Reddit reviews The Christopher Parkening Guitar Method - Volume 1: Guitar Technique

/r/classicalguitar is a good resource for all things related to playing Classical Guitar.

Method books of interest are:

• Christopher Parkening Volume 1 and Volume 2;
  
  
• The Shearer Method Volume 1, Volume 2, and Volume 3
  
  
• Pumping Nylon
  
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  Other useful material for learning Classical guitar and fundamental technique are:
  
  
  
• Giuliani's 120 Right Hand Studies
  
  
• Fernando Sor, Opus 60, Numbers 1-24
  
  
• Fernando Sor, Opus 31, Numbers 1-24
  
  
• Mauro Giuliani, Opus 51, Numbers 1-18

First, follow the advice of everyone here and grab yourself a good teacher.

I would also recommend this book. Great starter book especially if you need help reading sheet music.

Christopher Parkening method is still a pretty highly rated beginners guide to Classical.

ohh and subscribe to Per-Olov Kindgren's youtube channel. Here is one of his vids

If you can get your hands on Frederick Noad's Solo Guitar Playing 1, or Christopher Parkening's Guitar Method 1, you could go a long way. If money is an issue, I know my local library has the Parkening book, so that might be a resource to check into.

Get a copy of Segovia's Diatonic Major and Minor Scales:

https://www.amazon.com/Diatonic-Major-Scales-Andr%C3%A9s-Segovia/dp/1598060597

Christopher Parkening also has some good method books:

https://www.amazon.com/Christopher-Parkening-Guitar-Method-Technique/dp/0793585201

Also search YouTube for Chet Atkins lessons, he was a major innovator in electric fingerstyle and a big influence on Knopfler et al.

1. Yes lots of electric players don't use a pick
   
2. You can easily sweep pick if you use your index nail as a pick, or use a thumbpick, although arpeggios are usually easier just with multiple fingers - the whole idea is that you don't need to move your pick along each string because you have 4-5 of them (depending on if you use your pinky or not)
   
3. A variety of patterns depending on what you're doing. There are plenty of them for you to study in classical guitar repertoire
   
   Are you playing with your nails? I started on classical and I play with my nails, but if you do two-handed tapping, having nails can make it harder. It just depends on your style and what kind of techniques you want to use. You will get more volume and a crisper tone if you play with your nails.
   
   There is also hybrid picking, which is a good compromise. Traditionally in classical guitar you don't use your pinky, so actually with hybrid picking you don't lose any "fingers" - the pick replaces your thumb and everything else "moves down" one digit. Or you can also try a thumbpick.

Another book idea:
http://www.amazon.com/Christopher-Parkening-Guitar-Method-Technique/dp/0793585201

I loved the Christopher Parkening method books when I was starting out and I still use many of the repertoire from both of them now!

https://www.amazon.com/Christopher-Parkening-Guitar-Method-Technique/dp/0793585201