I can't say enough good things about taking lessons with Dave. I came to Dave after only playing for a few months. I was looking to just get more comfortable on the guitar as I had hit my limit trying to teach myself. Dave has helped me go beyond just being comfortable on guitar. He's not only taught me technique and theory, but also how to practice effectively. Dave has a great ability to meet you where you're at in your skill level, break things down in a way that makes sense, and then push you just enough so you're always growing without feeling overwhelmed. I leave every lesson excited to get home and practice. read more

Mr. Dave Kurtz is an awesome music teacher. He has taught both of my kids playing guitar for many years, and they always look forward to seeing him every week for new guitar lessons. They love his teaching style, which is fun, engaging and easy to learn. He breaks complex things down and uses many examples for his students to understand. Also, he has his own band and plays at different places regularly. So he has extensive performing experience and knowledge to share with his students. Beside being an excellent teacher, Dave is personable, patient, professional, and very easy to work with. Sometimes we were busy and could not come to his class, Dave was very flexible and always tried to find a different time that worked for us. I wish I could give him more than 5 stars. I really appreciate his effort in teaching my kids. They can now play guitar with ease in front of many people. Theo read more

Dave teaches more than just guitar and ukulele. He teaches music. Personalized approach, brilliant tutorship, and super supportive. I've taken many lessons with him and can honestly say that my music wouldn't be where I can take it today without his inspiring help. read more

What can I say, except sorry I have been lacking in writing reviews for people I have hired. Dave Kurtz is a phenomenal guitarist and person. He played at our wedding in 2013. He had to travel which we knew can be a pain with all of his equipment. Yet, he made the process seem so easy and less stressful for me. He helped us go through music to pick, updated list of songs and worked with a smile during my chaos on the day of the wedding. He was such a pleasure to work with and made our day memorable. Now, we try to go watch live his shows or FB live music sessions. Totally worth watching. When my kids are slightly bigger, Dave will be the one we hire for music lessons! read more

Dave is a fantastic guitar teacher. I studied with him for almost a year in 2020/2021, and for about 6 months back in 2013. Dave really makes sure that the lessons are designed to serve you first and foremost - if you want to learn how to play a specific song, Dave's got you covered. Do you want to deconstruct a song (basically see why the musician made the decisions they made on a track)? Dave's got you covered. Do you want to dive into theory, or a specific style, or work on phrasing/improvising? Dave's got you covered. On top of being a really personable, relatable teacher, Dave's also a really good guy. I loved taking lessons with him, and I plan on returning in the future. read more

I have been working with Dave for a few months and I have to say that he is an excellent teacher. He is very patient and explains difficult music theory concepts in a way that I can understand. I have made really good progress with Dave in a very short time. I 100% recommend him for any playing level or age. Thanks Dave! read more

Dave Kurtz is an amazing musician, truly gifted. You can call him a virtuoso. The man can play anything you ask, even if he's never heard it before. He's incredibly skilled, making him a great teacher. He takes great pride and joy in his craft and tries to pass it on to his students. He's very patient and encouraging, and his lesson prices are really really good. Dave also played original compositions on guitar at my cousin's wedding a couple years ago. It was really beautiful, people couldn't stop talking about it all night! I wish I would've used him for my wedding a few years before. Highly recommend for private lessons and events. You want to be the best, learn from the best! read more

Dave Kurtz Music - Musicians Near Me - Santa Ana, California

David is a fantastic guitar instructor for beginners as well. My wife and I took beginner lessons with David who was consistently encouraging, supportive, informative and instructive. We went from not knowing how to play guitars to learning beatles and blues in a period of 6 months read more

Dave is an excellent instructor, phenomenal player, and a pleasure to learn with. I knew what I wanted to learn and he delivered that and more. He would figure out how to play any song I presented to him on the spot. We also worked on some music theory which really helped me out in my songwriting. read more

Dave is a superb guitar teacher - I've been playing for years and I've had experiences with teachers who are good players but are horrible as teachers. He's incredibly encouraging, very patient, loves all styles of music, and I leave every lesson feeling accomplished and encouraged. He's a wonderful teacher - highly recommended. read more

Dave is a wonderful music teacher! I went to him for guitar lessons until I moved out of state, and he helped me get better at guitar and helped me gain an ear to figure out the chords to the music I would write. He was always up for whatever challenge I presented each lesson and helped me so much by not only teaching me proper technique but also some building blocks of music theory. I'm in my 40s and learning new things at this age isn't always easy, but Dave explains things really well and helps goals feel within reach. He's a true professional who makes his living through writing, playing and teaching music and his passion for his craft is evident. He's also just a super downright great human being. I'd highly recommend Dave as a teacher for any musician of any age at any level. read more

I took lessons from Dave for about 8 months and had some basic guitar skill before the lessons. Dave was able to take my guitar abilities way past what I thought I was capable of. He help me to learn and play songs that I always considered way past my abilities. Dave is extremely knowledgeable and patient with his instruction, and he made the lessons very enjoyable. I would highly recommend him to anyone with any skill level, beginner or advanced. He's a phenomenal guitarist and a great teacher. Whatever we learned and went through in the lesson, he was able to thoroughly transcribe and write down so I could practice it during the week. Any type a music you're into, Dave's your guy to help learn it! read more

Dave is a very knowledgeable and detailed type of instructor. He's able to adapt his teaching most professionally to the particular needs of his student (me, in this case). He's able to zero in on one's strengths and weaknesses, and take you onward and upward! read more

My son has had Dave as his Bass Instructor since 2015 and it has been wonderful! Dave comes to our house once a week for a 1/2 hour lesson and his fee is very reasonable. Dave has done a great job working with our son as evidenced by how long he has been our son's instructor. Dave is patient and clear in his instructions. Our son is comfortable to ask Dave any question knowing that Dave will answer thoroughly. Our son's bass lessons have evolved to where Dave has taught/discussed music theory, transcribing, composing and improvisation. Dave has encouraged our son to explore all types of music and to be creative. Our son considers Dave more as his "music instructor" as he is learning so much more than just playing Bass. Our son now plays in the worship band at church and he has received many compliments from the other band members on his skill and his knowledge of music for "only being a teen." As a professional musician, Dave has drawn from his work experience and has shared that information with our son who would like to have a career in music himself. Our family recently had the pleasure of watching Dave perform with his band at a local festival. We were blown away and all we could think was, "...and HE's teaching OUR SON music lessons! That is just AWESOME!" Dave has been a blessing to our son and our family. No one in our family has a musical background and we are so thankful to have an instructor who can help guide our son's passion for music. read more

Dave played for our wedding ceremony and did an amazing job!! He was professional, sweet, and played Your Song by Elton John so well! If you're looking for someone to play at an event, I would 10/10 recommend! I cannot give him enough stars! read more

I have played guitar off and on for around 15 years. Like with many guitarists I was hitting some walls and plateaus. I started taking lessons with Dave to work on my lead and improv skills and he helped me improve faster than I ever could have on my own. A big surprise for me was how much my ear improved working with Dave. After only a few months I could start to pick out notes just by listening to Dave play or by listening to a song. The only issue was he's such a cool guy that I wanted to spend half the lesson just hanging out and chatting about music. YouTube videos are great tools, but having an expert sitting in the room with you telling you what you're doing wrong or right is really invaluable. read more

My lessons with Dave have been very productive and he's proven to be such a great resource for me in my pursuit to play the guitar. I'm such a beginner and thought that perhaps he would be too advanced to help me, but, to my surprise, he identified specific fingering issues and helped me to find great alternatives to the way I approached playing simple songs along with long-term practice exercises I could use to help me in the long run. David is also just a sweet, gentle, patient person with a very logical, level head. He's also analytical, which helps him to verbalize difficult concepts into easy-to-understand examples and metaphors. I highly recommend David to both beginning guitar players and seasoned professionals. Knowing his depth of knowledge of all genres; classical, jazz, blues, rock and pop; there is nothing Dave doesn't know how to address and instruct. read more

Dave is a great guitar instructor. He's willing to teach whichever skills, techniques, practice ideas or songs you're interested in at any given time. He does it extremely well while being extremely patient :) Thanks again, Dave! read more

Dave recently played guitar at our wedding and was incredibly professional, responsive, and talented. He did an excellent job and really added something special to our ceremony and cocktail hour. He learned a new song - a special request - for our recessional, and had helpful and spot-on suggestions for many of the other choices we had to make in terms of music. read more

I dabbled in the guitar for over ten years before I started taking lessons with Dave Kurtz, and I can honestly say that I've learned more in the past six months than I learned in all the years prior to sitting down with Dave. In our early sessions, Dave asked me about my musical goals and interests, then invited me to play for him as a means of establishing a starting point. He pinpointed many of my needs immediately, and as we set to work to meet those he remained attentive to other tips and tricks that proved valuable in joining my existing knowledge to the new lessons. He helped me get over bad habits I'd formed and introduced me to numerous techniques that have significantly increased my skill and understanding of the guitar and music in general. Each of my lessons is tailored to my interests and augmented by his deep knowledge of music theory and a vast array of styles. He is patient and understanding, enthusiastic, has a great sense of humor, and is keenly interested in my progress. In addition to being an excellent teacher, Dave is an incredible guitar player; his repertoire includes classical, Latin, funk, blues, and rock n roll...and probably several more genres I've not yet heard him play in the many bands and projects with which he's involved. And best of all...he's affordable. read more

Dave taught my son guitar. I just expected him to teach my son some cords and whatnot. However, he had my son reading sheet music... and most of all, my son enjoyed all his time with Dave. read more

My daughter is in high school and he has been her guitar instructor since third grade. He is an excellent musician as well as an excellent instructor. He is very patient and really knows how to work with children if all ages. read more

Dave Kurtz is a great guitar teacher. My son has been taking lessons with him for a year now and has made great progress. Dave is very knowledgeable, patient, and clear when giving instructions. My son feels comfortable asking him questions when he is unclear about something and Dave always answers thoroughly. We feel very fortunate that we have found a wonderful musician who clearly shows he's passionate about what he does. read more

I been playing self-taught guitar now for over a decade, could only get so far. D Kurtz picked up immediately on my skill level (or lack of) and within a couple hours I was already far better than when the lesson started. The guy has an ear for every style, every nuance, and is more patient than others I've tried to work with. For the price you can't beat him- great for young, old, new, or established players. Just watch him play and after thinking, "I can't possibly ever do that!" he'll break it down in an easy to understand method. I've met hundreds of guitarists in my days at home and on the road and I can honestly say Kurtz is among the very top of the heap. read more

We hired Dave for our beach wedding in Laguna Beach and he was awesome! Since the beginning he was very dedicated and sending me audio of the songs i wanted him to play. He also came to the rehearsal one day before the wedding which was great and made me more secure. He rocked at the wedding, we and all the guests loved it. I'd totally recommend him, he's really sweet and his prices are affordable. read more

I have been taking lessons from David for about the last year or so. I have to say that it has been an enjoyable, learning experience. Our guitar lessons involve his instruction with the style and type of music that I enjoy listening and playing to. He is encouraging, patient, as well as instructive and he does not compromise on proper technique... I look forward to my weekly lessons and would recommend him to any child or adult who wants to improve his/her guitar skills and take there playing to the next level. Respectfully, Don Equitz, Yorba Linda read more

Dave gives great lessons. He teaches class based on what you desire. From songs to guitar playing style, strumming, fingerpicking, theory, reading music, tab, and beyond. I highly recommend classes with Dave, he knows his stuff and offers classes at a great price! read more

We hired Dave for our wedding and were absolutely blow away by his punctuality, professionalism and most importantly, his performance. A very gifted guitar player who is as reliable as he is talented. I would definitely recommend him to anyone looking for a musician/band to play at their wedding, party, or other social event. read more

I had Dave play his guitar at my mom's retirement party at my house for about 25 people. He was on time to set up, and he did such a fantastic job playing for 2 hours! His music was so soothing, and created just the perfect amount of ambience for the event. I would definitely hire him again for a special occasion. Class act!!! read more

I've taken lessons from Dave for about four months now, and I highly recommend him as an instructor. Lessons with him are productive, he provides constructive and honest feedback, and he's very encouraging and patient. I picked up the guitar again recently after a twenty-year layoff, and the last thing I wanted to do was hit the sort of sticking points and ruts that led me to quit playing so long ago. With that in mind, Dave made sure to keep an eye out for issues with my technique and pointed out multiple things that were hindering my playing. Of course, he also gave good advice and instruction on how to fix those things. Each time he did that, my playing took a noticeable step forward. He's also good at explaining music theory and tying it into the music I've expressed an interest in playing. I've always looked forward to going to my lessons with Dave, because at the end of every lesson I end up feeling like I've gotten something valuable out of the time. Plus, he's a good guy and he keeps lessons fun and interesting. read more