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!
Coming soon!
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Least favourite food:
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Latest Homework from Gergely
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Tuesday, September 24th
Josh
ACDC: Back in Black
–Great work!
–Now work on everything up until verse three: Chorus section! Add in crashes on the “1”, and on the words “Back in Black”
–Great work playing along to the recording, and fitting the crashes into the beginning of the beat
Visual Drum Method: We’ll start on this book next week.
Myles
Warmups:
–Flam Paradiddles (rL-R-L-L lR-L-R-R)
–8 on a Hand, goal tempo= 130bpm using a metronome
Drumset Musician: 12/8 Exercises (in google drive Frequently Used folder)
–Learn the first 7 exercises
–You can count this either “1-2-3-4-5-6-…” or “1-trip-let 2-let”. Which one do you find easier?
QOTSA: Keep Your Eyes Peeled
–Begin learning the main groove (on the handout in your binder)
–Leave the open-hihat splashes out of it for now
Noah
Warmups (1min each per practice session):
–Triplet Exercise (1mm RH, 2mm LH) @ 95bpm
–Sixteenth-note Exercise 75bpm
Green Day: American Idiot–up to the end of the second line on p3**
–Great work!
–Make sure to keep the sixteenth-notes on the floor tom in time–tricky! but you can do it
–Add in the next verse, and work on the new fill in the second line of p3: go slowly, playing only quarters on the floor tom
Finn
Warmups (30sec each):
–Single Strokes
–Double Strokes
–8 on a hand
–Try playing these at three different speeds (slow, med, fast)
Basic Beat Level 2:
–Great work!
–Make sure you’re only getting one contact per stroke. Don’t crush the stroke! Bounce like a trampoline
–If it gets tricky, remember two strategies: 1) slow down! 2) break it down into smaller chunks
***Basic Beat LEVEL 3
–Same as Level 2, but the Bass Drum plays on “1”, “2”, “3”, and “4”
Queen: We Will Rock You
–Nice job!
New SONG!!! Survivor: Eye of the Tiger
–The main beat for this song is Basic Beat level 3. Try playing that beat along with the song!
Francisco
Warmups (30sec/ea., find goal speed):
–8 on a hand (140bpm)
–Singles (sixteenths at 140bpm)
–doubles (16ths at 90)
–Paradiddles (16ths at 90)
Bon Jovi: Livin On a Prayer
–Excellent work
–Open hihat with those three snare hits in the second ending for the verse
–“4 +a” on hihats should be hand-to-hand (R-L-R). This should make it much easier!
Saturday, September 21st
Jack
Puss in Boots drills:
1) Playing the beat with your LH
2) playing along with the sticking L-R-L-rest, repeatedly
3) playing along alternating between “L-R-L” and “R-L-R”
Jack has really been enjoying watching the Montreal drummer Max Sansalone on Youtube (Channel: dimsunk)! He might like to watch more of his videos at home.
Nova
Warmups:
–Stick Control first 13 exercises
Remi Wolf: Photo ID
–Intro fill (3e a4e+ )
–Main beat: Basic beat level two
–Verse: drums drop out, bass drum pattern
–For next week: fills in the second chorus
Xylophone:
–C Major Scale and Arpeggio (C-E-G-c-G-E-C)
–Piano Adventures p 46-47 (counting in 3)
Cirone Book: “Step 6” (pdf in Nova’s personal gdrive folder)
–Review note reading using the Step 6 melodic exercises
–If you need help or a reminder about which notes are which, look back at lesson 5
–Be careful to follow the correct stickings and rhythms!
Aleksander–Welcome!!
Warmups (30 sec each):
–Single strokes (R L R L…)
–Double Strokes (R R L L….)
–Paradiddles (RLRR LRLL…)
Basic Beat Exercise Level 1
Step 1) Count “1 2 3 4”
Step 2) With your right hand, play the Hihat on all counts
Step 3) With your right foot, add in the Bass Drum on “1” and “3”
Step 4) With your Left hand, add in the Snare Drum on “2” and “4”
Level 2! Same as 1 but with eighth-notes on the hihat instead
Step 1) Count “1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + ”
Step 2) With your right hand, play the Hihat on all counts
Step 3) With your right foot, add in the Bass Drum on “1” and “3”
Step 4) With your Left hand, add in the Snare Drum on “2” and “4”
Koel–Welcome Back!
Goals for this year:
–a few more songs than last year
–Jazz: challenging but fun
–Finish off VH: Jump
Warmups (1min each):
–Triplet Ex. 125bpm**
–Ride pattern exercise with sixteenth exercise on the cymbal (goal tempo 105)
Van Halen: Jump (scan of chart in your personal folder)
–Drill counting out the into to make sure your opening fills land at the right time
–Work on everything up until the chorus***
Tracie
Warmups:
–Triplet exercise (85bpm)
–Rhythm Ex. 60bpm–>counting!
Deftones: Minerva
–Make sure to count aloud
–You’re doing a great job of playing this beat in time with the song, but remember to adjust slightly if you get off…don’t panic!
–Begin listening to the rest of the song and see if you can identify when/where/how the drum parts change in different sections
Have fun in New York next week!
Jared
Warmups:
–Stick Control ex 1-13 goal tempo: 70bpm
—-Play each exercise 4 times, one measure rest before moving on
Bruno Mars: Treasure
–Awesome
Bruno Mars: Uptown Funk (chart in your personal folder–please print)
–Everything up until the chorus
–Make sure the snare hits in the chorus begin at the right time (“and” of 3)
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
