Douglas Seth
Lesson Feesfrom $30.00 / 30 Minutes
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About
Multi-genre and virtuoso classical guitarist Douglas Seth wants to help guide you on your musical journey from beginner to the stage. As a teacher, his students have garnered top 10 hits, won competitions, been awarded the gold medal from the Royal Conservatory of Music assessment exams (2014), and been accepted into some of the top university guitar programs in the United States.
Douglas Seth enjoys a diverse career as a performer, arranger, composer, and teacher. Douglas has performed throughout the United States, Canada, Venezuela, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary and has appeared on both TV and radio. His guitar works have been published through Mel Bay Publications and arrangements featured in professional off-Broadway productions. Douglas has been a featured clinician and performer at various classical guitar festivals covering wide ranging topics from flamenco guitar to Baroque ornamentation. In 2017, he released New Music for Solo Guitar, a classical guitar recording premiering his original compositions as well as published Progressive Character Pieces for the Beginner Classical Guitarist Vol. 1, a collection of original student pieces. As a member of the fusion project, Mosaic String Duo, he co-wrote and recorded the album, Dead Reckoning along with Chris Braddock. In 2018, a Mosaic String Duo composition, Mudejar, was premiered as a double concerto by the Wilmington Community Orchestra. Seth along with Braddock were featured soloists at the premiere. Douglas holds a Master of Music degree from Austin Peay State University and a Bachelor of Music degree from the State University of New York at Fredonia. During this time, he also attended el Instituto Universitario de Estudios Musicales (IUDEM) in Caracas, Venezuela. Before moving to Delaware, Douglas directed a thriving guitar program at Manatee School for the Arts in Palmetto, Florida, where he was also the music department chairperson. Currently, he is teaching at the Guitar Academy of Southern Delaware which Douglas founded in 2010.
Lessons with Doug are customized, goal-oriented and productive. After 20 years of teaching, he has developed creative, effective, and fun methods for learning the guitar. Although Doug specializes in classical guitar for all levels beginning to advanced, he also enjoys teaching other styles such as fingerstyle, world music, flamenco, and pop/rock.
An experienced composer and arranger, Doug can help you bring your favorite songs to life on fingerstyle guitar.
For classical guitar, Doug's lessons focus on developing a strong fundamental and refined technique along with learning how to interpret pieces correctly within the musical style. He encourages and works with students to develop effective practice strategies to accelerate their learning.
For all other genres, lessons are customized to suit the students musical interests. Doug often tries to connect the content of the song a student is learning to other common chord progressions from songs of the same style. By analyzing and learning the musical content (chord theory and melodic content) of a song, other songs in the future will be much easier to learn. Doug is a former middle school, high school, and university guitar teacher. He has taught private lessons with students ranging from 7 to 75 and has learned how to relate well with students of all ages.
Professional Educator Certificate (Florida) 2005-2010
M.M. Austin Peay State University 2000
B.M. State University of New York at Fredonia 1997
This is an example curriculum for more serious students enrolled in my graded certificate program.
G. E. M. (Guitar Excellence and Mastery)
Student Curriculum
Phase 1
Basic seating position, RH fixed position (Free stroke only for fingers. Rest and free for thumb.), basic LH technique (1-3 fingers down, simple triadic chord shapes), simple dynamics and expression. Music selections should be in open and first position.
Exercises- open string combinations with alternation in fixed position. Alternation on a single string.
Suggested Repertoire Skill Level: Graded Repertoire for the Guitar, Book One, Yates- Level 1 or material of equal difficulty. Two or more pieces to be performed.
Phase 2
Continued development of seating position as well as RH and LH technique. Mixed RH textures of fixed and alternating position (free stroke). Use of all left fingers utilizing simple shapes in the first position.
Exercises- Open string combinations with alternation in fixed position. Alternation with i-m and m-a. Memorization of open position scales, one octave, natural and harmonic minor. Free stroke. Keys: C/a, G/e.
Arpeggios: pim, pmi, pia, and pai in the manner of Giuliani 120 (#2, 3, 7, and 8).
Suggested Repertoire Skill Level: Graded Repertoire for the Guitar, Book One, Yates- Level 1 and 2 or material of equal difficulty. Three or more pieces to be performed.
Phase 3
LH shapes utilizing full chord structures in open position. Mixed RH textures of fixed and alternating position along with multi part (3 or 4 part textures) in open to 2nd position. Demonstrates the ability to maintain a reasonably good RH position and basic tone production.
Exercises- Open string combinations with alternation in fixed position. Alternation with i-m and m-a. Memorization of open position scales, one octave, natural and harmonic minor. Free stroke. Keys: C/a, G/e, D/b, A/f#, E/c#, B/g#, F#/d#, and C#/a# (Sharp keys).
Slurs: Segovia slurs in eighth notes and triplets.
Arpeggios: pim, pmi, pia, pai, pimi, and pmim in the manner of Giuliani 120 (#2, 3, 7, 8, 81, and 82).
Suggested Repertoire Skill Level: Graded Repertoire for the Guitar, Book One, Yates- Level 3 and Guided Repertoire for the Guitar Book Two or material of equal difficulty. Three or more pieces to be performed.
Phase 4
Demonstrates ability to perform beyond open/first position along with occassional shifts into upper positions. Various fundamental guitar textures such as chords, arpeggios, scales with simple two finger alternations (i-m, with a used to aid in string crossing), repeated notes, multi-part textures, simple slurs, and simple tremolo. Demonstrates the ability to maintain a reasonably good RH position and basic tone production. Fundamentals should be relatively secure.
Exercises- Open string combinations with alternation in fixed position. Alternation with i-m,
i-a and m-a. Memorization of open position scales, one octave, natural and harmonic minor. Free stroke and rest stroke.
Keys: C/a, G/e, D/b, A/f#, E/c#, B/g#, F#/d#, and C#/a# (Sharp keys)
F/d, Bb/g, Eb/c, Ab/f, Db/bb, Gb/eb, and Cb/ab (Flat keys)
Slurs: Segovia slurs (all)
Arpeggios: pim, pmi, pia, pai, pimi, pmim, pima, and pami in the manner of Giuliani 120 (#2, 3, 7, 8, 81, 82, 87, and 88).
Suggested Repertoire Skill Level: Graded Repertoire for the Guitar, Book Two and Etude Mechaniques, Yates.
M. Carcassi op. 60, Etudes 1-10
G. Garcia Etudes 1-10
Sor/Segovia 1-10
Brouwer Estudios and Nuevos 1-10
Three or more pieces to be performed.
Phase 5
Demonstrates ability to perform beyond open/first position along with occassional shifts into upper positions. Various fundamental guitar textures such as chords, arpeggios, scales with simple two finger alternations (i-m, with a used to aid in string crossing), repeated notes, multi-part textures, simple slurs, and simple tremolo. Various ragueos are introduced through basic flamenco compas and simple palos. Demonstrates the ability to maintain a reasonably good RH position and basic tone production. Technique should be evolving into a secure intermediate level.
Exercises- Open string combinations with alternation in fixed position. Alternation with i-m,
i-a and m-a. Memorization of movable position scales, two octave, natural, harmonic, and melodic minor. Free stroke and rest stroke. Scales from RCM technique book or Shearer scale pattern studies.
Slurs: Shearer- Slur, ornament, and reach development book
Arpeggios: pim, pmi, pia, pai, pimi, pmim, pima, pami, pimami, and pamima in the manner of Giuliani 120 (#2, 3, 7, 8, 81, 82, 87, 88, 31, and 32).
LH finger independence exercises in Pumping Nylon
Suggested Repertoire Skill Level: Etude Mechaniques, Yates.
M. Carcassi op. 60, Etudes 1-15
G. Garcia Etudes 1-15
Sor/Segovia 1-15
Brouwer Estudios and Nuevos 1-15
Classic Tarrega (Adelita, Lagrima, Preludes, etc...)
Rumba (flamenco palo)
Three or more pieces to be performed.
Phase 6
Demonstrates ability to perform throughout positions one through nine (first 12 frets). Various guitar textures such as chords, arpeggios, scales with two finger alternations (i-m, with a used to aid in string crossing), three finger scales (ami) are introduced, repeated notes, multi-part textures, slurs, and tremolo. Various ragueos in basic flamenco compas and simple palos. Demonstrates the ability to maintain a good RH position and tone production.
Exercises- Open string combinations with alternation in fixed position. Alternation with i-m,
i-a and m-a. Memorization of movable position scales, two octave, natural, harmonic, and melodic minor. Free stroke and rest stroke. Scales from RCM technique book or Shearer scale pattern studies. Ami scale technique studied with “The Virtuoso Guitarist” (Palmer).
Slurs: Shearer- Slur, ornament, and reach development book
Arpeggios: Giuliani 120 (all), one a day.
LH finger independence exercises in Pumping Nylon
Suggested Repertoire Skill Level: M. Carcassi op. 60, Etudes
G. Garcia Etudes
Sor/Segovia
Brouwer Estudios and Nuevos
Classic Tarrega (Adelita, Lagrima, Preludes, etc...)
Villa Lobos-Cinq Preludes
J. S. Bach- Cello Suites (Yates)
Lauro- Valses Venezuelanos
Ponce-Preludes
Rumba and Solea (flamenco palos)
Three or more pieces to be performed.
Phase 7
Demonstrates ability to perform throughout positions one through nine (first 12 frets). Various guitar textures such as chords, arpeggios, scales with two finger alternations (i-m, with a used to aid in string crossing), three finger scales (ami) are introduced, repeated notes, multi-part textures, slurs, and tremolo. Various ragueos in flamenco compas. Demonstrates an evolving intermediate/advance technique and musicianship.
Exercises- Open string combinations with alternation in fixed position. Alternation with i-m,
i-a and m-a. Memorization of movable position scales, two octave, natural, harmonic, and melodic minor. Free stroke and rest stroke. Scales from RCM technique book or Shearer scale pattern studies. Ami scale technique studied with “The Virtuoso Guitarist” (Palmer).
Slurs: Shearer- Slur, ornament, and reach development book
Arpeggios: Giuliani 120 (all), one a day.
LH finger independence exercises in Pumping Nylon
Suggested Repertoire Skill Level: M. Carcassi op. 60, Etudes
G. Garcia Etudes
Sor/Segovia
Brouwer Estudios and Nuevos
Villa Lobos-Cinq Preludes, Etudes, and Choros (Solo guitar works)
J. S. Bach- Cello Suites (Yates)
Early 19th century sonatas and smaller works
Character pieces from Mertz, Tarrega, Shand, etc...
Lauro- Valses Venezuelanos
Ponce-Preludes, Sonatina
Elementary Barrios
Segovia Repertoire (Tedesco, Torroba, etc...)
Larger works from Brouwer
Rumba, Solea, and Bulerias (flamenco palos)
Three or more pieces to be performed.
Phase 8
30 minute recital program
Phase 9
45 minute recital program, all new material. No works can be played from previous program
Phase 10
60 minute recital program, all new material. Nothing can be played from previous program.
Standard guitar concerto (Rodrigo, Tedesco, Villa Lobos, etc...)
These can be split into 2 separate halves of the academic year (ie. The concerto in the autumn and the recital in the spring.)