Guitar & Ukulele

Lesson Information

Our guitar students range from three years old right through to seniors! Students may choose to learn electric, acoustic, bass, or classical guitar. Our instruction ranges from pure classical guitar to pop music to campfire songs.

Beginner level guitar students learn how to hold the guitar correctly, hand position, tuning the guitar and the basics of the fretboard. Elements of music theory are also introduced. Students explore chords on the guitar and they may learn techniques such as fingerpicking.

Guitars can be purchased or rented at many fine instrument stores in the city. Young students may start on a smaller size guitar or the ukulele if they are very young. It is best to get a guitar size that kids can grow into. Your teacher will recommend an instrument size for you and let you know where they like to shop!

Our Teachers

Ramel Bautista

Ramel Bautista

Hi music lovers!! My name is Ramel Bautista. I’m a student at Carleton’s music program studying fingerstyle and jazz guitar (BMus candidate 2022)!

I have a huge love for guitar mainly for how versatile an instrument it can be! Having been taught by fingerstyle players like Tim Bedner and Don Ross, I love composing stuff for solo guitar and would love to show you how far you can take such an incredible instrument 🙂

Rob MacSpurren

Rob MacSpurren

Rob MacSpurren  [BMus ‘05] is a well rounded musician who has studied and taught all kind of guitar styles, including classical, jazz, blues, rock, heavy metal, etc.  He also has years of experience teaching piano, drums, theory and composition.

An active musician in Ottawa, you’ll find Rob playing gigs that include Classical, Latin Folk and Latin jazz, as well as regularly participating in various recording projects.  He has also played with rock bands Hoelsteen and Blind Aura, an Ottawa-based hard rock band that played the music of Dio, Rainbow, Styx, Journey, and many others.  He currently plays guitar and keyboards in Arcane Rogues.

James Siwanowicz

James Siwanowicz

James Siwanowicz (BMus), studied at Carleton University with a focus on guitar performance. He has years of experience in Ottawa’s live music scene, playing at countless bars, restaurants and festivals. Listeners enjoy his unique blend of rock, pop, blues and finger style played on electric guitar. James played lead guitar in the Ottawa pop band Little Stella before switching gears to focus on studying guitar performance academically to expand his musical horizons.

With many years of guitar instruction experience, James offers students a variety of teaching techniques to fit any unique goals and interests on the instrument. He is happy to teach any genre, electric or acoustic.

Click here to see him play!

 

Many of our teachers excel in more than one instrument!

Click to see other MSM Instructors qualified to teach guitar:

Connor Cornick,
Jessica Bianconi

Interested in taking lessons?

Share some information about yourself and we will contact you to complete the registration process.