Our boys (ages 12 and 9) have been taking guitar lessons with Hale Fulton for the past several…read moremonths. We could not be happier with the instruction they have been receiving and would recommend Hale without reservation. Hale is highly skilled as both a player and a teacher. More importantly, he knows how to connect with children. He listens carefully to what they are interested in learning and tailors his approach to their interests and needs. He is patient and supportive. At the same time, he helps stretch students in new directions while keeping it fun (e.g., playing duets, improvising). He is familiar with and can teach a wide range of musical genres. In short, you can't go wrong if you choose Hale as your child's guitar teacher. You can reach him at: halefulton@gmail.com.

I've been taking lessons with Joe for about 4 years now. Initially, we started out in person but as…read moremy technique improved we moved over to online lessons, which was great because it saved me commuting time and the quality of the lessons was the same. Needless to say, my playing has improved dramatically. Joe has a structured curriculum that he takes you through. He is patient and kind. I've enjoyed working with him very much and have no intention of stopping anytime soon. I highly recommend taking lessons with Joe. You won't regret it.

Of all the guitar teachers I have had Joe was the best. He uses a very thoughtful and effective…read morecurriculum of evolution of styles through the decades. I learned a lot !

When most people go to see a concert they are enthralled with the dreamy lead singer, the rockin'…read moreguitarist, or possibly a front man who is doing both. I mean they call him/her the "front man," this person has got to be entertaining. But, when I'm watching live music I'm always, always, always staring (sometimes slack-jawed, unfortunately) at the drummer. And so after many years of requesting drum lessons for holidays my husband, Sir Nicholas, one-upped my request and bought me a drum kit and pointed me to lessons with Jake Wood. By the end of my first lesson Jake had taught me to read music for the drums and how to play 7 Nation Army. Granted it seems like a fairly easy song in the drum world, but the point is that he made me feel like I learned a lot and that in no time at all I could be at least an adequate drummer. It pretty much instilled a sense of confidence in me to continue on with my lessons. After the first lesson though we got serious and Jake started working on my technique, specifically syncopation so that when I'm supposed to be hitting two things at the exact same moment I actually am. That's a little more challenging, but I love that the framework is being laid. And I should mention it's what I requested. Because when you start with Jake he has you fill out a questionnaire about all sorts of things like do you just want to learn songs or do you want to learn how to really play with great technique, who are some of your favorite drummers, are you doing this for fun or because you want to be in a band someday that tours and tries to make a living doing this, and so on. It really helps Jake tailor your lessons specifically to your desires for the drums. In a word that is awesome. Jake is a great teacher for this instrument as he knows many different styles of drumming and has a personal goal of being at a professional playing level for all of the styles out there. He is patient and gives easy to understand lessons. All of that and he's affordable. Now just look for me, coming to a stage near you someday. ;-)

Jake is the real deal. You won't find better. He is incredibly talented and professional, both as a…read moredrummer and a teacher. I was a total novice, having hardly touched a drum before. Jake is patient and clear. Learning my chops was fun and manageable. I never felt like my talent or lack there of was an issue. He is always available and understanding at whatever level I am at. However, don't think he isn't capable of teaching seasoned drummers. I have no doubt he has something to offer everyone.

Bravo Maestro! It…read moreis a pleasure to sing the praises of Shaun. He has worked with my 11 year old child for about 6 months now and I am so impressed with with his expertise and patience. We originally started taking lessons with him to prep for a show with a school friend's band but even after the event passed my son wanted to continue. Shaun really has a gift of making music understandable, incorporating the building of technique, laying down the fundamentals, and all while having fun. He really makes an effort to find the approach that will make things work for his student. The cost is reasonable for private lessons and he has all the equipment at his studio so we just show up with sticks. Highly recommended.

If you wanna learn drums, Shaun is the man…read more He's a patient teacher who's great at gauging progress so you learn new stuff each week without getting too flustered. The other reviewers are right. It's his personality that makes him awesome. My kid loves going to lessons. His studio has a parking lot and is 1 block from I-280 Geneva exit. Bring your own sticks, he provides everything else.

I'm a performing singer-songwriter, and though I'm a strong singer, a couple of years ago I…read moredetermined that my guitar playing needed work if I wanted to get serious about my music career. I worked with Scott for a number of months, and I was impressed with his sensitivity, flexibility and attention to detail. Scott put in time to tab out songs that I wanted to learn, and gently pointed out ways that I was "stuck in a rut" with my right hand strumming patterns, helping me branch out to new rhythmic patterns in my writing. He helped me start to work bass lines into my playing rather than just strumming full chords all the time (yes, I was that guy), and was open to listening to the music I was interested in and figuring out what songs would help me build my chops. He's also quite affordable, kind and non-judgmental. Not every guitar teacher who can help you learn not just to play, but how to read music and understand music theory, which are highly valuable things to have as a musician. Scott's advanced musical training allows him to impart this kind of learning to interested students. He is also adept at teaching those who would prefer to play without reading music. Incidentally, I've also had the pleasure of seeing Scott play tango, and I can say he's not only a great teacher, but a great musician. I highly recommend Scott O'Day!

I am an adult guitar student and I love taking lessons with Scott. He is gentle, kind and patient…read more He is flexible with scheduling and can answer all of my questions. He has extensive experience in studying music, guitar is not just a hobby for him - its a lifestyle. He is skilled in teaching music theory and note reading as well as getting you started right away with playing songs. I was anxious to start playing, but feel at ease more and more with the guitar. I am surprised at how quickly my confidence has risen and can thank Scott for his great teaching style. I can imagine that he is super easy for kids to connect with as well. I highly recommend Scott O'day as a music teacher.

So let's say I started off my musical career at a big fat 0! I had never picked up guitar, I…read morecouldn't read music, and I certainly didn't know about tablature, metronomes, measures... okay really anything at all. But I wanted to try something new, and I had my heart set on learning acoustic guitar. Rather I thought it would be the most realistic instrument for me to learn and who doesn't love guitar? I borrowed my roommate's mom's guitar (circa 1970) and made an appointment with John. My first lesson John took a look at my borrow guitar and exclaimed that the previous user had put steel strings on a nylon string guitar (gasp!) Obviously I had no idea, but he told me that I really needed something that would work. We stopped the lesson, got on craigslist & John helped me find the exact guitar I needed with case & book so I wouldn't spend a fortune buying a new guitar. Fast forward a few months. I've learned to READ MUSIC, I am learning to play chords, I can play (some) songs, pick- no pick- I can play either way. John has let me set my own pace for learning- advising me on what to practice but also helping me go beyond the book. I really like John- as an instructor he is always encouraging and patient with me. You can tell that he is passionate about music and he answers even my most obvious questions with thought - even giving me the history of why certain rules exist. John also plays upright bass and piano and I would recommend him to anyone seeking lessons!

After a recommendation from a friend, I have been taking guitar lessons from John for about 6…read moremonths now and I can honestly say he is the best teacher I have found. I have tried others, but none were able teach in a way that made sense and allowed me to build upon my knowledge with each new lesson. Before John, the teachers I had would not have any real agenda and I had a hard time making much progress. In addition to that, he is patient, encouraging and offers great tips on how to make improvements to your playing that you may never have thought of. I highly recommend him, especially if you are a beginner or have been dabbling it but can't seem to make the kind of progress that you had hoped for. It's well worth it.

Erik is awesome!  I've been taking lessons for 3 years and…read morestill continuing. The music journey includes composition / improvisation / music theory / classical / Jazz...and so much more! Erik introduces me to a different perspective in understanding and playing music. He always tries to find a very personalized way to enhance my music knowledge and skills based on my style and interest. This is very unique and amazing! His class is super fun! He is very passionate about music and teaching. Erik is also a great musician! His compositions and performances are impressive!

I took lessons from Erik from '91 to '99 and in that time i went from zero to Debussy's Claire de…read moreLune. The trip included music theory, improv, jazz, blues, classical, composition, and organ technique ( sort of ... no foot pedals ). He guided my development and enriched my understanding and appreciation of music. Although I am a vocalist these days it was my work with Erik that provides the foundation for my ongoing musicality.

Our 12-year-old son has wanted to take drum lessons for years and we are so grateful that we found…read moreBlake! Blake is kind, encouraging, and relaxed - which is such a great environment for a kid (or anyone) to learn in. He's also passionate and enthusiastic about the drums, which is contagious. Plus, he's super talented (check out his Instagram clips)! The studio space is great, and Blake has been very accommodating with our schedule and transportation needs. He's been an outstanding drum teacher, coach, consultant, and is an all-around great person. If you're looking for a drum teacher for yourself or for your kiddo, look no further.

A surfing instructor in Hawaii once said to me that surfing is reconnecting with your inner child…read moreand just telling them to not worry about making mistakes and just play. My drum lessons with Blake the last couple years have embodied that same sentiment, and his supportive, encouraging teaching style make it easy to get out of my head and just have fun. Even when my limbs are flailing wildly about and offbeat for measures, I don't fall apart in embarrassment because Blake has the ability to help figure out what would be helpful and reflect that in a comprehensible (and simultaneously uplifting) manner. With regards to location, the studio is very accessible by MUNI (located adjacent to the Balboa Park BART station) and has a parking lot as well - very convenient! While I'm sure Blake can legit teach fundamentals and technical playing for beginners, I have mainly brought in songs from various genres, decades, and artists, and he would break them down and convert them into sheet music. It's very impressive how skilled he is at dissecting a song (within minutes of listening to it) into its snare, hi-hat, and kick beats. I've even asked Blake to play the song to demonstrate how the beat goes; not only would this be helpful, but I've found myself both inspired and mesmerized when he plays. So whether you're a total beginner or an expert, I 100% recommend Blake because he is, as the kids say -- straight fax, no printer: an amazing instructor and all-around cool guy!