Guitar lessons for Yonge-Eglinton families

ABC Academy of Music offers private guitar lessons in Yonge-Eglinton, Toronto, taught from our Lawrence Park studio at 2180 Bayview Ave (at Lawrence and Bayview), North York M4N 3K7. We’ve offered guitar instruction in Toronto since 2003, matching students with teachers based on age, goals, and playing style. Regular private lessons are $55.38 for 30 minutes or $64.81 for 45 minutes; a trial lesson is $20. Our guitar teachers hold university music degrees or equivalent conservatory credentials. Gergely Szabo, who completed his master’s at U of T with a focus in classical guitar, teaches alongside Luciano Espin and Simon Van Heyst, who cover acoustic, electric, bass, and production styles. Private lessons begin at age 5. Children under 5 can start at the same address through Music Together® family classes. Rating: 4.8★ from 150 students on Google.

Getting from Yonge-Eglinton to the Lawrence Park studio

The Lawrence Park studio is about ten minutes north of Yonge and Eglinton under normal traffic conditions. The simplest route by car follows Bayview Avenue north from Eglinton: head east on Eglinton from Yonge, turn north onto Bayview, and continue past the Lawrence Park Ravine to the intersection of Lawrence and Bayview. Families coming from the Yonge Street corridor can also take Yonge north to Lawrence Avenue East, then head east on Lawrence to Bayview. The studio sits at that corner, at 2180 Bayview Ave.

By transit, take the Line 1 subway north from Eglinton Station to Lawrence Station, then board the 52 Lawrence East bus heading east along Lawrence to Bayview. Total transit time from Yonge and Eglinton is around 20 minutes. Parking at the studio is available in a small lot behind the building, with a paid lot across Bayview Avenue and metered street parking along Lawrence. Sunnybrook Park is minutes to the southeast along Bayview, and Bayview Village is a short drive north, making it practical to combine a weekly lesson with an errand or walk in the area.

What guitar lessons cover at ABC Academy

In the first six months, beginners learn the fundamentals that most self-taught players spend years trying to undo: proper left-hand thumb position, how to press close to the fret without buzzing, basic strumming patterns that stay rhythmically clean, and how to read both chord diagrams and simple notation. Students pick up two or three songs they actually want to play early on. That part is deliberate. Progress feels real when you are playing something recognizable, not just running scales in isolation.

Children starting at age 5 or 6 typically begin on a 3/4-size acoustic guitar. They respond well to songs they already know, short focused exercises, and a teacher who explains things with age-appropriate language. By age 8 or 9, most students are ready for a full-size instrument and can choose whether they lean toward classical fingerstyle, acoustic strumming, or electric. Teens and adults often come in with specific goals, whether that means playing in a band, writing songs, or finally working through a piece they have loved for years. We meet students where they are.

Lesson length is 30 or 45 minutes. Thirty-minute lessons suit younger children and beginners who are still building concentration and finger strength. Forty-five-minute lessons give older students time to cover technique, a piece, and some theory within the same session. Teachers advise which length fits best at the trial lesson, and switching as a student progresses is straightforward.

Guitar student at private lesson in Toronto

Private guitar lessons at ABC Academy are $55.38 for a 30-minute session or $64.81 for 45 minutes. A trial lesson is $20. Full details, including the teaching year structure and payment terms, are on our tuition and rates page. The studio nearest to Yonge-Eglinton is our Lawrence Park location at 2180 Bayview Ave, North York M4N 3K7. Our second private-lesson studio is at 12 Conway Ave, M6E, which serves families on the west side of the city.
The studio nearest to Yonge-Eglinton is our Lawrence Park location at 2180 Bayview Ave (at Lawrence and Bayview), North York M4N 3K7. From Eglinton Station on Line 1, travel north one stop to Lawrence, then take the 52 Lawrence East bus east to Bayview. The drive from Yonge and Eglinton takes about ten minutes heading north on Bayview. Parking is available in a small lot behind the building, in a paid lot across Bayview, and in metered spots along Lawrence Avenue. Our second guitar studio is at 12 Conway Ave, M6E, on the west side of Toronto for families in that part of the city.
A solo guitar teacher can be excellent, but a school structure offers things that individual arrangements typically cannot match. At ABC, you have a team of credentialed guitar teachers rather than a single person, which matters when schedules change or a teaching style does not click on the first try. Our teacher-match policy means that if the initial pairing is not working, we find a better fit without the family having to start over with a stranger. We have two Toronto private-lesson studio locations: Lawrence Park and Conway. Royal Conservatory exam preparation is available for students who want that pathway, but the majority of our students are recreational learners, and both are equally welcome.
We begin private guitar lessons at age 5. At that age, we typically use a 1/2 or 3/4-size guitar and keep lessons focused on coordination, simple songs, and listening. Children under 5 who want early musical engagement can join our Music Together® classes at the same Lawrence Park studio. Music Together® is authorized curriculum for children from birth through age 8, with a strong emphasis on family participation. If you are unsure whether your child is ready, the trial lesson is a practical way to find out.
Acoustic is the standard starting point for children under 10: simpler setup, no amp required, and it builds finger strength. The lower action on some electric guitars is easier on young fingers, but adding an amplifier introduces variables that can distract early on. For students drawn strongly to electric, that conversation is worth having at the trial lesson. Teens and adults often come in knowing which direction they want, and we work from there.
No. We teach note reading alongside playing. Some students learn faster with written notation; others respond better to listening, repetition, and chord diagrams first. A good teacher adapts to how your child learns rather than working through a single method book in order. Early lessons include some discovery of what makes playing feel rewarding, not just instruction.
Yes. Teachers on the guitar team are familiar with the Royal Conservatory of Music guitar syllabus and prepare students from Preliminary through higher levels. RCM guitar exams have a specific technical and repertoire structure, and students aiming for examinations typically benefit from 45-minute lessons to cover the full range of material each week. See our parent guide to RCM exams in Toronto for more on how the process works. That said, most ABC guitar students are not working toward exams, and that is equally fine.