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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Latest Homework from Gergely
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Assignments for the Week of October 9th, 2024
Sara
Listening: Franz Schubert’s “Gute Nacht” from Winterreise (“Good Night” from Winter Journey)
Technical Exercises
Continuing in B Major – Review fingerings from attached page for scales (LH especially just to be confident!) and triads.
-Triads – watching out that we are always outlining each chord inversion with fingers 1 and 5 (which feels much different from our arpeggio fingerings in this key).
-Broken triads – practicing hands separately thinking about leading from our elbow! “Drawing circles” going down and out from the center with your elbows as you play each inversion.
Bartok
Focusing in on #20-24 – double checking details like strange key signatures, noticing when our patterns are broken, working through trying to keep your eyes an entire measure ahead of what you are playing!
Lesson Book – Sonatina in F Major
Working hands separately, watching for patterns and things that you recognize (like scales, triad shapes, etc.).
-Practicing slowly in small groups of measures, focusing in on places that may catch us off guard like measures 19-22 where our pattern changes.
-For LH, being careful to check in and relax our hand/wrist – use your arm to help stay relaxed like our broken triad exercises.
Schubert
Continue HS work – keeping your pencil handy to mark in any unfamiliar notes on ledger lines, any extra fingerings that you need reminders of, as well as circling/starring any new ideas that may catch you off guard (like the shift in harmony at the very end)
-for RH: focusing in and practicing sections where we have a lot of textures in one hand (like in measures 24-26 or so)
-for LH: playing LH jumps as a solid blocked chord (like we talked about in Pierrot and Pierrette) so that we are able to understand how much or little things change between chords.
Hakim
Technical Exercises
Practicing 5 finger major scale patterns, starting on C, G, D, A, and E
-finding chords/major triads in each position using fingers 1-3-5
Distant Chimes
Doubling checking starting notes for each new hand position, mark down the note names for your starting positions.
-Practice hands separately and hands together as solid chords in fingers 1 and 5 to get used to the changing hand positions.
Clara
Technical Exercises
5 finger scales starting on C, G, and D.
-Practicing stepping legato/smoothly, and staccato/bouncy; saying note names and finger numbers out loud. Practice hands separately and together, trying out in different registers of the keyboard.
Lesson Book – Pages 42-46, focusing on reading steps on the staff around Middle C and Treble G. Faber scans for Clara – 42-46
Homework for October 8-15
Hi Henry and Noreet! Great lessons today! Here is your homework for next week, October 18:
Henry
How much to practice: 5-10 mins each day
What to practice: Mary Had a Little Lamb lines 3 and 4, page 16 in Piano Theory Workbook
How to practice:
Mary Had a Little Lamb- Remember that line 3 is just like line 1 except it has 4 Es instead of 3 at the end, use the fingering chart to help you.
Piano Theory page 16: label all the CDEs and colour each note in its correct colour.
How parents can support practice: Follow along the song chart with him, sing along if necessary to help him hear and play the song correctly; guide him with colouring the notes in Theory Workbook as well
Noreet
How much to practice: 10 min piano, 10 min voice each day
What to practice:
Piano- C scale hands together slowly, Adventure Warmups in C and G
Voice- Warmup exercise we did in lesson, Pina Colada
How to practice:
C scale- Go slow; remember to alternate finger changes between 3 and 4 as well as switching to go down the scale after two octaves
Adventure Warmups- Do not slow down tempo when you play the broken chord, keep each finger on its corresponding key the whole time (especially LH 3 on E)
Voice- Practice singing warmup exercise and Pina Colada with tip of the tongue placed behind lower teeth
How parents can support practice: Monitor her practicing close by to make sure she stays focused and on track
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
