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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Feb 7 – Emet, Jayden, Joshua, Marshall, Ethan
Emet
Hero and The Resistance are sounding great! Keep working on our method for finding and playing bar chords. This is an amazing skill to have! Nice work on Sweet Child of Mine! Keep up your practice on the riff, and incorporate the parts we learned today. Focus your attention on your right hand this week when practicing the chords. Remember: your right hand should keep moving and the strumming pattern is merely choosing when to hit the strings. Great work!
Jayden
Should I Stay or Should I Go sounds awesome! Practice the double time section this week. Remember: it is the same chords and structure as the intro. Focus on your right hand and strumming pattern when doing this! Nice work on Brand New Cadillac! This is a great song to know as it will familiarize us with some blues patterns! Nice work!
Joshua
Cake By the Ocean is sounding good! Keep working on the rhythm of the riff. Listen to the song if you need a reminder! Remember: cross picking and playing in position will be required to get this tune up to speed. This is something we will work towards! Focus your attention on the chords this week. Practice the transitions between chords especially. Great work!
Marshall
Nice work on Hey Jude! Keep up the practice on it! I know the chord shapes are tough but practicing the transitions will be hugely helpful for speed and articulation. You are doing a great job in finding and remembering all the chord shapes! Nice work on Here Comes the Sun! Focus on the strumming pattern especially this week. It is a great pattern to know. Listen to the tune for a refresher. Great work!
Ethan
Nice work on Seven Nation Army and Back In Black! They sound great! Remember to play in position as much as possible (using different fingers for each note). Work on Twist and Shout and Let It Be this week. Focus on the transitions between chords by repeating difficult transitions. Also, practice that F chord as much as possible! I know it is really hard but it is an amazing thing to work towards (bar chords). Nice work!
Jan 26 – Mike, Katarina, Van, Layla
Mike Great work on Bad Moon Rising! Your right hand [...]
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.
