Ben works with our 6 year old daughter who expressed an interest in violin. He's patient, thoughtful, and structured in his approach to teaching and it really works for her. Ben also has a great ability to sense when a kid's attention span is waning. He typically transitions to listening and watching some songs played by a violinist to close out the lesson when she can't focus on playing any longer. This works really well to generate interest and inspiration for her to keep learning. Ben is great! read more

Ben is teaching violin to our two children, who are both beginners. He is using the Suzuki method, and has shown a great deal of patience (45 min lessons each!) and flexibility in terms of teaching style. We are very pleased with their learning and progress! Thanks! read more

Ben has been teaching my 6.5 y.o. child for a few months now through the Suzuki Method. He's very knowledgeable and patient with his students. He does both in-home lessons and virtual. read more

I've been learning violin with Ben for around 6 months as an adult beginner with more than a decade of experience playing the piano. Ben uses Strictly Strings (a method book) with his adult students, and he has helped me make very fast progress! He's also been great at suggesting fun fiddle pieces, as well as more challenging pieces that are within reach but have a lot of potential for growth as I become more proficient with the instrument. (I'm currently working on a movement from Bach's G minor sonata) I'm not very familiar with violin repertoire, and Ben has introduced me to a variety of violinists and music to listen to in my free time. read more

Ben is amazing. My 9th grader has been taking lessons from him for almost a year now. She has improved dramatically and is enjoying music more than ever. He takes the time to go over technique and positioning that has led to her really developing as a musician. We are thrilled for her! We have gone to his studio and also had him come to our house, both work great. I highly recommend his teaching. read more

A friend of mine and I have been taking weekly lessons with Ben for about 6 months now. Ben has done a wonderful job teaching us how to play the fiddle. What I like most about his teaching style is he makes the lessons fun and the fiddle approachable! That's worth a lot to us because we're learning to play the fiddle for personal enrichment / pleasure. If it wasn't fun we would have given up a long time ago. Of course, Ben balances the fun with constructive feedback so we are actually learning and not just goofing around the while time! I'm looking forward to our next lesson! read more

Ben is teaching my 8-year old kid violin. I'm impressed that he is teaching my kid the fundamentals in an engaging, age appropriate and fun way. My kid started at the very beginning and Ben is laying down the foundation for excellent mechanics of playing (good bow hand and violin positions.) My son can now can play basic pieces, scales and has the fundamentals of sight reading (reading music). Ben is patient and supportive, but also guiding him towards better playing. I especially love that Ben is helping my kid love all music - not just classical. Instead of a metronome, they use a drum track for the beat. Fun! I was skeptical that a beginner could focus for 45 minutes, but his lessons often run longer because both Ben and my kid are concentrating together. I play violin and my semi-famous violin teacher spent a fair amount of time yelling, gesturing and making me feel bad. Ben is a breath of fresh air. He is calm and gives sensible explanations that make sense. I also love that he is not dumbing anything down (using all the French for the bow strokes) and developing authentic musicianship. read more

Ben has been my violin teacher for about 6 months. I have been playing violin sporadically for 14 years. My previous teacher, though good, treated me like a child which I found frustrating. Ben treats me like the adult. He has the patience for my many questions. He instructs me in theory, blues, jazz, as well as proper technique and the various scales. It is fun playing with him and he stretches my ability. Susan Frey read more

one day i got a wild hair. it's always a bit of chaos when that happens. this time around, i decided to learn the violin. i've never dealt with the violin before in my life and had no idea what to look for in an instructor. after searching through and experiencing several teachers, i learned a few important things about myself: - i don't need an instructor who only has experience teaching little children, (knowing that my fingers on the fretboard should let the train come through the tunnel is not entirely helpful.) - i'm a big fan of my instructor not forgetting when our lesson is scheduled for. - i prefer an instructor who is super familiar with the local fiddle-related businesses in the area. - the difference between a violin and a fiddle is that the fiddle is the one with beer spilled on it. - i'm kind of a spazzy person to teach if i've drank a lot of caffeine. after learning these somewhat painful lessons, i finally stumbled upon the likes of ben barnes, who i have been studying with for a little over a year now and am super happy with. ben has taught and lived in the bay area for more than a decade (or two?) and can not only teach with incredible patience, but can direct you to the right business locales for all fiddle-related questions you might have. not only that, but he has a lot of experience playing all sorts of different types of music, ranging from classical (ben has, like, a million classical songs memorized), but has also played with some great bands, like primus and mr. bungle. with such a wide range of influences, ben is very comfortable teaching whatever style you'd like to focus on. he is also great at teaching adult beginners and is always (always) on time. over the past year i've learned a lot about posture, tone and finger placement. he's also great at teaching music theory in a very approachable way. i'm still very much a beginner, but i feel i have a great foundation going forward. added super bonus: ben is super patient when i've had too many cups of chai. read more

I've been taking violin lessons from Ben for about 2 months now, and figured it was about time to write a review. A little background - I played violin for about 8 years when I was a kid. 15 years later I picked it up again and wanted to make a switch from my mostly classical background to bluegrass fiddle. My goals were: 1) Get back to speed and develop technical skills 2) Get comfortable with fiddle techniques and build a repertoire of fiddle music 3) Learn improvisational skills A few weeks of unguided practice made it clear I needed formal instruction, but most of the teachers I could find focused entirely on a classical approach to the instrument. I decided to give Ben a call when I saw his background, which included both classical and contemporary styles. After a couple lessons it became clear that one of Ben's great strengths is in his versatility; he's had me focus on Kreutzer arpeggios to develop technical skills, a big book of "essential" fiddle tunes to build repertoire/fiddle technique, and a few more challenging rags and waltzes to put it all together. We're just getting started on some jazz scales to develop basic improvisational skills. Ben has a great combination of skill and patience, and his experience with so many styles of music pretty much gives you free reign on what direction you want to go with the violin. Highly recommend. read more

It is hard to find a great violin teacher who can teach a range of styles, let alone one who takes a personal interest in the long-term development of you or your child as a musician. Ben is all of these things and more. While highly trained and qualified with Bachelor's and Master's Degrees from the SF Conservatory, plus a K-8 classroom teaching credential, his approach is anything but rigid and academic. He believes in letting the student explore and learn at their own pace and in their own learning style, shepherding their progress while never sacrificing the fun and joy of music. After doing ok for a few years with the Suzuki books and other teachers, my elementary school aged son found new inspiration when Ben began also teaching him Irish, traditional, and klezmer fiddle tunes in parallel. Soon he and I (on guitar) were playing tunes together at his recitals. Ben has a wonderful attitude and really connects with kids. He considers music to be a gift, and is dedicated to passing that on to as many people as possible. Teaching is his number one priority. I highly recommend Ben to all ages and abilities. read more

Awesome violin teacher! Knowledgeable of so many styles and great at teaching and communicating them. I've seen a lot of progress with my technique and sound in just a few months of lessons. It's a difficult instrument but Benjamin has made it feel natural to learn. I definitely recommend him for any level of experience. I also feel that his rates are extremely fair. read more

I have played violin on and off with other instruments for over 8 years. Ben is my first violin teacher in 2 years. I found him on Yelp and started lessons a month ago. I am in a student orchestra right now, so I mostly play classical music. Ben's instruction has been quite beneficial to my growth within the orchestra and outside of it. He is also a fun teacher, not super strict, and his prices are very reasonable. I only take 30 minute lessons, but he can get you through a lot of material, even in a short amount of time. I've had several private violin teachers in the past, but Ben is the first one who has really made me excited to pick up my violin again. He doesn't force you into playing some boring Suzuki method stuff. You can bring your own music, or have him suggest a piece. I asked him for suggestions for a student audition, and my audition went well after a few lessons under his guidance and a lot of practice. When I feel overwhelmed by some part of a piece, he really knows how to break it down into parts I can get under my fingers. Aside from being a great teacher, he is a skilled violinist, as you can hear in his recordings. He isn't limited to classical music either. I would highly recommend him to anyone trying to get back into playing their instrument. read more

I have been taking lessons from Benjamin for over 6 months now! I am still a beginner at learning the fiddle, and he is very patient with my slow progress. He gives great feedback, and challenges my abilities. Besides being kind, flexible with the schedule, and talented, he is an excellent person to teach. read more

I played violin for nearly 7 years when I was a child. I stopped playing for about 12 years and was quite certain that I had forgotten everything but swore I would pick it up again. I started lessons with Ben and my first lesson confirmed just how much I'd forgotten but, that said, Ben is a fantastic teacher and things are coming back far quicker than I imagined they would. He's patient and makes lessons fun, every time I leave a lesson I feel more inspired about playing the violin. I have no doubt that Ben would be a wonderful teacher for anyone who is picking up the violin for the first time or someone who has played for a number of years and wants a challenge. He wants to teach what you want to learn, whatever genre that is. I have a huge amount respect for him, anyone who can make scales sound like a musical masterpiece, well that's quite something. read more

We searched for a long time to find a good match for our son and are relieved and thrilled to have finally found Ben as his violin teacher. In only a few lessons he's made marked improvement, but more importantly he finally enjoys his lessons. Ben comes prepared knowing what they are going to work on so that the entire lesson time is utilized. He's perceptive in knowing how much to challenge our son while being patient and encouraging when the inevitable frustration arises. Our son was leaning toward quitting the violin, but after Ben's instruction, he's recommitted himself to playing. read more

I started violin from scratch about 4 months ago, I tried watching videos and practicing on my own, but I didn't get very far. Since Ben took me on as a student, I feel like I have learned a lot, and begun to make real progress. He is patient and insightful. I would recommend him. read more

I played the violin for a few months when I was younger and recently decided to pick it up again. I was only in the city temporarily but was hoping to find someone to help me get started. Ben was able to meet me where I was with music, and could easily figure out my strengths and weaknesses. Although we only got in a few lessons before I had to leave, they were incredibly helpful and I feel like I learned a lot over such a short period of time. read more

Not only is Benjamin Barnes a genius violinist, he is an excellent teacher as well. My progress has been remarkable and the enjoyment level very high. I never thought I would ever play Bach and Mozart, but I am! I highly recommend Benjamin. Tommy read more

Ben has been a wonderful violin teacher for our 2 children for 6+ years. He is patience and caring. My son, now 16yrs. and daughter 14yrs. are still interested in music because of Ben. Ben also gathers families together to participate in concerts twice a year. (all ages of kids) It has been a lovely community for us to be involved in and the kids have made some life long friends. Ben is just fantastic!!! read more

Ben has taught violin to our 13 year-old son for four years and we all are big fans. He has a wonderful way with kids and makes it fun for our son to play, which is not always easy to do with a teenager. He continues to work on classical music and fiddle tunes while also letting our son choose songs he is eager to learn (Bohemian Rhapsody and Stairway to Heaven are the most recent) and encouraging and working with him to write his own music. He is extremely encouraging, patient, flexible, and kind, yet also lets our son know when it's clear he hasn't practiced much and isn't falsely effusive. In our case, we are happy that our son plays violin but it isn't his first priority, and Ben is willing to work with that. As with other reviewers, we have recommended Ben to others who have been just as happy with him. He recently started giving guitar lessons to my husband, and he has worked with our daughter (who plays guitar) and son (on violin) on some duets. It's clear that Ben loves music, and his energy is contagious. He is multi-talented and a kind and interesting person and teacher. read more

I have never played violin before. In fact, I have never played any instrument so music is a very new concept for me. I wanted to learn violin one day and I found Ben on Yelp. I have been learning for him from six months and Ben exceeds all of my expectations. Here are why I think Ben is an awesome teacher. - Ben motivates you to play violin. Motivation is important for a complete beginner like me. Without Ben encouraging me that I am doing better every day and fostering my interest in my violin, I would have stopped learning violin. - Ben makes violin fun. I have heard tales of violin teachers being too strict. One of my friends didn't even get to touch a violin for one month and play a song for three months when she started learning. Her teacher wanted her to get her bow and hand positions right first. Naturally, she quit because it became boring to her. This is where Ben is different. Ben starts you with simple and easy songs. He lets you know how fun violins can be and the joy of playing your first song on violin. He then gradually teaches new and more advanced techniques. - Ben is also great at teaching. He easily notices what mistakes I make when I play and teaches me how to correct them. He is very patient and friendly. Although violin can be a hard instrument, I found his lessons quite easy. If you are ever planning to learn violin, don't think and just get Ben. It will be the best impulse decision you ever make when you are playing violin like a pro two years later. read more

I very rarely write Yelp reviews so I need to feel pretty strongly to write one. I have a classical background in violin from when I was young - but hadn't touched the violin in 20 years. I was specifically looking for a teacher who could teach me blues, fiddling, and pop/jazz techniques. Ben far surpassed my expectations because he not only has experience with blues/fiddling/alternative genres, but also a classical background. He essentially has the technique and the "soul." It's hard to find a teacher who has such an extensive background. It's clear that Ben is passionate about music and his students. He plays other instruments, really knows his theory, and is both encouraging and a very effective teacher by giving really good specific feedback. Ben is excellent at adapting what he's teaching to what his students need and are looking for. I highly recommend Ben for Anyone - of any age group, beginner or advanced! Whether it be for classical, for other more hip styles of music, or etc - whoever takes lessons with Ben will be in good hands. read more

My first ever yelp review so this tells you something about Ben. We have a 11 yo son who is interested in nothing other than video games and sports. Imagine the "enthusiasm" when we told him he needed to chose an instrument. Tried piano-- no go. Then we tried viola. Having played violin as a youth, we interviewed numerous instructors before choosing Ben, searching for "that" one, someone who could relate to an uninterested 11yo boy, someone who could bring a tiny bit of "coolness" to a musical instrument, someone who was not that classic "stand up straight" instructor we all had growing up. That person is Ben. I cannot say that our son is jumping up and down to practice every day, but there is definitely pride, progress and for sure a cool factor. He writes music (about baseball!!) with Ben and now our daughter, who already plays piano and guitar, has asked if she can play with Ben too. The recitals he offers are super fun--- not your usual, and the kids have a blast, parents too. I sort of hesitated in writing this for fear that Ben will be "found." !!!! Our son will be starting his 3rd year with Ben in the fall and we could not possibly be any happier. Our daughter's guitar and piano instructors are perfectly fine and we have been with them for years, but they are not in the same category as Ben. read more