Guitar lessons five minutes from Lawrence Park
Guitar is probably the most self-taught instrument in existence — and that’s both its appeal and its trap. Millions of people spend three years wrestling with three chords off YouTube before they figure out that a few months with a real teacher would have saved them two and a half of those years. We see this a lot. Students come in with habits that feel natural but make certain things physically harder than they need to be, and a teacher spots that in the first lesson.
Gergely Szabo, who holds a master’s in music from U of T with a focus in classical guitar, teaches both classical and acoustic guitar at our Lawrence Park studio at 2180 Bayview Ave. He also plays piano, so students who eventually want to add a second instrument don’t have to start over with someone new. Luciano Espin, who has a background in bass, guitar, and music production, teaches students who are more interested in rock, pop, or songwriting. The two cover a wide range — you tell us what you want to do with guitar, and we’ll tell you who’s the better fit.
The studio is five minutes from Lawrence Station, right at Yonge & Lawrence. Families near Lawrence Park Collegiate or along the Lawrence Park Ravine side of the neighbourhood find the location straightforward — Bayview and Yonge are both direct routes in.
Lessons run 30 or 45 minutes. Regular private lessons are $55.38 (30 min) or $64.81 (45 min); a trial lesson is $20. You don’t need a great guitar to start — a decent beginner acoustic is enough, and we can point you toward what’s actually worth buying.
Most beginners strum along to a real song within a few weeks. That first recognizable melody is when the practice habit locks in.
Frequently asked questions about guitar lessons in Lawrence Park
- Should my child start on acoustic or electric guitar?
- Acoustic is usually the better starting point for younger children. The lower action on a good electric guitar can actually be easier on fingers, but the amp setup adds complexity. For students aged 7 to 12, we typically recommend starting on acoustic and switching to electric once technique is established, if that’s the direction they want to go.
- I want to learn fingerpicking, not strumming. Do you teach that?
- Yes. Gergely Szabo’s classical background means fingerstyle technique is a core part of what he teaches, including proper right-hand position that most self-taught players skip. If fingerpicking is your goal, classical guitar training gives you that foundation faster than most pop-oriented approaches.
- How is ABC different from a guitar teacher who works from home?
- We’ve been at 2180 Bayview since 2003. All our teachers pass a Toronto Police Vulnerable Sector Check and hold university-level training. We’re not comparing ourselves to anyone specific — but if you’re deciding between us and a solo teacher, those are the practical differences worth knowing.
- Is there any overlap between guitar lessons and piano lessons for a student who wants both?
- Yes. Gergely Szabo teaches both, so a student can take guitar and piano with the same teacher. Theory carries over between instruments — note reading, chord structure, key signatures — so learning both at once is more efficient than it sounds.