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.
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Latest Homework from Gergely
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Assignments from December 11th
Hello Everybody!
I hope you’re all staying warm and well this winter season!
Georgia:
This week for warm up Georgia can start playing her C Major scale hands together slowly. Review the fingering and pattern hands separately before trying hands together. When playing Purple Cow this week, Georgia should count out loud (1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +) to help her see when the right and left hands line up. This will also help her see the “pick up” in the melody of the B section. We also started reading the Waltz in class. Please encourage Georgia to sight-read this on her own at home and we will continue to learn this piece in class next week!
Noreet:
This week Noreet performed all of Ode to Joy with note and rhythm accuracy! She can continue to play this song as a part of her repertoire at home if she wishes. In class we focused on rhythmic accuracy when playing I Am the King. Noreet is encouraged to count out loud (1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +) when playing to help highlight the rhythms as she sees them on the page and to help her accuracy when playing them. Should she find a certain bar or rhythm challenging, encourage her to say and/or clap the rhythm out loud before trying to play it again on the piano. Noreet can also feel free to draw lines to indicate the MACRO beat ( 1 2 3 4) in any challenging bar for clarity. Please use Pencil when doing this so we can correct in class if necessary.
Eva:
Eva can play each phrase of Classic Dance with tonal, rhythmic, and technical accuracy! When playing this song at home, encourage her to play all three phrases connected so that there is no gap or pause in the song where there shouldn’t be. If this is challenging, encourage Eva by asking her to play the end of one phrase and the beginning of the next phrase so that she can see where the two phrases connect. Eva can also continue to work on Young Tiger. We reviewed the first phrase of this song together in class. When practicing this song at home pay close attention to the staccato symbols and the tie at the end of the phrase. The line between the three ‘Es’ at the end of the first phrase is a tie. Eva should play the E for the combined value of all three notes! We will review this concept in class next week. Finally, please bring Eva’s notebooks next week so that we can correct them and add onto them.
Benji:
Hope you’re well and looking forward to seeing you next week! Please continue to practice The Haunted Mouse hands together, paying close attention to where the right and left hands overlap!
Clara:
Clara can continue to play the Rossini hands together. Encourage Clara to record this song so she can hear if there are areas where she would like to improve. Please also find a professional recording online of this song for Clara to hear. Having a musical comparison of the song should help Clara say more about what she likes about her own playing and which techniques she would like to learn or improve upon. In class we dictated Joy to the World together! I have uploaded a digital copy of Joy to the World as well as Silent Night in Clara’s student folder on google drive. You can find those here! Clara can continue to dictate Angels We Have Heard on High and Hark the Herald Angels Sing on her own using the blank staff paper provided to her. Please bring this back next week and we will correct it together.
Thank you everyone!
Looking forward to seeing you all next week for our last lesson of 2025!
Homework for December 10-17
Nova
Great work today Nova! Here is this week’s homework:
Duration of practice: 15-20 minutes a day
What to practice: Ode to Joy, Mozart, C Rock, Theory from last week
How to practice:
Ode to Joy-
Isolate and work on tricky parts (E to F in bridge). Try slowly, hands separate, and/or with different rhythms like we did in the lesson.
Follow the dynamic chart I made. Remember that playing quieter does not mean changing the speed or articulation.
Play the whole piece legato except for when notes repeat, those should be detached.
Mozart- Review
C Rock-
This is mostly a left hand piece, except for 3 parts where right hand plays, all on finger 3 (get it? 3s! :D).
Practice the bouncy motion of staccato. Similar to Ode to Joy, when notes are not repeated, they should be played legato. If they’re repeated and don’t have a staccato dot, they should be detached.
Watch the half notes on line 2.
Theory- Practice the playing exercise and complete the homework if you haven’t already. ** Please bring your book next week, as I would like to check your work before the holiday break :))
How parents can support practice: Listen and guide if needed. Remind them to spend a little bit of time at the piano each day, and to bring their piano and theory book to the lesson.
See you next week :)
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
