Toronto Guitar Institute

I've gotten further in a year with Richard than the whole previous decade of playing casually. My sense of rhythm has improved exponentially and I'm able to attempt things I never thought I'd be capable of. With his teaching, there's a clear and steady progression so that you get a sense of accomplishment when overcoming obstacles, and are never overwhelmed by material that is too advanced for. your level. All the while you get a thorough grounding in the fundamentals of guitar; the technique, and the production of tone and all the other nuances that take your playing from good to great! I even find it easier to learn the songs I love by ear, and beyond this, I can now appreciate the musicianship in them on a whole other level. Whether you're a serious musician or a beginner, I would highly recommend lessons with Richard. He has something to offer to every style of musician and you'll find yourself improving by leaps and bounds!

My son had been playing classical guitar for several years when we approached Rick Summers, who then unlocked a door into a totally new horizon in the world of learning and playing music. Rick's love for the instrument and teaching is palpable and he has been very successful in transferring it to his students. My son has developed a huge respect for his teacher and stays motivated to practice and show his improvements with each new lesson. The progress he has made since he started working with Rick two years ago is significant and reflected in his results in exams, competitions and the continuous joy he finds in playing and learning new guitar skills.

Being a guitar instructor takes more than just being good at guitar, it also takes knowing how to teach. Knowing when and where your student is lacking and focusing on those points to help them improve, as well as complimenting them on areas where they have showed marked improvement so they know they're going in the right direction. These are things I learned being taught by Rick, as I observed not just a great musician, but great teacher as well. Highly recommended if you're looking for someone to teach you guitar.

I've been taking lessons from Rick for a little over a year. I've had a fantastic experience learning classical and acoustic guitar with Rick. He is not only patient, methodical, and encouraging but also humorous and fun. One of the best guitar teachers in town - highly recommended.

I have been having lessons for 8 months now with Richard Summers. He has great ears and is able to pick out the smallest details that many beginners can't detect. Without him I would have continued on with my bad habits as a self taught guitarist. Always grateful for his lessons.

I have been learning how to play classical guitar with Rick for a year now and I am confident to say that I will be continuing to do so for many years to come. I had been trying to teach myself how to play guitar for about 2 years prior to this and have never progressed at such a quick rate before. This is largely because of Rick’s thorough and engaging teaching method that motivates me to improve my skills. He is very patient, recognizes the smallest details on how to improve, and provides me with useful techniques that make guitar playing much more easy and fun. He also strategically adjusts weekly exercises to a suitable difficulty which helps motivate me to learn more music and improve at a satisfying pace. I still can’t believe how much I have learned in such a short amount of time, and I am much more motivated to learn and improve than ever, thanks to Rick.

I've been going to Rick for guitar lessons for the past few months and it's been a rewarding experience. Rick is an excellent teacher, whose patience and knowledgable approach has been really helpful to my development. In addition to one-on-one lessons, Rick provides great instructional videos for practicing at home. My step-son also attends the Guitar Institute and enjoys his lessons, too. Highly recommended.

I've been taking classical guitar lessons from Rick Summers at the Toronto Guitar Institute for about 7 years, and enjoy it thoroughly. I've played guitar for almost 25 years. In that time I've met a lot of really talented players, but I've met very few who could teach well. Rick is an excellent guitar teacher, with a wealth of resources and pedagogical experience. If I am struggling with a piece of music, he is able to produce a technical exercise that helps me through the difficulty. Taking lessons from him has opened me up to new artists and musical styles, and it has really helped me to focus on how I play. It's been a great ride so far, and one I plan on continuing!

I am really enjoying my guitar lessons with Richard. Richard's 3 part contemporary classical guitar method is an excellent course. Each lesson build's up on the previous one and I can really feel the progress I have made in just 2 months. I have been playing guitar for a while but having an experienced teacher identify and correct my flaws is paying dividents. I stongly recommend Richard to anyone who wants to play guitar and progress fast.

My daughter (7 yrs) has been taking guitar lessons from Rick for 3 months from scratch. After an initial consultation, Rick recommended taking acoustic guitar lessons first before transitioning into classical guitar. I'm glad that we followed his advice - it has been a gratifying experience. She can now play & sing a few songs - while building a solid musical & technical foundation. More importantly, she has developed an enthusiasm for guitar and has been motivated to practice a lot daily. Rick is a gifted musician and a great instructor. He is very patient with young students; the new challenges assigned is perfect for her practice routine. My daughter feels very accomplished every week and couldn't wait for the next lessons. I would heartily recommend Rick's lessons. We look forward to a long & exciting musical journey ahead.