"You can't shortcut the shortcut," he used to tell me. I came to him as a frustrated, self-taught guitar player, tired of the jam scene I grew up in and wanting something deeper and more thoughtful in music. I was in a hurry. I couldn't have done better than to learn under Larry Hoffman. Larry evaluated my skill set, listened to where I was and asked questions about where I wanted to go. I felt confident he could get me there. I wanted to learn the instrument all over again - start from scratch. I wanted to do it the right way this time. It was my choice, and Larry was obliging. He led me through a rigorous and disciplined regiment of theory and instrument exercises, as much as I could handle. There was no pressure - it was totally my pace, all the time. Larry did an excellent job encouraging my strengths, while also not harping on where I was weak, but if he saw I wasn't into it he could call me out on it right then. He knows how to get you where you need to be. What developed over a few years, for me, was more than the growing esteem I held for my mentor, but a deepening friendship with someone whom, I came to realize, is truly great. As I met his other students, I could see they all felt the same way. Larry is an acclaimed historian of storied blues legends, a protégé of the late, great Dennis Sandole, a producer, a composer in his own right, making his own way with his own vision. Larry knows the ropes and the corners. He is the shortcut. I recommend him to anyone who is interested to learn guitar and acquire the skills to master it. read more

At 18 years old I was a self-taught, play-by ear guitarist. I wanted to take my playing to the next level so I enrolled for classes in Jazz guitar and music theory at the Peabody Preparatory School. I was pleased to meet my instructor, Larry Hoffman, who was approachable, authentic, humorous and down-to-earth. In just a few years of study with Larry, my guitar playing, knowledge of theory and songwriting improved greatly. Larry took me back to basics in an inspiring way infusing theory with his rich knowledge of music history from the masters to the blues. Larry opened up my guitar playing with exercises such as chording (and scaling) in 5 positions and improvisational jams where I was encouraged to explore. The skills I picked up from Larry remain present in my playing three decades later and I gig regularly in an acoustic folk-rock duo. Larry Hoffman inspired, encouraged and pushed me to become the best musician I could and I'm ever thankful. Michael Thiess read more

Larry changed my playing for the best, and I honestly couldn't be more thankful that I was lucky enough to find him. His teaching methodology, knowledgeably about jazz/blues/classical music have absolutely changed my life. Before I started with him, I had been self-taught with scattered lessons from the internet/local players. I had never really developed much of an individual voice on the instrument, and the guitar itself was quite mystifying. I never understood how to put ideas together on the neck with any fluidity, and I never really understood how chords worked/ how scales worked/ the symmetry of the guitar. Larry showed me how to connect musical ideas across the entire instrument in any position, no matter where you are - liberating. You will develop your very own chord and scale vocabulary, and you will have a powerhouse of ways to use it. Once I had the entire instrument at my disposal, he constantly and in innovative ways pushed me to develop my own voice on the instrument - this is key. You will sound like YOU, no-one else, and that is what is so lost in most guitar instruction these days. Not only will you unlock the neck of the guitar, you will do it with the most minimal effort possible. His methodology focuses on using the least amount of energy possible to achieve your musical goals. Playing went from a frustrating and confusing mess, to a relaxing and rewarding experience. Again, you will be able to take any tune and make it as originally yours as possible. Not only do you get a world-class guitar education, but you also have the added advantage of Larry's extensive theoretical and composition knowledge\experience. You will develop these areas of musicianship in tandem with your guitar playing: 1.) Ear training\sight-singing\sight-reading: Larry highly emphasizes and nurtures this important skill. He teaches you to hear musical ideas - you will sing them, write them, and eventually play them. Specifically, you will learn to hear patterns from scales, chords, intervals, and larger compositions. This is HUGE if you play any improvisational music, or with a group - your ears are everything. You will learn how to sight-sing musical notation also - a seemingly forgotten skill among anyone else I've encountered. You will learn how to sight-read music in every position on the guitar possible. This idea coincides with his general methodology: no matter where you are on the instrument, you will be able to express an idea. This is a great skill that I've been able to vastly improve upon - and believe me, I was terrified of sight-reading. 2.) Rhythm training: You WILL learn how to keep time. I often avoided sight-reading because I didn't know how to keep time very well. I started off with the basic divisions, and worked my way smoothly and progressively into more challenging divisions. Larry has an amazing ear, so he can point out when you are even slightly off on something, which was a huge help. 3.) Comprehensive music theory: Larry is a remarkably talented classical composer, and he has a ton of experience to boot. You will get the same music theory education as if you were enrolled at a conservatory, with worksheets, exercises, tests, and creative assignments that he developed at Peabody conservatory. You get all this and more. Larry is also a blast to talk to since he has spent so much time traveling around playing music with people. He is a wealth of information regarding other artists, and music history. He's genuinely a wonderful person, he's my musical hero, and one of the most influential people I've ever met. He's one of those once-in-a-lifetime treasures. If you are lucky enough to get a spot with him, TAKE IT. I can't stress enough how much you will thank yourself. read more

I was twelve years old when I started taking lessons with Larry. At that age, I was already fronting my own blues band as a guitarist and singer, and performing weekly at bars in Baltimore City. I thought that I knew it all but little did I know, that was only the beginning of a long musical journey which Larry would help to set the course. He introduced me to essential skills for good musicianship; such as rhythm training, sight singing and music theory. In addition, he taught me proper guitar technique and jazz improvisation. Instead of enforcing a strict regiment, he insisted that I tackle the materials at my own pace, focusing on my quality of work instead of quantity. He also introduced me to the music of John Coltrane, Eric Dolphy and other great jazz and blues artists. Larry has a vast knowledge of many genres, both classical and popular. I believe that his approach can be adapted to suit students of various backgrounds and interests. During my college application process, Larry helped me prepare by going through each of the audition requirements and devising a plan for success. In turn, this really whipped me into shape as a guitarist. After entering Towson University as a jazz guitar major, those essential skills aided me time and time again, allowing me to excel in my course work and my ensembles. I moved to New York City after college to become a full-time musician; however, I felt there was something missing. So I decided to apply to graduate school to study classical composition and musicology. I didn't realize it at that time, but I am now following in his footsteps as a composer and a historian. read more

I'm 70. Started the guitar late in life and was fortunate to find Larry Hoffman via his City Paper ad. Began studying with him in November, 2003 and have missed few lessons since then. He has become a friend, but he has high standards as a teacher and will always let you know when you are off course. He is committed to developing you as a musician. Larry is an accomplished musician and composer (see his website), and has developed his own method for teaching the guitar. He is one of those rare people who can not only do it but teach it. If you study with Larry, you will gradually develop a "menu", a 3-ring binder filled with page after page of what I would call the fundamentals. Examples: ear training, sight singing, pick techniques, chords, voicings, how to play up and down the neck, basics of the blues, and many others. It will be your responsibility to practice these fundamentals to gradually build up your proficiency, as well as your knowledge of music and how the guitar works. It's not easy, but nothing worth doing is. If you want to learn the guitar, you could not be in better hands. read more

I initially began taking weekly lessons with Larry three plus years ago specifically to learn how to write songs. This pursuit expanded to an interest in multiple related disciplines such as theory, guitar training and music history. The blues became an important component in my education. Larry is an exceptionally knowledgeable and talented teacher. He is dependable, patient, and very serious about teaching but with a good sense of humor. read more

Even as the lessons provided much technical information, I always felt a connection with the spiritual aspect of music, and since Larry never imposed any style, I came away with confidence in my own uniqueness. I thank him for that. I have had a joyous and rewarding musical life experience and feel a part of a special musical community. I can attribute this to him as well. Much gratitude, Mr. Hoffman! read more

I studied guitar, theory and musicianship with Larry for a little over five years. Larry was an excellent teacher, and took my playing and understanding of music to the next level. One thing that always impressed me about his lessons was the organized system that he used. It kept the objectives and goals for each lesson clear and concise. I always knew what to practice, and what to expect in each lesson. Another aspect of Larry's lessons that I always appreciated was the inclusion of musicianship and theory in my lessons. In addition to directly related guitar topics such as picking technique, chords and scales, we would also work on sight-singing, rhythm, and four-part writing and composition. After studying with him for a little while, not only do your guitar skills improve, but your overall understanding of music really begins to mature. I would recommend lessons with Larry to anyone who wants to seriously learn guitar, and further their knowledge of music. read more

A friend of mine recommended Larry to me ten years ago and I have been taking lessons ever since. I suffered from what a lot of guitar players suffer from, which is not understanding what you need to study to be a real musician. Larry's approach is comprehensive to say the least. If you are dedicated enough to music and you want to improve across a wide variety of skills then go to Larry! read more