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!
Coming soon!
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Latest Homework from Gergely
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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
Homework for March 18-25
Henry
Great work today Henry! Here is your homework for next week:
Duration to practice: 5-10 min per day
What to practice:
- Theory page 37- complete dynamics exercise
- Birthday Party/Sandman’s Near review
- New song- Baseball Days
How to practice:
- Theory- order from loudest to softest
- Birthday Party/Sandman’s Near- Practice Birthday Party loud and Sandman’s Near soft, but play both pieces at the same speed. Try playing each piece loud and soft but keeping the speed the same if this helps.
- Baseball Days- practice switching from right hand to left hand; if the line is on top of a note it is played with the right hand, and if it is under a note it is played with the left hand.
How parents can support practice:
- Theory- if he is having trouble help him with the order. The trick is that it is the same as the exercise we did in the lesson, just backwards.
- Birthday Party/Sandman’s Near- reinforce the idea that you can play something loud and soft and still remain at the same speed.
- Baseball Days- Guide him through learning the piece. If the stems of the notes are pointing up, that means they are played with RH and if they are pointing down, they are played with LH.
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
