There is a sub-group of classical guitarists who spend countless hours every day devoted to the classical guitar. They learn to navigate the boundaries and intricacies of the instrument more expertly than everybody else. They are taught and helped along the way by masters of the instrument. Their classical guitar is their constant companion, and they probably get to know the instrument more than any other subsection of classical guitarists. I am talking of course about students; students of classical guitar, studying at a conservatory or university.
My name is Michael Edgeworth. I am a classical guitar maker and this is my article exploring the topic of the best classical guitars for students, and relating my experiences meeting students and particularly attending the International Guitar Festival Brno.
Understanding classical guitar students and why they need high quality instruments:
Typically, students in Europe can choose to specialise in studying an instrument from age sixteen, and in the UK from age 18. Of course, it is possible to study the classical guitar at any age as a mature student. These institutions/conservatories/universities are very competitive and getting in is a big achievement in itself! Once in, there follows years of complete immersement in the classical guitar, music theory, performance and all aspects of music; ideally under the guiding hand of a talented and sympathetic teacher-guitarist. A fantastic aspect of studying in such an environment is the other students, who can encourage, motivate and help each other.
Students of course face a number of challenges. Such as the intense nature of the practice required. There are mental hurdles to be overcome, such as perfectionism, comparing oneself to other students, and competitiveness. And I am sure that, as with students everywhere, money and mere survival is an issue as well.
I recently attended a classical guitar festival, based at Brno Conservatory in the Czech Republic Seeking to understand classical guitar students more, I asked the professor of guitar, Vladislav Blaha, what challenges young guitarists face. He cited the rigorous practice schedule, the competitiveness and difficulty to get a place at such institutions, and also the discipline required. He mentioned that students are allotted periods each day in which to practise, time which some students use for enjoying the student life, instead of practising (sounds tempting…). He also said that the classical guitar is such a difficult instrument, and just a few days of missed practice can really throw a player off course, something I consider also applied to guitar making.
Below are a couple of photos from earlier in the year, when I displayed my work at Leicester MusicFest and the Chichester Festival of Music, Dance and Drama.
I would argue that conservatory/university students of the classical guitar are the classical guitarists who really need high quality instruments (and not just high quality, but suited to their particular needs). No other subsection of the classical guitar world will put their instruments through their paces as much as the diligent student.
Conservatory students will be practising for hours every day, so the ergonomics of the instrument should be suited to that individual guitarist, and the sound must be tolerable for long practice sessions. They will be playing alongside other musicians, in duets, quartets and ensembles - not only with guitarists but with other instruments too - so a guitar with a too quiet/timid sound will hold everyone back.
There is rightly a big focus on performing. Where I live in Bedford, there are often lunchtime concerts, where the performers are students from the Royal College of Music in London. Here, students priorities align with those of professional guitarists; the guitar must hold up in travelling conditions, with changes of temperature and humidity to be expected; the guitarist must be confident that the guitar will project well, that the audience members at the back of the hall can hear a strong tone; the guitar must not limit the guitarist. When playing in these live environments, in concert halls, churches, libraries etc, students will soon discover whether their guitars are concert worthy instruments.
What is the best classical guitar for a conservatory/university/academy student?
The needs of the classical guitar student are similar to those of the professional. A sound that prioritises projection - so the audience will hear you - and musicality. The guitarist must be confident that the guitar not only sounds good to them, behind the guitar, but also to the listener.
Many fine guitars are finished with French polish, but for guitars which will be really used hard, French polish is a bit delicate and a hassle to take care of. Students might consider lacquer instead, at least on the back/sides/neck.
As students are practising for so many hours everyday, ergonomics and comfort are really important, so as to avoid discomfort and potential injury. Guitars should be made to suit the player. The overall size of the guitar can be bigger or smaller. Some players require an arm rest or different neck shapes.
I consider classical guitar students to be such an important, exciting subsection of the classical guitar world, with similar needs to professional classical guitarists. Therefore I decided that, rather than offer a student model, I would offer a 30% discount on my guitars, which are made aimed at the professional guitarist. Therefore, for students, the cost of Michael Edgeworth guitars start at £2800.
Reflections of a conservatory graduate:
Seeking to understand conservatory/university/academy students even more, I asked a friend about her time studying at conservatory. She didn’t study the classical guitar, rather the trombone at conservatory for four years, and then music theory at university. Her answer is interesting and detailed, and students or potential students may find it interesting and relatable:
Firstly it is important to say that it was not my dream from childhood to become a professional trombone player. I just played the trombone like my hobby and my music teacher mentioned whether I would not want to use my talent and apply to the conservatoire. After a talk with my parents was decided and I started working on preparation for my entrance exams. It included regular visits of my possible future trombone teacher at the conservatoire. These sessions were paid, of course, but it was an unique opportunity to meet the awesome environment at the conservatoire and get feedback from a qualified person.
After my dedication, hard work on myself and a bit of luck I got to the conservatoire and ended up with a completely different teacher, a fresh graduate one. Your ups and downs as a student at a conservatoire depends to a great extent on your music teacher. You cannot be successful without a good lead. Your teacher should show your strengths and work on your weaknesses. Everything else is on you, how much time you will dedicate to your practising. Last but not least is the talent. But if you are there you already have it.
You can face a competitive environment. But it is OK if it is a healthy one and you students encourage each other. Another thing that is not so pleasant is you discover that there are more talented and skilled students than you are. You can be the number one among your circle of friends but here, here you will be just one from other very talented and skilled students. And this knowledge can be very difficult to overcome. And from this reason it is important to realise that it is enough to have only a handful of talent. Everything else you can catch up by your dedication and regular practising. Later you can discover that these more talented and skilled students are not used to practising as much as you are and have less experience with overcoming obstacles. At this moment it will be your turn to excel.
By studying at conservatoire you gain a solid base for being able to continuously work on long term projects and bring them to completion, not giving up when the first problems appear, trying to find a creative solution, becoming a good team member and so on. All these abilities you will need and use them in your personal or work life although it will not need to be connected with art anymore.
On the note of team members it is wonderful how the competitive side among conservatoire students will disappear later as soon as they will play together in some orchestra, band or chamber ensemble. There is no place for standing out but for finding ways to get along with each other, respect each other, collaborate and become empathic in different ways like for example trying to help your co-music-instrument-player. Moreover work on a joint work creates strong relations. What I liked about this art environment is that you meet dedicated, skilled, enthusiastic and creative people who want to achieve something in their lives. They follow their dreams. You will not meet a discouraged approach from your schoolmates… except for some exceptions that you leave your practice lesson (you practise playing the musical instrument alone at the specific class at the conservatoire, the number of these practise lessons can range from 1 to 4 hours per day) early to go for ice cream, to the cinema, … or to the party (that was usually after the concert on which you have to play from time to time) with your friends. And it is a normal part of being a teenager. Personally I remember this chapter of my life with a smile on my face. I would not change it.
Meeting classical guitar students at the Brno International Guitar Festival:
I attend classical guitar events to exhibit my guitars and meet guitarists, and in the process I meet a lot of classical guitar students. This is fantastic for me because students have not only a similar passion for the classical guitar as I do, but also share my hunger to constantly learn and improve in the classical guitar world.
In July this year, 2024, I took part in the Brno International Classical Guitar Festival. Brno is a city in the Czech Republic, in central Europe. A beautiful country and city, and the festival attracts classical guitarists from not only Europe but all over the world. The festival is a week-long residential for classical guitarists, and includes one on one masterclasses with expert players, a competition, lectures, evening concerts and guitar exhibitions. Participants were accommodated in the same hotel, and ate together, so there was an exciting atmosphere of collaboration and support. The above pictures show me speaking to a student trying one of my guitars, and also a meeting with luthier Masaki Sakurai. I was displaying one of my short scale guitars.
Many of the participants are students, some of whom are drawn in by the competition. Competitions are a chance for students to really test their skills, and nerves, in front of an impartial jury. It is a nerve racking thing, but there is always something to be learned from it no matter what the result. I had the pleasure of listening to and/or talking to many young talented players, and particularly enjoyed listening to the playing of Ana Tuksa, Mykhailo Hanchak, Tamas Nagy, Claudio Longibardi, Yaroslav Kravchuk and Pawel Konieczny as well as other players, whose names I didn’t catch. As our ages aren’t too different, I had the feeling that we will advance into the classical world together; I hope to meet these players again at future guitar related events, and will be following their playing careers with interest.
For me the highlight of the festival was discussing guitars with the other participants and getting to know the guitarists, who had come from all over Europe. It was interesting to see what guitars they were playing and why. I also enjoyed meeting the Japanese luthier Masaki Sakurai and attending a lecture of his on guitar making. I greatly benefitted from a one on one lesson with guitar professor and the festival director Vladislav Blaha, who taught me some fundamentals of right hand technique, which will be extremely useful when testing out my guitars. Another highlight was a joint concert of Vladislav and Jeremy Jouve, whose contrasting styles made for a fantastic program.
I look forward to attending the same and similar events in Europe in future. I recommend the Brno International Guitar Festival to any English guitarists reading this: https://guitarcz.com/en/ . It is not only an excellent festival and competition, but the Czech Republic is an easy and affordable place to get to.
I will end by mentioning again that I offer a 30% discount to students, and that the sound/features of my guitars are well aligned to the demands of the most diligent student.