My daughter had a great experience with her lessons with Joe Valdes at the Guitarist. Joe both met her where she was at and challenged her to learn new skills. The lessons were easy-going and enjoying, but also very productive, with my daughter learning new songs every week and greatly improving her general technique, her ear for picking up songs, and her finger picking. Best of all, she just really enjoyed the experience, and always looked forward to her lessons, which is a gift for a busy teenager. Management was flexible and easy to communicate with. read more

My kid has been learning music privately with Tim S. for almost 6 years. I just started in Nov 2025. We have fun learning a mix of theory and guitar. My kid started with ukulele and he seamlessly transitioned her to guitar about 2 years ago. He is the best at meeting students where they are while nurturing their talent and interest in music. We're fans of his teaching style. It's also nice to have a variety of options. There is always someone in the office ready to help. I'm not sure about value but I think it's standard pricing about $56.50 for 30-min lessons. Their recitals are chill and they sell instruments, books and anything else you need to learn! read more

I took lessons here a few years ago. Also came back for remote lessons after moving away. Great place and great teachers. read more

Our son has been with Tim S. for almost 10 years. He's a great instructor, patient, very knowledgeable, and engaging. Any one looking to pick up guitar should give Tim a try. read more

I learnt guitar as an adult at the age of 25. When I moved to Santa Clara, this school was the nearest to my house. I took private lessons with Rich for a few months. I had to discontinue because life got busy. I took some group guitar classes last year and enjoyed so much getting back to playing the guitar. The half an hour of practice each day was the happiest time of my day. I plan to get back to group classes soon. I love this music school. Highly recommend. read more

Good place to learn almost any interment not just guitar. But piano and ukulele, and drums

My son has been taking private Piano lessons at the Guitarist for over 4 years (3 years with Minh Le and a little over a year with Jim Sturges). Both his teachers have been excellent and he continues to make good progress. Jim has encouraged my son to take on the CAPMT evaluation/certification which has given him the opportunity to test his level and continue to grow. The Guitarist also regularly holds recitals for students which is an excellent opportunity for performing in front an audience. We're looking forward to seeing our son continue to grow his piano skills at the Guitarist. read more

Ms.Minh is an amazing piano teacher at Guitarist. My daughter has been learning piano with Ms.Minh for few years and we can see her making significant progress. Ms.Minh gives very pointed feedbacks and gives tips on what to do to get through some of the challenges the kids may face - whether its the body movement or giving soul to the music being played. She goes out of way in creating exercises that would help in overcoming the challenges. She writes thorough notes after every class so it is easy to follow through during the week. Ms.Minh is a fantastic teacher and I would recommend her if your child has passion to learn piano. read more

In case you don't know, the Guitarist also offers lessons other than guitar. My daughter is lucky to have Jim S for piano for the last 7 years. Jim really emphasizes engagement and enjoyment, which really helped a 5 yr old to stay motivated and keep going all these years. I've seen Jim teach his other students more classical pieces, but he is also flexible to incorporate theories to pieces my daughter likes, such as blues, pop songs, etc. I also heard him talk to other students about composing. He teaches his students different ways to learn and love music instead of just focusing on exams. Highly recommend! read more

Jim is a great instructor for piano . My daughter loves the class and has improved greatly in less than a year

If The Guitarist and Teacher Tim Schwalbach could be given 10 stars out of 5, I would do it in a heartbeat. My child started learning the guitar at 4.5 yrs of age from Teacher Tim. In 3 years, he has gone from how to hold a guitar to having his own YouTube channel with a good number of fans! Tim is kind, respectful and totally invested in his students and you can tell, he loves them as he loves his music. Teacher Tim is not afraid to go off the beaten path and each time my child requests for a song, we attempt it right away and then gently come back to the method and rhythm books. Teacher Tim stresses on the importance of good technique, learning to read music, both the notes and tablature. Over the 10-month lockdown, my child has gone from playing Jingle bells to complex songs like Believer, Ieaven polkka and Hey Jude in perfect rhythm and melody. Our family is ever grateful to the guitarist and Teacher Tim for bringing such amazing music and great joy to our lives! read more

Rich, my teacher is absolutely wonderful. His class is perfect for any level as he has enough material and variations to challenge you. And you learn by playing songs which keeps me motivated. read more

Short Review: I have been one of Rich's students learning Guitar for about 5 months now. Overall these classes are turning out to have everything I could ask for. Highly recommended for adults looking to learn Guitar. Detailed Review: Rich Hawthorne is an awesome teacher. He is calm, patient and caring towards his students. His class content is challenging in right amount. And the songs we play are actually popular (Boulevard of Broken Dreams, Blackbird, Wish You Were Here etc.). Sometimes I can not believe how much I have learned in 5 months. Rich records and shares videos for how to play stuff so you can watch him play outside of class. If I miss a class, he would suggest me to attend another class of his learning similar things. He also offers office hours where you can meet him to personally ask any questions and get help. Lately due to a high amount of interest from everyone, he conducted a Bollywood workshop where we went over "Socha Hai" and "Sunn Raha Hai Na Tu". Looking forward to learning much more with Rich! read more

I did private lessons here for four or five sessions on electric guitar. I picked up some basic fundamentals many years ago but the take home exercises were confusing. I'd come back the next time and the instructor would ask what I had been practicing. He didn't even recognize the assignments he gave out! Chill guy, but really left me confused how he was linking the lessons together. Maybe it's better to do the group lessons here or stick with acoustic rather than doing the private electric lessons. read more

My son has been taking electric guitar lessons from Rich for almost a year. He is in a group class with two of his friends and it has been a great experience. He has fun playing with his friends and Rich gives them fun songs to play which motivates them to learn. Rich has been kind, very patient, and accommodating. He is excellent with kids. He offers low key recitals for the boys to play in to get experience playing in front of people. Rich even plays with them and adds a drummer so it sounds like a real band. It is nothing but a warm, positive experience for all players. Everyone is very supportive of each other. I highly recommend The Guitarist for anyone who is interested in learning how to play the guitar. read more

This is a good place to start your hobby and passion here no matter what level of your music journey is. I've been attending group classes for 3 years. I really enjoy it. Specially after a long day work and feel relaxed by playing guitar with others and have a fun time together. read more

Rich is amazing. I cannot say enough good things about him, but I will try and summarize with a few of the highlights: 1. He is patient (way beyond what any normal human being should be capable of). 2. He tailors the lesson (both group and private) to the needs and desires of his students. (Jack Johnson, Pearl Jam, the Beattles, Tome Petty, Green Day -- all the good stuff) 3. He genuinely cares about his students and it really shows in his interaction with each one. 4. He makes class an extremely therapeutic experience after a long work day. 5. Rich has a great sense of humor and is probably one of the most upbeat people that I have ever met. 6. This is a big one: He make learning fun - something that as an 'adult' I find that I need a little of in my life to keep my sanity. I have taken lessons from Rich for over 5 years and am always learning new things - painlessly. If anyone reading this has questions about 'The Guitarist' please send me an message and I'd be happy to tell you more - or better yet call Rich or visit his facebook page and schedule a lesson - you'll be hooked. Rich is the man. read more

After attempting to play guitar for the last ten years with no real direction or plan, I finally broke down and decided I either have to take lessons or just give it up. I have to admit I was a little nervous signing up for lessons but that nervousness was completely unnecessary. Bob Englund is an absolutely fantastic instructor. From the very first day he was engaging and teaching me very worthwhile things. I had heard about basic music theory here and there from friends or online research, but he presents it in a fun and engaging way that's easy to understand and had me making up better melodies than I ever had on my own during the first lesson. He is never rushed or unwilling to answer a question. I am constantly asking questions and he always rolls right along as if it was all somehow part of his plan anyway. It's been a few months now and the lessons just keep on building. There really is so much to music and Bob is always willing to break it down and explain it to me again for the fifth time in a new way. He has a bunch of material he has created himself from his many years of music schooling and experience. The sheets he provides are easy to understand and very dense with information. He also provides a bunch of fun little exercises to learn things like different scales, octaves, intervals, etc. Now when I sit down to practice I never have to think of "what to do next". I have so many things to practice I usually run out of time instead of running out of ideas! I remember as a kid I dreaded my lessons, but now I look forward to them all weekend! I actually look forward to Monday! On another note, Bob has also been very professional. He is great about scheduling, helping me to find a time for lessons that worked for me, even working with other students who had been wanting to push their own lesson back so I can get mine earlier! He has also made himself available outside of lessons to answer questions, and not with with brief one line thoughtless answers but interesting material based on the topic I'm asking about. read more

I started at the Santa Clara Adult Education series where I was just trying out if I wanted to learn the guitar (with a borrowed guitar). 4 years from then on, I've been hooked to the guitar, the classes themselves looking forward to it every week. Rich, the instructor is a wonderful person, always inviting with a smile, ready to learn(I said learn that is correct)/teach songs old and new alike. Something Rich said in the very first class stuck with me. It was him asking us to enjoy playing the Guitar and depending on what we wanted, practice every day, practice a couple of times a week or just attend the group classes just to jam with everyone. This really clicked with me as you're at your personal pace of learning songs/techniques. The idea is to just keep playing and nothing more. Anyway services offered here are below: - Guitar (Classical, Electric, Bass, etc.), Drums, Keyboard, Vocals Lessons - Group or individual depends on the instrument - Musical instrument sales, servicing, accessories, recommendations, tune-ups, etc. - Musical theory lessons (follow the newsletter for dates) - Bollywood Music Workshop - Guitar lessons for select Bollywood songs(requested by students)!!! You should find more information on their website - http://www.youcanplayguitar.com/ read more

Rich is the BEST GUITAR TEACHER EVER! He is super patient, really flexible regarding material, and so knowledgeable. I took his group session at a local community college and then started individual lessons. I have a young daughter and he was so sweet and open to teaching me silly children's songs. I am not musically inclined at all and had zero experience. Due to his skill as a teacher and his extreme patience with me I learned all sorts of songs, how to read notes, tons of chords and different techinques (from how to hold the guitar to finger picking stuff). I am incredibly glad that I found him and will definitely use him for my daughter when she is older. You can't go wrong here!!! oh, his pricing is also very very reasonable (and competitive for the area) and he is really organized -- he keeps appointments, starts on time, ends on time, etc. read more

I have taken both group and individual lessons from Rich Hawthorne over the last couple of years. I second every word of the two reviewers who preceeded me. Rich is a great teacher for so many reasons. I won't repeat all the accolades that others have written, but a couple additional ones that come to mind are: fees for group and individual lessons are very reasonable, and Rich is a very punctual individual, always on schedule and never missing an appointment in my experience. Rich seems equally comfortable with acoustic or electric, rock or classical, picking or not. As a 65-year old retiree who had not played the guitar in 40+ years, I was comfortable in his classes and enjoyed all of his music selections. There is a wide range of ages and much diversity among his clients. One final note: The Guitarist has a great supply of strings, picks, cases, electric and acoustic guitars, songbooks, and other guitar paraphernalia. read more

I've been trying to learn guitar for a really long time, but life, work, relationships (insert whatever excuse) always seemed to get in the way. When I was looking for places to learn, I stumbled onto The Guitarist. I had never taken private lessons before, but Richard was quick in emailing me back about any concerns that I had. He arranged for me to have private lessons from another member of the staff, Ian. I just had my first lesson yesterday and I cannot recommend this place highly enough. I went in thinking that I was going to have a dry lesson from someone who didn't really care that much about music and I was immediately proven wrong. Ian's passion and experience were clearly evident, and he spent a lot of time going over some the more abstract concepts of music theory, which in turn, helped me out when it came to actually practicing on the guitar. He's very patient, easy-going, and knowledgeable. I learned more about theory and technique in the short lesson that we had than with any of the other beginner books I had been practicing with. I'm actually looking forward to practicing and doing the homework assigned. Ian and Richard have both proven to me that The Guitarist is completely worthy of all the other five star reviews. It is an incredible resource and establishment that anyone looking to learn to play guitar should take advantage of. read more

The Guitarist 1472 Los Padres Boulevard, Suite #204 Santa Clara, CA 95050-4472 (408) 247-2684 Youcanplayguitar.com March 10, 2012 Since the beginning of October of last 2010, I have been taking Bass Guitar Lessons from Ron Jamison at the Guitarist and I couldn't be more pleased. He has me going in the right direction. His method is to have me playing -bass parts to Rock and Roll Songs. This approach has made a big difference for me. I have so much fun at my lessons that the time goes by so fast. His patience is incredible. He never gets upset, but is always making constructive suggestions. He never misses a chance to complement when I do something well. He never "shows-off." He plays the same bass patterns he wants me to play. If I get lost in the music, he starts counting and prompting me to start playing, again. Even though, Ron has been a touring musician since the 1960's, he never takes time away from the lesson to talk about his experiences on the road. Currently, he is the Leader of Aja Vu (a Steely Dan Tribute Band). Rich Hawthorne, the owner of The Guitarist Studio, where I take my lessons, is always very friendly to me. He is also an accomplished musician. He plays guitar in Bethel Church of San Jose Christmas Spectacular every year. My wife and I have seen him perform there six times. He's a great player. I would strongly recommend Ron Jamison, Rich Hawthorne, and The Guitarist Studio to bass players of all skill levels. Guitar and drum lessons are also available. In addition to private music lessons, The Guitarist Studio also offers Group Lessons. Sincerely, Gary Jonas, Santa Clara, CA read more

Meant to write this review for a long time. I've been learning guitar from Rich for almost a year, all i have to say is that Rich is awesome, I attend the group class, work on songs I want to play at home, and every time I reached a road block, I schedule private lesson with Rich, to be honest, every private lesson, I gain so much from him, he just have the experience to tell you what is wrong, what needs to be improved and offer insights on how to overcome those challenges, then you just go back and practice. Leaning an instruments needs a good teacher, but to be good at it, you have to spend time to practice, regardless how good the teacher is, if you don't practice, you never gonna be good. All I have to say is that Rich is awesome, and he is definitely my go to guy for guitar in area. read more

I took guitar lessons here from the age of 13 up until I went off to college at 18, and I've come back a few times for a lesson here and there. Rich is a phenomenal teacher who cares so much about his students. He doesn't push any song or genre on you--something I really cared about as a young teenager into punk rock and emo, not classical--and lets you bring in whatever you want to learn. He has a great selection of books, guitars, and accessories for sale too. He taught me everything from the Beatles to the blues to R&B to beginning jazz to Dashboard Confessional...and everything in between. He helped me with songwriting techniques when I started writing my own music. I also have a habit of coming early to things, so over the years I witnessed other people's lessons many times, and no matter the person--whether it was a six year old just starting, a 14 year old goth, a middle aged guy getting back into guitar, or a twenty-something hipster practicing his chops--Rich knew just how to approach that person's learning style, personal music taste, and abilities to help them develop the skills that they wanted to develop. He is a seasoned teacher who really knows his stuff. I've recommended so many friends here I've lost count. It's now been seven years since I first started guitar lessons here and I have Rich to thank for how much I've learned and how much I love playing my instrument. So, obviously, if you're looking for a great guitar teacher, look no further. This is the place to go! read more

I've been taking guitar lessons here since June 2016 with Mike. Getting started was just an email away, and they have classes/spots open for every schedule. I brought my own guitar, but it sounds like they have loaners available if y'need; I've also seen various starter instruments on sale here as well. I can't speak much for the other instructors, though everyone I've met or talked to (even in passing) has been super friendly and down to earth. Taking lessons as an Adult was kind of a scary prospect, and I've definitely seen some badass 11 year olds in action here.. but! I never felt any judgement, and Mike has been super encouraging not to mention extremely knowledgeable. He consistently offers good advice on a range of things, from technique to music theory and is always up for a challenge. Taking lessons here has not made me a virtuoso overnight, because you definitely get back whatever you put in. Some weeks I can't put in very much, but I always, *always* look forward to my Tuesday night lessons :) I have learned way more about why music flows the way it does, and how to make my own music flow that way too. Anything I had questions on, I have gotten answers to. Mike has also been very generous with his time, making sure I understand (and can repeat back) the things we've covered. Highly recommend the guitarist if you're considering lessons at any age, on just about any instrument. They're great, and I'm so thrilled to have found them! read more

Rich is an incredible guitar teacher! I've taken both group classes and individual classes with him, and in both contexts I've learned so much from him and had a great time in the process. Rich simply cares about his students so much. He tailors each lesson to whatever I want to play, but also has plenty of great suggestions and ideas. He's introduced me to plenty of awesome songs that I didn't know, and taught me how to play plenty of songs that I've always loved--Jack Johnson, The Beatles, The Eagles, all the classics. He's so attentive to details and makes it easy to keep learning new things, regardless of personal style or preferences. Quite a few of my friends have taken classes with Rich, and all of them have been incredibly happy with their lessons. read more

When I found Rich Hawthorne I had no musical ability - I still have no musical ability but I love the opportunity to play guitar and learn so much from Rich every week. He has musical ability and a real talent for teaching. He has taken someone like me with iron hands and helped me make this more than 10 year journey a learnng experience that has opened thought pathways experiences. I am so glad that I found Rich and the guitar -- I started when I was already past 50 - so it is never too late to start to learn. read more

Rich is an outstanding instructor, and I have learned a lot in my lessons with him. I have taken lessons from several other instructors over the years, and I can recommend him above all others in my experience. Very patient, flexible with scheduling and a very gifted teacher. If you're looking for a great place to learn to play, or advance your skills, The Guitarist is the place to go! read more

Rich is a great teacher! When i joined his class, i already had a little bit of experience having taught my self to learn basic chords, but for so many years, i was just doing very basic strumming. I thought before that, ok, that was it! That's as far as i was going to get "playing guitar". After joining the classes at The Guitarist, i improved so much!! I learned how to do correct plucking and different ways of strumming. It's amazing how i can now listen to a song and figure out the correct strumming or plucking pattern. One is never too old to learn and improve skills with musical intruments, you just need an excellent teacher! I am no longer in the class since i moved to a different city, but to whoever is looking to really learn guitar playing in San Jose, this is the place to go!! read more

Took class with Rich. He is very friendly and approachable. I took a group class with him, 6 weeks. This is my first music class ever. I definitely enjoyed it. I rented a guitar from him. Now that my session is over, I decided to continue group classes with him. I went back and purchased a guitar from him. I highly recommend Rich if you are curious about guitar. read more

Richard is such a great instructor with kids! Richard managed to reinvigorate the love and joy my daughter has for playing guitar. The Buchser Jr High band teacher had just about crushed it to death by yelling at, and ridiculing her. Richard's excellent demeanor, cool tone and patience brought a smile back to her face and she barely puts her guitar down now! read more

My husband first took guitar lessons with Rich when he was single. Now, we have both our kids taking lessons at the Guitarist- guitar with Rich and piano with Minh. We make the long drive to Santa Clara because the Guitarist is a wonderful school with a great vibe and a lovely set of instructors. They help foster a love of music in our kids and help keep the overall vibe low key and fun, which is so refreshing to see in the Bay Area especially where kids/parents tend to get competitive. The recitals are well run and felt very intimate. This is the place for anyone who wants to learn and enjoy music from instructors who care about students and their craft! read more

This is not the place to learn guitar if you are a beginner. The instructors here do not cater to the individuals need and are only focused on getting through the lesson. Even the group classes are very fast paced and I would not recommend them at all. Please stay away from this place. If there were to be a 0 star I would have given Richard that for sure. There are enough options in Sunnyvale / Santa Clara. Please don't waste your $ like I did. read more

When my son expressed a deep interest in learning to play electric guitar, I waited to see if it would pass. Really, what kid doesn't want to learn to play electric guitar, even if it's only for a fleeting moment? But he did not relent so I made some calls to see who would be willing to work with a child with no previous musical training to learn this instrument. Well, I was told over and over again that at his age of 10, I would need to start him on the acoustic guitar first and then when the instructor thought he was accomplished enough he could then move on to the electric guitar. I discussed this with my son who said, no thank you, electric, please. So I looked on and found Rich here on Yelp. Once again, I made the call explaining my son's desire and he said, "no problem, when do you want to start?" He said that if a child has the desire you'll know very quickly if they are going to stay with it and he even has equipment if you don't have your own so no need to buy anything. My son got a set up as a gift so we showed up with our own and he has not stopped since! He loves it. And Rich is amazing with him. As someone else commented, he has every age coming to him, old to young and every one of them has a smile on their face. He is a wonderful teacher, so understanding and patient, and a very pleasant fellow in general. Rich uses his own self developed program that is very easy for my son to follow and he has a site that allows you to play along with whatever song you are working on. I am so glad I found Rich and would highly recommend him to anyone looking for guitar instruction. I am delighted to see my son take the initiative to do his practicing and see his personal fulfillment in achieving new skills. read more

Rich is one of the best teachers I've had in my life. I've taken guitar lessons twice before and each time I was discouraged and sure I could never learn to play (too old, no talent, etc.). I'm now happy to practice and will take lessons from Rich as long as I possibly can. read more

We've been going to The Guitarist for close to 5 years with my younger son playing drums. At one point he was also taking guitar lessons from them, but decided to focus on the one instrument. Everyone is extremely nice and very professional, helpful and accommodating. Rich manages everything so well with his calm demeanor, so understanding of all the challenges. Bobby is my son's drum instructor -- and he is just THE BEST. Our little guy tends to be have EXCESS energy, yet Bobby manages and teaches him so well, very encouraging and embracing of the different types of music he wants to play -- it's fun to see my son's development and growth, owed in no small part to the ability to just play for the love of making music which Bobby and The Guitarist allow him. read more

I took 3 private lessons in February 2012 with Rich to get up to speed and then joined a group lesson, which I have been doing for about 9 months. Rich's teaching style is relaxed and really works. I'm amazed at how much I can play in class when we start something new. Rich really enjoys teaching and playing and that shows in the quality of his classes. read more

This review is for Rich's group lessons, and they are simply amazing. I started out with zero guitar background, took Rich's intro class, and was able to play simple tunes after just one series. I've stayed with the class for about 1.5 years now, and we are playing some pretty advanced tunes already. The group class moves a bit slow for the first few series, because people are on different levels. But as we move along, you'll see the class size gets increasingly smaller. After about 9-12 months, the class is moving forward a lot faster, and we get more personal attention as well. Rich is super flexible with the class material, if you have a song that you want to work on that's suitable for the class level, you can request to learn it in class, and the vast majority of the requests are accommodated. The series class is flexible on schedule as well, usually no classes around national holidays. Pricing for the group classes is very competitive, especially considering how awesome Rich is as an instructor! read more

Great group of very talented instructors and very friendly office staff! We really like working with Matt. He is a very talented individual and our girls have learned a lot from him! Rich and his staff are doing an amazing job with all the students. read more