Guitar, ukulele, and voice lessons
All lessons online or in person in Berkeley CA
What makes me a unique teacher:
I see myself as a teacher before a musician. I have a lot of experience teaching in a variety of contexts, from babies to teens to adults.
I am super organized. I use approachable visuals and charts for guitar and ukulele. For guitar, I use Susan Palmer’s method books to structure lessons.
I love working with kids and adults. I have lots of fun games for kids, and I make sure to teach them the same fundamentals as adults (in an age-appropriate way)
I’ve taught group lessons, private lessons, and summer camps at 2 music schools and privately since 2019.
Guitar: (beginner-advanced)
I teach all students open chords and barre chords, scales, music theory basics, soloing and improv, finger picking, reading tablature and sheet music, and the following genres based on your interest: classical, folk/fingerstyle/blues fingerpicking, rock, jazz, punk, funk, rhythm, songwriting and more.
Ukulele: (beginner-intermediate)
I teach all students open chords and barre chords, scales, music theory basics, soloing and improv, fingerstyle, reading tablature and sheet music. For younger players (ages 4-9) I incorporate creative games and activities.
Voice: (beginner)
I teach all students the same fundamentals: warm ups, breathing exercises, elongating vowels, head voice and chest voice, rhythm, and ear training. Lessons are tailored to songs and genres students want to learn (not including opera or musical theater).
Songwriting:
I usually teach songwriting along with another instrument or two. This is very open ended and based on students’ individual creative process.
Reviews:
“Bess is the most amazing music teacher I’ve ever had!! She is extremely knowledgeable, adaptable, and creative in her instruction, for myself and my two children (all with different levels of skill and interest... with guitar, singing, and ukulele). Bess is truly talented at meeting the student where they’re at: for my 6yo, she plays games that have him moving around and actually enjoying learning music; for my 10yo, she helps him adapt whatever random song he wants to learn for the ukulele, while making sure he’s continuously learning new skills and theory; for me, she has the perfect mix of compassion, encouragement, and drive that keeps me coming back—my playing has grown so much!” - Amy, adult student and parent
“My friend and I have been taking weekly guitar lessons with Bess for two years, and have no plans of stopping! I was nervous to pick up an instrument after feeling "not musically inclined" and having nightmares still about forgetting to practice for music lessons as a kid. Bess has made learning fun, and tailored to what we're really interested in. We've been able to explore everything from fundamentals to recording to song writing. It's my favorite part of the week, and I've referred multiple friends who feel the same way..” -Julie, adult student
"Working with Bess is incredible. She is patient, thorough, encouraging, and dedicated. I could see steady and tangible improvement from working with her, and gained a much better understanding of the guitar as an instrument!" - Aly, adult student
“Our son has been doing ukulele with Bess for over 4 years and he has learned so much! His lessons are personalized to him, right at his skill level, and always engaging. Bess is a skilled and flexible teacher...always finding a way to make learning fun!” -Lizzie, parent
“Bess is a phenomenal music teacher in the East Bay Area. She works with students of all ages to develop clear goals and make sure that learning is both fun and productive. She has a true love for music that comes through in her teaching. I've been working with Bess for about a year as a beginner guitarist and it's been really great; I've made so much progress on my guitar skills!” -Vidya, adult student
“Bess is a phenomenal music teacher. I had a few guitar and vocal teachers prior to her but no one has compared to Bess. She meets me where I am at each and every lesson, and she helps me to understand the why and the theory behind things (in addition to the fun stuff), so I better understand the guitar as an instrument. Plus she is super cool and really patient and sweet. She knows I am a busy adult and adapts her lessons to me when I have less time to practice. She is also really sweet and skilled with my daughter when she wants to join in for lessons. Highly recommend her to anyone, adults and kids alike.” -Katy, adult student
“I've been her student for 2+ years. She has helped me with both singing and guitar, touching on music theory and simply the enjoyment of making music for myself and my friends and family. Even though most songs I want to learn are from the 1970s, she either already has familiarity or quickly picks up nuance that I failed to notice while listening to my favorite songs for 40+ years. She has a made me a better player and musician.” - Bob, adult student
“Bess is such a wonderful teacher and I would highly recommend her to anyone interested in learning guitar. I have been her student for almost two years now, starting from absolute zero to now understanding more music theory and playing things I never thought I’d be able to! She is very knowledgeable but also easy going and fun :) She does a great job of finding the right way to challenge me and to design my lessons for what I want to learn. Thank you Bess!” -Sarah, adult student
“I highly recommend Bess as a guitar teacher. She strikes a great balance between letting you pursue what inspires you creatively, while layering in foundational lessons in rhythm, note and tab reading, scales, finding your way along the guitar neck, etc. In this way, I feel I have built skills and had a lot of fun at the same time. My guitar skills have definitely improved in a relatively short amount of time, and I have tools for learning songs on my own, developing solos, etc. If you have the chance to study with her, you should take it!” - Valerie, adult student
“Our 7-year-old, Titus, has been in guitar lessons with Bess for about 7 months. We were looking for someone who could effectively teach him remotely and was able to work with the his 2nd grade energy and imagination. Bess has been wonderful with him! I am especially impressed that she's able to tailor each lesson and practice assignments to his interests. He isn't learned off of a rigid, pre-set curriculum, but one tailored to him and the music he loves. Bess is creative, kind, patient, and talented! We're very happy with our time with her! Titus also wants to add that he likes guitar lessons and has a lot fun with musical games she plays with him.” - Bri, parent
“Bess is a very patient and talented teacher. Her lessons are well paced and she clearly has a deep knowledge of music theory and how to teach any beginner. I’ve really enjoyed learning guitar with Bess!” -Annie, adult student
“Guitar lessons with Bess have been so worth it for me because she teaches not only the basics of guitar, but she also teaches music theory, something I have never been exposed to in the past. She encourages me when I am doing something well and she also corrects me if I still need to work on something. I don't think I would have been able to learn guitar on my own without Bess's help!” - Maria, adult student
“Bess is a great teacher. She listens and meets me where I am each week, with either more structure or more nudge toward my own creativity. I have worked with her for 3+ years now and I feel lucky to have found her.” -Liz, adult student
“Bess is a wonderful, thoughtful teacher. I took virtual lessons from her for several years (I’m an adult student), and it was a delight. Bess helped me clarify my goals, structured our lesson time, and I as able to become more confident with my voice. Thank you Bess!” -Tatiana, adult student
“Bess is a great teacher! patient, engaged, knowledgeable. Im learning a lot!” -Alex, adult student
“Bess tailors her lessons to the student's interests, which makes it much more engaging for my child. She allows them to choose what music to play, learns the songs along with them, and instructs based on what the student needs in that moment.” -Kristen, parent
“Bess is great! She is flexible and open to teaching what I'm interested in learning, and brings a broad range of knowledge to our sessions. Definitely recommend!” -Jade, adult student
“Bess is awesome! Knowledgeable, friendly, helpful and fun. Totally recommend her!” -Trish, adult student
Tuition:
in person private/group lessons: $45 half hour; $60 for 45 minutes; $75 full hour
online lessons: $40 half hour; $55 for 45 minutes; $70 full hour