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 April 26th
Hello!
Friendly reminder that our recital is next Sunday, May 4th at 1:30pm! It would be so great if you could attend, even if you are not performing!
Berke:
For this week, I challenge you to play Minuet in F Major for other people; friends, family, anyone who will listen. This will help you practice performing! When playing the Minuet, practice pushing through even if a mistake happens! Persevere to the end, then you can go back an address any errors. You can also record yourself so that you can listen back to what you just played. When listening back, ask yourself what you like about the performance and what you want to improve for next time, if anything. Also, when listening to yourself play, please be sure to follow along in the sheet music; this will help highlight any areas that need improvement. When practicing Moonlight Sonata this week, focus on bars 5 and 6. Practice the triads in the right hand and the melody of the right hand separately. Make sure to practice playing those triads with your first, third, and fourth finger as you will need the fifth finger to play the melody. Only when you are confident with the chords on their own should you add in the upper melody on the G#. When putting the two ideas together, practice at half the speed you can play the res of the song. Pay close attention to how each note fits together like a puzzle. When your fingers are comfortable playing both bars 5 and 6 all together, go back and play the all 6 bars together start to finish.
Great lesson today! I look forward to hearing you play more Moonlight Sonata next week.
Assignments from April 24th
Hello Everyone!
Friendly reminder that our student recital is scheduled for next Sunday, May 4th at 1:30pm. It would be so great if all of you could attend even if you are not performing!
Noreet:
I hope you are having a fabulous time in Europe!
Vida:
For this week, please have Vida practice Rhino in the Mud! This is a great option for the recital. Help Vida record herself playing the song so she can hear, then ask her what specifically she likes about what she is doing and if there are any areas she wants to improve upon or change. Also, talk to her about the recital. Please remind her that “performance” is a skill on its own and requires practice as well. The recital would be a great chance to practice performing for an audience. The deadline to sign up is this Tuesday, if Vida does decide she want to perform, feel free to reach out to me via opus and I will add her name to the list. Continue to practice Mr. McGill’s Boop Sha Bop. Encourage Vida to use the metronome to ensure her eighth notes are “balanced” and stay in tempo. Vida should also use the second note in bars 10-12 and 14 as a “launchpad” to the next set of eighth notes. We will talk more about this in class next week. I’ve also uploaded a video of a rhythm exercise to the google drive for Vida to practice. With one hand, Vida is to tap quarter notes and with her left hand tap eighth notes at the same time. We tried this in class together, (its very much like rubbing your tummy and patting your head at the same time). Try this at different tempos so Vida can feel how the eighth notes fit into the quarter note. Please help Vida to sight-read more of Under the Sea before reviewing the material she played for me in class. Aim to read and practice at least 4 new bars so that Vida can add on to what she has already learned. You can find the video of the rhythm exercise here.
Eva:
This week we sight-read the second phrase of Sailing in the Sun! Please help Eva review these notes at home and encourage her to play this phrase for you! You can also take turns reading and playing. Have Eva name the notes as you play them then switch and help Eva name the notes as she plays. When she feels confident playing the second phrase, challenge her to play both the first phrase and second phrase together. Eva can also finish the colouring sheet I sent home. Have her assign a colour to each note, then ask her to find that specific note for that chosen colour e.x colour each F Green! The notes on the colouring sheet are identical to Sailing in the Sun, feel free to use the music in the book for reference and clarification if needed as I know Emma’s writing can be messy.
Christian:
This week please practice forming and playing the chords in your left hand for the first 8 bars of How Long Will I Love You. Also, sight-read as much as of the right hand in the 3rd phrase as you can on your own. When practicing the chords in the right hand at the beginning, focus on connecting each chord, with or without the roll. Use the metronome to ensure you are holing the chords for their full length. When practicing Morning, isolate any areas where you are pausing or are unsure of the notes. Practice these areas and bars on their own before connecting them back into the rest of the song. Work towards playing the whole song smoothly from start to finish by practicing at a slow tempo and slowly getting faster with each repetition. You can use the metronome for this if you find that helpful.
Thank you everyone for your hard work this week! I’ve seen some exciting improvements across all lessons. Keep up the great work!
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
