Top 5 Schools for the Best Guitar Lessons in Toronto

We may not be the world’s best singers but at least we’re super passionate about music. And after weeks of failed and frustrating searches, we finally found the best guitar lessons in Toronto!

We know you’re here for the same reasons so we already simplified the process for you. Just read on, see your top options, and find which guitar instructor fits your needs.

The Best Guitar Lessons in Toronto

We picked the best guitar lessons in Toronto based on:

1. Elite Music Academy 

Elite Music Academy might be one of our favorites when it comes to their approach to guitar lessons. Unlike structured programs, their sessions are mostly focused on live performances in various venues around Toronto.

What we liked best about this approach is that it trains students to not only play the guitar, but also on how to face the crowd. The live performance opportunities are ones to look out for, especially if you want to be a real performer.

In terms of learning formats, they basically have everything we’re expecting in music school. Students can sign up for in-studio, in-home, or online private lessons, depending on their convenience, of course.

Regardless of the learning format, we can summarize the experience as energetic and truly motivating. According to the past students we’ve surveyed, the teachers were patient and were hands-on during the learning sessions.

For those who want to get a feel of the lessons, they offer trial lessons for $25. Although there are issues with the online booking process, everything else appeared seamless for us – from the transparent fees and the concise beginner’s program.

To round up, we also like that they have these rock band programs and summer camps for students. They accept learners of all ages so anyone can basically enjoy their offerings plus other resources available on their site.

Customer Reviews

Inspiring and helpful teachers

I took piano lessons and guitar lessons at Elite Music from a few different teachers. Not only were the teachers inspiring and helpful, but they clearly know their stuff. The owners are amazing guys too. This is a family atmosphere that I highly recommend to anyone in Toronto that needs music lessons for themselves or their kids. – Sophia Hopkins

Fast improvement in skills

Good customer service, very professional teachers, my children have progressed within a year of both piano and guitar lessons. Keep up the great focus for your students Elite. – Deme Eleftheriou

2. Toronto Guitar School

Toronto Guitar School won our favor based on many great things that we think you’ll also enjoy as a student. The place offers flexible learning formats and can handle students of all ages based on their individual goals.

Immediately, what sets this school apart is their specialty in the guitar lessons (well, it’s actually in their name). They do provide lessons in other instruments as well but guitar is really what they do, making them a more compelling choice in our opinion.

Another thing that we loved about this place is their well-equipped recording studio. So if you want to do recording workshops to record live sounds from your instrument, the opportunity is an arm’s length away.

Lesson formats include one-on-one lessons either in-studio or online as well as small group sessions. The group learning is limited to only 6 students per class which is favorable for us since it has more room for individual feedback.

As for individual lessons, the program is practically tailored based on the student’s interest and goals. We have no problem in this approach although we wish that there’s more structure to enforce the idea of routine practice.

Still, the flexibility of the lessons allow students to take control of what they want to learn. Additionally, there are student concerts, workshops, and masterclasses all year round so we reckon that you won’t really run out of learning opportunities.

Customer Reviews

Hands-on approach to learning

Amazing experience thus far!! You get to learn from people on the music scene, a very hands on approach!! If your looking for specific skill sets just let them know and they do everything they can to accomodate your request! Glen is a great facilitator and listener. Give the school a try!! – Rebecca N

Great learning opportunities

High calibre teachers and affordable classes. The occasional special workshops with known folk and classical  guitarists ( also at affordable prices ), and the occasional social mix and student performances that proved to be lots of fun. Thanks Glen for making this possible ! – Arletty Abady

3. Conor J. Brown Guitar, Piano and Music Production Lessons

If you prefer individualized guitar lessons in a private setting, Conor J. Brown might just be the right guy for you. We believe he’s suitable for students who relish in the privacy of learning, at their own pace and goals.

Although the structure lacks the various learning formats offered in schools, it’s the results we are after here. The one-on-one lessons are, of course, tailored to the student’s skill level as well as their specific needs.

Conor does this through his hands-on approach and mirroring the student’s capacity to meet the session requirements. For instance, he may focus on more improvisation if that helps or focus more on eliminating bad guitar habits if those are the issues.

Of course, the learning experience isn’t uniform among his past students. Fortunately, his solid 5-star rating on Google Reviews provided us with a great insight – our follow-up survey was just the ribbon on top of our search.

Through student responses, we were able to gauge that learners pick up new skills fast in just a short time. To illustrate, the majority of the respondents shared that they saw drastic improvement in under one week.

For long-term commitment, students can simply call up for his services for a quick refresher or a new set of lessons. His rates are super reasonable as well for an instructor who has been on the guitar since he was 13 years old.

Customer Reviews

Talented guitar teacher

Conor is a talented musician and a great guitar teacher. He is adaptable and a quick learner himself. He recognizes chord progression, notes and timing quickly with his ear which makes it great for students to learn the things they want to play, even if Conor may have never played these specific songs/genres before himself. – Nick Nadalin

Easy and fast learning process

I recently decided to give guitar a shot, and Conor made it easy to learn. I picked it up WAY faster than expected and after a few lessons I was already playing some of my favourite songs. I’m very happy with how the lessons have gone – would definitely recommend Conor to friends! – Sam D.

4. David’s Guitar Studio

If you want more options for one-on-one guitar lessons, David’s Guitar Studio is among our top recommendations. With a perfect 5-star rating on Google Reviews, the man has one of the strongest track records on our list.

David Agustin specifically specializes in guitar lessons so the level of mastery is already there. Plus, he’s been playing the instrument for over 30 years – suffice to say, he’s a well-experienced guitar player and teacher.

The instructor focuses more on teens and adult learners so you might want to check him out if you fall in those categories. This makes him less ideal for kids, although he’s surely fitting for beginners and intermediate learners.

Lessons are naturally personalized for each student due, of course, to the lack of other learning formats. Through our research, we found that most of his students have been with him for years, learning new tricks in every stage.

As far as learning progress goes, students can learn in as fast as a month or after a year. What matters in this area for us is the consistency of the lessons which we did find under his guitar courses.

His approach to lessons is always about developing good habits and steadily-paced improvements over time. Rates are also favorable for individual lessons so we think it won’t hurt your bank even in the long run

Customer Reviews

Enjoyable and motivating experience 

I studied with David for several years and found him to be patient, focused on my individual teaching needs and very effective. It was a most enjoyable and motivating experience. Highly recommended. – Michael Southwell

Fun and engaging lessons

Dave taught me everything I needed to know at a young age to give me a lifetime of fun with a guitar, and he can do the same for you. His humour will keep you smiling the whole lesson. You’ll walk out jamming a new tune every session. He’s definitely the guy you want in charge of teaching you your new hobby. – Curtis Warren

5. Canada Music Academy

Offering a wide range of music-related services, Canada Music Academy has always been in our radar. Here are a couple of highlights that we want to feature, specific to guitar lessons and teachers.

For learning formats, students can choose among live online lessons, in-studio lessons, or in-home lessons. It’s all a matter of choice for prospective students so we appreciate that there are options to choose from.

Another thing that we highly appreciated is their free introductory online lesson for new students. And if that’s not generous enough, they offer an additional free 30-minute lesson if you sign up for any of their online lessons.

Now that we’re in the area of prices anyway, we’d like to note that rates here vary depending on the guitar teacher. Their hourly fees are nothing shocking beyond the city’s average, but do expect that more experienced ones will charge over $70.

As far as guitar lessons go, the school does have comprehensive programs so their progress is more structured, Additionally, there are also group courses available if you want the chance to perform at student concerts.

By the way, we’d also like to emphasize how highly satisfied most of the students are with their lessons. Plus, they do teach people of all ages so the learning dynamics is really diverse and energetic at best.

Customer Reviews

Great approach to students

I loved the freedom of choosing an instructor on line. The instructor was very good with my teen. My teen was hesitant about online lessons but it has given her a boost and new energy in these pandemic times. – Kimberly Heath

Enthusiastic lessons

My 7-year old son has been taking guitar lessons, with Joe, for about 16 months.  He is now playing rock songs and writing his own music.  He is so enthusiastic about it, he wakes up with songs in his head.  This would never have happened if it weren’t for Joe’s teaching style. – Carol

FAQs About Guitar Lessons in Toronto

Learning to play the guitar is a fun way to kill time while learning new skills. Practice the same things if you ever want to enroll in the following services:

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