How Do You Practice Arpeggios on Classical Guitar?

One of my favorite arpeggio studies is Carcassi’s Etude in A major, op. 60, No. 3.

This piece sounds good and also challenges both hands, helping the guitarist to grow in technique.

Here are four practice strategies that I recently recommended to one of my guitar students for playing the arpeggios in this piece:

1. Right-Hand Planting

Plant ima on the strings as a group on beat 1. Plant im on the strings as a group on beat 4. Otherwise, plant the right-hand fingers sequentially, planting each finger as the previous finger plays.

2. Stop on the Downbeat

Practice stopping on the downbeat of each measure, setting up your fingers on the rest of the notes used in that measure.

3. Practice Block Chords

Play all notes that occur in the first half of the measure.

Then play all notes that occur in the second half of the measure.

4. Ingrain Each Chord Shape

Identify a chord shape that is challenging for you. Repeatedly take your left hand away from the neck of the guitar. Then bring it back to that specific chord shape. Over time, you will develop muscle memory to find the notes of that chord.

You can practice each of these approaches for each measure throughout this Carcassi etude.

Also, similar approaches can be used in most classical guitar pieces that involve arpeggios.

If you want free downloadable tab and sheet music for Carcassi Study 3, click here.

Have fun with arpeggios and keep making music!