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San Diego's Finest Guitar Lessons®

All popular American styles of guitar

Meet Tim

Tim Quinn is San Diego's diversified master of the guitar, having performed over 3,000 professional gigs, and is one of the top leading private guitar instructors in Southern California. Tim has been a full-time guitarist and private teacher for over 30 years. Highly skilled, both as a teacher and as a multi-styled player, Tim is also the author of four instructional guitar books with Mel Bay Publications, Inc. Tim has opened shows for Albert King, Shawn Lane, Tower Of Power, and others. Tim has been a career nightclub-player, either leading his own bands, touring as a hired gun, or co-leading bands with some of San Diego's finest musicians. Tim was a featured member of The Rick Gazlay Group for four years (1991-1994), playing over 400 gigs in that band alone with the great Rick Gazlay (a.k.a. Slam Buckra).

My roots are from deep in southeastern Kansas. I staked my claim on the club-circuit in Colorado, mainly in Longmont and Boulder CO. From there, I went to Boston for one year at Berklee College of Music; then, University of North Texas School of Music for five years. Now in California, since 1987. I like teaching very much. This is my gift, it seems.

What makes my teaching the finest available in Southern California?

"My vast experience as a performer, teacher, author, and student of four music universities; my unique focus and committment; my mastery of the guitar and knowing how to unlock the potential within each individual student is what makes my teaching the very best available. Always the caring, encouraging, and enthusiastic guitar coach, I teach all levels of students, from the total beginner to the working professional guitarist. I am a teaching specialist. Transforming student's musical lives is my specialty. My guitar lessons are 80 minutes each, and are conducted in a comfortable setting in my home studio in San Diego, near the highway 163 & I-805 interchange (Serra Mesa), in a quiet residential neighborhood with easy parking. I make full use of digital technology to support your learning, providing you with an audio recording of each lesson, video recordings of demonstrations (as needed), unlimited play-along backing tracks, digital slow-down of songs, and much more! No one else in Southern California offers the level of service that I do. If you seek the very best teacher available, you have found him. Please see the FAQs for further information, and LISTEN to my audio samples. Read the testimonials, and definitely look at my BIO! Also, read my reviews on Yelp, and look me up on YouTube!” 

Welcome!
Tim

What Tim's Students Say

Carlos Arturo Alvarez

"My name is Carlos A. Alvarez. I'm a 29 year old, Mexican guy, with an accent. This is my experience with Tim Quinn. Tim: Your patience and profound diligence toward the guitar student is second to none. I always felt as if you took us by t...

Sam Peca

"Before writing this testimonial about Tim Quinn, I decided to read others already posted on Tim’s website. If you are not already a student of Tim’s, the superlatives might sound like exaggerated comments from enthusiastic students. They a...

Joe Rodgerson

"Tim Quinn is simply the best guitar/music teacher in San Diego, maybe in California! When I began to take lessons from him I had already been playing at the guitar for 10 years. I was working as a carpenter, and only playing music on the w...

Sergio Villaroel

"I had been playing guitar for 9 years before I met Tim and I was in a blues rut. Being mostly self-taught, I only excelled at blues. The idea of learning how to play fluid jazz like my heroes Wes Montgomery, Pat Martino and Kenny Burrell w...

Nelson Hubbell

"I have played guitar for over 20 years, and I have been a student of Tim's (on and off) for the last 10 years. Tim was recommended to me by a friend and fellow guitar enthusiast, about 10 years ago when my previous instructor left San Dieg...

Mike Marabeas

"Tim Quinn is the best guitar teacher that I have studied with. I have taken lessons from a few others, but Tim is by far the most knowledgeable, the most organized, and the best teacher. He can teach any style of music with expertise. I th...

Jimmy Davino

"Tim Quinn is San Diego’s own ‘Guitar Guru’! I am a serious guitar player, and even play professionally sometimes. I studied guitar with four other teachers before I met Tim. Now, after studying with Tim for two years, those previous teache...

Louis Scafuri

"The world of music is filled with hype HOWEVER Tim is the real deal. He markets his guitar instruction as the best in San Diego. I believe he is the very best teacher in Southern California...and probably one of the best musicians as well....

Dave Weiss

"Tim, you are hands-down the best guitar teacher in San Diego. After studying with you for over a year, I can honestly tell you that last month I tried a few other teachers. I did this strictly because of money, as my disposable income is t...

Steve Bowden

"I have been taking guitar lessons from Tim for over a year now. My previous teacher was also an excellent teacher, but his first priority was performing. With Tim, I feel that he loves to teach, is dedicated to teaching guitar, and that I’...

Joe Price

"Tim, your lessons did more for me than studying out of the Julliard book in college for two years straight and taking tons of private lessons from other teachers before that. I got so much out of our time together; thanks for being so dedi...

Chris Huber

"This testimonial might only be insightful to guitar novices. As of this writing, I’ve played guitar for just under 10 months. I had a teacher when I first started, but switched to Tim after one month of total confusion. I am very glad I sw...

Todd R. Hastings

"Hello Future guitarists. I first picked up the guitar a year ago with the hopes of an attempt to teach myself the basics through CD's and how-to guides and at times felt a little progress, but with time knew I needed a mentor, so I wrote o...

Rannie Lee

"I was referred to Tim by a reliable source, and Tim has more than met my expectations for guitar instruction. It's one thing to be capable of playing most any style of guitar, and it's another to be a good teacher and mentor; the two are j...

Brad Scurlock

"My son, Max, and I have had the privilege of studying guitar under Tim Quinn for the past 14 months, having previously taken lessons together for five years. Following a rigorous and thorough approach to identifying the ideal guitar teache...

What Tim's Students Say

Louis Scafuri

"The world of music is filled with hype HOWEVER Tim is the real deal. He markets his guitar instruction as the best in San Diego. I believe he is the very best teacher in Southern California...and probably one of the best musicians as well....

Joe Price

"Tim, your lessons did more for me than studying out of the Julliard book in college for two years straight and taking tons of private lessons from other teachers before that. I got so much out of our time together; thanks for being so dedi...

Chris Huber

"This testimonial might only be insightful to guitar novices. As of this writing, I’ve played guitar for just under 10 months. I had a teacher when I first started, but switched to Tim after one month of total confusion. I am very glad I sw...

Steve Bowden

"I have been taking guitar lessons from Tim for over a year now. My previous teacher was also an excellent teacher, but his first priority was performing. With Tim, I feel that he loves to teach, is dedicated to teaching guitar, and that I’...

Sam Peca

"Before writing this testimonial about Tim Quinn, I decided to read others already posted on Tim’s website. If you are not already a student of Tim’s, the superlatives might sound like exaggerated comments from enthusiastic students. They a...

Joe Rodgerson

"Tim Quinn is simply the best guitar/music teacher in San Diego, maybe in California! When I began to take lessons from him I had already been playing at the guitar for 10 years. I was working as a carpenter, and only playing music on the w...

Carlos Arturo Alvarez

"My name is Carlos A. Alvarez. I'm a 29 year old, Mexican guy, with an accent. This is my experience with Tim Quinn. Tim: Your patience and profound diligence toward the guitar student is second to none. I always felt as if you took us by t...

Frank Pratte

"Tim is a great guitar player but more importantly to me he's a great teacher. I've been playing for a long time and had hit a long-term plateau. Tim organized my goals and established a lesson plans specifically designed to meet those goal...

Nelson Hubbell

"I have played guitar for over 20 years, and I have been a student of Tim's (on and off) for the last 10 years. Tim was recommended to me by a friend and fellow guitar enthusiast, about 10 years ago when my previous instructor left San Dieg...

Todd R. Hastings

"Hello Future guitarists. I first picked up the guitar a year ago with the hopes of an attempt to teach myself the basics through CD's and how-to guides and at times felt a little progress, but with time knew I needed a mentor, so I wrote o...

Jimmy Davino

"Tim Quinn is San Diego’s own ‘Guitar Guru’! I am a serious guitar player, and even play professionally sometimes. I studied guitar with four other teachers before I met Tim. Now, after studying with Tim for two years, those previous teache...

Sergio Villaroel

"I had been playing guitar for 9 years before I met Tim and I was in a blues rut. Being mostly self-taught, I only excelled at blues. The idea of learning how to play fluid jazz like my heroes Wes Montgomery, Pat Martino and Kenny Burrell w...

Dave Weiss

"Tim, you are hands-down the best guitar teacher in San Diego. After studying with you for over a year, I can honestly tell you that last month I tried a few other teachers. I did this strictly because of money, as my disposable income is t...

Mike Marabeas

"Tim Quinn is the best guitar teacher that I have studied with. I have taken lessons from a few others, but Tim is by far the most knowledgeable, the most organized, and the best teacher. He can teach any style of music with expertise. I th...

Brad Scurlock

"My son, Max, and I have had the privilege of studying guitar under Tim Quinn for the past 14 months, having previously taken lessons together for five years. Following a rigorous and thorough approach to identifying the ideal guitar teache...

The "Fluid Soloing" Book Series

By Tim Quinn, Mel Bay Publications

Book 1, Fluid Arpeggios for Lead Rock Guitar: Fluid Soloing Series

A modern arpeggio handbook and comprehensive training manual for developing fast, flowing arpeggio runs that connect the entire fretboard. Emphasis is on developing fluid, non-shifting arpeggio patterns (across the neck) using hammer-ons an...

Book 2, Fluid Pentatonics for Guitar: Fluid Soloing Series

84 Melodic Studies for Rock Guitar Book 2 in this series is a comprehensive manual for developing blistering pentatonic motion that moves freely over the entire fretboard, using position-shifting slides, hammer-ons, and pull-offs for speed...

Book 3, Fluid Chord-Lead Soloing for Guitar: Fluid Soloing Series

Chord-Lead Soloing for Guitar Book 3 in the series is a complete method for developing fluid double-stop chord melody. This style of playing can be heard most notably in the playing of Jimi Hendrix (in songs such as The Wind Cries Mary, Li...

Book 4, Fluid String-Skipping and Wide Interval Soloing: Fluid Soloing Series

String Skipping & Wide Interval Soloing: 212 Melodic Studies and Patterns for Guitar Book 4 is a much-needed guitarist's guide to mastering wide interval soloing. This collection of repeating, continuous motion studies shows the guita...

Learn to Play Almost Any Style

Specializing in most American guitar styles of guitar playing, including:

  • jazz…improvisation, chord-melody, standards, comping
  • blues…electric lead, rhythm, slide, open tunings, blues fingerpicking, and acoustic blues
  • rock…classic rock lead soloing styles, rock chording and funk rhythm guitar styles
  • shred…legato, sweep picking, tapping, speed-picking, fast arpeggios, progressive fusion, and more
  • acoustic fingerstyle…Travis style, classical technique, general fingerpicking, acoustic blues, open tunings
  • country soloing…Nashville-style twang, chickin'-pickin', pedal steel effects, hybrid picking techniques
  • classical guitar…traditional classical repertoire
  • folk guitar…songs, strumming, fingerpicking, instrumentals
  • bluegrass… improvisation, flatpicking fiddle tunes
  • general skills and playing songs…learn to play and sing any songs

Emphasizing all important aspects of musicianship for guitarists, including:

  • guitar calisthenics and exercises
  • lead soloing in any style
  • developing songs for performance
  • composition
  • ear training
  • applied music theory
  • establishing goals
  • mastering scales and arpeggios
  • rhythm
  • reading music
  • accompaniment skills
  • transcribing music
  • improving your singing
  • how to practice

Have Questions?

Whether you're a beginner just learning to play or a veteran shredder looking to take your talent to the next level, Tim will help you improve your skills - and have fun doing it!



Get Hip

Have a question about Tim's services? Tim's FAQ page is full of informative answers!

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Let's Go!

Thinking about booking a lesson? Get in touch with Tim to start mapping out a plan!

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