9 Tone Colors on Classical Guitar

One of the strengths of the guitar is variety of tone color.

But sometimes we fall into the habit of playing everything with the same tone.

How do we expand our tonal palette?

One approach is to think of nine tone colors.

This idea is drawn from the work of South American guitar teacher Abel Carlevaro.

When we seek to vary tone color on guitar, we often think of changing where the right hand is located along the length of the string. Ordinario is playing over the edge of the soundhole. Ponticello is playing near the bridge. Tasto is playing over the fingerboard.

But we can also vary the attack angle of the right hand.

If the fingers attack at a slightly oblique angle to the string, that is normal tone. If the fingers attack perpendicular to the string, that is bright tone. If the fingers attack at an extremely oblique angle to the string, that is dark tone,

By combining each attack angle with each location of the right hand, we can get 9 tone colors:

1. Normal Ordinario – Slightly oblique attack angle of the right hand over the edge of the soundhole.

2. Bright Ordinario - Perpendicular attack angle of the right hand over the edge of the soundhole.

3. Dark Ordinario- Extremely oblique attack angle of the right hand over the edge of the soundhole.

4. Normal Ponticello - Slightly oblique attack angle of the right hand near the bridge.

5. Bright Ponticello - Perpendicular attack angle of the right hand near the bridge.

6. Dark Ponticello -  Extremely oblique attack angle of the right hand near the bridge.

7. Normal Tasto - Slightly oblique attack angle of the right hand over the fingerboard.

8. Bright Tasto - Perpendicular attack angle of the right hand over the fingerboard.

9. Dark Tasto - Extremely oblique attack angle of the right hand over the fingerboard.

With practice, you can create even more nuanced variations of tone. Also, techniques like palm mute, harmonics, and tambora can expand tonal variety even more.

But if you find your tone color is always the same, experimenting with these 9 tone colors is a great place to start.

Before I practice tone colors, I start my practice session with a simple Warmup Routine.

If you would like to get my Warmup Routine for free while joining more than 800 people who receive my free Saturday Classical Guitarist newsletter, click here.

Keep making music!