A study connects a technical skill with a musical phrase. Choose one because it helps you hear a specific problem, such as a covered melody, a shortened bass or an uneven arpeggio. The most useful study is not necessarily the longest or the most difficult one you can reach.
Begin with two bars and identify the voices. Play the melody alone, then the bass or accompaniment. Notice which notes continue while another part changes. When you combine the voices, keep the important line audible and check the ends of the sustained notes, not only the new attacks.
Use a short checkpoint such as five clean repetitions in a row. Listen for the same quality on each attempt. Then practise the join with the neighbouring phrase, because an isolated success may still break where the musical context changes. Increase the amount of music only when the connection remains understandable.
At the end, play a larger section without interruption and record it. Choose one improvement to revisit tomorrow. The study has served its purpose when the technical movement supports the phrase and helps you approach related repertoire with a clearer plan for both hands.
What this exercise helps you change
- Passages that always go wrong
- Melody getting lost
- Practice without a goal
Your practice steps
1. Choose just one goal
Choose a study and one specific goal: melody, preparation or no buzzing. Keep that goal throughout the block.
The guide's choices: Sor Op.35 No.13 (melody), No.22 (barre), Carcassi Op.60 No.3 (arpeggios), No.7 (repeated notes), Giuliani Op.48 No.5 (fluency), Brouwer No.6 (arpeggios), Tárrega's Lágrima/Adelita/Estudio en mi. Villa-Lobos No.1 comes later. The modern scores mentioned are not redistributed here.
Your checkpoint: You can name one movement to improve.
2. Loop two bars
Choose two bars and play them cleanly five times in a row. Reset the counter after a mistake.
The five-repetition rule comes from exercise 7 in the local guide. The starting tempo of 60 is a practice reference; lower it to suit the passage.
Practice reference: 60 bpm · 1 attack per click.
Your checkpoint: Five consecutive runs are clean.
3. Join the phrases
Join two phrases, then four. Pay particular attention to the joins.
Your checkpoint: The connections preserve the rhythm and tone.
4. Isolate the right hand
For a difficult arpeggio, play the same right-hand pattern on open strings. Add the left hand again once the right hand is steady.
Your checkpoint: The right-hand problem is identified and corrected.
5. Listen back each week
Record the complete study once a week. Compare its melody and rhythm with a reference performance.
The guide suggests Delcamp's demonstrations or David Tanenbaum's recordings; comparison does not replace slow practice.
Your checkpoint: You note one specific problem for the next session.
Common difficulties and corrections
You keep playing the whole piece without fixing anything.
Isolate the two troublesome bars and reset the counter after a mistake.
Return to step 2You keep changing your goal.
Choose just one thing you can hear or see to work on in this block.
Return to step 1The phrases break apart at the join.
Loop the two phrases together, watching their connection.
Return to step 3You cannot tell which hand is going wrong.
Play the passage with the right hand alone on open strings.
Return to step 4You do not notice the problem.
Listen to your weekly recording and note one specific problem.
Return to step 5Watch and listen
Choose the recording that matches your current goal. Videos load only when you select them and require an internet connection.
Performance · Jean-François Delcamp
To listen to the level 4 repertoire. Use the video's contents to choose a piece; this is not a barre lesson.
French commentary. Link and metadata checked for our selection.
Sources and transcription choices
- Classical Guitar Shed — Isolating difficulties
- Niedt — Practising with the right hand alone
- Delcamp — Volume D04
The notes follow the credited sources. Fingerings, phrase divisions and practice tempos are editorial learning choices. How our transcriptions work.