MUSIC LESSONS

I’ve been teaching students of all ages, all levels & all styles for over 20 years.

Whether you’re taking your very first music lesson, or looking to pursue a career in music, I’m confident I can help you build the skills to get the most out of your musical experience. With 7 Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) gold teaching medals, I have a proven track record of giving my students the framework to build strong technique and musical expression & enjoy the journey.

MY APPROACH

Tailored

Together we will explore the music, styles and techniques that you want to learn.

We will start by identifying your personal goals. From there, I will build a personalized music education experience for you and guide you through it step by step.

I will teach you how to approach your instrument to get the most out of your experience and focus on what matters most to you.

HARMONIOUS

My training is rooted in a strong foundation of technique & theory. But I also believe that music should be fun and exploratory.

I blend these two approaches, finding the right balance based on the needs of the student, and their personal goals.

EMPOWERING

Whether you're inspired by classical, rock, fingerstyle, jazz or metal, I will provide you with the foundation of technique and knowledge you need to elevate your musical skills.

I’ll use a teaching style that’s compatible with the way you like to learn and give you the skills to enjoy music for life. And I promise we will have fun along the way.

GENRES I TEACH

Fingerstyle | classical | rock | pop | metal | blues | jazz | folk | extended range guitars (7 & 8 string).

WHAT I TEACH

  • I am a registered RCM teacher and have been teaching the RCM classical guitar & theory syllabus for over 20 years.

    I have 7 gold medal RCM teaching awards, recognizing students I’ve taught receiving the highest grade in their province.

    I’ve taught students who have achieved up to grade 10 RCM credentials.

  • I take a balanced approach to teaching kids.

    Together, we find songs the student can connect to. From there, I blend a foundation of technique with a dose of fun to help kids develop music appreciation & expression.

  • Learn the music you love.

    Your lessons will concentrate on your musical interests. Choose the genre and I will help you enhance your playing style by filling in grey areas of your technique, refining your artistic expression & giving you tools to make music part of your lifestyle.

  • Together we will build a strategy to set you up for success.

    We will focus on pinpointing audition requirements, thoughtful song selection, theory entrance exam prep & an efficient practice routine.

  • I'll support you to help launch or progress your professional career in music.

    In partnership, we will build a strategy to harness your unique strengths, develop your product, act or teaching approach & create a plan to establish or elevate your business.

  • I'll give you the building blocks to arranging.

    I'll share how to: quickly play melodies by ear, identify chords, choose appropriate keys & registers & enhance the playability of your arrangement.

  • I'll help you connect the pillars of ear training & theory to build a comprehensive understanding of how music works.

    We'll focus on how to identify intervals, chords, scales & rhythms; dictation skills for tab or standard notation; how to formulate chords & scales within a key; transposition & song analysis.

Music Education Made For You

online LESSON PACKAGES

Intro to Guitar

Learn how to play guitar! You’re never too young, or too old to learn how to play the music you love. This is the course for anyone, of any age (6+) who has ever wanted to learn how to play the guitar.

This online course covers the foundations you need to play guitar. In your first 4 lessons, we will tackle the basic knowledge & skills that you will need to start your music education.

This course includes 4, 30 min lessons.

In these lessons you will be introduced to:

  • parts of the guitar

  • tuning your guitar

  • strings of the guitar

  • basic chords

  • basic rhythms

  • how to read tab

You will leave your intro course learning 1 song or more!

No previous music experience required.

WEEKLY LESSONS

Weekly online lessons are for new or returning students of any age (6+) who are looking for ongoing instruction. Regardless of your current skill level, investing in yourself with ongoing lessons is the best way to see results.

Choose your class length & your focus.

Rates include a weekly private lesson at your desired length of 30 | 45 | 60 minutes. You will be billed in advance for 4 weeks at a time.

Focus options include electric | fingerstyle | classical | 7 string | arranging | theory, or anything else you want to learn on the guitar.

No previous music experience required.

What people are saying

  • SHARON LIN, UBC GRADUATE

    “Ruel is an incredibly talented solo guitarist. He is a patient and understanding guitar instructor, having taught me classical guitar in rcm up to level 6/7, in addition to music theory. I would highly recommend ruel to all levels of guitar playing!”

  • Mark Campbell, Guitar Student

    “Ruel has given me astute and knowledgeable guitar lessons in the Classical genre. With his training I received a very high mark on my Royal Conservatory Level 8 practical exam! I highly recommend him as a both a teacher and performer.”

what you can expect

I’ve been teaching students of all ages, all levels & all styles for over 20 years.

My Online Music Yearbook video will give you a feel for the results you can look forward to from your lessons with me.

questions!?

Check out my FAQs for more info on commonly asked questions about music lessons

START your Journey!

Book your lessons & let's get your music education started.

All you need to get started is a guitar & a device to connect to your Zoom lesson.

LET’s TALK!

Not sure where to start? I'd love to hear from you.

If you're interested and want more information about how to start your journey into guitar, pop me a quick note and I'll be sure to get in touch.