There is plenty of music sheet for classical guitar of various styles, directions and levels of difficulty. There is also enough methodical literature for all tastes. However, every year there are appearing new schools, methodical collections and exercises. That?s why the art of playing classical guitar is not standing still.

During my pedagogical activity rather often I faced the problem of searching or creating small exercises for a particular technique and solution of a particular problem. What didn?t suit me in the existing studies? First of all, the monotony of technical material (the accent only on the left hand technique of a performer, while the concentration of sound control is mostly in the right hand; a limited quantity of technical methods: arpeggios, chords, passagework technique). Secondly, it?s an amount of musical material. As a rule, the main efforts were aimed to memorize the text, which distracted from the very purpose of etudes, the work on a certain type of technical difficulties.
That is how the collection «Unusual Studies» appeared.
What is their «singularity»?
The collection is conditionally divided into several sections in the order of increasing the complexity of material, and it concludes with three «Concert Studies». They are distinguished by a more developed emotional atmosphere and rather high level of complexity and size. These studies require a certain level of preparation and can diversify a performer?s concert program. Nevertheless, they are only an addition to the basic material, which is focused primarily on the elementary and intermediate levels of training.
When it comes to the ?singularity?, focus is shifted to the right hand, with the detailed fingering of the right hand. The fingers «p» and «a» are introduced more actively, paying attention to the alignment of their sound, attack power. It is necessary to strive for full equality of all fingers of the right hand, using fingers «p» and «a» not only when playing bass and melody, but also in arpeggio, passaggio technique (in the middle of an arpeggio or passaggio).
- learning to use touches in a high contrast while playing: staccato/legato. This, in my opinion, is extremely necessary to already assimilate at the initial stage of training.
- active use of the alternation in the musical material of open and closed strings. Control over the strength of the sound of open strings, timbre ratio.
- using the high positions of the guitar?s fingerboard with open strings without excessive physical effort .
- rather small size of studies. This allows to concentrate directly on the technical difficulties, rather than on memorizing.

I hope that this collection will help you to achieve the desired result faster and more effectively, will bring not only methodical benefit, but also aesthetic pleasure.

Item Number: S9.Q49597

Costes 25 Etudes de genre opus 38 and 6 studies from the Method de Guitare by Fernando Sor are standard repertoire for solo guitar.

ISBN 9781609742560. These melodies are what all sight-reading should be about but usually are not. They use easy notes and rhythms in a most methodical, imaginative and pleasurable way, concentrating on single-line melodies in first position only. This book has one hundred melodies which could be introduced to the student from almost the very first lesson, and as the melodies get progressively more complex, the book will be useful for higher-grade students. Although the book is aimed at the grade 1-2 player, more experienced students may also find it useful to try playing the studies in higher positions.

ISBN 9781609741839. There are many ways to play and categorize chords and many schemes for cataloguing them. This book focuses on understanding the ways that chords are made, enabling the student to figure out how to play a new chord in several different positions. This is not a technique book, but rather a step-by-step method of understanding guitar chord symbols and the musical sounds they represent. The author's goal in writing this book was to empower the reader with the ability to play from sheet music, jazz charts, or lead sheets, all of which is accomplished through chord and fretboard diagrams, standard notation and tablature, and plain English. This book is recommended for seasoned players who want to enrich their harmonic palettes as well as for beginners who need help in conquering the initially abstract quality of the guitar fretboard.

ISBN 9781619117679.

Is the beginning stage of learning the guitar proving to be a frustrating experience? Do you lack songs which you can play from start to finish? Do the ones that you can play all the way through not sound much like their original versions? I have been teaching these pieces to my beginner students for quite some time now, and the success rate has been remarkable. Most methods start by having the student slowly move back and forth between basic chords using only down strokes, playing chords one note at a time to make sure all the notes ring clear. This book offers something much differentaplaying music! The pieces are designed to target trouble areas often experienced by beginners of the instrument: arching the fingers enough in order to let all the notes of a chord ring clearly. Rather than just droning on through a series of chords, musical patterns are created so that as you learn proper technique youare also playing something musical. The results have been better than expected. Focusing on figures that demand proper technique and some of the most common strumming patterns found in popular music, many of my students are able to execute beginner and intermediate level songs within a few weeks of picking up the instrument rather than a few months. Additionally, the dreaded F chord, or root 6 major barre chord, often rings clearly with all 6 notes being heard upon the first attempt. This book will help you achieve your guitar related goals quickly, more efficiently, and most importantly, more enjoyably. Includes access to online video.

ISBN 9781609740702.

Here's yet another book that should be in every serious classical and flamenco guitarist's library; this time, Ioannis Anastassakis (The Art of Rasguedo) eliminates the guesswork on how to practice and perform the tremolo technique. The book addresses over 70 different approaches and methods to practice the tremolo with unprecedented advice from some of the greatest classical and flamenco guitarists including: Andres Segovia, John Williams, Sharon Isbin, Christopher Parkening, Pepe Romero, Scott Tennant, David Russell, Narciso Yepes, Stanley Yates, Stepan Rak, Juan Serrano, Manolo Sanlucar, Manolo Franco, Jose Antonio Rodriguez, Paco Serrano, and many more.

Most music theory books are written from a piano perspective, but Guitar Theory Modules is written for the guitar player. You'll learn basic music theory in a series 80 bite-sized modules of 1-4 pages each. You'll learn how scales and chords are put together, and there are plenty of playing exercises so you can apply theory to the fretboard. It's best to work through Guitar Theory Modules with a teacher, but in case you are learning on your own, there is an answer section in the back so you can check your work on the written exercises. A deeper understanding of how music is put together can improve your music reading, give you ideas for writing, and help you become a more well-rounded musician. Before beginning Guitar Theory Modules, you should know how to read music in standard notation, be familiar with the concept of sharps and flats, and know (or be learning) the note names on each string up to the 12th fret. Need help? Check out www.godfreyguitarlessons.com for online lesson information.

ISBN 9781609741617. William Bay and Mike Christiansen have collaborated to produce an outstanding comprehensive guitar method addressing all styles of both flatpicking and fingerstyle technique. Guitar teachers, take note: Mastering the Guitar series is the ideal method for the beginning student who has yet formed a stylistic preference, or for the intermediate player limited to one particular style who wishes to expand his horizons and improve his technique. An impressive extended length online audio recording with more than 160 tracks is offered with both books 1A and 1B. Each written example in the books is carefully cross-referenced to its corresponding audio sample on the recording by means of an audio track number printed above each piece. The student is encouraged to learn to read standard notation and tablature as both systems are used throughout this 3-volume series. The "Technique Studies" book provides supplementary, more challenging pieces including chord studies in various keys as well as a few pieces in dropped-D tuning. Together, these three books comprise a powerful learning tool for Mastering the Guitar in a contemporary idiom.