Overdue review. Started my daughter at their yamaha group with Ms Nicole, and shes fantastic, just enough firmness and still fun. My daughter completed 2 recitals. Now she is in drums with Henry, another ever so patient instructor, he is also teaching my other daughter who was only 5yrs old when she started. read more

Super cute music store! They have way more than what you think. I went in on a whim to see if they had harmonicas, and they had three different types to choose from! I didn't even know there were that many options, but the employee was very knowledgeable, helpful, and nice! Will be back once I've mastered the C-scale harmonica read more

Such a sweet and robust music shop in the city! It's surprisingly really hard to rent a full-sized cello in SF, at least at the time I was looking for one, which was late spring 2024. I called every other place in the city with no luck, but Exploring Music had one available! The rate is very reasonable. The only other time I've rented a cello was several years ago in Ann Arbor, MI, so I was fully expecting the rate in SF to be way above that, but it's extremely comparable! The cello isn't the best one I've used, but it's great for beginners and someone like me who's getting back into it after a long time. The store itself feels very authentic, with so many instruments and accessories on the shelves and on the walls. I think they do lessons in the back, too. Puthi (I'm sorry if this is spelled incorrectly!) helped me out at the front desk, and he was so so warm and welcoming! I'd definitely recommend this store for all of your music needs. read more

We've loved the Yamaha-method group piano classes at Exploring Music for our child starting at 4 years old. Ms. Nicole is amazing--she keeps a whole group of little kids engaged and having fun, while also maintaining high expectations of them. The group lessons are very affordable and great value. The lessons have helped our child develop their musical ear while inspiring a true love of music early on. The recitals are wonderful too--sweet, supportive, and so fun to watch. Highly recommend! read more

Very friendly and helpful service. Reasonable rental prices with package deals for the school year.

Dropped in on a Sunday to get my wife's guitar restrung and tuned. The store owner is a very friendly and knowledgeable guy. He did the job in under an hour at a VERY reasonable price. If you are in the market for any musical needs, I highly recommend this place. He's got a bunch of especially unique instruments too. From entry level to advanced and some that are works of art. read more

I love this little music shop in the Richmond! I have rented a guitar from them two separate times now. Their rates are extremely affordable! The customer service is also great. Both times I've gone the staff has been patient with helping me pick out my rental. They also have a decent selection of acoustic guitars for a small local business! I'd definitely rent again. read more

I have been taking music lesson since September 2022 to learn how to play the flute as an adult. Tammy is great at coordinating and working through schedule challenges and accommodating times and dates that work for all. My teacher Jane is amazing as she is able to provide instruction in a very clear and simple manner that really helps me understand and improve. Jane also pushes me to try playing more challenging pieces and practice pieces which help me progress and keep going. Starting a new instrument as an adult is not always easy, but Tammy and Jane have made it easy and comfortable and energizing! read more

Small music shop but very helpful staff. We went in to service my daughter's violin and to buy a 3/4 violin for my son. All the work was done perfectly and the prices were good (the shoulder rest we bought was cheaper than the same on Amazon) read more

My daughter is 5 years old and I cannot be thankful enough for Tommy. He's done such a wonderful job teaching my daughter the basics to piano. She's not only 5 but is capable of reading music notes. Thank you Tommy. read more

I was walking by on a Friday evening around 7:30 and was surprised to see they were open. I needed my violin bow rehaired so I stopped in to see if they did this. They unfortunately don't but they do sell some violin bows and violins (unfortunately nothing close to what I was looking for but maybe decent starter instruments- not sure as I didn't check them out. The guy working there (also a violinist) was really helpful and when they didn't have the violin humidifier I was looking for, he suggested an easy alternative. I also needed a music stand and was able to buy one for about $21. Amazon had it for about five bucks cheaper but 1) I got mine instantly 2) I am more than happy paying that difference in price for the service and to support a local store 3) no worries about shipping They also sell sheet music books (mostly piano it seemed), have some various string instruments (including Chinese instruments!), and even had a couple of pianos (used I think) for sale. I will probably still end up going to a string instrument specialty store for some things but this is a great place in the neighborhood. I would come back here again to check out their sheet music or if I needed something for my instrument that they had available. read more

All piano teachers are very professional. Other musical instructors also come here to teach class or have private lessons. This place is clean and the staff is friendly. My children enjoyed learning piano lessons with teacher Nicole. She is very patient and nice. read more

Ok, if you're not a teacher with a regular schedule, it's quite hard to get a studio room here. I come every week but still end up in a back hallway they use as a backup piano room. Regardless, it's cheap, staff is nice and it gets the job done when you need a room to play the piano, drums, guitar, violin, etc. Note: bring tissue to wipe down the piano. The keys are quite dusty. read more

It's more than a week since I've been trying to make the piano lesson appointment in SF location. Have submitted a form on a website. No response. Called them twice with several days interval, each time provided all my contact information and got the promise that manager will call me back later today or tomorrow. And nothing again. UPD: Management contacted me. read more

Excellent quality program! Teachers are very skilled and professional. Staff is very friendly and kind. Zoom lessons are going great...I can't believe how much my child is growing in his musical ability!! read more

Last year in 2020 at around October we went to a lot of places to try and buy a cello for my daughter, but a lot of places needed to make appointments to visit. Luckily, we went to Exploring Music and we met Eric. He was really nice and we ordered a brand new cello for my daughter. However, when we got home, we tried to tune the cello and suddenly the string broke. We went back to Exploring Music and Eric helped us put a new set of strings for us. Whenever we text him to ask a question, he always replies quickly. Highly recommend this place if you need music equipment! read more

The teachers are wonderful,Our son started roughly 3 months ago, he could already play simple songs such as 'cross cut buns' Just make sure to do the assigned homework. https://lyricstorrent.blogspot.com/ read more

I have to walk past this music store a million times. I was curious because I've read some negative reviews about the store which have since disappeared. I should have figured not to come here for when I saw the rotting corpses of instruments in the window. But I was looking for a music accessory for my ever expanding home recording studio, so I wanted to give a local merchant a shot. Big mistake! The store is so messy that it looks like it's been through a tsunami. It's one of those nasty stores where the inside is as filthy as the outside. When I was in the store I swear I was breathing in dust that must have been Charlie Chaplin's skin flakes from the silent era. I found out how unhelpful the employees are the hard way. It took a few minutes before I could get an employee's attention though I was the only person in the store. I'm sure the employees know musical instruments, but I don't think they want to be bothered to help a customer. . The store could be geared for giving music lessons because I can't imagine anyone buying the old crap they have in the store. My other theory is that the employees may only want to help people who are buying products that are way overpriced so they can make their margin. But when a Guitar Center employee gives you 100 times better service than a local merchant you know you should stay away. read more

I bought a guitar here last April and that was a great experience in and of itself. The guy there was a big guitar guru and was able to give me great advice about which guitar would be perfect for me. I got this little Revival acoustic and loved it! Then a few months later, I noticed that there was a small crack in the back of the guitar. The guitar was built from one whole piece of mahogany so I was a little worried. Then I looked at it again a month later and saw the crack had spread a lot! I was so scared. So I called Exploring Music and asked them what I could do since it hadn't been a year yet since I had purchased the guitar. They were so nice. They told me to come in and bring the guitar in to see what could be done. The next day I brought in my little cracked baby and they said it could just be a natural reaction of the wood or weather as I had never taken it out of my bedroom since I got it. And that since it hadn't been a year it was covered under the warranty. And they replaced my guitar with another of the exact same kind! I am so excited!! Plus the manufacturer apparently is discontinuing that model, and I got one of the last ones in the shop! No fuss, no weirdness, no suspicion. They stand behind their instruments here and really care about their customers. I can't thank them enough. read more

Man what is up? In the middle of what seems like Beijing, we have a collection of hip, knowledgeable musicians that seem to know every damn thing there is to know about every instrument. I bought my first hohner blues harp harmonica here in the key of C. It was and still is my favorite one. I'd recommend going here, then going and eating some straight up chinese food. Not sweet and sour pork, the real stuff. Great music store, ain't no doubt about that. read more

My son takes private piano lessons here with Rebecca McCabe. She is wonderful. We were absolutely beginners level when we started 2 years ago. He had an oppotunity to change piano teachers recently and I left the decision up to him. He said "No way." Pricing is very reasonable and she teaches students of all ages. I definitely recommend her if your want to take up piano lessons. Oh and the staff here had always been friendly & helpful as well. read more

I wanted to get an ukulele for my sister after she graduated from high school, but I'm not sure where to get one. So when I finished lunch on Clement yesterday, this place caught my attention. It wasn't a really big store and it was actually quite old fashioned, but I was looking at their display and saw some of the instruments were on sale. The girl Jennifer greeted me with a big smile and helped me in choosing the perfect ukulele for my sister. Even when I was clueless about tuning the ukulele, she explained it to me how it works and tuned it for me. The price was very reasonable and I will definitely recommend this store for anyone who wants to get instruments without paying excessssssive amount! Oh and I think they offer lessons for singing and instruments as well? read more

I never paid much attention to this music store/center (even though I live relatively close by), but was very pleasantly surprised when I finally wandered in the other day. They have a pretty diverse selection of instruments for purchase/rent...guitars, drums, pianos, violins...etc. as well as a fairly good selection of sheet music and musical accessories. Their items are somewhat disorganized (because they have so much stuff), but the staff seems friendly and helpful. The store/center offer lessons in a wide variety of instruments as well, for very reasonable rates. For example, private hour-long piano or guitar lessons are only $35. Hard to beat the value! Great addition to this neighborhood. read more

Excellent and helpful, no pressure sales, friendly and fanatical about service. Got a great deal on a Yamaha FG730S guitar here. Not Yamaha's top guitar by any means, but a very playable street and chill guitar. I'm pretty sure they sold me the guitar at or slightly below cost, which leads me to believe they are in the business to move product and provide an excellent customer experience rather than gouge customers so they can be uber profitable. Bought a Ukulele another time that has served me well. Also bought bongo drums, harmonica, kazoo, picks, strings and shakers. All have been excellent quality. Since my purchase experiences have been so good and I feel I have been offered fair prices for great products along with very good service, I will treat this as a neighborhood establishment where I will refer all of my musical friends when they need a road or park instrument. read more

Ugh. Had (am having?) a terrible experience with a rental violin for my daughter and would never recommend this establishment for instrument rentals. We purchased a 10-month rental for a violin for my daughter to begin lessons at her elementary school last August. Admittedly, I know nothing about violins and so I trusted the woman helping us to fulfill our needs. She fitted my daughter for an instrument and showed her how to use the rosin, we signed a contract for $10/month, I prepaid the full rental amount and we were on our way! Cut to 8 months later and the violin will not stay tuned - the plastic pegs won't hold tension so the strings are loose - and the fingerboard has come loose. I called Exploring Music and explained the problem to Linda, who told me she would need the instrument for 3-4 days for repair. I asked if they could just switch out another violin or offer a loaner since my daughter couldn't miss that many days of practice and she said that she could do the repair in one day! What? I agreed and brought the violin in on a Monday afternoon and was charged $20 to repair a violin I was renting! I questioned being charged for a repair on a rental instrument that was not due to mishandling, but was just happy to have it playable again. I mentioned the pegs and tuning issue and Linda said she would tune it for us. Received a call a few hours later that the repair was done. Picked the violin up the next day and Linda said she had tuned it for no charge (aside from the $20 I paid to have her glue the fingerboard back on...), but when my daughter took it out of the case at home the E string was completely loose and the peg wouldn't hold it at all! The violin is very poor quality. I called again to explain the tuning/peg issue and express my dissatisfaction with the quality of the instrument and was told that I could have rented a "premium" violin for a little more per month. Huh. I definitely would have chosen that option HAD IT BEEN OFFERED TO US IN AUGUST! Agreed to come in and switch out our rental for a premium violin for the remaining two months of our lease, but they said it would be a few days before they'd have one. I'm cutting my losses and renting elsewhere. read more

This place is fantastic; in particular, Catherine was AMAZING! I came in looking for a piano and a piano class. Catherine not only clearly explained what are the features you want to look for but also helped me find the perfect one for my budget! She was intelligent and well spoken, and is actually studying music too! I walked out with the perfect electric piano. On top of that, this place is pet friendly!! My corgi got plenty of love here. I cannot love this place more. read more

My kid is learning Yamaha program with teacher Denica in San Jose. This program is really nice, teacher uses different ways to do ear training, and her class is fun, and also they have a lot activities in their school. The teacher is so nice and experienced. It's a nice place to learn music. read more

I always support our local store. It keeps the "Walmarts" away... Tonight I was trying to revive my wife's interest in music. She has been a flutist some time ago, she has not practiced in a while and needed a kind of introductory instrument to refresh her "ear". So we end up in this nice little store. The place is full of cool instruments with weird names (and vice-versa). The guy that greeted us was utterly kind and knowledgeable, he showed us a couple of instruments, including a fancy, moderately expensive yamaha flute, and we got out with a soprano flute on sale, a new set of acoustic guitar strings and a new pick for me. I was a happy camper, my wife ecstatic for her new flute. Total: shy of 13$. A real steal!!! Highly recommended! Oh, and we got ourselves a free performance with one of the weird instruments with cool names (or vice-versa...) To the owners: if you start a mailing list with your weekly/monthly deals, you got yourself a new regular! ;) read more

Really helpful and great with following up on agreements (Something that's becoming rare in SF). I look forward to doing more business with these guys n Gals. read more

I have been taking my son for over a year to group lessons (piano). He started when he was 4. It has been a fantastic experience for me to see how teacher Sue teaches the very young children. She is a gifted teacher and has so many tools and confidence (and experience) that every one there (including the parents) really enjoys every moment of her teaching. My son happily sits, and jumps to dance and sing when needed. The program she teaches (Yamaha music school) is fantastic as well. It really teaches little children the fundamentals of reading notes without them even knowing they are 'learning' it. It is so much fun! they really know what children like and what the minds and souls of these young children really need to fall in love and get to feel and understand music. Back to Sue, she is very patient and helpful. She has a very nice charisma and teaches this program very well. She loves what she does, that's for sure. As a parent, who never got any musical training as a child, I have been blessed sitting in that room. As my child learns to play the piano, I absorb and learn as well. read more

I really recommend those parents who want your kids to learn piano take Exploring Music's classes! They are super professional and patient about teaching kids. My older sisters' kids are taking their classes now and they just love to go there~ Thank you Exploring! You solved our troubles. LOL... read more

The teachers are wonderful, especially teacher Sue!! Our son started roughly 3 months ago, he could already play simple songs such as 'cross cut buns' Just make sure to do the assigned homework. read more

Cool place, I play Iranian setar and was looking for a finger pick. They had a very cool collection of finger picks for Chinese sitar which meets my needs. I am really excited to try em out read more

I have been going to Exploring Music on and off for over a year for ukulele lessons. When I had some questions about payment, the owner, Eric, was extremely responsive and made an extra effort to be helpful. My instructor, Grayson, was fantastic and I was able to learn the basics within only a few sessions, even though it was my first time learning a string instrument (as an adult!). I appreciate the people here and supporting a local business. Thanks, Eric & Grayson! read more

We love this school. Our 5 yr old has been going here for more than a year and she loves it. Excellent teaching of music in a fun way. Kids will never get bored. Musically they cover sight reading, ear training, playing with other music which is all around and complete. Teacher Sue, Nicole are excellent. I would recommend this place for any kid especially younger ones. read more

My daughter (5 years old) loves the group lessons with teacher Sue and her assistant both are great with kids !

We moved to SF a year ago, I rented a violin for my daughter from Exploring Music, the price was very reasonable, only $10 per month, It was an excellent quality handmade violin . My daughter's school violin teacher even suggests other students to rent it from this shop. The customer service very very good, the employees were very helpful and knowledgeable. They have a repair shop in Sunset , my friend asked me to bring their violin for repair and the price was reasonable , I highly recommended this store. read more

I really love these guys--super knowledgeable, nice and affordable. I think they genuinely care about ALL their customers. I've stopped in sporadically over the years and have always been treated kindly, honestly and with respect. Now that my kids are starting music lessons, I was happy to rent our instrument from Exploring Music, knowing we'd be well cared for with great service, quality instruments and super affordable prices. read more

Apparently a Makai ukulele dealer. After buying a few picks and books there on occasion and comparing instrument prices I finally bought a Makai CK-65 ukulele, straight from playing every uke at Guitar Center. I was able to spend time with the instrument before procurement and only tried that one because it was the sole uke with a pickup in it - deal breaker, and it was a concert model (apparently most are tenor with an integral pickup). Well, Makai is OK, probably not much longevity but another breaker was the discounted price proferred at Exploring. The axe plays well and I suppose if it lasts a couple years that should be fine, then move on. I don't reckon Exploring would ever carry high-end ukuleles, so moving on means my experience at this venue was a one-off, lest a few picks and books. read more

I took weekly lessons with Michael Thomas, who is an incredibly learned and dedicated teacher with a great resume and a true appreciation for every aspect of music. Michael teaches in very efficient and thorough manner, truly taking an interest in your progress, as well as supporting any and all personal goals. I would highly recommend Michael to anyone who wants to take music seriously! I also took bi-weekly lessons with Sean P, and had a great experience there. Sean has a deep musical background and was always flexible with any song I brought in, and is really a teacher who let's your musical goals dictate how the lesson will go. No matter what kind of music you're into, Sean is quickly able to get a sense for the style and point you in the right direction. read more