doesnt seem like i could of fractured the bone, but thats honestly what it feels like. if i attempt to press down on the fret board or a similar motion i get an excruciating jolt of pain coming from the bone(s) near the tiny joint closest to the tip of my pinky.

Hey that really sucks Mergin


If I were you I'd not touch the guitar for at least two weeks, maybe a month. Hopefully it's just a sprain and you'll just need to take some time off. Have you tried doing any stretching with the finger?

I've had some pain in my pinkie finger in the past, but it was up in the middle knuckle, and I would quit playing when I got it and then make sure I was using good technique to get proper support on the finger by holding my guitar in the classical position with neck elevated and thumb on the back of the neck.

Well I ended up doing something I never recommend and have never done before myself; I bought a used guitar without playing it first. I saw guitar center had a used Cordoba C9 in Sarasota Florida listed in excellent condition for $500, and since they have a very good return policy (45 days) I thought I would go ahead and buy it and just return it if I don't like it. I was thinking very hard about buying a new C7 at a local music store for the same price, but decided to get this used one. Apparently the Spanish heel construction and solid back and sides will make a big difference in volume and tone, so I wanted to get the C9 but didn't want to spend like $800 for a new one.

Should get the guitar next week, will post an update.