Mastering Guitar Technique: Process & Essence by Christopher Berg has an incredible amount of detail regarding technique that I have not encountered in a technique book for the classical guitar. The first part of the book includes 24 pages of detailed research from various doctors and professionals in the fields of physiology and neurology and Christopher’s own decades of teaching experience to substantiate the details that would be given in regards to a musically sensitive and responsive technique.
The book contains 24 lessons and begins at the most fundamental level of sitting with the guitar and includes a practical and methodical order of lessons on right-hand positioning, left-hand basics, the right-hand fingers, free-stroke and rest-stroke, finger alternations, coordination exercises, prepared stroke (planting) information and applications, scale applications, arpeggio applications, and more.
In my 14 years of using Mastering Guitar Technique: Process & Essence, my teaching and concert career has benefited tremendously. In the insightful words of Christopher Berg from the book’s Prelude, “there can be no justification for all the attention given process in this book, unless it can lead us to essence. The essence of any art is truth. Performance (concert performance) occurs in a sacred space, and all sacred spaces demand that we rise to a level of truth unobtainable in our daily lives. Our preparation before we enter this space will determine the level of truth and authenticity we are able to reach.”
From Christopher Berg’s Website (Books Page): “One of the keys to rapid technical and artistic development is to have the guidance to study the simple version of a technique, e.g., slow scales, while fulfilling all the criteria of the advanced version of that technique, e.g. fast scales. This will result in a practice that continually moves one forward, rather than go off in irrelevant directions. Mastering Guitar Technique was designed to be a comprehensive, exploration of the requirements for developing an effortless and musically sensitive guitar technique.”
