My child received lessons at Speed of Sound for a year or two. The owner is a great guy, very…read morefriendly and keenly interested in teaching music to the community (also plays at some of the local schools...). The piano teacher we were paired up with was great, my child loved the weekly lessons and the relationship established throughout the course of our patronage of Speed of Sound. We were, unfortunately, quite disappointed with the logistical side of the business. We repeatedly had lessons canceled or changed with as little as an hour or two notice. There were even a number of occasions where we arrived for a lesson to find that our teacher was not available, no replacement had been organized, and as a result the front desk attendant (a student at high school) would sit in on the "lesson" for which we still had to pay full price. We also received a number of emails from the owner notifying us that we were behind on our bills, when in fact the owner hadn't sent us a bill for multiple months (I have never been late on a bill in my life and have an 840 credit score). Towards the end of our time at Speed of Sound, the school transitioned to a timeslot-based system where students would receive a weekly timeslot rather than dedicated teacher. While this system may be helpful with logistical challenges for Speed of Sound, it resulted in a real lack of continuity for my child and many of the lessons were spent familiarizing with new, random teachers and revisiting material that had already been taught. The school also instituted a policy whereby clients were not able to cancel or change lessons due to scheduling conflicts; I can understand this for group lessons, but when you're paying $70 an hour for a private lesson the lack of flexibility and randomized teacher assignment proved too much for us... We ultimately decided to enlist a private teacher outside of Speed of Sound. and have been very happy with the choice.

Excellent experience with the owner. I think the negative reviews are because he is super busy, but…read moreseems to be hiring staff to help.

Widely known as one of if not THE best place to get QUALITY stringed instruments in sonoma. Dont…read morecheap out on a cheap instrument online or somewhere else, when you can come here and do a plan/buy lasting product.

The entire staff at Loveland Violin Shop are great. Over a number of years I've purchased bows and…read moreinstruments, had my violin repaired, had a nice viola bow rehaired, and purchased a lot of good quality bow rosin. All were good transactions! I've also learned a lot about violins and bows from Mick Loveland himself.

They have the knowledge, They have the experience,…read more They have the instruments, They have what you need to keep your music flowing. They can fix you stuff. They are friendly people. I recommend. Metta john

CLOSED! Unfortunately. Best music store ever for many decades. That's what we all get for buying…read moreAmazon instead of local.

I don't know how it would be possible to find a better guitar teacher than Steve Smyth. He knows…read morehow to play EVERYTHING and is a master at teaching it to others. He has toured the world with huge bands and built a reputation as a guitar wizard and you are lucky if you get the chance to study from him. I took a lesson from Steve and came out of it with very valuable information about my technique, identifying notes on the neck instantaneously and how to practice without hurting myself. Then he followed up by sending me a package of what we covered, and a lot more a few weeks later. Though I have known Steve since he was a teenager just starting out on guitar, I am intimidated by his knowledge and playing ability, but his professional demeanor and calm approach made me feel comfortable exposing my deficiencies right away. I highly recommend taking lessons from Steve if you are able, regardless of your playing ability.

I've been taking guitar lessons from Steve Smyth for several years now, and he's definitely one of…read morethe most knowledgeable and talented guitar players I've ever met (and I've met some great ones). When it comes to any kind of rock or metal guitar, he can show you how to play anything you want to learn, from the most basic Black Sabbath riffs to the most insane Testament solos and everything in between. He's also very patient, and will go over in detail every part of song or measure with you to make sure you can get it down. Excellent teacher, I highly recommend!

i've been bringing my stringed instruments to Dave for many years. Always dependable, and…read morereasonably priced for all repairs and adjustments. He works on woodwinds and brass instruments too.

I've been a fan of the guitar since a childhood so long passed I can scarcely remember it. The…read morefirst Guitar Player magazine I ever purchased read "Who is Eric Johnson and why is he on our cover?" because Ah Via Musicom had not even come out yet. Thousands of players and trillions of notes later I thought I had seen just about everything that there in this wide-necked world but I've never seen anything like Nate Lopez. We're going to have to break him down into pieces to even make sense of what's going on here: MUSICIAN You can tell that his roots are diverse and deep. The smell of smokey blues wafts from a towering house of jazz, and the backbeat of the funk can damage weak spines, but the ingredient that you can't quite identify is the time he spent studying at the Ali Akbar College of Music. Respect, dedication, knowledge, discipline. A musician's musician. I have seen him play with well-rehearsed ensembles and spur of the moment assemblages of one to eight other musicians with little more than a four count to get ready for an impromptu performance. He breathes through the instrument the way most people speak their native language. I've seen him do originals, pop tunes, classics, and covers that he has remade into something new altogether. (See "8 String Wizard" below). I've watched him get a room dancing and I've seen him melt into the background of a small event, completely out of consciousness. He has a gift for understanding the space, the role of the music, and reading the reaction of the audience. That's a special talent. 8 STRING WIZARD He has reportedly courted the drums, horns, and piano, but the stringed instruments own his heart. He loaned his upright bass to his mom, who gigs out with it often, but still plays the carbon fiber steel string he inherited from a beloved mentor with verve when he needs an instrument capable of standing up to inclement weather when he's playing an outdoor gig. He plays banjo, ukulele, banjolele, bass, guitar, an Indian slide guitar with sympathetic strings that I've never seen, and all varieties of bass and guitar, fretted and fretless. All this would be enough to merit applause but it is the 8 string guitar that sets him apart from anyone else I have ever witnessed. His earliest professional work reportedly was as a bassist. That role in the music suited him, but he found the range of the instrument limiting. His explorations on the six string opened up new vistas, but the loss of the bass clef was an acute injury. Like Jaco, Les, Eddie, and other innovators before him, he experimented with instruments that he modified himself, always tinkering, always trying, always searching. Then the hybrid guitar landed on him and everything changed. EAD bass strings over ADGBE guitar strings on the same neck give him sonic opportunities completely beyond possibility before. He virtually never plays with a pick, always finger style, so the hybrid guitar allows him to play both bass and guitar on one neck. The casual observer may or may not notice that there's just more music coming from the guitar player and drummer than can be explaned, but the musicians stop everything to stare in disbelief. TEACHER It can be very intimidating to approach someone so advanced. No one is born expert. Some are more talented than others, but everyone that's any good has years of dedicated study and practice behind them. I have seen, and have been, one of many who have come to Nate for guidance or lessons, in addition to all the pros who come to play with him as a peer, and I have never caught a whisper of the attitude that typically comes with this level of expertise. He delights in the achievement of everyone he plays with, on guitar, on other instruments, the most serious professional, and the kid who doesn't even know which way the neck goes yet. He just gets a quick read on where you are and what you want to achieve and he illuminates the path. That's something I've never heard of in any of the other greats before. Who am I? His most jealous fan. Thanks for the music and the lessons and the kindness, Nate. You make us all better players.

Walked into Heritage Public House about six months ago and discovered Nate and his 8 string guitar…read more So good! I have since caught him at a few venues across Santa Rosa and can highly recommend him.

My daughter gave me a birthday present of guitar lessons with Alex at Gater Guitar. I should add…read morethat I do not have any experience in playing any musical instrument. Alex is a classically trained guitarist with many years teaching guitar. He is a superb musician, and a great teacher. He has enormous patience with beginners like me. Very encouraging, and a nice guy to boot. After my course of gift lessons I extended the lessons on my own nickel. Alex made the lessons fun, and a pleasure. Highly recommended.

Lindy has taught my teenage son electric guitar for the last year. We love her! She is a…read moreresponsive, encouraging, understanding, and upbeat instructor. My son has enjoyed the diversity of her teaching, as she mixes learning new songs with practicing fundamentals. She did a great job adapting her teaching style to Zoom due to sheltering-in-place, and my son didn't miss a beat (no pun intended!). She is always on time to commence the lesson, is an excellent communicator, and well prepared. If you have been thinking about lessons for yourself or your child, now is the perfect time to do so from the comfort of your own home. I highly recommend Lindy!

Lindy is a bright and talented musician who had the patience and skill to take time with new…read morelearners. She was very knowledgeable about guitar and gave me great advice about finger positioning and even tips like cutting my nails shorter to get some better pressure on the strings. I'm looking forward to more lessons with her!