Clark Music Studio

John has given me a whole new appreciation for playing music. I had taken piano and guitar lessons previously, but I never understood music theory as solid as I do now after taking lessons with John for about six months. He explains things so well and the pace of what we cover is perfect. John is patient, funny, and has an encyclopedic knowledge of all things music, particularly jazz. I look forward to every lesson — I always learn SO much.
John is a fantastic teacher and all-​around rad human being. :) I would highly recommend him to anyone interested in learning to play guitar/​bass.

As an adult, I had a desire to play an instrument. And I’ve always loved the upright bass. John took me on as a student 2 months ago and rented me a bass. I’m now proficient enough to play along with friends and family when we get together as a group.
John’s focus on the fundamentals has served me well. I’m learning to play pretty quickly, while still getting a very basic foundation in music. I’m really happy to have discovered John.

The highlight of my week is going to John’s studio for my guitar lesson. I was completely new to guitar prior to John. I did however have prior musical training in reading bass clef as I play trombone. It was a bit of a stretch to read treble clef but John made it easy to learn. He is very well versed in musical theory and he can explain why things are the way they are (if that makes any sense). He is very patient and knows when to push you or when to hold back on the lesson but making sure you progress weekly. When my guitar was in the repair shop, he lent me his acoustic for the week so I could get some practice in. I would highly recommend John as an instructor. I can play simple songs, various chords, and have learned some advanced techniques. Oh and I can read tabs! (although not my preference). Crossing fingers that I may play in a band some day!

I’m finally getting around to writing a review for John, and it’s pretty overdue. As a matter of fact, I have to practice right now, but I just had to take a minute to write this.
John approaches every student differently and sincerely tries to find the best way to help each one achieve whatever their goal may be. He has lessons that he wants to teach, but will change or rearrange them according to the way you want to learn. If you have questions, he can answer them, but he never makes you feel dumb. With John, there’s no such thing as dumb, just people looking for knowledge. He could easily teach an absolute beginner or someone with musical experience with equal success.
He’s the best kind of teacher — the kind that knows how to listen. I’d bet he’s that kind of musician, too.

John is great! He’s a wonderful musician and teacher. He’s very knowledgeable and is able to answer any questions as they come up. I had never played an instrument prior to taking guitar lessons with John and was able to progress quite a bit in just a couple of months. I’d highly recommend him to anybody who’s looking to learn a new instrument or take their current knowledge to the next level.

After a recommendation from a friend, I have been taking guitar lessons from John for about 6 months now and I can honestly say he is the best teacher I have found. I have tried others, but none were able teach in a way that made sense and allowed me to build upon my knowledge with each new lesson. Before John, the teachers I had would not have any real agenda and I had a hard time making much progress.
In addition to that, he is patient, encouraging and offers great tips on how to make improvements to your playing that you may never have thought of. I highly recommend him, especially if you are a beginner or have been dabbling it but can’t seem to make the kind of progress that you had hoped for. It’s well worth it.

I have been playing guitar on and off for around 3 years, but it’s always something I’ve really loved so I looked for a place near my house to take music lessons.
When I met John I didn’t really have a clear idea of what it was I wanted to learn exactly. He was very patient and sat with me for a few minutes discussing what my musical goals were. He met me where I was at and even though I only paid for a 50 minute lesson, he gave me enough instruction for weeks of practicing. Mr. Clark is an awesome teacher because he has a strong desire to teach.

I love my guitar lessons with John. I especially love how he teaches everything from theory to reading music, and also is knowledgeable of many different styles (He is a stand up bass player at Castagnola’s on the pier). He always has something to work with you on, even when you slip up and don’t practice for the week:) (Which I am occasionally guilty of. yes I know.)
I would recommend John to anyone that is serious about learning guitar. I have a telecaster that I refuse to lug around but he has a very nice acoustic that he lends during practice. On top of that he is patient, pleasant and very funny. I’ve had other people suggest instructors to me but I won’t switch. Totally worth the commute to the Sunset every week.

So let’s say I started off my musical career at a big fat 0! I had never picked up guitar, I couldn’t read music, and I certainly didn’t know about tablature, metronomes, measures… okay really anything at all. But I wanted to try something new, and I had my heart set on learning acoustic guitar. Rather I thought it would be the most realistic instrument for me to learn and who doesn’t love guitar?
I borrowed my roommate’s mom’s guitar (circa 1970) and made an appointment with John. My first lesson John took a look at my borrow guitar and exclaimed that the previous user had put steel strings on a nylon string guitar (gasp!) Obviously I had no idea, but he told me that I really needed something that would work. We stopped the lesson, got on craigslist & John helped me find the exact guitar I needed with case & book so I wouldn’t spend a fortune buying a new guitar.
Fast forward a few months. I’ve learned to READ MUSIC, I am learning to play chords, I can play (some) songs, pick– no pick– I can play either way. John has let me set my own pace for learning– advising me on what to practice but also helping me go beyond the book. I really like John– as an instructor he is always encouraging and patient with me. You can tell that he is passionate about music and he answers even my most obvious questions with thought — even giving me the history of why certain rules exist.
John also plays upright bass and piano and I would recommend him to anyone seeking lessons!

I’m an adult student who’s been out of learning music for like 20 years. I started learning Bass from John less than a year ago and it’s been great. John’s the kind of teacher you want; encouraging, challenging and respectful of his students. He’s always got new angles on what to learn next. I’d recommend him without question to anyone who wants to learn bass.

My bottom line is that John Clark is a great teacher.
I am in my forties. A couple of years ago, I decided to learn to play an instrument. My first teacher taught by scribbling down some chords to a song and would say «hey do this or do that» with the bass. Then we would just play along with songs. I learned some things from him, but felt helpless and lost most of the time. Between lessons, I sometimes did not know what to «study». I am sure some people would love and do well with that sort of teaching, but it was not for me.
I wanted something more, wanted a richer experience. I wanted to learn how to play music, but also wanted learn about music and how it worked. I did some searching and found an ad for John. We talked on the phone and he seemed like a good match. So I started taking lessons with him. I find him a good balanced teacher. He teaches core techniques and skills… like reading music, fingering, etc… as well as how to play songs. He has helped broaden my skills & knowledge of music.
So give him a try, I think with his guidance and you dedication .ie: practicing regularly… you will learn and grow and become a better bass player.

John is an awesome bass teacher. Many music teachers have a system and stick to it regardless of their students needs/​desires. John is so confident and sensitive that he can custom fit his teaching to the needs of his students. I have learned so much in my lessons with him!
Playing/​learning music is a wonderful activity and should be that way during music lessons as well. John fully delivers by teaching correct music theory and technique with a sense of humor and a general lightness of being. At each lesson there’s a feeling of «oh, boy, what adventure will we have today?» Due to his sense of adventure, love of music, and playful energy, I always leave my lessons with a bounce in my step.
One of the ways that John makes his lessons so fun is that he is constantly looking for ways to mix it up. I suspect this is partly because that’s something I value in lessons. (If you want consistency and predictability, I’m sure he would go with that, too!)
In case you are looking for a music teacher for one of your children, by observing how John has related to my 9-​year-​old son and other children that meet with john for lessons before or after my lesson, I can tell that his gentle nature works great with kids, too!
Whether you are looking for lessons for yourself or your child, I highly recommend seeking music lessons with John. You’ll be so grateful you did!

I can be very sensitive when it comes to learning new things. Especially when that new thing is music. I, historically, have very low confidence in my ability to play instruments.
John is the perfect guitar teacher for me. He’s always very encouraging and always assures me that my difficulties are not the result of some inborn, sucky-​at-​music gene, but are, in fact, part of the normal stumbling blocks on the way to playing beautiful tunes. Because of him, I can play better than I ever could after years of struggling to learn guitar on my own. I’ve also picked up some rudimentary music theory (I’m sure he’d give me more if I wanted it; rudimentary is all I’ve requested so far).
Add to that that he’s funny, kind, extremely knowledgeable about a wide range of music and loves what he does. Picking on some strings in his homey apartment out in the Sunset is a great way to spend a Saturday morning.

John is amazing. I’ve been taking upright bass lessons from him for three years and I’m still loving it (and still learning tons). Remember that scary piano teacher you had in elementary school, the one who made you feel bad about yourself? Well, put those fears aside, a great instructor like John doesn’t need to resort to such abuse. But don’t you think he’s going to let you get away with being a slacker. He knows just the right approach to push you to get better. John has found that perfect balance of simultaneously being encouraging and challenging– he’s an all-​around great instructor… and a great guy too! John is a gigging jazz bassist who has a solid background in theory, so he’s got all the goods to get you where you need to go. He teaches upright bass, electric bass and guitar. In fact, my girlfriend takes guitar lessons from him and loves him as much as I do.
Bottom line: John Clark is the best!