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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Efe – Mar 14th
Hi Efe!
Here’s a rundown of the material I’d like you to look at for the next couple weeks.
Boulevard of Broken Dreams
— The Google Drive of the previous week
— Here is the latest Unlisted YouTube video covering the bullet points below: Link
- The riff that transitions from the main one into the chorus
- The riff that transitions from the chorus back into the main riff
- Everything in the ending riff of the song
— The solo of this song is played with the octave chords we’ve been talking about. When I see you next, we’ll be working on the solo.
— I added a picture to this Google Drive. It has the new set of chords we agreed you’d be playing for the Octave Chords’ game. The frets are different, because reaching them where the video says is not a comfortable reach for you on your guitar.
F#m scale
— Keep working on this scale. From the last Google Drive. Starting on fret 9.
Final note
I know you’ll be gone for 3 weeks from here, Efe, so I’ve assigned all this in such a way that it’s realistic for you to be able to sound very good on all of it. I’m not giving more because I want you to really work on feeling comfortable playing and knowing the parts I’ve assigned here.
Wishing you a great 3 weeks! Take care!
Thursday, March 12
Josh
We continued working on Numb today. We revised the hi-hat pattern and what seems to be hard for Josh is to remember about the paradiddle and its sticking after going back to bar 1. This has to do with the fact that Josh usually learn through his ears, and as a result, when he is asked to actively observe markings on the page that give him hints, he has a harder time with it. However he was able to add in the bass drum quite effortlessly and I am happy to see the progress he made with this intricate groove. For March break, though I understand he will be on vacation, I have assigned Wonderwall to him as a new song, and so I will like for him to print out the music, but also just practise tapping out the main groove that is notated on the Numb handout. Continue to practise Numb, and try to bring up the speed.
Zico
We started lesson with a play through of Fly As Me and I would like to congratulate him for his hard work paying off with the song. However there is one lick that he continue to be stuck with and I demonstrated to him how to dissect a phrase and practise it effectively. I gave him the challenge to play that same lick to me next class in concert speed. Now we also move on to Sir Duke by Stevie Wonder. The song is not too complicated, and I would like for him to learn the feel of the groove through listening to the song. Practise the push pull motion that is required for the swung pattern on hihat, and observe how the groove relate to the bass line and the horn section.
Noah
We played thr0ugh When I Come Around today. The song is quite easy for Noah to pickup, and I am seeing major improvement in Noah’s ability to keep a beat. The section that is hard for Noah to do that is the ride section, where there are some triplets and 32nd notes that slightly throws him off. I circled bars that needs more attention and next class we will start with a play through. We will move on to Smooth Criminal after.
Finn
We revisited Kids with a Gun. Great job with the coordination, but need to slightly control the sound quality of the open hihat. We will work on that in the next song, which is Otherside by RHCP. It is similar to Can’t Stop, another RHCP he played in the past. So I will like for him to practise the one intro bar with rim shots, and also revise the Cant Stop groove.
Henry
We continued working on 21 Guns this class. Henry is doing very well with the counting and observing the change in the pattern very well. We have worked till bar 23 and over March break I would like for him to aim to play from the start up til. bar 23 and if possible, learn bar 24 as well, as that completes the phrase. The score has the lyrics on top if Henry ever needs a tip for how the melody goes for each passage.
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
