B.Mus (Humber)
Simon is a recent graduate of Humber College, being very passionate about both bass and guitar for over 15 years. He is also a prominent member of the Toronto rock scene, having booked venues, and played shows throughout the city. Simon has had the pleasure to study with the likes of Ted Quinlan, Mike Downes and Justin Gray. With 2 years of teaching experience at Long and McQuade, Simon creates a personalized learning experience for each student in a friendly and non-judgemental learning environment.
Simon is mostly focused on his original music in his free time, with a strong love for composition and theory.
Get to know TEACHER…Beyond the Bio!
Hobbies: Writing, Movies, Photography
Musical Influences: Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Courtney Barnett, Daniel Romano
Favourite Food: Tacos
Favourite Music: Rock, Hip Hop
Favourite Song: Bold as Love by Jimi Hendrix
Favourite Movie: Bladerunner 2049
Favourite movie music: Submarine
Favourite musical theatre: Singing in the Rain
Best Quote From a Teacher: “Don’t get frustrated when you fail. Use that energy to try it again.”
Favourite Book: Just Kids by Patti Smith
Best thing about teaching at ABC: To have a student feel proud of themselves for how far they have come.
Latest Homework from Simon
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Nov 8 – Eric, Jayden, Josh, Marshall, Tammy
Eric
Keep working on Bad Moon Rising, it sounds awesome. All the practice is really paying off. Practice Let It Be this week, with both open and bar chords. Focus on the bar chords especially, practicing the transitions between the two shapes. Keep familiarizing yourself with the fretboard, it will become very important with bar chords. Work on My Sweet L0rd this week, and we will continue where we left off. Nice work!
Jayden
Work on I Bet You Look Good On the Dance Floor this week. It’s sounding great! Listen to the song and try learning the form. Play along to the song at 75% speed (playback speed function on Youtube). Keep working on that lead line, it’s really coming along. We will keep working on this one next time. Also, bring in a tune you want to work on!
Josh
Nice work on Twist and Shout! Keep practicing that one this week. Try to play along to the song, with both the riff and the chords. There is one part in the song that we haven’t gone over, we will do that next time. Keep practicing getting a smooth transition between the chords. Nice job!
Marshall
Keep practicing Under Pressure, that sounds great! Play along to the song this week! Remember the chorus switches to just G and A. Nice work on Let It Be! Practice that song really slow and start to slowly build up the speed over time. Focus especially on that F chord, it will become really important. Great work!
Tammy
Nice to meet you Tammy! Great job today. Work on Twist and Shout this week. Practice both the riff and the chords. Also try to play through all the chords we went over. Have a look at the piano I drew out for you, and try to remember a few things: no sharps or flats between E and F, and between B and C. Additionally, try to familiarize yourself with the order of the notes. It is a lot of information so take it slow, we will go over it again next time. Great work!
Oct 6 – Emet, Katarina, Kaylee, Van, Simon
Emet Keep working on Black Dog, it sounds great! Practice [...]
Preferred Books for Simon’s Students
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Hal Leonard Guitar Method COMPLETE
The Hal Leonard Guitar Method is designed for anyone just learning to play acoustic or electric guitar. It is based on years of teaching guitar students of all ages, and reflects some of the best teaching ideas from around the world. This super-convenient Complete Edition features the new and improved method books 1, 2 and 3 spiral-bound together.
Alfred's Basic Guitar Method
Recognized for over 50 years as the best-paced and most comprehensive guitar method available, Alfred’s Basic Guitar Method has introduced over 3 million beginners to the joy of playing guitar. This updated and expanded edition features a new layout, making it easier to read and learn. Now included are blues, country, folk, jazz, and rock styles, plus more pop songs! New DVDs with iPod-compatible video are now available for the visual learner, and correlating theory, chord, and pop books ensure that you’ll get everything you need from one complete method. Learning to play has never been easier or more fun than with Alfred’s Basic Guitar Method—the first and best choice for today’s beginning guitar students.
Guitar Grimoire
Every chord of every key and mode is presented with thousands of diagrams and charts. Includes polychords, chord substitutions, inversions and movable voicings.
This indespensable volume belongs in every guitarist’s library.
This book is a “where to” book, showing you exactly where to find any chord in any key on your fretboard. It is a professional reference tool to enhance your music library and playing that you will use for many years to come.
