Eric is an amazing guitar teacher for our son. We've been with him for 7+ years and he's played an…read moreimportant role to our son's mastery of the guitar. Over time, the pieces went from simple to increasingly difficult and challenging. Eric is always for growth, challenge and improvement--all with a smile and great sense of humor. He keeps the learning fresh and fun!! Eric is open to input and suggestions as to what to play and welcomes more difficult pieces or music in different genre. He's flexible, patient and understands the needs of his students, open to student and parental suggestions. He is really great with kids and I highly recommend him as a guitar teacher.

Eric is an amazing guitar instructor! My daughter and I have been taking lessons with him for over…read morea year and couldn't be happier. His super calm disposition and ability to connect with her since she was 5 is so authentic, it's incredible. From teaching music notes by sticking different colored dots on her guitar frets, to helping her internalize quarter, half and whole notes by rhythmic clapping, we continue to be in awe of Eric's engaging style of teaching music. Personally, I'm also really touched by the effort that he puts into writing out sheet music and tab notation for my most favorite Spanish/Flamenco songs, that he then teaches me how to play. I'm so grateful that we found him!

My daughter has been taking lessons from Will for over a year. Over that year, she has really…read morelearned to ENJOY playing music and will hop on the piano just for fun. I believe that's because of Will's relaxed and patient style. He makes piano fun and approachable. He's very flexible in terms of scheduling, and has reasonable rates. We recently bought a Mac and he even showed us how to record some music on Garage Band. If you're a Tiger Mom, Will's not the teacher for you. If you want your child to enjoy music, Will is a great teacher.

I have known William Mandell for a long time and highly recommend him for a variety of Music…read moreLessons. He has helped my daughter with Piano, singing, audition preparation and even some music creation on Garage Band. Will is patient, persistent and very talented.

I started taking bass because I wanted to learn an instrument...no real plan or goal. I've not…read morepicked up an instrument since middle school which was....a while ago. I emailed two bass instructors and I'm so glad Adam got back to me first! He is a terrific teacher and this has been one of the most rewarding experiences I've had in a long time. I appreciate his thoughtful, patient, and through nature. He has some serious knowledge of music theory and a wide variety of musical styles. He always has a plan for us to learn some skill but he's totally down to work on what you are interested in learning. Best of all, what I appreciate about him is that he clearly loves his craft and he brings that joy to every lesson and every lesson is pretty fun. If you want to learn an instrument and have a good time doing it...Adam is your teacher.

I found Adam via Yelp after looking through all the reviews for an upright bass teacher. There…read morewere a few closer to my location (within 10 miles) but I chose to go with Adam (25 miles away) based upon reviews. I have played woodwind instruments and piano since the early 80's so I have some musical background so I was not starting from ground zero musically. I am an older student (more than 40 years and less than 50) and have been taking lessons from Adam for the past 3-4 months -- no knowledge of string instruments. I talked with Adam for my first lesson to get a taste of his musical background and personality. He is easy going, very positive about learning music and really got a sense of where I was with music. To keep me from lugging my upright bass in a car from 26 miles away, storing it in the heat for most of the day (my lesson was at 5pm) Adam offered the use of his upright bass to take my lessons on. That was very much appreciated. As for Adam's musical background -- he is still active in the Bay Area and beyond. I was particularly interested in his Jazz background as I am trying to focus on playing more jazz but also wanting to know how to "bow" classicaly. Adam pretty much covered what I was looking for and much more. Unanswered questions for what you may be wondering: How is Adam as a teacher? I think he is a wonderful teacher. I have had a great experience learning from him. He breaks things down into simple pieces that I can learn from. We went through what to look for in an upright bass (before I purchased mine), how to hold the bass, how to pluck the strings, terminology, right hand and left hand techniques -- all at my own pace. Adam answers all my questions (in person, over text messages, via email). He also provides plenty of material for me to review and to practice. Cost? Comparable to many of the teachers I researched out there in the Bay Area Other information -- Adam does teach both upright bass and electric bass. I have walked in on other students (young and old) a few minutes early before my lesson and have observed Adam's style with the other students. Again -- very positive and very professional. You will get something out of taking lessons with Adam as long as you are willing to put in the time. Set your expectations for learning bass (electric or upright) -- give Adam a call -- and get ready to do some great learning (and plenty of practicing at home...)!

Do you remember disliking music classes when you were young because all you played was scales and…read moreclassical music? Not the case here! Tyler does a great job letting the student choose music that they like, inherently hooking the student. This translates into less reminding and nagging to actually practice! Tyler is so patient and kind, not to mention musically gifted. Mom is great at handling all the business aspects, including very flexible scheduling and easy payment through venmo.

Tyler is fantastic! My 15-year-old son has been taking lessons with him for over a year, and it's…read moretruly one of the highlights of his week. Tyler has a wonderful teaching style, balancing a fun, supportive atmosphere with just the right amount of challenge to push my son's skills forward without being intimidating. The best part is the end of each lesson, where they jam together and my son gets to test out everything he's learned. If you're looking for a guitar instructor who keeps teens motivated, inspired, and excited to practice, I cannot recommend Tyler enough!

This is LONG overdue!…read more Ken has been teaching my son guitar for a couple of years now, and we couldn't be happier with his lessons. He's not only super knowledgeable about guitar but also plays multiple instruments, which makes his teaching well-rounded. What I really appreciate about Ken is how patient and encouraging he is. He tailors lessons to my son's interests and goals, making learning both fun and challenging. My son has grown so much as a guitarist, gaining confidence and skills that have really made a difference. Ken is a great teacher and an even better mentor. If you're looking for someone who truly cares about their students' progress, I highly recommend him!

We've been taking half-hour lessons with Ken for a few months now. I appreciate how he offers a…read moretrial class and see it's a good fit. The first time we took advantage of this, my child was still too young and not quite ready for classes. The second time we did the trial a year or so later, it worked out and we started going weekly. I really like his style of teaching; my child is always excited to go to class. And the price is a great value too! I would definitely recommend Ken. Two thumbs up!

Christian Pepin exceeded my expectations. The professionalism and experience was shown in the great…read morepresentation in the activity in which he was hired. His exquisite and talented way of playing those instruments showed the quality of musician that Christian Pepin is. He truly left us wanting to continue listening more. We will definitely hire him again. I recommend that you won't regret it.

Christian is very dedicated to his craft. His advice and help and on music is much appreciated!…read more The knowledge he had to explain it all is always impressive. Can't put enough words what this man can do! Thank you! You're the man!!

What a great teacher. He is the real deal. I am so grateful for what he has taught me. I am…read morelearning very fast

Thank you Yelp for leading me to Joel!…read more I have a background in music and play guitar, bass and piano but I certainly never intended to learn banjo. That changed when I inherited a vintage 5-string long neck banjo several years ago. I picked up a beginner banjo book and was instantly hooked. I've had a number of music teachers for various instruments in the past, and I know the value of having a good teacher who can watch you play and instantly correct mistakes so they don't become bad habits, especially when first getting started or help you get past a plateau in your learning. I've been going to Joel for regular lessons since 2014 and would consider Joel to be the friendliest and most patient teacher I've had. In terms of lesson structure, Joel will adapt lessons to how and what you wish to learn. Joel first asked if I wished to learn "clawhammer" or "three finger" style. (I chose to learn both and Joel was happy to oblige.) The format of the lessons is listen, watch and repeat. At the end of the lesson Joel will send you home with tab for the song and techniques you learned to work on until next time. The next lesson will start with the last song (if you did your homework, you should be able to play it...oh yeah...accountability is another reason to have a real teacher) while Joel plays along. Joel will then teach you the next song which builds on previous skills. I practice guitar and banjo daily, but banjo gives me the most joy. The sound is so distinctive and different, it attracts far more attention, interest and praise from friends and listeners. A bonus, you will sound more proficient after far fewer lessons compared to guitar and most instruments people are more used to hearing. I would highly recommend learning banjo as a first or tenth instrument. If you're in or near SF and are thinking about learning banjo, go see Joel. Finally, I have had the opportunity to record Joel several times solo and with one of his students, Jeeyun, at my home. You can listen to the tracks on Sound Cloud at the links below. Joel Stafford with student Jeeyun Kim (5 tracks) https://soundcloud.com/mcnitt/sets/joel-stafford-banjo-vol-3 Joel Stafford solo (8 tracks) https://soundcloud.com/mcnitt/sets/joel-stafford-banjo-vol-2 Happy banjo learning and playing!

I WOULD NOT recommend Joe. I tried arranging private lessons. He rescheduled on me twice (first…read moretime at the last minute), then failed to make the second appt To top it off, he completely no-showed for the last appt we arranged two days later. I texted him and heard nothing but silence.

Our son wanted to drop his piano lessons. We agreed that he would instead have to learn another…read morelesson. We so fortunately found Joe Cohen, who is patient, knowledgeable, likable, reliable - the perfect clarinet tutor for a middle school aged kid. Thanks to Joe, after a couple of years of lessons, our son was admitted to the School of the Arts in clarinet and gained the enjoyment of playing music in the school's band. He then took classes at the Conservatory of Music and the Cazadero music camp. We are forever grateful to Joe for his support and friendship.