The technique for playing “lead” on classical guitar is almost
always a rest stroke. This technique is called a “rest stroke”
because the finger comes to a rest on the next lower string.
Rest strokes produce a louder and thicker sound than the a free
stroke. (You could think of rest strokes as sounding like
humbuckers, and free strokes like single-coil pickups). Rest
strokes are often used for playing scale passages and for
“bringing out” (i.e., making louder) a particular note or group
of notes. Simultaneously playing a rest stroke with a finger and
a free stroke with the thumb takes a bit of practice, but it is
a very important tool. Keep the hand in its rest-stroke position
and, as you pluck the thumb, bring it “up” a bit more than
usual, away from the guitar. Your thumb should touch (or almost
touch) your i finger closer to the knuckle than it would if you
were playing all free strokes. There are different ways to
indicate a rest stroke. Personally, I feel that it is a musical
decision best left to the pl