Lesson: How to Play Legato on Classical Guitar

[@AninChakraborty]

U are the best teacher online for Classical guitar 🎸 ❤️

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

Thanks so much!

[@crispycrimps865]

Second that!

[@amanda-hibiscus]

This is so helpful! I could hear myself struggling to let the notes ring out, but this explanation about spending as little time on the string as possible was helpful. Thanks also for the encouragement that this will improve over time!

[@Cheesecakeriver]

I’m so in love with your channel! Thank you for all of your great resources

[@MrShutthefrontdoor]

Perfect, this type of video is EXACTLY what I needed in my learning path. I'm in eBook 1 and saw you updated your website. I was just asking myself how to make myself sound more legato like you!

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

Glad it was helpful!

[@andrewsstuffy]

one of the important things to remember is that slurs and portemeni are also musical tools for legato playing. For example, in 19th century performance moving from a note low on the finger board to note high up on the finger board was often done with a portemento, thus retaining the legato aspect.

[@Computertechlighthouse]

Legatto: You make sure you make very short transition mute between note happen using both of your hands. Staccato: You make sure you make not very short transition mute between note happen using both of your hands. The short transition mute duration for instance half note of the note value for staccato.

[@sophieandersson6106]

great- been playing about 5 years now and never really thought or understood the nuances of playing legato. Something to be are of for me.

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

Glad it helped!

[@vayasaberlo8]

Thank you for making this lesson freely available (am unemployed so can't afford you ) I'm struggling to play the Bach Sarabande BWV826 with a long legato line. . I'd like to play it like the great pianist, Grigory Sokolov does; I know that's unrealistic, but still. . . .

[@KatjaBosies]

Wow, you explain everything so well and in detail...amazing!

[@PimentDouce]

I did my first legato training today and I already see the benefits. I realised that there was too much tension in my right fingers. It also made me noticed that I had to improve my left arm anticipation movement to go from the 5th to the 4th fret on the last 2 strings. Thank you for this very helpull video! Hi from France!

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

Thanks for watching! Hi from Canada.

[@SvenRoed08]

great vido, I was very confusd how legado worked, and this helped me gain a much greater understanding. I'm playing sweat home Alabama, and there is legado and now it sounds much better

[@livindadrm]

Thank you. Your best legato tutorial yet 🎶

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

Glad you think so!

[@carolas.2284]

Such a helpful lesson on a concept you usually take for granted. Thanks a lot!

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

Glad it helped!

[@jodyguilbeaux8225]

you explained everything quickly, thanks

[@hayderjabur6258]

Altho I am learning Oud, still following your tutorials ... Thank you for your videos

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

Nice!

[@wangqi4686]

Best lesson on legato, thanks for sharing

[@lynnstrange8083]

This video was incredibly helpful! Thank you.

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

Glad it was helpful!

[@marklove6580]

Very helpful lesson. Thanks.

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

Glad it was helpful!

[@TheSwiftblad3]

hey nice tutorial. i have a question. i misconceptioned legato. i thought it means the ringing of more notes in the same time. how imporant is the muting if i play an arpeggio for example and let all the notes ring at the same time? i noticed that a lot of guitarists dont pay attention to it and let all notes ring and i thought thats messy playing. what do you say about that, or any other experienced guitar player here? i started to practice finger planting to mute the notes and then realised, as i mentioned above, that the most guitarplayers dont pay attention to it. thanks in advance!

[@neilfox9854]

Great video. I like how you mention room acoustics. Perhaps one day you could do a video of your video and recording setup. The quality is always great. I was going to do a mini zoom concert but I don't know how to record very well.

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

Thanks for the idea, I will! I moved in August and right now I'm painting and working on my office/studio downstairs so will make one when it's complete.

[@mechacroww7936]

What a fruitful lesson maestro!

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

Thanks for watching.

[@PhraseSavvy]

What is the difference between legato, hammer ons and pull off? I don't understand this? is it the same way? or are they different?

[@areguapiri]

Playing legato well helps bring out smooth rhythm in a piece when necessary. Somewhat similar to how a native speaker speaks a language (legato) compared to a non-native speaker (staccato).

[@LaughMuBai]

Thank you for a great demonstration explanation of what one unknowingly would consider a nuance, but your lesson to achieve both clearly shows legato & staccato are quite different. Interesting they were coined in the Italian language and apparently 'legato' (tied together) was first used in 1710 when classical music was predominantly German or 'gebunden' (bound). Yeah, 'legato' is more elegant. ;-)

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

Glad it was helpful!

[@bsharporbflat8378]

Many composers use the term cantabile. Is it not the same?

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

Umm, kind of yes. Usually cantabile is translated as "singingly" or "songlike" in relation to a legato melody. Similar term but used at different times.

[@bsharporbflat8378]

@@Thisisclassicalguitar ok

[@zartankist]

Man, I've been wondering for a few days why some passages just won't go legato and I just had to laugh out loud because the explanation is very simple :D thank you. Much appreciation for your channel. Thanks for all the videos. One question, whether to you or the viewers here. I just finished learning Sors op 60 no 5 actually. As I said, I can't manage the legato in some places. What would be the best didactic approach? Do I continue until I get it right or can I still allow myself to learn another piece or etude?

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

I would tackle this issue mainly in your technique by making sure your scales and arpeggios are super legato. Then you can also try some finger independence exercises to expand on that. In terms of the pieces you play, isolate the non-legato parts and work on them while continuing your study with new pieces. Maybe also check out my lesson on balanced practicing: www.thisisclassicalguitar.com/lesson-how-to-practice-music-and-organize-your-practice-session/

[@zartankist]

@@Thisisclassicalguitar thank you very much!

[@ThisGuyRocksLikeCrazy]

How about the way you hold the guitar? If you hold it too tight, it won't affect the sound quality?

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

It might affect the sound but not necessarily the legato unless the lack of sound production or lack of relaxation affects it.

[@calebe16]

I’m still a little confused. I thought legato was that small connected notes like the beginning of the first 4 compasses in Adelita. And I thought I was supposed to play only the first note and make the others only with left hand. So, am I supposed to string the other notes too? PS. I watched your Adelita vídeo but this wasn’t clear. Sounds like you string all notes.

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

Understandable. It depends on what language and era you are discussing. For my site "legato" is the smooth connection of notes. "Slurs" are the left hand technique where notes get played without the right hand.

[@calebe16]

@@Thisisclassicalguitar I see. I don't have such a specific view. I've been just trying to understand the sheets. :-) I've been trying specifically Adelita, that's how I found your video.