Volume one · New revised edition
The Conservatory Tutor Vol. 1
w/CD
An introduction to fundamental guitar technique.
Dr. Larry McDonald
Technique with amusical point of view
The personal website of Dr. Larry McDonald, guitarist, bassist, composer — home of The Conservatory Tutor and free resources for guitarists.
Here is my student Evie Lilly. She was a Gold Medal winner (best in the USA) for the Royal Conservatory of Music Assessments!
THE METHOD
The Conservatory Tutor
“Introduction to Fundamental Guitar Technique, Regardless of Style.”
In The Conservatory Tutor, you will find the best of the old school 20th century guitar methods combined with the most modern teaching breakthroughs of the 21st century. Specifically, The Conservatory Tutor teaches the left-hand through natural, ergonomic hand positions developed in the late 1990s. The modern, “open-hand” school for the right hand is encouraged from the very first lessons. All in full color.
It is this ideal fusion that has earned The Conservatory Tutor international acclaim as The Flagship Guitar Method of the 21st Century.
Sample pages and listening
- Table of Contents
- PrefaceThe page with the pedagogical explanations.
- Default Left-Hand Position
- Default Right-Hand Position
- First Lesson for the Right HandA complete lesson on the open D, A, and E strings.
- First Lesson for the Left HandA lesson on the 3rd string.
- MateoA demonstration of segment practice with four left-hand notes.
- Segment Practice
- Baroque Duet
- Hear it on the included CD
What people are saying about The Conservatory Tutor
“I’ve been teaching beginning guitar using The Conservatory Tutor for over five years. As a new teacher, I found this text thorough and methodical in its approach to basic skills. The explanations offer support to me as a teacher and the photographs help reinforce basic concepts for the student between lessons. As my students advance, I have also discovered that many of the lessons are useful for remedial purposes. My students have played several of the original repertoire pieces for recitals and local music festivals. I have been able to adapt the text for use with children through adults. I’m looking forward to the new edition with its additional duets to play with my students. Students completing The Conservatory Tutor are well prepared to begin work at the grade one level (Royal Conservatory of Music grade system).”
— rcw
“The Conservatory Tutor clearly demonstrates your concern to do your very best for your readers. The presentation is first class, the photographs are crystal clear and demonstrate precisely the points you wish to make. There's no dogma—when you offer advice you explain the background. I find the musical exercises to be precisely targeted and really appreciate your inclusion of performance criteria to aid self-evaluation. I’m not rushing through your book. You have already changed the way I feel about my potential to make further progress technically and musically.”
— D.
“Ray, your description of Larry McDonald as ‘the new Noad’ is compelling, enough so that I just went and read every word on his website.”
— posted on the Delcamp forum
“I’ll take this opportunity to highly recommend The Conservatory Tutor — An Introduction to Fundamental Guitar Technique by Larry McDonald. Great coverage of concepts and technique, along with lots of wonderful pieces.”
— K.
BOOKS AND MATERIALS
Books
Check out my books and where to buy below!
The Conservatory Tutor Vol. 1
Volume two
The Conservatory Tutor Vol. 2
Continuation of the fundamental guitar technique method.
INTRO TO HARMONY
Introduction to Harmony For Guitar with TAB
The archived site also listed Introduction to Harmony with TAB.
DIGITAL EDITION NOTICE The Conservatory Tutor Volumes 1 & 2 are available as PDF downloads from Bergmann-editions. Shipping hard copies was suspended because of exceptionally long delivery times.
SHEET MUSIC & RESOURCES
Materials
Free exercises, scales, essays, original arrangements, and original sheet music.
A
For Players
Exercises, Scales, and Other Interesting Stuff
Here is a selection of exercises, scales, and other interesting stuff for guitarists and players.
- Barre Chord Chart
- B Major a-m-i Scale
- Back ChainingA way to learn music that is stage secure.
- Release Exercise
- Segment PracticeThis page from The Conservatory Tutor has been downloaded over 1000 times.
- Introductory Scales and Arpeggios
- Level 1 Scales and Arpeggios
- Level 2 Scales and Arpeggios
B
For My Fellow Teachers and Interns
Essays for the Pedagogy-Minded
From time to time, I post interesting articles and essays for those folks who are interested in guitar pedagogy. Feel free to contact me to discuss any of these.— Larry
- Teaching Free-Stroke; Performance and Diagnostics.
- Conservatory Tutor Instructor’s Edition: Discussion of the 4th finger Approach
- MatteoAn example of segment practice and back-chaining combined.
- Drill, Baby, DrillThe role of exercises in your studio.
- Left-Hand Anticipation
- Mistakes; Careless vs. Human
- On Becoming a Virtuoso GuitaristI learned much of this from the writings of Phillip Hii.
- On Memorization and the GuitarBy Simon Salz.
- Diagnostics and Mechanism / Technical Remediation
- Phrase Length Segmentation Practice
- Phrase Length Segmentation Practice IIA more recent essay on the same topic.
- The Weighted Plant
- Covert Motor RoutinesHow to play faster without practicing.
- Right Hand ConventionsRevised and Expanded (2014).
C
Free Sheet Music
Original Music
Here are a few pieces that I wrote- I hope you enjoy them. I’m very sensitive to criticism so if you hate them, keep it to yourself. Just kidding!!
- Asian Tombeau
- Downtown 3:51 am
- Hodag
- SonatinaA Level 10 concert piece.
- Performance Notes for Sonatina
D
Free Sheet Music
Christmas Carols
Some arrangements I wrote of popular Christmas carols
- God Rest Ye Merry GentlemenPrimer Level.
- God Rest Ye Merry GentlemenLevel 1.
- Jingle Bells1st position fingering on the second and third string only.
- Jolly Olde St. NikolasPrimer Level.
- Jolly Olde St. NikolasLevel 1.
- The First NoelLevel 1.
- We Three Kings
ABOUT ME
About Me
Dr. McDonald began his musical instruction at 18 and has carried the same curiosity from early study into composition, performance, and pedagogy.
Dr. McDonald (b. 1958) began his musical instruction at the age of 18, studying classical guitar and composition with George Lindquist and Kenneth Beil. He received a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside in 1981, where he studied classical guitar with Susan Gulick and composition with the late August Wegner and briefly with synthesizer pioneer Otto Luening. His 4-movement neo-classic Sonata for Guitar was premiered that same year by Ms. Gulick.
In 1988, after studying classical guitar with Raymond Mueller, Mr. McDonald enrolled in the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he earned a Master of Music Degree. His composition teachers at UW included Joel Naumann and Stephen Dembski. He also studied guitar with Javier Calderon. He completed a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Composition/Theory in 1994.
Dr. McDonald is a two-time winner of Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra Composition contests. His Concertino for Bass Clarinet and Orchestra was premiered by William Helmers (Bass Clarinet) and conducted by Catherine Comet with the M.S.O. in 1993, and his Fanfare from Pieces for Orchestra was premiered by the MSO in July 1990 under the baton of Neal Gittleman. Also, his Scenes from Sheridan Road for concert band was premiered in May of 1994 at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside and was recorded by the Waukesha Symphonic Band under Dr. Larry Harper.
Larry was awarded the 1994 Choral Music Prize by the Wisconsin Choral Directors Association for his work I Am Music. His Magnificat was premiered in Italy at the 1997 Spoleto Festival by the Bel Canto Chorus under the direction of Richard Hynson. His latest choral work, Missa brevis, was premiered at the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, also by the Bel Canto Chorus.
I am a Founding Teacher of the Achievement Program, which is now called The Music Development Program, or M.D.P. This means that you can earn your guitar degree in my studio. This is a great program with real “street cred”. If you want to learn more, please contact me.
Here is a link to the M.D.P. website for more information about the program’s benefits and costs.
Music Development Program websiteCONTACT ME