After half a lifetime of being a beginner-level guitar player, I decided to take lessons with Ron. In our first lesson, he fixed a few of my bad habits and gave me some exercises to build strength and agility in my fretting hand. Further down the road, he taught me enough introductory music theory to write my first song. Now, as a former beginner I can say: if you put in the effort, taking lessons with Ron will level up your guitar playing immensely. He's a natural teacher with a breadth of knowledge that allows him to tailor lessons according to your musical goals and interests. read more

Ron lives and breathes music. I came to him as a beginner/intermediate guitar player, and three months later, my guitar sounds like a completely different instrument. His lessons on music theory have changed the way I play and view the fretboard, and the way his lessons have been structured makes the learning process feel very natural. Parallel to practicing and learning music theory, he's thrown me right into the fire of playing some really technical fingerstyle songs. It's frustrating, but it has allowed me to realize where my strengths and weaknesses lie, and he works with me tirelessly to ensure I understand the technique. On top of all that, he's a down to earth guy who's always got a joke to crack, and he's got great musical interests and has introduced me to some artists that I probably wouldn't have otherwise listened to (Doc Watson, Joe Pass, The Strawbs, etc). The hour long lesson really flies by and I feel that he's a great teacher and artist who's able to convey his knowledge in a way that's easily digestible. If you're looking to learn or improve your guitar playing, Ron is the guy in Philly that I would highly recommend. read more

I have been taking lessons from Ron for a little over a year. Prior to that, I spent a year learning to play songs on the guitar via YouTube and similar outlets. YouTube showed me how to play songs, but I had no understanding of how the chords and notes tied into one another. Needless to say, I needed a teacher. Luckily, I found Ron. Within three lessons, Ron taught me the chords in the key of C Major as well as seven different places on the fret board to play these chords (49 chords total!). Since then, we have analyzed topics such as modes, the C-A-G-E-D method, additional scales (both heptatonic and pentatonic), and the blues. Ron has also helped me come out of my comfort zone with singing and song writing, two skills I expressed interest in developing. His ability to tailor lessons to the student is a characteristic often hard to come by in a teacher. Two months into my lessons, COVID hit and Ron began operating via Skype. We have not lost any momentum since then. Over that time, I have gone from being a shy guitarist to someone who is comfortable playing and singing in front of others. My knowledge and interest in music has expanded so much under Ron, from the songs I listen to, to the music I play. Ron has something to offer all students, whether "green" like I was or experienced. I look forward to each lesson as an opportunity to disassociate from the day-to-day and challenge myself to focus and learn an art with a great teacher and someone I now call my friend. read more

Here is a review that my son composed on his own: I started taking guitar lessons with Ron about 2 years ago, as a complete beginner. Now I'm 14. Ron has taught me so much about guitar and music. I've learned a lot about improvising electric guitar solos, playing lead and rhythm guitar, as well as many more styles of guitar. He's also taught me a bunch of songs that I play, ranging from Chuck Berry to Bach. One specific thing that he teaches me that I really like is learning new cool electric guitar riffs and licks that I improvise on. I've also come to appreciate all of the music theory he has taught me, and it's very helpful in going beyond reading tabs and playing them, to creating music of my own. He's also just a fun person to talk to -- about what books I'm reading etc. Ron is himself a brilliant guitarist, and I aspire to his level of skill. I've made a ton of progress due to taking lessons with Ron, and I strongly recommend him as a guitar teacher. read more

I began working with Ron 6 months ago as a beginner. I've made great progress in learning chords, fills & finger picking as well as some good time on the CAGED system which is really helping me learn the fret board. Highly recommended! read more

Disclaimer: This review is based on my own personal experience with the business. I am an experienced guitarist who has been playing guitar for over 8 years. I have taken lessons all over the world but this one lesson I took with Ron in December of 2019 was an absolute nightmare. Right off the bat he came off as a rigid person who cares about making money first and teaching second. During my first phone call with him I told him that I can afford to come twice a month for an hours worth of private lessons. He wasn't happy to hear that I wouldn't be able to come every week but still agreed. My class was supposed to begin at 4:00 pm. He instructed me to come and stand outside his door at 3:55 pm because his time is more important than yours. He makes all his students wait outside for 5 mins while he finishes up his previous class leaving no buffer time between classes. He doesn't care that it takes 5-10 minutes to setup and get started. He just wants to get paid. He doesn't have a door bell or a cellphone. You have to trust that his almighty will come and open the door for you. Once you enter his apartment you will see that it is squeaky clean, you cannot put your things anywhere you want, he's a bit finicky but I respect that. He will then make you sit on a hard wooden chair and start the lesson. His playing is good but I would not call it it great, it is a bit sloppier than I had expected it to be for a professional who has been playing for over 40 years. He showed my some impressive slide guitar during his initial demo. The class it self was okay. He played some chord progressions for me and asked me to play solos over it which I did. He gave me a couple of good pointers and said that over time he will help me get better with my soloing. I was like okay let's see how this goes. He ended the lesson five minutes early while keeping a constant eye on the clock to make time for his next student who was waiting outside. I was miffed, first he starts the lesson 10 mins late because of the zero buffer between classes and now he ends my class early. I thought at the end of the day if he can make me a better player it might be worth putting up with this BS. My next class was scheduled for the week after. I sent him an email a week before my next class stating that I will be performing at an open mic and would not be able to make it to the next class. That is when he started showing his true colors. This was his response to my email - "I don't do lessons every three weeks with students and I need the slots for students who show up more often. Sorry but I will have to decline working with you. Please send a self addressed stamped envelope to me and I will send your deposit to you. You may also come by during working hours to receive your deposit if you call ahead. Ron" I was like WTF? then I was like never mind just give me my deposit back. Yes keeps a $50 deposit with him at all times in case you cancel a class without giving him a 24 hour notice. He doesn't offer a free trial lesson and expects you to pay a deposit before the first lesson. The cherry on top is that he accepts only cash or checks. Anyways, in order to get my money back I have to either send him a self addressed envelope or setup an appointment to pick it up. I finally got my deposit back from him after more than a month of waiting. Edit: 01/10/20 Received an email from Ron with him threatening to sue me for libel: "Your dishonest, hate speech filled, and age discriminatory review of me was not appreciated by me or Google and was taken down. When you are a guest of another country, you must choose your words wisely and respectfully. You cannot go online and libel a 20 year professional's work and expect no repercussions. I have consulted my attorney and she believes I can pursue a libel case against you for your defamation of my character and age discriminatory comments you made on my reviews section, purposely meant to injure my character and business." TLDR; Do not recommend this place, he cares more about making money than teaching. He does not value your time. read more

I've been going to Ron for guitar lessons for the last 9 months & highly recommend him. Before my first lesson, I never picked up a guitar & had no clue how to go about learning. He broke everything down into manageable practice assignments and got me up to speed pretty quickly. One thing I like about Ron (compared to what my friends in the suburbs say about their teachers) is that he's very adaptable to whatever your learning style is. I learn this stuff in an odd way, and instead of forcing a pre-set lesson, he assesses where I'm at and goes with it. Sessions are always fun too. Ron's a fun dude. I always look forward to going every friday. read more

Ron Bennett is an engaging teacher whose kind, reassuring words, and grasp of the vast blues universe brings out the fearless 'jammer' in all those he influences. Alain M. Schremmer read more

Ron is a great guitar/music teacher. I have been taking lessons from him for 2.5 years. Before that I spend half a year learning guitar using YouTube videos. I wanted to share my experience in case you are considering starting taking lessons from Ron. Most importantly Ron moved out of Philly during pandemic, so his lessons are now through Skype. Even though the lessons are not in person you are still able to jam with Ron if you want to do so. On the other hand, you do not have to carry your guitar around, but instead can use your home set up for the lessons, which is much more comfortable. The lessons (for me) are once a week and then I am assigned different excersices to reinforce concepts from that lesson before the next session. Ron is able to adjust to your level, needs, and interests. He is a versatile player/teacher so he can give you tips on how to get that blues, jazz, rock, acoustic,country, funk, etc. sound that you are looking for. Ron gives you great fundamentals in terms of music structure, language, and composition. These are things like how to use and mix different scales, how to build chords, how to play the same licks in different parts of the neck, how to transition between different parts of neck and so much more. This will also help you in understanding what all these other guitar teachers on YouTube are talking about and will accelerate your progress. He will fix your bad habits early, so you do not have to struggle later or even risk an injury. You can send him a song that you like and he will help you dissect how the song is structured and what licks can you play with the song. Lastly, Ron will teach you how to create your own music and how to be creative instead of you learning to always play licks/songs created by other people. read more

I am so glad I took classes from Ron. I started out with little to knowledge of playing guitar. Ron started out right from how to hold the guitar, so it was a great start even in our first lesson. It's been 8 months since I started and now we are working on making a song together. Thats the impact Ron's teaching has on you. He teaches you about all the chords, how those chords are derived and how music as a whole works together. He is very knowledgeable with music theory and a lot of different types of songs and genres. He is very passionate about teaching guitar. At the end of every class, I leave having learnt something new and mind blowing, and can't wait for the next class. Oh, did I mention its a 1 on 1 basis? So complete undivided attention for 1 full hour to your benefit only. He always finds a way to make you understand the concept he's teaching. So, whether you are picking up a guitar as a hobby or professionally, Ron will guide you to become successful. I recommend you mail Ron if you are interested to learn guitar! read more

I've been going to Ron for about a year and a half now, and I highly recommend him. I went to Ron as a complete beginner, and Ron has shown great patience along with being very helpful in teaching me the craft. Ron tailors the lessons with a great mix of theory and drills, along with working on songs that I'd like to play, to keep everything fun while really learning something. Most important, aside from being a great instructor, Ron is a wonderful person, and soon after starting with him, Ron became not just an instructor but also a friend. read more

I went to Ron as a beginner guirtist and had no understanding of music theory. I was able to work with him for a couple of months and he gave me a great fundamental foundation and taught me basic music theory. While working with him, I was able to progress faster and unserstand the concepts of what I was doing. He introduced me to some awesome music that I would have never considered listening to if I haven't worked with him. I have to say, he is extremely passionate about music and what he does so you have be 100% commited his teachings and methods. I looked forward to meeting with him every week and if I still had the time I would be taking lessons as much as possible from him. read more

I had been playing guitar for almost twenty-one years before I met Ron. I decided to take lessons because I was applying for a graduate school program where I needed to audition in order to gain acceptance. While I was very comfortable playing guitar, I was mostly self-taught and figured I could benefit from strengthening my technique and learning new styles of music altogether. Had it not been for Ron, I would not have passed the audition. I can say that with 100% certainty - and I've played guitar in countless bands over the years. Ron helped me to make my finger-style playing much stronger. We focused exclusively on that for a while, but effortlessly went into studying flat-picking and slide-style playing when the time came to do so. Ron also got me thinking about theory for the first time since college. He helped me to understand how certain songs can be played, and WHY they can be played that way. This has been beneficial not only in learning the pieces Ron and I have worked on; it's been a huge help in my own songwriting as well. Ron is a real joy to jam with. He is patient, does not mind repeating himself if need be, and is quick to explain things to me if I'm screwing up. On top of all this, he is a riot. I have several hearty laughs each time I go for a lesson. Do yourself a favor: If you want to learn guitar for the first time, OR if you're an experienced player who could use some refreshers as well as new tricks, look no further than Ron Bennett Music. read more

I had no intention of posting a review until I read the previous review. My experience with Ron has been positive. He definitely knows his stuff, as the previous reviewer indicated. I have found Ron to be caring and patient. He has read my frustration (with my own playing or just not getting it) quite well. My playing has grown as a result of my study. Is he a perfect human being? No. He is a person teaching another imperfect person and I have enjoyed it immensely. I returned to playing last year (2011) after a 25 year hiatus. After several months on my own, things just weren't coming togetner as quickly and in the way I wanted. I also wanted to change my playing style a bit and needed to learn more theory. Ron has given me what I needed. I am appreciative. read more

I had very limited knowledge of music prior to signing up for guitar lessons with Ron (unless you count singing in the shower). It had always been a dream of mine since I was little to be able to pick up a guitar and play one of my favorite songs. I never had touched a guitar prior to reaching out to Ron for lessons so was extremely nervous to begin my lessons. Ron made the nerves fly out the window on the first lesson. He is an unbelievable teacher whose passion about music inspires me to come and play my hardest regardless of the struggles that are presented when learning a new skill. He has customized each one of my lessons to ensure that I am consistently enforcing the correct habits and improving every week. I have learned not only how to play a list of songs, but I have also learned the history of music along with the relationship between strings and frets, chords and notes, majors and minors, etc. I have been receiving lessons for a year now and I can honestly say I learn something new every week. My favorite lessons include working through some of my favorite songs together where he encourages me to put my own creativity into the piece. It's truly an amazing feeling to take a song that has been played a million times and make it your own. On top of his superlative teaching style, his patience and the support he provides me when I am frustrated is what really makes him a genuine and caring teacher. He has not only helped me become a guitar player, he has helped me hear and feel music in a greater way. I am amazed at how well he plays this instrument with originality in every note. If you want to learn this instrument in a fun, relaxed environment with an expert, I would highly recommend you reach out to Ron for lessons! read more

I can't say enough good things about my experience with RB Music! Talk about breadth of knowledge! I really feel I am learning at the feet of a master. What I like most is that Ron always takes the time to stop and make sure you understand a certain technique or concept before going on to the next thing. He's patient, listens extremely well and pays unlimited individual attention where it is required. I expect that I will be continuing my lessons for some time, as it will probably take me years to become as proficient on my instrument as Ron is. Guess I'm just a "Guitar Groupie" for now (as Cher would say!) read more

Ron Bennett is an exceptional guitar instructor for guitarists of all levels. His technical skills, passion for guitar, and musical knowledge are outstanding; all of which are made apparent from the moment you meet him. He leverages these traits to impart to his students excellent technique, theory, and an abiding appreciation for guitar playing. His goal is always to help you be the best guitarist you can be and he tailors his lessons to the interests and level of his students. I found that this ensures you feel comfortable and progress at the pace you want. Since beginning my in-person lessons with Ron nearly 10 years ago, we migrated to Skype lessons for the past 7 years. The Skype lessons deliver the same high-quality that in-person lessons with Ron provide, as communications have been clear and in real time, which allows us to collaborate and play with no sonic or technological delays. With Ron's guidance, I have grown as a guitarist by orders of magnitude and am indebted to Ron for the joy I receive in playing guitar. If you want to learn guitar at your own pace in a relaxed, low pressure, and enjoyable environment, look no further: Ron Bennett. read more

I've taken lessons with Ron for about 10 months and have found him to be an excellent instructor. He does a great job of balancing technical practice, theory and having fun in a way that has inspired me to play more and more and improve tremendously over the time I've trained with him. Very highly recommended. read more

I have been taking guitar lessons from Ron for two and a half years, and would strongly recommend him as a teacher to anyone, whether they have musical experience or not. I had never taken guitar lessons before, though I had a lot of musical expertise from playing piano and violin. Ron was patient with me, and was great at slowly giving me the feedback that I needed to improve my technique. He was happy to help me work on lots of different things, like strum songs, fingerpicking, scales, and technical exercises, and he has also been a great teacher of music theory. I think Ron has done a great job at teaching me to have a more structural understanding of music, figuring out how patterns and chords fit together and using this information to understand the music you are playing and come up with ideas for music of your own. Ron does a great job of giving you the information you need to improve, both constructive criticism and praise for what you're doing right. He is very honest, and this means that his praise really carries a lot of weight. And what's impressive is, while I never felt pressure from him to learn at a certain speed, when I started putting pressure on myself about my guitar playing, Ron talked it out with me and helped me to get a healthier attitude about learning guitar and having a good time doing it. And in addition to being a great theory teacher, Ron is a very fun guy to just jam with. Sometimes in lessons I will play the piece I've been working on, and he'll give me comments, but other times he will play the song with me or show me different approaches to the same music. We'll talk about the various ways you could do a piece, that give a different sound in the end, and try them out together. It's valuable and also a lot of fun. Ron is really focused on helping you be a good musician in all senses of the term, and that well-roundedness is something I value. On top of this, he's a very nice guy to spend your time with, and he's passionate about music and teaching. My lessons are always a highlight in my week. read more

Ron is an excellent teacher. He was my first guitar teacher and I was impressed by his ability and enthusiasm not only for working on the basics with me, but also his interest in getting me where I wanted to go with the guitar. He will tailor your curriculum to your musical interests and abilities. He is also a great guy and has a wild sense of humor. read more

I have been taking lessons from Ron for about 6 months. Its clear that Ron loves music and loves the guitar, and it shows in his teaching. Ron's enthusiasm is infectious, and his teaching methods are patient and flexible. Highly recommended! read more

I took lessons from Ron for about 3 years and I went from not knowing a thing about playing the guitar to being able to play many songs and know something about music theory. He will quickly have even the most novice guitarists playing songs, mixing in teaching the basics and theory, so the lessons are never boring. He knows how to play a lot of rock songs and if there is one he doesn't know, he will learn it so he can teach it to you. Ron is a great blues and folk guitarist, and songwriter, and his students definitely benefit from his talents. He also has a great sense of humor, so while you are working hard and learning a lot, the lessons are also fun. I moved to DC two years ago or I would still be taking lessons from Ron. read more

I stumbled upon Ron on craigslist and I wasn't even looking to take guitar lessons again, but I called him up anyway and I'm so glad I did. I had a few guitar teachers before and I've been playing for about eight years now, but Ron is the first teacher I ever had that taught me music theory and fretboard knowledge in a real way that I could understand. I also was interested in learning slide guitar and Piedmont-style fingerpicking, which Ron is incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about. He really helped me hone in on my playing style and was even really helpful about songwriting. I'm not the kind of girl who wants to strum sensitive three-chord love songs, and Ron understood that and really helped me find my voice as a guitar player and songwriter. I play with more aggression now, and I left every lesson feeling more confident and focused on what I really want to do as a musician. If I had a difficult time understanding something, he'd explain it and show it to me in different ways until I could comprehend it 100%. Even if you don't want to play blues specifically, I highly recommend Ron as an instructor solely for his teaching style and patience. read more

I've been studying guitar with Ron for about 3 years now, so I am writing from experience. My guitar lesson with Ron is one of the favorite parts of my week. He combines a great level of technical teaching (chords, notes, scales, etc.) with plain old jamming, which makes for a fun lesson. What I mean is that he doesn't overdo it with the traditional rote teaching methods like alot of instructors do - he puts aside time to just have fun, jam, and let loose on the guitar if you want (which I think is essential to building confidence). He is also, hands down, the best blues guitarist you will find giving lessons in Philadelphia. I only care to study blues, so I did alot of research before I chose him. I have also seen him play country, rock, Spanish guitar, etc., and he is amazing in those areas as well if that is what you are looking for. He has been playing guitar in many venues for decades, so you will not be disappointed with his skill level. I highly recommend him. read more