M.Mus (U of T)
B.Mus (Oberlin)
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 for January 23rd
Hello!
We had some pretty good lessons Thursday evening.
Noreet:
Today we reviewed some scales and learned a new one as well! When practicing scales, please help have Noreet practice with a metronome at home. Google has one available online for free use. When playing the metronome please ensure it is set to 100 Beats Per Minute, the quicker tempo will help Noreet hear the beat more succinctly when practicing. You can count out loud with her (one and two and three and four and) to the clicks to help her hear the beat. Please continue to practice the C Major scale playing 2 octaves hands together. Noreet can start practicing the G Major scale playing one octave hands together. She can also practice the new D Major scale! Noreet knows that this scale has 2 sharps (C# and F#). Practice this scale slowly hands separately. I’ve asked Noreet to review page 11 of her book. Specifically to focus on playing accurate rhythms. Use the metronome here again to help her. Finally, continue to review Mr. Brahms’ Lullaby. Practice this slowly. Please help her to review the notes and ensure she is playing the correct ones. Should she get stuck, ask her if the next note moves up or down and by how many lines and spaces to help her get to the answer. We will finalize this next week in class.
Vida:
This week we looked at the Piano Adventures level 2A book. I’ve uploaded “Free Willy” to the google drive, see the link below! Please help her to continue sight reading this when practicing at home. Should she feel confident you can slowly start to play this piece hands together. I’ve also uploaded to corresponding work page Vida asked about at the end of the lesson. Please look at this together, help her to add up the beats in each whale and to clap each rhythm pattern you see. We will review this in class next week.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1_EQwQJLHjerrQcN8iBRYAz_31kYz_zGU?usp=sharing
Thank you everyone for your work this past week! I look forward to our next lessons.
Happy Practicing!
Assignments from January 25th
Hello!
What a great Saturday full of lessons!
Berke:
Today we reviewed our scales. Please continue practicing C Major hands together, paying close attention to the fingerings of the descent of the scale. Start to practice G Major hands together slowly. When practicing the triads at the end of the scale please ensure Berke plays these with his first, third, fourth, and fifth fingers. The chord should always start with the first finger (thumb) in the right hand, and fifth finger in the left hand. Practicing proper fingerings will help to ensure Berke’s fingers do not get tangled in ascending and descending scales. We also started to sight-read a new piece today! Berke expressed an interest in playing Mozart, so I have chosen Mozart’s Minuet in F Major. This is a selection in the Level One Royal Conservatory Repertoire book. Please help Berke to sight-read this at home up to the end of the second phrase. Should he get stuck, ask if the next note moves up or down and by how many lines and spaces. This will help guide Berke to the answer as we continue to learn how to sight read. You can also rely on the note names sheet I sent home the first week. A copy of this sheet as well as the Minuet and the C Major triads has been uploaded to the google drive. You can find these in the link below.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1bJUyXO3FeNBIdhir_V72u45oNlDvneD1?usp=sharing
Thank you for the great lesson today! Happy practicing!
Preferred Books for Gergely’s Students
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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
