I've been getting lessons from George for about a month. He's low ego, patient and seems most excited to keep me having fun with music that I like and to get me better at playing it. Glad to have found him! read more

Half a year ago, I picked up a bass guitar (something I've alway wanted to do), and taught myself some basics from online videos. After a few months of doing that, I started hitting a roadblock, without a clear direction on how to improve. I started looking for an instructor that could help me take my playing to the next step and beyond. That's when I found George. We started off our first lesson learning the fundamentals, which was very helpful for correcting bad habits that I had developed. We progressed quickly from there, and I've seen very noticeable improvement in my technique and ability. One thing that stands out is that George custom tailors the lessons to each individual student. For example, I grew up playing classical piano, with exposure to music theory; George is able to play on this area of expertise. After each session, he sends out a detailed summary of the lesson, along with exercises and things to practice for our next session. He's very encouraging and supportive - I feel comfortable talking to him about any aspect of my learnings, and emailing him outside of our lessons when a question comes up. It's difficult to imagine a teacher more enthusiastic and supportive than George, and I'm looking forward to continue developing my skills with him. If you are considering taking lessons with George, I highly recommend it. read more

My name is Ciara McAllister and I am fellow musician here in San Francisco. I have had the honor of playing in several bands and teaching with George over the last five years. George is about as kind and patient as they come. George has a very calming presence to him and he creates an atmosphere that makes it feel safe to learn and try new things. He has a way of presenting concepts that actually make sense, to both a more advanced player and a novice. He is incredibly encouraging and promotes the growth of his students before all else. He is constantly looking for more and new ways to improve his teaching, creating awesome opportunities for his students. Wait, did I say George was "calming"? Well, except for when he's actually playing bass. George has got the funkiest, deepest bass lines around....he can groove like no other! BUT, the best part is that he can also play to the song, doesn't overplay, and listens to the other musicians on stage. Plus, he's just a great guy, good manners, considerate of others, and its apparent that music is pumping through his veins at all times. George has played with the infamous John Lee Hooker, Jr., has recorded on a Grammy nominated album, and currently performs with his own original project, the George Lacson Project. If you are interested in taking your bass playing to the next level, or are ready to finally take the plunge and begin your musical journey, AND you are lucky enough to be in the Bay Area, George Lacson is definitely your man. I hope to be working and playing with George for many years to come! read more

Right on. Well, I'm sorry to say that Yelp only let's me give George five stars... George is fantastic. Do you play - or wish to play - the bass? Do you wish to develop as a musician, coached and encouraged by someone who's as interested as you are? If there is music hiding inside of you, waiting for the chance to work its way out and take flight, then I think you need look no further. In fact, if you don't live in San Francisco, you just might want to move here, for the lessons with George. read more

I have looked at this page for ages and do not know where to start in my praise of George and what I have gained from being a student of his. I initially took lessons with him as I hadnt in a few years and was frustrated with my playing not improving. I had taught myself to slap simply through the internet but really needed some guidance on what I was doing wrong and how to move forward. Given George's credentials, he seemed like the man for the job and I was right. His lessons are always entertaining, enjoyable, informative and a challenge. He follows up each lesson the next day with an email recapping what we went over and what we will do next week and often leaves me a selection of 'homework' to do if I want. Its become a running joke between us but not once has he been late for a lesson, ever. Wish I could say the same. Beyond the lessons, George has been so supportive of musical pursuits. He has come to gigs regularly and even when I was recording and had to go back to lay down some parts by myself, he came to the session and totally helped me through just by being positive. (he even told off my drummer once who was ragging on me for no reason). George's love of music and playing the bass is incredibly infectious. I am playing every day again for at least an hour a time, most days more. I got that hunger back of someone first learning and I know its all because of Mr George. Choosing a music teacher is a scary thing as there are so many people teaching, how do you pick? In this case I can only say, do not deliberate any longer. No matter what level you are at or what style you want to play you will never find a better teacher then George. Ian read more

So you want to learn bass? You want to have a bad time learning? You want to practice boring exercises and learn only boring stuff? DO NOT CALL GEORGE. He is the most helpful, chill teacher I have ever come across. Me: 24, no previous bass experience, little music theory: Him- Awesome artist who has a 20 minute talk with you about what you want before you even meet. Talk about someone who both inspires and works with you. For whatever you need. He helped me choose a bass and now teaching me how to slap that Bit**, or lovely woman.... Seamless combine's constructive exercises with exactly what I want to learn. I would keep typing all in caps, cause I am that excited, but I am not that guy. BUT I WANT TO BE AFTER THESE LESSONS. Either way, if you are serious about learning in a not serious environment., George is more up your alley then an alley cat. But seriously, why are you not on the phone right now? read more

I'm here listening to George giving my daughter a bass lesson (via Skype) and I know, whatever I write here, will not do the guy justice. But I will try. He's incredibly kind, patient, knowledgeable, and just straight-up NICE. You can literally play a lick completely wrong and he encourages you to play it correctly, in the most gentle way. He's fantastic with kids, for sure (although I take lessons as well so more on that in a sec). One of the other things I appreciate is how organized he is with lesson planning, scheduling, and billing. He also puts effort into tailoring the lessons to the individual, so, for example, my daughter likes Pokémon. Knowing this, George added learning a song from that video game to her lesson, and of course she loved it. I take lessons from him as well and I'm a tad more advanced, so not only do we talk technique and songs to learn but we're also working on a lot of theory. I love the guy. Best private teacher I've ever had, hands down. If you are on the fence and not sure who to pick for a bass teacher, give this guy a couple lessons and you will absolutely, positively not be disappointed. read more

Music is supposed to be fun and not boring! That is what makes George Lacson different from other instructors out there. George is a very cool and talented bass player, he will make you feel at ease during your lessons. You can keep reading a bunch of reviews about how good George is, but I suggest that you check him out yourself. You should see for yourself how this guy play bass guitar! Check out his website at http://georgelacson.com or you can search him on YouTube. If you are serious enough to learn bass, then George is the perfect instructor for you! read more

My 13 year-old son, Jackson, has been playing the double bass for two years and, upon receiving an electric bass as a holiday gift, he was dying to get started with electric bass instruction. We discovered George Lacson through Yelp and his personal website. After reading the reviews here and seeing some of his videos, we were very excited for our first lesson. We have not been disappointed. Not only has George been extremely flexible, but he has been encouraging, kind, and downright invested in Jackson's musical education. First of all, George is an astounding musician with both a classical background, which helps him to appreciate/ sympathize with public school-based musical education, and an extremely keen sense of contemporary music. Secondly, he knows how to talk to and inspire kids. My son would reluctantly plug through his nightly bass practice before his lessons with George. After only a couple of months he now returns from his hour-long sessions and spends another hour+ practicing what he has just learned from George. Jackson is extremely motivated to practice his electric bass which carries over and inspires him to invest more time in his acoustic double bass as well. I am astounded at how much he has progressed in just two short months: his rhythm more solid, his ear more developed and with a new-found sense of confidence. I have been truly amazed. I attribute this to George's influence as his teacher and as his friend, as George always communicates with Jackson as a fellow musician. George is hands-down the most inspiring and talented music instructor we have ever had. I think that the best person to speak to George's talent as a teacher is Jackson: "George is the best person to be a teacher because he actually teaches what the students want to learn. He has awesome skills so he teaches you using his experience and helps you to adjust to the instrument you want to play. George is like the nicest guy ever. Basically George is an awesome dude all around." read more

Our son wanted to give up the piano... okay... music is like math is our position on the matter. Take a break and pick another instrument. Ehhhh the bass. And so we asked around and received rave reviews about George from some friends. Besides the fact that it was tough to get into his schedule (guess why) we managed to lock in some time with him. George put our son (then 13) at ease right away. His progress from beginner to playing in front of others was staggering. George started slowly, thoughtfully, and he connected right away. He is interested in keeping the fire going. It's been more than 2 1/2 years he has been teaching our son, jazz, funk, rock. Unfortunately, he left to go to Spain. He has been away because he got a scholarship in Spain, because, well, he is very good! That good! Besides being a very talented musician and a very pleasant individual to be around, he is passionate, patient, smart, a great educator and a role model to teenage kids. Not every great musician is a good teacher. With George, you get both. He has great positive energy, he pushes his students with nudges. He motivates them, encourages them and adapts to their pace. He has a method. and it works. He is organized, keeps track of their progress, negotiates what they like to learn with what they should learn, inserts theory and practice in his teaching, does lesson recap. Our son tried another teacher in his absence ... for a little while. It did not work so well. So out of desperation I contacted George who is in Spain, and asked him for help. His response: "are you open to Skype lessons?". "OF COURSE!!!". It's been 1 year and 1/2 and we picked up where we left, much progress has been made, it works seamlessly. He uses the internet, you tube, chooses interpretations, is rigorous and always on time. Incidentally, I saw him play with his band in SF, and man, he can get some funky sound out of that bass and he run the show, he knows what he wants. I very highly, without reservation, recommend George to anyone, at whatever level, who wants to learn or improve at playing the bass, his passion is viral. You will get your money worth! read more

George is a great bass player with solid rhythm, good taste, and great intonation. As a full time drummer in SF, I had the pleasure of playing a gig with him and was happy to meet a very mellow, considerate guy who had clearly done his homework. He is a valuable asset to the SF music scene. Go learn something from him and convince him to bring back the mustache. read more

I just started playing bass a few months ago and working with George has been an absolute blast. Sure, he is a ridiculously gifted musician, but his enthusiasm for teaching is what truly sets him apart. He believes that "music is a language" and that you learn the language by "speaking", i.e, playing. Through teaching you riffs and songs that YOU actually want to learn, he also teaches you the theory behind it. For me, this has been far more enjoyable than playing scales and exercises from a book ad nauseum. If you want to learn bass and you live in the Bay Area, just call the man! You'll be glad you did. read more

George is unfailingly positive and encouraging during our lessons together. He goes the extra mile by sending an emailed summary of each lesson that I use for review. The breadth of his musical knowledge is apparent in his replies to my many questions on musical theory. Our hour together every Wednesday is one of the high points of my week. read more

Learning with George is a real joy. He's extremely talented and is remarkably flexible to whatever songs/styles/formats you learn best/want to learn. Me (no bass experience) has flip flopped between what I was looking to get out of our lessons several times (from learning cool popular riffs, to writing my own, to understanding theory) and George has continued to exceed my expectations. A real bass talent - but just as important to me, George has a keen understanding of how people learn. In addition, just a cool guy overall. Very happy with my lessons with George and can't rate him high enough. read more

I was very fortunate to have meet up with George soon after I moved to San Francisco. He happens to be one of the in-demand session/live bass players in the Bay Area, and is a consummate professional. I've been performing with George in various projects, and his talent and musical ability is without bounds. He's also an easy going and truly great guy. I've been performing and teaching for more than enough time to know that it's guys like George who make the best teachers. read more

lessons with George are my favorite part of the week because he finds a way to teach through anything I bring him in a cheerful, patient way. he's flexible and draws out the joy in music. highly recommended read more