Classical music is generally played on a nylon-stringed guitar.
In many ways, playing classical guitar is entirely different from playing other types of guitar. In most cases, classical music is played on a nylon-stringed guitar instead of one that's steel-stringed. These nylon strings strongly impact the tone of the instrument. Proper technique is also more valued in classical guitar than most other types of guitar music. Learning about different classical picking techniques will help you immensely on your path to becoming a classical guitarist.
Finger Picking
The vast majority of all classical guitar is meant to be finger picked. Classical guitarists use the thumb, pointer finger, middle finger and ring finger on their picking hand to pluck the six strings on their guitars. The thumb tends to be used to strike bass notes on the bottom three strings (E, A and D), while the other fingers pick out the melody and harmony on the higher strings. One of the major benefits of this style of picking is the ability to simultaneously hit two notes on nonadjacent strings with having to strike a dead note.
Strumming
Although classical guitar music doesn't tend to utilize strumming as much as other types of guitar music, the ability to strum well is still an extremely important skill to have. Using your thumb to strike the strings is one common classical guitar strumming method. It's also common for classical guitarists to use a flicking motion with their other pick-hand fingers to hit an explosive chord. You can also pluck each individual note of a chord using your fingers (assuming the chord has no more than four notes -- or five if you use your little finger).
Dynamics
You may have noticed that your favorite classical guitarists tend to use dynamics extremely effectively. Some of this dynamic mastery is purely picking-finger strength, but some can also come from other sources. Growing out the fingernails on your picking hand and then using them to strike emphasized single notes or chords is one picking technique that can help improve your dynamic range. By striking the strings with your fingernails, you can create a sharp pick-like attack that contrasts well with your standard finger picking style.
Using a Pick
Although picks are sometimes frowned on in classical guitar circles, using one can help you create a distinctive classical guitar sound. A pick can be very helpful when playing fast runs on single strings (especially in neoclassical music) and when playing strummed chord sections. Traditional flat picking using primarily alternate picking strokes (up, down, up, down, etc.) tends to work best for most forms of classical music.
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