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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Saturday May 13 Lessons – Erin P
Enjoy the sunshine this week and Happy Mother’s Day to all!!!
Isabella
Princess or Monster – Practice this one loud and slow like a Monster and I will learn the duet to play it with you next week. To make sure you have it a steady tempo, please try playing it with the accompaniment found by scanning the QR code on the page.
B Major scale – This scale has only 2 white keys = B and E. RH fingering is like normal 123 12345 (thumb on white keys), and LH starts on 4321 4321. Great rounded fingers today!
Jadon
Stairway – Here is a video of the composer himself playing this. You were very successful sightreading this today!
Continue to work on Interstellar and Canon x Memories.
Marco
Indiana Jones – HT for the measures 5-13 and just the RH melody until the end of page 1. Notice the “pickup” beat that the melody begins on – this means the RH will play E and F alone, and then the LH chords will begin as RH plays G. Bite sized steps to work up to this can include: tapping the LH quarter notes on your lap while playing the RH, or just playing the LH root notes while RH plays like I showed you today.
Never Gonna Give You Up – Chorus played hands together until the end of the song. Notice the one higher variation of the melody I circled on the lyrics “say goodbye”.
*New* Going Undercover – This piece uses a repetitive C Minor riff in the RH and layers it over ascending and descending basslines to sound like video game/movie music. The most important thing here will be keeping it EVEN with a very steady pulse. The first half of the piece the LH descends slowly, and the second half the LH ascends using staccato quarter notes to keep the pulse. First step is to learn both hands at a steady tempo before combining them.
Daniel
The Wind – Amazing! This was 95% of the way there today, so our goal to make it 100% can be achieved by smoothing out the typing of lines 2 and 3. Notice the fingering I highlighted in pink will make you able to play these triads with zero hesitation in between.
Ditty of Yimeng Mountain – really nice improvement. Goal this week is to be able to play through without repeating the notes where one phrase ends and the other begins. Go at a slow enough tempo that you can keep it pushing without stops. The rolled chord timing is great now, keep it up. Notice the easier fingering we wrote for the final LH phrase as well.
*New* Stairway – Here is the composer himself playing this. The LH is simply a descending F major scale. The RH has some syncopated parts, which you played accurately today, and if you need a reminder of the counts for them, look the middle exercise on the reverse of your paper. I look forward to seeing what you achieve with this this week!
Next week I will hear your formula pattern and we will move on from them to other technique IF you ever showing me accurate fingering and the ability to change directions without stopping the scale.
The song ending I taught you begins on the root note of whatever key the song you’re ending is in, so for example a C Major piece would end like: C E F F# G A B C C.
Julian
*New* Sword Dance – this piece is in ternary form (ABA). The A section is when the sword fighting is actively happening and should be loud, definite and fast. The B section is when our swordsman is traversing high cliffs and is taking cautious steps to make sure he doesn’t fall – it should sound quieter, smoother and slower. Then the fight begins again as the A section returns. The notes are not the tricky part in this piece, the attention to detail and artistry is our learning outcome of this one so get dramatic with it!
Continue to practice your hands together C Major scale. You played it accurately today in lesson, but it can be more confident and secure with steady practice. Warmup with it each day :)
April 26th
Gerardo:
“Tchaikovsky’s theme”: Try to speed it up a little bit (use the metronome to go gradually faster).
Practice the pedal changes. Make sure you are lifting the foot at the right moment. Stop and listen: you should not get the two chords mixed, or a halt in between chords.
“The Girl from Ipanema”: Practice the song by doing the bass line in the left hand. Remember that sometimes you’ll change the direction of the motion (up-down/down-up).
Caedan:
Piano Adventures p. 26 “Traffic Jam 2nds”. For this exercise, in the first line make sure he understands he is just going in opposite directions with his hands. That’s going to make it far easier for him. In the last bar, make sure he’s playing the correct notes (D-C in the right hand and F-E in the left).
Practice “Luigi’s Mansion” and “Overworld Theme”. For the latter, in the B section, it would be better if he plays the low part (FA-AC) with the left hand and the high part right after (F-A) with the right hand, instead of jumping between registers all the time.
Zoe:
“Paris, Texas”: Practice the following things, separately, then try to add them one by one:
- drag a little the melody C-D-Eb-F-G-Ab-G. You are playing it faster than your tempo.
- don’t think of the high notes as high notes and the big leaps as big leaps. Thinking of them as easier than they are is going to help you with your control over your voice.
- Practice the pedal with the corrected position (the heel must touch the floor, and your leg should form an obtuse angle on your knee).
- Play softer.
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
