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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Oct 4 – Van, Eric, Jayden, Joshua, Marshall
Van
Keep practicing Black Dog and Heartbreaker, they’re sounding great. Try to play along to the tracks this week (remember YouTube’s playback speed function if they are too fast). Keep working on The Ocean, and try to have it memorized for next week. Keep practicing the snake exercise, as well as all the open major chords. Practice your 1324 picking pattern with those new progressions: D G A and A D E. Lastly, focus on those bar chord shapes on the top 4 strings (F and B). Great work!
Eric
Great lesson Eric! We made some great progress this week. Keep practicing Bad Moon Rising and Twist and Shout. Keep working on getting those chord transitions smooth and keep that right hand moving. Maybe practice these songs to a metronome or drum beat (free on YouTube). Practice that picking exercise I showed you up and down, also starting with an up stroke. Try to incorporate this with the snake!
Jayden
Keep practicing those bar chords, you are doing awesome. Keep going with Smells like Teen Spirit, and keep trying to get those muted strokes. Listen to the song before you practice to get the rhythm in your head. Also work on I Bet You Look Good On The Dance Floor for next time. Remember the strumming pattern is down, up, up, down, down, down. Remember to keep your right hand moving as you strum.
Joshua
Keep working on Twist and Shout, it’s really coming along. Practice the riff as well as the chords: D G A. Listen to the song for next time and try to get the structure down. Once you get the structure, play along to the song! Keep working on the snake too, that’s looking really good. Remember to play each note long, and connected to the next note. Nice work!
Marshall
Keep practicing Another One Bites The Dust, it sounds great! Try it up the octave too! Keep working on Seven Nation Army, and try to use the fingering I showed you. Keep working on G and C, those are looking awesome! Also practice Hey Jude for next time! Good job!
Preferred Books for Simon’s Students
Click to buy them here, and they’ll come right to your house! What could be easier?
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.
