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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Thursday February 29 Lessons – Erin P
Everyone is sounding awesome! Great, great job everyone! Way to put in the work!
Liam
At Night at the River – hands together. The 4 bars that I underlined need isolation. When playing any left hand line, think long-short-long -short. Be sure to disconnect the line and move your hand, rather than stretch the octave between the F#s.
Beethoven in Piano Pronto – All. Really great job with the accents and articulation! Your details are bang on. The bridge goes through multiple key centres so read your accidentals carefully.
Give your scales some more hands seperate love with attention to the fingering specifically.
Katarina
Laundry Limbo – all 4 pieces. This unit is about playing the notes D, E and F in both hands, sometimes in unison, sometimes taking turns. Use the finger number clues over the first notes to find your starting position and keep your hands there. We want to make sure all our fingers get to play.
Today we played a few pieces from the level 1 Piano Adventures Lesson book including Firefly, some of Ferris Wheel, and Young Hunter.
Sara
Maple Leaf Rag – love the accents you’re adding in to the LH.
*New* Desafinado – Listen here. This is a Bossa Nova which is Brazilian in heritage! No swing feel.
Warsaw Session – wow ,nice job with all the counting details! Add in pedal now.
https://www.musictheory.net/exercises/ear-interval/afrdyyngneyyyyyy
Marco
Superman Theme – add LH. When I drew lines it means the hands play together, when I drew an arrow, the RH comes in between the bass line. Go slow and be sure you are getting the beats in the right places.
Song of the Dark Woods – all. Very accurate fingering! Great work! The next line uses many accidentals, but fingering enables a very smooth LH line:
*New* Cranky Cat – m1-8. Listen here. We circled triads that appear and labeled them. Be sure to bounce staccato, it will help with the leaps too.
Keep all technique prepared.
Daniel
Pierrot Skipping – All. Practice in 4 bar chunks. Use the phrase line markings as a guide.
Keep all technique skills prepared. Formula sounded nice today.
River Dance – All. Very nice job. Be careful not to rush the 2nd bar of the pattern, just quarter notes.
Greta – teacher code #130747
*New* Song of the Dark Woods – 2 lines. This piece is in D minor, watch your fingering and Bbs. Similar to the Snake, shape and grow to the top of each phrase.
Angelfish – All. Great job keeping it even. Now do the written fingering to get the melody line legato.
Great job on the technique.
Saturday February 24 Lessons – Erin P
Hakim
Pumpkin Boogie – This piece is in ternary form which is a fancy word for saying there’s an A part, B part, and then the A comes back. You are doing a great job of the RH rhythm!! Careful reading is important because this piece uses both B naturals AND B flats. Listen here.
G major scale hands together – do this one with both hands starting on G and going upwards. Same fingering as C major.
C major triads – Today was the best you’ve played these for me! Great fingering and nice note accuracy. Keep at it!
Maria
Viva La Vida – Great work! I would play both parts hands seperate along with the recording to “get it in your fingers”. Internalizing the LH groove is half the battle.
Shakira
Chopin Waltz – you took a picture of this one. Everytime a finger number appears in a circle, it means you move to that new hand position.
G Major scale – This uses the same exact fingering as your C scale does, except it starts on G and has one black key – F#. It will go GABCDE F# G.
Noreet
The Juggler – This piece has a LH melody, which should be louder than the RH accompaniment. Be sure to follow the written instructions for doing the
C Major Contrary motion scale – remember only one thumb under motion in one octave. 123 12345 going outwards.
C Major triads – play these broken (one note at a time) and solid (all 3 notes at once). CEG, then EGC, GCE, then CEG again. RH fingering will be 135, 125, 135, 135. LH fingering will go 531, 531, 521, 531.
Grace
To a Wild Rose – gorgeous! You can start polishing this and exaggerating the dynamics more. For example if there’s multiple diminuendos in a row, you may have to start each phrase a little louder than the previous one so you actually have room to get quieter. I think your tempo is perfectly fine.
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
