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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Latest Homework from Gergely
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Homework for September 16
Great work today students! Here is today’s homework:
Liga
Recommended minutes to practice: up to half an hour a day
What to practice: Breathing/yawning exercises, scales and belting exercises we did in warmup, You’ll be Back
How to practice: Observe the movement of your diaphragm while breathing. You can place your hands on either your stomach or on either side of your hips to feel the muscle expand and contract. Make sure that every phrase of singing has a breath, and that the soft palate is lifted (you can do this by yawning). Use your diaphragm and chest for the lower register, and add the head in the upper register (also known as mixing). Play with diction and dynamics.
Nora
Recommended minutes to practice: 10-15 minutes a day
What to practice: The Flyer, Off to the Circus
How to practice: Review notes and their placements on the staff, thinking about step wise motion. When playing, make sure notes connect but not overlap or detach.
Saturday, Sept 12
Jonah
We did some audition prep ahead of the TSYO audition later in the afternoon and were happy to see Jonah’s growth in orchestral percussion playing and understanding for orchestral repertoire grow over this preparation process. I would love to work on more excerpts with Jonah if that is of interest for him.
Zico
With the understanding the Zico currently doesn’t have access to floor tom and some other pieces of the set, I have suggested to Zico that we work a little bit of rudimental snare drum solo. I have assigned Drum Corp on Parade from the “14 Modern Contest Solos for Snare Drum” book by Pratt, and have gone through the first two lines with him. I would like Zico to work till the four lines by himself for this week. I would like him to especially pay attention to paradiddle and the execution of flams on both hands. For this style of drumming, we want to keep the hand as low as possible besides the accenting note. We also want to stay as relaxed as possible, and the accents should be seen as an underlying melody of each phrase.
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.


