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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Assignments from Thursday February 26th
Hello Everyone!
I hope you’re all enjoying the early spring weather!
Georgia
Georgia can continue to practice The Rainbow hands separate. Please have her practice the Andante and Adagio parts separately. She should play slowly, watching the sheet music as she plays, and count out loud to help ensure rhythmic accuracy. She should practice the left hand of the Andante twice before practicing the right hand as we are less familiar with the left hand. Once Georgia has reviewed both the right and left hand of the Andante, encourage her to go back and start piecing the song together with both hands. She does not have to play in time as she does this, instead encourage her to name the notes out loud so that she can see how the two lines match up. Do the same for the Adagio section.
Benji
For this week, Benji can continue to warm up with the C Major and G Major scales. He should play both of these hands together. Benji has also been given the D Major scale this week. The fingering for this scale is the same as C and G, but with 2 sharps (F sharp and C sharp). Benji should continue to practice Young Hunter hands separate. Please have Benji review all three lines and should he get stuck or forget the name of a note, help guide him to the answer by asking him if the next note is higher or lower than the one he just played, and by how many steps. Most of the song is in 3rds! Please also help Benji by reminding him that the left hand part in the first and third line descends at the end.
Eva
Please help Eva this week as she continues to practice Young Hunter. Help her read the notes by reminding her of the silly pneumonic phrases “Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge” “FACE in the Space” “Green Bugs Dont Fly Away” and “All Cows Eat Grass”. If she wants to make up new silly pneumonic phrases to help her remember she can, but the first letter of each word should match the notes on the staff!
Clara
This week when practicing the Musette, Clara should focus on the B section of the piece. Practice playing this section hands together, slowly, so that Clara can focus on lining up her octave jumps overtop of the right hand. Clara can also start to practice the Pink Panther theme! She should review the left hand, but focus on the right hand. This song has triplets! Clara learned that she can count these by saying or thinking “Tri-pl-et”. The first triplet is tied to the eighth note before hand so she should use her knowledge of the theme song so gauge how to play these for this week. We will review how to count this accurately next week. Clara can also bring in the other arrangement of Pink Panther you found online next week so that we can compare the two.
Thank you everyone!
Looking forward to seeing you all in class next week!
Efe – Feb 21st
Hi Efe! Sending you strength for this Ramadan!
Here is this week’s material.
Google Drives
— Em pentatonic scale – Feb 14th & 21st
This week’s Drive has the picture for the last set set of frets for this scale. The Feb 14th Drive gives you access to the other recent frets I assigned in this scale. Improvise with all of these on this backing track. Cool blues
— F#m scale – Feb 21st
This week’s Drive shows an F sharp minor scale. This is what Greenday uses when playing their melodies and the solo of Boulevard of Broken Dreams.
- Start getting used to playing it in this position.
- Start to remember what it sounds like.
— Octave chords
- Try playing those octave chords I was showing you in class. Fingers 1 and 4 only.
- Bottom 2 strings: 2 frets over and 2 strings up. This “square” shape makes the octave. Make sure finger 1 is muting the string in between.
- Middle 2 strings: 3 frets over and 2 strings up. The “rectangle” shape makes the octave. Make sure finger 1 is muting the string in between.
- We’ll be using these chords in Boulevard of Broken Dreams.
— Boulevard of Broken Dream – Feb 14th
- Last time’s Drive has the video to practice the same chord progression with. Please keep going with this. Really well done on this today!
- Listen to the song some more. YouTube link — You’ll hear the chords that sound like the octaves I was telling you about.
— Acoustic Open – Feb 7th
- Keep playing the first 12 bars.
- Try playing bars 13-15.
- (Bars 16-19 are a good challenge IF you have time for this. Not urgent.)
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
