The Segovia Scales, without the confusion
The Segovia scales are the 24 diatonic major and minor scales with the fingerings Andrés Segovia published in 1953 — still the most widely used technical foundation in classical guitar. Here you'll find what they actually train, how to practise them so they produce results, and a free in-browser tool to study them with a metronome.
What the Segovia scales really train
Segovia called scales «the greatest benefit in the shortest time». Behind the slogan there is a precise idea: his fingerings deliberately move along the fretboard, not just across it. Every scale is a workout in position shifts, guide fingers, string crossings and — if you listen — tone evenness between free strokes, rest strokes, and different right-hand finger pairs (i-m, m-a, i-a, even p-i).
How to practise them (the method matters more than the notes)
- One scale, one goal. Today the shifts, tomorrow the tone, the day after the rhythm. Playing «all the scales» with no goal trains nothing.
- Below the error threshold. Choose a tempo where every note is clean; raise it only when the quality survives several repetitions in a row.
- Vary the right hand. Alternate i-m, m-a, i-a and rest/free stroke: the left hand stays the same, the ear does the work.
- Listen at the seams. Most unevenness lives at the position shifts and the string crossings — isolate those two notes, not the whole scale.
Stuck on the same problems anyway?
If your scales stay uneven — or your hand gets tired no matter how slowly you practise — the cause is usually one specific habit that's hard to hear from the inside. Michele Manuguerra, one of the last students of Ruggero Chiesa at the Milan Conservatory, offers a free 30-minute online check-up: you play, he tells you exactly what to fix and where to start.
Manuguerra Guitar Studio — free tools for classical guitar
Tuner, metronome, scales, chords, ear training — all free, all in the browser.