As a teacher, I have guided many students to successfully advance their skills on the guitar. I love the way teaching was described by master trumpeter and longtime teacher William Vacchiano (teacher to Miles Davis and Wynton Marsalis, among many others). He said... "To me, teaching is like what a painter does. As a teacher, I see each student as a great piece of art. Each student comes in, more or less raw or green. In each student I can reproduce myself, you might say, and create great artists." That is what a master teacher does. Here are what some of my students have to say to you...
"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 think that his best attributes are that he is really caring and has a very systematic approach to teaching. Based on my experience when looking for a guitar teacher, it is important to not only learn from a master player such as Tim, but also to learn from someone who knows how to transmit that knowledge to you. Tim has advanced my playing in many, many ways. He is worth every penny."
Mike Marabeas
"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 Diego.
"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 was just a distant dream. That is, until I found Tim.
"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 weekends. I studied with Tim for 3 years. In that time, I learned everything I would ever need to become a professional musician and teacher. I do believe that if I had not studied with Tim, I would not have had a career in music.
"Just a few words about Tim Quinn and his professionalism and generosity of spirit. Although I am a remedial student, Tim has never let that get in the way and is a devoted teacher with the patience of Jobe.
Tim has the expertise to take any student to whatever level they aspire too in any type of music, because he is a devoted student of the art itself who has no reluctance in sharing his lifetime knowledge of music and his love of such a beautiful instrument.
As long as I continue to play the guitar and have a quest for advancement, Tim will always be my first choice."
John Piscatella
"I was reluctant at first when choosing a guitar teacher, because I was looking for one who knew his stuff and at the same knew how to convey knowledge to his students. Tim is that and much more. I am really grateful to have found him, because in him, I have found not only a teacher, but really, a music mentor, who I could talk about any aspect of music that was on my mind, and he would be able to add to it nicely.
"Tim Quinn, of Quinn Guitar Instruction, is a very competent and patient guitar instructor. While Tim teaches just about every style of guitar playing, my requirement was nylon string guitar with an emphasis on classical pieces. Not only is Tim very accomplished at this style, he also had a wealth of written music and instruction for me. Regardless of your skill level or musical taste, Tim can provide you with quality, customized instruction. Plus, Tim’s a really nice guy."
Paul Catano
"I have been playing the acoustic guitar for 20 years now and still find myself somewhere between basic and intermediate skill levels. Over the years I have briefly tried many teachers for a few lessons here and there, but never found anyone that sparked my interest in becoming a better player; that is until I met Tim.
"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 goals. He taught me exactly what I wanted to learn. He loaded my up with tons of material; a few months of material from Tim will easily keep me busy for a year. Hearing Tim play and record the material right there in his teaching studio is so motivating. His use of technology rocks, such as recorded examples, backing tracks etc. His teaching studio is state of the art. Bottom line…Tim makes me a better guitarist."
Frank Pratte
"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 are not. I have played guitar on-and-off for a number of years. Focus on family and work had kept me from seriously pursuing this passion of mine. I now have the best of all worlds, free time and the finest guitar teacher in San Diego or perhaps southern California.
"Tim is by far the very best guitar instructor I have ever encountered. His knowledge and technical skills are amazing, and he puts in many extra hours (at no charge) preparing for his lessons. As an example, Tim has transcribed numerous songs upon request for me. His transcriptions are accurate and easy to read. Thanks to Tim, I can now play several songs that I never thought I would be able to play. Tim can teach any style of guitar playing, and has an excellent understanding of music theory. Tim is also a very nice guy."
Guy McRoskey
"Tim is an excellent player and teacher. I would highly recommend him. I have been playing diverse styles for over 13 years and he still shows me something new every time."
Bryan Donlevy
Nailed it! - feeling cool
