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 is by far the best teacher I've ever had. He is extremely knowledgeable and diverse in every aspect of music. He has the ability to structure a program specific to each student's individual goals. In addition to his amazing playing ability he's also super cool guy. I highly recommend him for anyone interested in becoming a better musician."
Colin Farnell
"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 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.
"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.
"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 the hand and led us to a road of enlightenment. After a few lessons with you, I could already see how you would easily direct my path in conquering the guitar. I never thought I could memorize the different scale patterns and play all over the fretboard, let alone improvise. I am still progressing in guitar playing and I owe it all to you.
"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 tight right now. After trying 4-5 other teachers there is just no comparison. It wasn’t even close!
"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 teachers seem like amateurs in comparison. Tim seems to be a master of all guitar styles, a professional performer with serious chops (jazz, rock, shred, blues, country, acoustic fingerstyle, etc.), and a master teacher on the level of a college professor.
"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 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.
"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 switched otherwise I probably would have thrown in the towel early on.
"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
"I feel privileged to have studied with a teacher that has the breadth and depth of musicianship to fully embrace a wide variety of styles, including Rock, Blues, Slide, Jazz, Country, Finger-style, and Classical genres. Tim uses published and original materials, personal transcriptions, and customized studies to convey ideas; his lessons aren't just something "off the shelf" from a music store. He continually worked to find what motivated me, helped shape musical goals, re-awakened an interest in Jazz, and inspired me to dig deeper into all aspects of music. Those studies directly helped with advanced placement at LA Music Academy."
Kevin Sven Berg
