music

Hey no problem. I saw your post with a guitar in my lap, so I was primed to gush a little. Regarding classical guitar, that's kind of a tough one. Classical guitar is a weird world. There's a lot about it that turns me off. The instrument has relatively low prestige in the larger classical world because it's almost never included in orchestras. And that's mostly because it isn't loud enough. There are two famous concerti that call for guitar soloists, but that's about it. So classical guitarists have their own separate little world inside the classical tradition, and they collectively kind of have a chip on their shoulder. There's a lot of dogma and politics. The technique is generally effective, but I think it's needlessly dogmatic. And they are very reluctant to view modern innovations like steel strings and electric pickups as valid within their tradition.

The body of music written or arranged for the classical guitar contains a lot of great stuff though. Classical guitar is really inspiring to listen to. Playing it is even better if you can stand to put in the work to build up a repertoire. For people that get really good at reading, they can put a new piece on the stand and let it take them on a little journey. It's like reading poetry or a short story. I never got there, but I can see the appeal. When all the notes are already picked out for you ahead of time, then everything becomes a matter of technique. So classical players are way more in-depth in the way they examine their execution. They get to be very skilled in finding the most efficient way to use their bodies to produce the correct response from their instruments.

To answer your question, I think it's worth trying if you really want to get super nerdy about technique. Or if there's some classical piece that you want to play. It's kind of a big time investment if you're just looking to build skills to transfer to other styles though. I'd say probably not if you're just trying to get into playing pop tunes with friends or whatever. It's not necessary to have some classical background to be an effective musician. But if you want to get into it, don't think that using a steel stringed instrument or playing without nails makes your interpretation any less valid. Musicians can be snobs. If you want to play a cello suite on the guitar using a pick, go right ahead. They can't stop you.