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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Assignments from March 20th
Hello Everyone!
I hope you all enjoyed your March Break!
Noreet:
Today we sight-read Mr. Haydn’s Theme and reviewed the meaning of transposition and modulation; when the song starts in one key and ends in a different one. Noreet can continue to practice the right and left hands of Mr. Haydn’s theme separately until she feels confident to try playing hands together. Noreet is able to find the first note of the song, if she forgets, please remind her that the ledger line in the middle of the staff is always middle C. Noreet can also feel free to go back through her book and review previous songs we have studied together. This is in anticipation of an upcoming student recital – I will have more information about this in April.
Vida:
Vida can continue to practice “Green Frog Hop” and “Theme and Variation”. Play with tempo this week; “Green Frog” can be played quickly while “Theme and Variation” should be played at a moderate tempo. “Green Frog Hop” is to be played no faster than 185BPM, this is fast enough for Vida’s liking but not too fast that we miss out on the melody. “Theme and Variation” is to be played at 120BPM on the metronome. Have her play along with the metronome at least once to internalize each tempo. Pay close attention to the running eight note figure in the Variation, please help Vida to ensure all eight notes are played evenly, that none of them “stick”, and that the phrase is played smoothly throughout. Record this one when Vida is ready so that she can hear the melody of the song – if the melody is unclear have her play it slower. Finally, help Vida practice her sight-reading with “Under the Sea”.
Eva:
I’m sorry we missed you today. Eva can continue to practice different rhythm patterns on the piano. She can also write her own rhythm pattern if she would like. Please help her to write these out if she wishes and ensure she uses the correct names for each note. See the flashcards in Eva’s google drive folder to help this process.
Christian:
For this week, warm up with the “French Minuet”. Play this entirely with one hand (even the one bar indicated for the left hand). You can alternate playing this with the right and left hand. Play it as quickly as you are comfortable with, being mindful of your fingerings so your fingers do not get tangled up when ascending or descending. Continue to practice the chord progression for “How Long Will I Love You”. Use the bottom note of each chord to map out where your fingers land for each chord – this will help with faster transitions between chords. When confident playing the pattern of the chord progression, try adding in the roll. Review the first two phrases of the right hand, watching out for where the melody is in stepwise motion or leaping intervals. You can also read more of the piece to challenge your sight-reading.
Happy practicing everyone!
Saturday, March 22nd
Next week is my last week at ABC. :( I’ll be sad to say goodbye to all of you, but maybe we can stay in touch during my travels in England and Indonesia! All the best with Thomas going forward.
Jack
Benny Greb Rhythmic Alphabet
–Learn which drums correspond to which space/line on the staff
Today we played along to Michael Jackson’s Bad, Thriller, and P.Y.T. Let’s do some more Michael Jackson: Bad
–We warmed up with this song playing the beat along with my piano palying and the backing track
Visual Drumset Method p.11-12
–You can find beginning exercises in the Frequently Used Resources Folder>Visual Drumset Method
–Work on these first six exercises. Today, Jack found it helped to play the hihat part with his Left Foot instead of the typical Right Hand
Nova
Warmups:
–You are AMAZING!!!
–This week, we learned D Major (it has two sharps: F# and C#). Add it into your warmups
FIFTY FIFTY: Cupid
–See chart in your google drive folder
==drums next week=
Benny Greb’s Rhythmic Alphabet
–Today we began putting different words on different drums, learning how different instruments are written on the Drum Set Staff.
–You forgot your handout here! Oh no! But don’t worry, I’ll upload it to your google drive folder :)
Igoe’s Groove Essentials: Rock Groove 2 SLOW (chart and backing track in google drive)
–This week, learn to play the basic beat and Variation A along with the track
–Be sure to count carefully to keep yourself in time, and remember that your Bass Drum plays at the same time as the guitar in Variation A
Three types of creativity:
1) Reproducing
2) Responding
3) Imagining
Use this to guide you in creating drum beats and fills on the song “Baby Beluga”
–Sing the melody in yoru head, and see how you can reproduce, respond to, or imagine alongside it
Jonah
==Xylophone==
Warmups: see Xylophone Warmup Sheet in the Google Drive PLEASE PRINT
–This week, add in Bb Major and D Major***
NEW SONG Michael Jackson: Bad
–Drill the A minor blues scale (A-C-D-D#-E-G-A) and use that to play the Bad ostinato
==Drums==
Warmups:
–Paradiddle combo exercise with bass drum playing quarters. Accent the beginning of each paradiddle
Paul Simon: Late in the Evening
–You can find the chart for this song in your google drive personal folder
–This week we learned the main beat. Continue getting it clean and up to speed
Jared
Warmups *goal tempo 144bpm:
–Stick Control #43 (||: RLLRLLRL :||) and #44 (||: LRRLRRLR :||)
–“Single Stroke Roll” between LH and BD (kLkLkL…)
Caravan
–Keep working on building this up to speed
Igoe Groove Essentials: Groove 12 (slow) and (fast)
Mario
Warmups (1min/ea) with Metronome at 115bpm (two notes per beat)
–8 on a hand
–Single Stroke Roll (R L R L…)
–Double Stroke Roll (R R L L…)
–Focus on keeping up with the metronome. You have a tendency to drag, so don’t let yourself get sluggish!
Drumset Musician p27 (in google drive) – 8th-note Fills, ex. 9-12
–This week, focus on keeping the 8th-note steady through your fills
NEW SONG Red Hot Chili Peppers: My Friends
–Everything up until the end of the chorus
–switch to ride cymbal for chorus
–work on the introductory fill before the drums start playing
–see handout for details
Mateo
Warmups (30 sec each) this week, use a metronome at 200bpm:
–8 on a Hand
–Single Stroke Roll (RLRL…)
–Double Stroke Roll (RRLL…)
Tommy Igoe’s Groove Essentials, Groove 1 SLOW
–Drill Variation A this week, making it fit tidily along with the recording
–Find the sheet for this in the Google Drive>Frequently Used Resources>Groove Essentials
Survivor: Eye of the Tiger
–everything up until the Verse on p. 2
–Try to listening for cues in the vocal part to know when your fills are supposed to happen
Preferred Books for Gergely’s Students
Click to buy them here, and they’ll come right to your house! What could be easier?
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
