Guitarist Gergely Szabo has an Advanced Diploma in Music Performance from Cambrian College where he majored in the classical guitar. Over his time there, he completed 2 years of comprehensive pedagogy courses. He also gained well grounded vocal skills, as well as basic knowledge on the piano. Outside of classical music, he exhibits a repertoire of skills and knowledge in playing the genres of rock, blues, and heavy metal music. He has experience in teaching the guitar and the ukulele to a range of people aged 6 to 54.
Gergely’s teaching methods include both the use of books and digital methods. The three main books he uses to teach guitar are as follows: “Guitar Method Book 1 by Will Schmid and Greg Koch,” “Four Star Sight Reading and Ear Tests RCM Level 1,” and “Classical Guitar Repertoire and Etudes RCM Level 1.” For teaching ukulele, he uses the book “Ukulele Songs for 1, 2, or 3 players by Elizabeth Ragsdale.” Aside from these, he frequently uses the Muse Score application as a play-along practicing tool.
Gergely’s passion for music and his dedication to growing the love of music in others are the biggest reasons why he teaches guitar and ukulele. His approach to teaching involves learning through play. The material he covers with his students is always delivered in a way that is highly interactive. Most of the assigned exercises he gives involve the elements of play that students can enjoy both in class and as homework.
Get to know Gergely…Beyond the Bio!
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Assignments from January 30th
Hello!
Wow! Awesome lessons all around this week friends!
Noreet:
We have Noreet’s book and her blue glove at the Conway location! It is tucked away safe on Barn’s desk ready for next week. In the meantime I’ve uploaded all the materials Noreet needs for practice this week to the google drive. You can find these here.
We reviewed the C Major and G Major scales hands together. C Major is in a great place and can be left off the practice roster for now in favor of other scales. Please continue to practice the G Major scale hands together with the metronome at 115BPM. Please pay close attention to the fingering in the descent. D Major can be practiced slowly hands together, and the A Major scale which we learned Thursday can be practiced hands separately (remember A Major has 3 sharps, F#, C#, and G#). We sight read new songs today! Please practice “Ice Cream” and “More Ice Cream” with the metronome set to 115BPM, hands separately until Noreet feels confident enough to try hands together. Please work towards accurate rhythms in the pieces specifically. There is an extra sheet we looked at together in class that has different rhythm patterns on it. Please review these with Noreet, help her count the beat out loud (1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and) and then clap the 4 different rhythms on the sheet.
Vida:
Great first day with the new book! When practicing the first song at home please take the repeat and practice the different dynamics listed in the music (first time though loud, second time through soft). Please help Vida with when reading the phrases with eighth notes split between the two hands. This is the first time we’ve seen them written like this on the staff, but the rhythm is the same as if played in one hand. If this is a challenge when practicing, practice these specific phrases with the right hand only so Vida understands the contour and rhythm of the phrase before going back to playing it between the two hands. We can review this in class next week. Also, please continue to help Vida distinguish between the staccato phrases and the legato phrases. Vida can also start to practice “Life is Better Loud”. Please practice the melody and chords hands separate until she feels confident enough to try the melody and the chords hands together. When practicing the chords, ensure Vida plays them in her left hand and that she knows the name of the specific chord she is playing, especially E Major vs. E minor. These can be practiced broken (E then G# then B) or solid.
Great progress all around this month everyone! Looking forward to our first February lesson next week!
Tuesday, January 28th
Lila
Warmups:
–8 on a Hand
–Single strokes
–Double strokes
–Paradiddles
Review of grip: good. Keep skin contact with stick
Basic Beat Level 2**
Step 1) Count “1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + ”
Step 2) Play the Hihat with your Right Hand (RH) on all the counts
Step 3) Add in the Bass Drum with your Right Foot (RF) on “1” and “3”
Step 4) Add in the Snare Drum with your Left Hand (LH) on “2” and “4”
Visual Drumset Method: exercises 1-4**
–You can find this in the google drive>Frequently Used Resources (please bookmark for future use)
–Aim for four repetitions of each exercise without hiccups or hesitations
Josh
Warm-ups:
–Hand and foot coordination: playing steady beats on the bass drum, play singles, doubles, and paradiddles with your hands on the snare drum. There should be two snare notes (ti-ti; eighth notes) to every bass drum note (ta; quarter notes)
Groove Essentials Play-alongs
–Rock groove 4 (track 7)
White Stripes: Seven Nation Army
–Polish thsi off this week!
Myles
==Xylophone==
Warmups (***F Major):
–Scale, one octave, ascending and descending, saying the note names as you play them (F-G-A-Bb-C-D-E-f)
–Arpeggio (F-A-C-f-C-A-F)
–Broken thirds (F-A G-Bb A-C…), ascending and descending
Cirone Book: “Step Six” ex. 5-8
Eartraining: identifying thirds and fifths
Finn
Warmups (30sec each, counting aloud):
–Single Strokes
–Double Strokes
–8 on a hand
Joan Jett: I Love Rock and Roll
–begins with “watermelon watermelon” on the snare
–Play the main beat (1+2 3+4)
Fruit Salad game
–Four fruits: pear, apple, blueberry, watermelon
–Each fruit has a rhythm. Experiment mixing up to four fruits together to create your own rhythms!
Visual Drummer: p16 ex. 7-12
–Try to play these without any extra bass drum notes!
Nickelback: How You Remind Me
–Use Visual Drummer ex. 2 as the main beat for this song
–This week, play along with the recording and try to memorize where the drums come in
Francisco
Warmups:
–Stick Control first page ex. 14-18 (4x each, **120bpm goal tempo)
Tommy Igoe Groove Essentials book: Groove 1 FAST **
–Drill these beats to get them up to speed
–Be relaxed, and remember to use smaller motions to help you play fast notes
–Don’t allow your whole arm to be a part of the stroke. Instead, use your wrist to execute the fast hihat passage.
–Please speak to your father about buying this book – it is something that we can use a lot in your lessons and for years to come.
Noah
Warmups (1min each per practice session):
–Paradiddle combo exercise with bass drum on quarter notes
Paul Simon: Late in the Evening
–Use a metronome (I use the Tempo app by Frozen Ape) to help you lock the sixteenth-note Mozambique pattern into the grid
–This week, we learned the fill before Verse 1. Similarly, this needs to lock in. But, because of all the space, it’s hard to do. So, make sure to drill it slowly, counting along.
Preferred Books for Gergely’s Students
Click to buy them here, and they’ll come right to your house! What could be easier?
Hal Leonard Guitar Method
The second edition of this world-famous method by Will Schmid and Greg Koch is preferred by teachers because it makes them more effective while making their job easier. Students enjoy its easy-to-follow format that gives them a solid music education while letting them play songs right away. Book 1 provides beginning instruction including tuning, 1st position melody playing, C, G, G7, D7, and Em chords, rhythms through eighth notes, solos and ensembles and strumming.
Four Star Sight Reading and Ear Tests
