Guitar Lessons With Mike Powell

Mike is so good that I decided to actually write a review.
Like many, Ive «played» guitar for many years. Id pick it up from time to time playing the same same songs and same chords without much of a framework for progressing.
After a few months of working with Mike I had a moment when I looked down at my hands and realized that he had «tricked» me into truly learning a complete framework for approaching the guitar. Im amazed how much Ive progressed through sessions with Mike.
On a personal level, Mike is extremely professional, EXTREMELY patient, and extremely positive. Most importantly, he tailored our sessions to fit my goals.
I hope to continue my work with Mike for a long time to come.
If you are considering picking up the guitar for the first time, or you are tired of playing the same 3 chords over and over… get your guitar playing started in earnest with Mike. He’s one of the best out there.

After noodling on guitar for 30 years, I decided to crack down and actually take some lessons. Mike gears instruction specifically for my personal goals and musical tastes, and within a few weeks I was jamming along in ways I thought would require many months to achieve. Each week builds upon the previous lessons and I can see an entire musical tool kit blossoming before my eyes.

I’ve been a student of Mike’s for about a month now. He is absolutely hillarious and very easy to get along with. He makes it very easy for me to remember to have fun while I try and learn the guitar, something that I’ve had a problem with when I’ve played other instruments. He is a top notch instructor and doesn’t just force feed you information, he slowly ramps it up as you go along. Would definitely recommend him for anyone !

I’ve been a student of Mike Powell since December 2012. I had weekly lessons for about six months and recently stepped up the pace to two lessons a week.
My guitar lessons with Mike are one of the highlights of my week. I’ve wanted to play guitar forever, and I finally made the decision to do it. I feel tremendously lucky to have found a great teacher who is extremely patient, knowledgeable, thorough, and professional. Mike has a really fun approach to teaching the guitar, and got me playing actual songs within days. He’s a really cool guy, and an accomplished guitarist who’s been playing and teaching for over 20 years.
Our lessons typically involve practicing songs together, learning new licks and chords, discussing the underlying music theory, and exploring the capabilities of the instrument itself. Playing the guitar has proved to be a great stress reliever and a welcome break during my busy work week.
Mike’s rates are very reasonable, and I can’t recommend his lessons highly enough. If you want to learn to play the guitar, look no further.

I’ve been taking lessons from Mike for a few months now and I love it. He’s really helped me understand the underlying fundamentals of playing music and it’s really helped me learn and improve.
When I jam with friends they’ll frequently comment on how much I’ve improved since we last played and it’s entirely because of Mike’s great teaching. If you’re looking at learning the guitar or improving how you play I really recommend signing up for a lesson or three.

I can’t get enough Mike!
Prior to meeting Mike, I had been playing guitar off and on for many years and had gotten bored with my limitations and lack of knowledge. In the little over a year I’ve been taking lessons from Mike, I’ve grown abundantly as a musician. I find myself with much greater confidence playing with others and even in front of something that might be considered an audience in certain circles. His ability to make learning fun and to teach you technique while also theory is nothing short of amazing. Plus, Mike is cute as a dickens — you just want to put him in your pocked after the lesson and take him home for your very own.

I’ve been taking guitar lessons with mike for a few months now and oh boy, what an amazing teacher. I have taken lessons with other people in the past but I love the way Mike teaches (far superior than any other teacher). I thought I knew a lot going in but he will break down what you know already and then fill you with even more knowledge. I look forward to each lesson and every time without fail I learn something new. BEST TEACHER EVER! Very reasonably priced and conveniently located on Height & Ashbury.

I have been taking lessons from Mike for about 6 months now, and I can’t even begin to express how much he has helped me improve!
I’ve been playing for about 4 years consistently, and I have learned more about music and the guitar in the last 6 months than I did in 3.5 years prior to taking lessons.
He tailored the lessons to my learning style and skill level, and has pushed me just hard enough so I’ve constantly felt challenged yet not overwhelmed.
Mike is very popular and has almost a full schedule of regular students, so I wasn’t able to get a recurring lesson time in the evening at first, but he has been amazing at squeezing me in when people cancel (which always happens at least once a week).
Recently one of his regulars had to cancel his weekly lesson, so I was able to take that spot since I’ve been very dedicated and enthusiastic.
I couldn’t be happier with Mike as a guitar teacher, and thanks to his guidance I’m well on my way to being a rock legend!

I took lessons from Mike a little over 10 years ago. I responded to an ad that mentioned he had played with Meat Beat Manifesto, The Wolfgang Press and (I think) Consolidated… all bands I loved. He would come by my apartment in the Mission. He was always on time and always prepared. The lessons went by very quickly and sometimes things were very rushed at the end when I would want him to write out what we had just done so I could practice it, but that wasn’t his fault. He really helped me take my playing to the next level.

Mike is so great! I looked around for guitar instructors in San Francisco, and I was surprised at the lack of good choices. They were either too expensive or seemed dull and not interested in teaching students what they want to learn. I called Mike after reading his other reviews, and he seemed like exactly what I was looking for. He was actually a bit cheaper than the others I looked into. I took lessons when I lived in the East Bay, but I’m a definite beginner. After only a handful of lessons with Mike I feel like I’m improved drastically, and am getting to learn my favorite songs. He’s enthusiastic, talented, and really patient. Plus, the lessons are in this little studio in his house with a ridiculous record collection. Added bonus: he has an extra guitar for right handed students to borrow so I don’t have to lug my guitar around the city. I just wish I had started lessons with him sooner!

Mike Powel is an amazing teacher. I have been taking guitar lessons for over a year now and I can honestly say that learning to play guitar was one of the best things I did in 2010. When I first started, I could not even play one chord and now I can sing and play entire songs. Mike was able to start from the beginning and teach me the fundamentals at a comfortable and challenging rate. Not only does Mike know how to play guitar very well, but, he also knows musicology and can go into great detail about music; Mike has a degree in music from the Berklee College of Music.
Mike has been teaching guitar for so long now that he has a collection of sheet music saved up that can accommodate any playing level. A typical lesson involves talking with Mike about a song I would like to learn and mike looking to see if he has the sheet music on file. If not, Mike is able to listen to the song and create the sheet music on the spot, which still blows me away… He is so talented.
I truly recommend Mike Powell for guitar lessons. He is conveniently located in the heart of the Haight and allows students to use his personal guitars during the lesson, if one cannot be brought. He is a very down to earth guy and in no way makes you feel bad if you did not have the time to practice since the last lesson. Oh yeah, ask him about the theremin…

I’m almost afraid to write this review as I was lucky to squeeze back into Mike’s schedule regularly as a weekly student. I went to Mike a few years back as a newbie guitar player and just recently returned after a fairly long hiatus.
He’s the best music teacher I’ve had by far — and his excitement about music shines through in his teaching method. Not only does each lesson somehow fit in the basics of guitar, but also music theory, rhythm, and best of all music history (is there any genre you don’t know mike?!?). Not to mention he’s got one of the biggest record collections I’ve ever seen in my life. I could go on and on but I’ll try and keep it short-​ending on these two things —
1. He’s got and incredible ear for music — just try and stump him…
2. Each week I somehow walk out of my lesson even more excited and inspired about music than when I walked in.
Rock on MP!

I took lessons from Mike for almost a year, and those lessons were almost the highlight of each week. Each class I’d bring in a song or two I’d want to learn, and by the end of the class, he’d broken the song down into something I could play. Mike is *awesome* and highly recommended!

I can’t recommend Mike’s guitar lessons enough. His enthusiasm is contagious, and makes lessons so worth making time for, no matter how long or demanding your day/​week has been. He always makes lessons and practicing in between compelling by making sure you are working on things that you really enjoy. Simply, he makes learning really fun and interesting, and has a wealth of musical knowledge ready to be bestowed upon your lucky self.

Would I rock out with Mike at a Black Sabbath concert?
Yes, yes I would.
Would I smoke Cuban cigars with Mike in a surreal garden in the Mission?
Yes, yes I would.
Would I join Mike on a multi-​year space mission to the planet Mars to collect ice crystals and prove that the red planet was suitable for human habitation?
Yes, yes I would.
Would I learn guitar from Mike?
Yes, yes I would.
Mr. Powell is an *excellent* guitar teacher. He has several qualities that make him so!
He is friendly! He always asks me what’s going on with my life and is interested in my goings on.
He is compassionate! He cares about the foibles of life and understands things.
He’s smart! I am…well. I’m relatively sophisticated in music. Mike’s knowledge of the subject pales my own — but I never feel like I’m «lesser». Mike has a way of. .. celebrating my own understanding while at the same time improving it.
He adapts! I do a lot of stuff on my own, guitar-​wise. One week, I’ll show up and say «I want to study this old-​timey folk music from where I grew up (West Virginia)» and he’s all, «Rock on! Here we go!» The next week, though, I’m gonna be all «I wanna learn this super-​fast guitar solo from this Dethklok album» and he’s all, «Rock on! Here we go!‘
Mike tailors his lessons to the student. He hears what the student *wants* but moreso shows them what they *need* to learn. You can’t start off playing the solo to «Stairway to Heaven» but he’ll get you there in good time.
My first lesson? Nirvana. Beat that, bitches.

My fiancé and I took biweekly lessons with Mike for almost two years. Mike worked with my poor rhythm and my fiancé’s poor memory and got us to the point where we can play a surprising number of our favorite songs. I look forward to continuing my lessons with Mike!

My 2 daughters take guitar lessons from Mike. They look forward to it every week, they miss it when they are on vacation. He really instills the love of music and the love of playing music in them.

Mike is a great guitar teacher and a great guy. He was my first guitar teacher and made the learning curve much easier to understand. He seems to know exactly what you can accomplish next. As will assuredly be noticed by his other students, his record collection is fantastic and you will find yourself asking about certain songs, which he will just happen to have the original pressing on vinyl. Mike knows the guitar, knows his music, and can impart wisdom on anyone who would be willing to learn.