I've been taking guitar lessons from Half Note Music School for about six months now and I highly recommend them! First, some background: I considered myself an "adult beginner", though I've played around with a guitar since high school. I knew the basic open chords and a few songs from the various "Teach Yourself Guitar" books I'd gone through. I'd often thought about taking lessons, but never quite got around to it. As it turns out, one of my friends had been taking guitar lessons at Half Note Studio for about two years. When I asked her about it, she said she'd learned a lot and recommended I give Jack a call. I arranged a free initial lesson with Jack. I was nervous going into the studio, but Jack was quite friendly and quickly made me feel at ease. We went over what I knew and talked about what I wanted to get out of lessons. In my case, I was looking to learn more music theory and get some "proper" guitar instruction. Six months later, I still look forward to my regular guitar class! I'm developing a better understanding of music theory, improving my ear training, getting better at sight reading and generally developing a deeper appreciation for what I can do with the guitar. Jack's a great instructor and very flexible in terms of tailoring his lessons to the needs of the particular student. If you've ever thought about taking music lessons as an adult, I say give Jack and Half Note Music Studio a try! read more

Half Note Music School - Front of the studio - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

I have been taking both guitar and vocal lessons with Half Note Music School for just over a year now and I would happily recommend anyone else interested in music lessons do the same. I've played the guitar on and off for over a decade. Jack - my guitar instructor - quickly learned where my past musical experience placed me and tailored our lessons to my skill level. I have no formal singing experience, and Amy has been wonderful helping me learn how to better use my voice. She has given me several different techniques that are easy to practice in my spare time. I have come a long way with both my instruments and I'm very satisfied with these lessons. As is common these days, my lessons were all over Skype and Zoom, but I hear the studio is open now for those that can attend in person. read more

I took voice lessons with Suzanne for 1 year. Previously, I sang casually but had never taken lessons. After a few months of working with her, I saw huge improvements. Suzanne is extremely knowledgable and adjusts exercises according to your goals. She's passionate, patient, and wants to see you succeed. If you're thinking about taking voice lessons I highly recommend her. read more

My wife and I did extensive research on where to place our son for beginning guitar lessons. He is 10 and we wanted an environment and teacher we could count on to make it fun and educational. We found that in Half Note Studio and my family would recommend this to anyone interested in learning an instrument. The Director of the School, Jack Dowdell, has been fantastic from the very beginning. He is the main reason we chose this school and Evan, our son's guitar teacher is why we are staying! read more

I am an adult who learns to play piano. Eunjin is my third teacher. I decided to settle with her as long as she won't move out of Seattle : ) She is very skilled, experienced, well-educated, humorous. I had a lot of fun in class. She definitely made me more passionate about piano learning. And of course, my skilled improved a lot. I decide to study as possible Eunjin holds DMA degree in piano performance, which most teacher doesn't have. This makes her extremely qualified to teach students at any level. She really knows how to teach effectively. There was a song I had practiced for two months for my wedding but it still sounded wrong to me. I couldn't figured out what's wrong. Then I knew I need a teacher. That's when I started my class with Eunjin. She went through each line with me. Corrected my figuring to make it easier for me to play each key evenly. She taught me which part to use finger and which part to use hand, and how to relax fast between two notes. Those skills are so helpful for me. None of other teachers taught me before. Without her I will never do it. read more

A little over a year ago, I came to Half Note so I could learn how to sing and play a song on the piano for my soon-to-be wife at our wedding. I had no idea how to play the piano at all, but the team at Half Note taught me how to play the piano and also gave me vocal lessons so I could sound halfway decent (they did a great job, I'm mainly commenting on my abilities). Everyone I worked with was very professional and very friendly. They loved my story and were happy to work with me (and very patient). They all knew their various disciplines (several different ones usually) and were great teachers. I couldn't recommend a music school more. read more

I started taking classical voice lessons at Half Note 2.5 years ago. Since then my voice teachers have helped me grow consistently and given me lots of tools to develop my voice. It's often said that vocal instruction is very personal and requires a lot of trust and rapport, especially in the classical training techniques. I am fortunate to have found vocal instruction at Half Note that fit as well as I've hoped for. They've got teachers who are dedicated to the art form of music, and who are tireless in tailoring lessons to students' needs at various levels and genres. Twice a year the students get opportunities to perform on stage at a recital in a supportive and encouraging environment. Highly recommended! read more

I took piano lessons at Half note studio for a year till last August. I work full time and sometimes have to put in extra hours in the evening. The best part about them is how flexible they are with scheduling for adult learners. They have always been willing to move things around in such cases, when I do give notice ahead of time. It makes it so much easier. I've always wanted to learn to play the piano, but being an adult learner can be very difficult. The initial learning curve is steep and often times it can be frustrating due to lack of big progress. I have to thank my instructor for being very patient and mainly for the way he chose to teach me. They do an awesome job in customizing learning plans. In addition to teaching the instrument, there was also a lot of music theory so I could feel like I was learning something new and challenging every week. I was interested in learning to play classical pieces when I started, but my instructor was a jazz pianist, and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to things that he wrote - it was a great introduction to different styles for me. I unfortunately had to stop last year due to big changes at my workplace, but I do definitely recommend them if you're looking for a music school in this area - they are as good as it gets! read more

I HIGHLY recommend Half Note Music School! I applied to Berklee College of Music, a prestigious music school in Boston, not knowing how to read music for guitar at all. Jack and Ira both did an amazing job assessing my strengths and my weaknesses and preparing me for my very demanding audition. I only had a month until my audition, but in that month, I greatly improved my reading skills, my music theory knowledge, and my overall preparedness for my audition (Considering Jack and Ira are both Berklee alumni). I ended up nailing my audition, especially the reading portion of it! Berklee is infamous for not giving out scholarships, but because of how prepared I was for my audition, I earned an amazing scholarship that covered most of my cost of attendance. Overall, Jack and Ira are great teachers and taking lessons at Half Note was comfortable, fun, and not to mention affordable! 5 Stars! read more

Half Note is awesome. Our kids started piano lessons there last year. It was important to us that they learn to play and learn to love music. Half Note has done a great job teaching them both. Highly recommended. read more

I had a few months of guitar lessons at Half Note Music School. Edgar was my instructor, and he was very skilled and very knowledgeable about music theory. I asked so many questions, and he answered them all, sometimes even going past our allotted time to make sure I understood a concept. Unfortunately, I had to stop taking lessons because of work and time management. I want to start taking guitar lessons soon, and Half Note will be my goto school. read more

Jack at Half Note is a fantastic guitar teacher and I highly recommend him and Half Note for any age or level of ability. I went in as a lefty, adult beginner wanting to learn guitar. The first great impression was Jack asking exactly what I wanted to learn and giving a free lesson to sample his style and what I could expect. He tailors his lessons, makes it fun and has a sense of humor to go with his professional playing and teaching ability. You will not regret enrolling yourself or your kids at Half Note and will come away with some solid skills - no matter what instrument - and love of music. Jack truly loves what he does, understands everyone has a different learning style and can deliver those "aha" moments for any level of student. Great place to look forward to going every week. read more

I've been taking guitar lessons with the director of the studio, Jack Dowdell, for the past 9 years. I started by taking a beginning guitar class Jack was teaching at the University of Washington Experimental College. I liked Jack and the instruction so much that I continued up to today. Jack has helped me play music as well as appreciate different styles of music. I've also written my own compositions and performed in a public setting. read more

Have had my children here over the years for voice, guitar and piano. All of the instructors are amazing. They are flexible with scheduling and make up classes. The prices are always reasonable. Multiple performace opportunities to gain skills and confidence. read more

I don't like the owner of the school. I paid the first batch of 10 classes at once, and he processed the second batch charge on his own without my authorization while I was actually not planning to continue here. PS: the rate was up too and he didn't mention it to me at all. when I signed up, he made me buy two extra books that I didn't actually need for the class at all. I'm very skeptical of the other 5 stars ratings of this place. read more

If you are looking for a warm and friendly place on the Eastside to learn how to play the guitar, do yourself a favor and check out Half Note. I am mainly a piano player, but have always had a soft spot in my heart for the guitar. As a kid, I listened to my father playing folk songs on his classical guitar as I drifted off to sleep (mostly Mason Williams, but whatever). When I went to college, he gave me that guitar. I taught myself to play some tunes on it (mostly James Taylor) and enjoyed it over the next several years, though I never had a lesson. Then I married a musician, who told me I needed to play an instrument that was appropriate for the kind of music I most enjoy (in my case, a steel string acoustic guitar). We got one, and with that I decided it was time for some lessons. If I was going to play a proper guitar then I needed to be sure I was playing it properly, and not carrying bad habits over to a new instrument. That's when I went to see Jack. We knew each other from playing a few gigs together years ago (I am also a singer) and I remembered how much fun I had playing with him and feeling very impressed by his musicianship and inspired by his encouragement to try more improvisation. I was sure that taking lessons with him would be a blast, and I was not disappointed! We have a great time playing together at every lesson, and after eight months of lessons I have made huge strides in my knowledge of and comfort with the instrument. I haven't studied with the other instructors, but I have seen them perform and they are all outstanding musicians. The Bellevue space is comfortable and quiet, with a large studio in the back suitable for ensembles. And the licorice jar is always full! read more

My book club gave me a month of guitar lessons as a birthday gift. Lucky for me that they found Half Note on Yelp. I've been there about 15 months and recommend it as a terrific school for any age and ability level. They genuinely care about the students. As a guitar instructor Jack is challenging, amiable and always ready to go in any direction I want to take. I really look forward to each lesson as a high point of my week. I also just started voice lessons with Jessica who is knowledgeable, enthusiastic and charming. My highest recommendation for Half Note! read more