Who is Tim Quinn?

As a player, I have played over 3,000 gigs, in all styles. I am a veteran bandleader, a trusted sideman, and a local nightclub performer for decades in San Diego, and also a collaborator with local budding talent, in all genres of guitar playing.

As a teacher, I am one of the top guitar instructors in the world. After 34 years of teaching guitar, and 40+ years of playing gigs, I will say that believe I am the very best guitar instructor in the entire U.S.A. I know how to teach the guitar.

I attended four universites studying music, (University of Denver, Berklee College of Music in Boston, University of North Texas, and San Diego State University). I have four instructional guitar books published with Mel Bay Publications, Inc. I have a B.M. Degree in Jazz Guitar Performance from UNT. I minored in music theory.

As of November 2022, I am completing a series of instructional video courses for pentatonic rock and blues lead soloing. In these courses, I have identified, catalogued, and codified the entire pentatonic lead soloing language.

My main gig these days is teaching. As a teacher, I am an uparalled master at taking each student by the hand, and guiding her/him to the path of discovery. I am a master teacher of guitar.

Experience

I have been a full-time professional guitarist and private teacher for over 34 years, assisting literally thousands of students to become the best guitarists they can be. I have played over 3,000 professional gigs in all styles of music...thousands (yes, thousands) of gigs, in nightclubs, casinos, touring bands, studio recording gigs, restaurants, concerts, festivals, resort hotels, weddings, corporate functions and more.

The majority of my gigs have been played in bars, throwing down rock 'n' roll shows, night after night, year after year. I once had a gig at a bar in Escondido six nights a week, for six months straight, as the house band. Every Friday was whipped cream wrestling night (ask me sometime and I'll tell you about it). My favorite gig was when I opened for Albert King, on the second to last gig he played before he died. The show was written up in the San Diego Reader, by writer John Brizzolara. I was playing with the Rick Gazlay Group at the time. Just another night in a career of being a rock 'n' roll warrior. But, I have also performed a lot of gigs in jazz, blues, country, pop, and other styles, as well. And, I have toured with national acts as a sideman guitarist for hire. You name it, I have played it on a stage many times.

And, I have trained a LOT of guitarists who have studied with me. Many of my students have gone on to become professional guitarists, performers, guitar teachers, and even music professors at universities!

What Tim's Students Say

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...

All popular American styles of guitar

Who is Tim Quinn?

Experience

What Tim's Students Say

What Tim's Students Say

The "Fluid Soloing" Book Series

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

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

Book 2, Fluid Pentatonics for Guitar: Fluid Soloing Series

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

Get Remote Guitar Lessons with Tim via Zoom

The "Fluid Soloing" Book Series

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

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

Book 2, Fluid Pentatonics for Guitar: Fluid Soloing Series

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

Learn to Play Almost Any Style

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

Emphasizing all important aspects of musicianship for guitarists, including:

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