Middle C Music is a convenient place for most musical needs, with a focus on students. A wide range of sheet music is available. There are studios for lessons and a helpful staff. Lots of instruments and some setups where you can explore different instruments and effects. read more

Had a very wonderful guitar string replacement experience at Middle C today. Tom was incredibly proficient and warm - talked me through each step, and very patient as he let me try. My guitar sounds so much better and I feel empowered. grateful to Tom and to the staff at Middle C. Highly recommend. read more

I wanted some piano music from a very popular American band which they should have had. Staff seemed amused at my choice in music which is unprofessional. I could have ordered the sheet music online which is what I will do from now on. Way too yuppie of a store for my tastes. read more

Came in today to get my new (very used) guitar restrung. I am about to start lessons and have no idea what I'm doing so it was reassuring that no judgement was shown in my lack of knowledge. Had me on my way in about 15 minutes. Teddy took care of me and I'm sure I'll be back. We are a household of musicians. read more

Well, here's my first view ever for a business. Went to Middle C Music to get help replacing a string on my son's electric guitar. Every time I go there, whether it's for band folders for my youth orchestra (which they didn't charge me for) or my latest trip with the electric guitar, the customer service was absolutely fantastic! Not only did Tom replace the guitar string, but he also gave me a tutorial on tuning and the history of that particular model of guitar. They're great salespeople and are very willing to educate you on the products. I have been a professional musician now for over 40 years and can say without reservation that this place is awesome! read more

I had a great experience with Middle C Music. I was looking to buy new string for a ukulele and have the string replaced. I emailed a chain music store and Middle C Music asking about prices and how long it would take. I don't think I ever heard back from the chain, but Middle C Music responded right away and their price and time was very reasonable. They said I could come in anytime, no appointment needed. I came on a weekend and sure enough, they had plenty of staff and they quickly replaced my string in under 20 minutes, and for a very reasonable price. It seems like a wonderful store with a friendly atmosphere. I'd definitely come back here for my music needs! read more

Tom was extremely helpful and knowledgeable about tuning my violin today. I'm a beginner adult and am still not sure of how to use the pegs yet. He was very pleasant while assisting me and I would recommend him and this store to anyone looking to learn an instrument. read more

5 stars to Tom at the front desk who was super helpful when I came in with a bass from our school. He shared important information about the instrument, got it into working order, and took care in polishing it up so it was in tip top shape to deliver to our music students. Thanks for professional and friendly service! read more

My son just started guitar lessons and decided he really wanted an electric. We walked in and Tom was very helpful setting us up with an amp and a couple of guitars so he could get the feel for them. Tom was super knowledgeable and he recommend some great options to round out the starter kit. My so is so happy! Thank you again!! Valerie Cline read more

I've been here twice and each time the staff was friendly and helpful. Parking nearby is kind of tough but there's a garage under the nearby container store/ace hardware. They have all kinds of equipment and books here. I was pleasantly surprised. On my first visit I bought a beginner's drumming book. They have a lot of guitars (acoustic and electric) as well as all sorts of guitar 'stuff.' If you need equipment I would definitely check this place out. read more

Middle C Music - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

[This review pertains to instrument repair. I cannot comment on music lessons here.] I was a band geek. Marching band, concert band, pit orchestra, youth orchestra, brass group for graduation, etc... you name it, I was in it. But once I finished high school, I stopped. Even though it was the most beautiful double French horn that my parents bought for me, it sat in its case collecting dust for 6 years. Then it occurred to me that I really needed to start using it again. The parents brought it down to DC when they came to visit and as I suspected, it was in serious need of some love. The mouthpieces desperately needed to be cleaned, the valves no longer moved, and the sliding tubes moved just barely. This was obviously not something I could rectify myself. So I gave Middle C a call to see if they did repairs because I didn't want to go through the trouble of bringing it all the way here and finding out they didn't. But they did. They outsource the repairs to some guy and he works on it for a week or so. Fair enough. I wasn't entirely concerned about the length of time it would take since I belong to no such music organizations anymore. Parents drove me to drop it off, gave them my info and would return in a week. During the week it was being overhauled, I kept worrying in the back of my mind of how much it would cost. I was anticipating $150-200 because it needed that much work. Well, lo and behold, a week and 2 days later, it was ready for pick-up. I was beyond shocked (and I think the woman at the store was, too) that it was way less than I expected. She listed all the things he fixed and then looked incredulously at the note that read $100. Really? That's it? AWESOME! Since I had a little money to spare, I also asked her to throw in a bottle of valve oil. Great service, 1 week, 1 beautifully repaired horn, 1 bottle of oil and all for ~$106? Oh hell, yes. read more

SO one of my resolutions for 2009 is to learn to play the guitar. So after some online research, I decided to check out Middle C, partly because of the positive reviews I read, but also because it is close to my office. It's about a stone's throw from the Tenleytown-AU metro station. When I walked in, I had my mind set on a particular and inexpensive guitar. Well, once I met Myrna, the owner, she opened my mine (and my wallet!) to better and only slightly more expensive options. Her staff was incredibly helpful and knowledgeable. And as a beginner with guitar (but not to music), they took the time to explain about the construction of guitars, sound, tone, the difference between nylon and steel strings, and the list goes on. As much as she wanted to let her staff work with me, she couldn't help but interject her wonderful opinion now and again. They steered me to a model that was a bit more than I wanted to spend. But they were more than willing to do a limited layaway plan so I could get the financial issues straight without losing the opportunity to purchase the last of that particular model. I would wholeheartedly recommend this shop for beginners and seasoned players alike. They also rent and sell other instruments and have a great selection of acoustic and electric guitars. They offer sheet music, music gadgets, and are very learned about their craft. They also do offer lessons for most of the instruments they sell. I will start lessons at the end of the month. I'll add a review about them after a month or so. read more

My first visit was good. Dude who was working the store was gonna hook me up with a floor model of a music stand for 10% off the regular price of $42. Didn't have the capacity to take it home with me that day, so I had to wait on the purchase. Fast forward to today. I guess since school is back, the price goes up to $56. And the floor model no longer has a discount. That said I was fine with getting a brand new one in the box. Until the girl cashier starts pulling books off of the floor model. Apparently they had none in stock, yet insisted upon charging me full price. I raised the issue only to have what was probably the owner - an older lady offer me a measly 5% off for a floor model of an item whose price increased by $14 in the span of a week. Sounds like a similar experience to AR F. Pretty terrible customer service if you ask me. It's hard to support a mom & pop store like this when a chain like Guitar Center will hook you up with a better price and help. read more

I work next door to Middle C and wander in sometimes. I told the sales woman I'm self-taught on guitar and she recommended strings that were the opposite of what I said I was looking for. She asked how I planned on tuning and I said by ear to which she scoffed "what, you think you have perfect pitch?". Not to toot my own horn but 14 years of classical violin and yeah my pitch is pretty darn good lady. (Edit since someone decided to message me about the unlikelihood that I have perfect pitch. I have perfect relative pitch, not absolute pitch. And of course I use a tuner when playing with others. Ugh...semantics.) A couple weeks later I decided I wouldnt dismiss the store because of one salty lady, so I came back for a loop pedal. I got the single pedal Ditto looper. I brought it home and it was broken. Just a total dud, wouldnt even turn on. I then researched online and found that Middle C was charging almost TWICE as much as retail value. I understand mark-ups but thats insulting. I returned it. I ended up just making the drive to Chuck Levin's and buying a BOSS RC-30 which by the way is SO worth the extra money. Leaps and bounds in quality and capability. 3-stars for the super kind young man who helped me buy an amp (an exorbitantly overpriced amp), and for Mike who lets me fool around with guitars sometimes on lunch breaks, and the young woman who helped me return my pedal. They were all lovely, but I won't bring anymore business to Middle C. read more

I would not recommend purchasing instruments through this store. I went with some people with the mindset of purchasing a ukulele. Within seconds of entering, the salesman acted in a surprisingly unprofessional manner and we decided not to buy anything from the place. The salesman was unnecessarily aggressive with everyone in my party. He continuously responded to our questions and statements as if we were the unknown butt of a joke. He was also unable to answer any questions about even the most basic aspects of the instruments. Finally his interactions with the females in my party made them all very uncomfortable. Because of the interaction with that one salesman, we decided to leave and not give this store any business. Also it is a pet peeve of mine when stores do not tune or really care for their instruments. Of the nine instruments I played, not one was remotely tuned. read more

Have been getting back into playing guitar during the pandemic and have a family guitar (Tacoma Chief CIC) that's about 20 years old that needed new strings and a general cleanup. I walked in and they got started right away, were very kind and actually taught me a bit about the guitar, and recommended a dampit to help with humidity. Came back about 30 minutes later and the guitar looked brand new. Good covid-19 protocols. Overall found their service very good and friendly, would recommend for sure. read more

If you're looking for a new affordable guitar for yourself or your kids, if you're in need of accessories like strings, picks, cables, pedals and all of those things, this is a great shop with good service and fair prices. While you won't find any multi-thousand dollar boutique acoustics here, you will find a great selection of affordable guitars, ukuleles or other affordable instruments, as well as a TON of accessories to support them. This is a nice family-oriented music store for the person looking for a good price point. read more

Middle C Music is a great location to not only purchase instruments, music, but to learn music as well. I started learning the guitar from April (With lessons ending in July because I won't be in the area anymore), and in that short time I had with the teachers, I have been able to improve my strum patterns, fingering, power chords as well as introduce a few more songs into my repertoire. (All from Amilcar Cruz, who is a great teacher). For people trying to learn Spanish, Latin, or Classic Rock songs go with Amilcar Cruz because he'll take the time to make sure you get every detail right and he has experience performing live in the DMV area. read more

Very fiendly and helpful. Excellent selection of guitar music and method books, in stock. Nice selection of new acoustic and electric guitars too, top brands fair prices. Will certainly visit this store again. read more

The staff are knowlegable, friendly, helpful, and skilled. We bought a guitar from them, and had an older guitar fixed up, tuned, and re-strung. The staff was great throughout the whole process. The instructors are exceptional - fun, great with kids and adults alike, excellent at teaching how to play an instrument, and love the work they do. After two members of my family (one kid, one adult) started taking guitar, we loved it so much we are signing up another kid for piano lessons. They are flexible if you need to change a lesson day or take the summer off. It is a small, fun, local music store that is everything it should be!! read more

Staff is amazing. Michael was really helpful and was quick to respond to our questions and concerns. The store is spacious and carries a lot of brands. They're also a Cannonball dealer, which is neat. Tons of positivity and good people here! read more

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My girlfriend gets her music lessons here and it is simply fabulous. My girlfriend is an adult learning the piano, and they have been so supportive of her. Earlier this year they had an adult only recital where adults could strut their stuff in front of a supportive audience (often for the first time in front of an audience). There is a great sense of community in this store, and the owner is almost always present. read more

My daughter (who plays violin) was in there with her friends this past weekend--they were barked at not to touch the instruments. I get that these are not toys--but another kid walked in and started fooling around with the instruments and nothing was said to them. Arbitrary and mean. Again--we'll just keep buying and renting at Potter's up the road in Bethesda. read more

Surprised to see how highly rated this shop was. My son started taking lessons there as they seemed to be very friendly at first. They required a contract and advised that they were generally very flexible. They were not once you started. If i came late they only gave the remaing time and im okay with this.... but if i was early and waited, they got really annoyed or they continuously tried to make me buy things that werent needed. For my son's first lesson, he borrowed a guitar and they told me he needed to get one. This is kind of where the issues began.. i bought a used in craigslist so they were really upset about that. Even his quality of lessons went down hill where I felt like he learned nothing after several lessons. Had to get into an slight argument to cancel the contract but they then acted like they were too good for us. I won't ever go back. Also note. I found a better teacher for my son of all places... craigslist and he even comes to my place for cheaper... son is now a year into guitar and has extended into both electric and acoustic. I get that you have to support your local business bit I wanted read more

I was a little wary after reading the reviews from Yelp but I didn't really have a choice but to go to Middle C. I am pleased to report that everyone was very nice, it took all of ten minutes to get my items and get checked out. They even had Halloween candy for my little one. I'll go back to get a few Christmas gifts. read more

My wife and I had a wonderful experience purchasing a piano here and felt compelled to write a review. For us, the service and expertise of the sales associates were key. Matthew, the gentlemen who helped us, was extremely knowledgable about pianos and very friendly and open to our questions. He made our experience pleasant and put our minds at ease by explaining the pianos and the various features of each compared to competitors. We would recommend this music store to anyone! read more

Every person working here is amazing. It is clearly not just a paycheck for the employees at this school/music supply. Humble, knowledgable, extremely customer service oriented but not over the top or pretentious like other businesses....they are genuine. I came in to change a few strings on my cousins guitar..I ended up learning so much about guitar in a very short time. They were a pleasure to hang out with and I wanted to stay longer but had people waiting for me.. Thanks for taking the time guys!!!! read more

This store is so much fun. I went in to buy music flash cards for my piano lessons and walked away with a ukulele too. Alive with energy. I love just going here to see people trying out different instruments. read more

This is the only music store in the District opened on Saturday and Sunday, which makes it invaluable. They do rental as well. We have been using it regularly since my son started the violin a year ago. Salesmen are welcoming. The owner, who can have a rough edge, is becoming increasingly comfortable with us (and us with her). This is also a great place to find party gifts. A full service store, highly recommended. read more

I've been their twice now and both times they had everything I needed. One of those times though was somewha unpleasant because the owner was having a very loud and very long argument on the phone that was distracting and unpleasant. Office? read more

My son rents his violin from Middle C. The staff is very helpful and organized. The shop is situated very close to the Tenley metro--great if you are like us and without a car. read more

If I could give this place zero stars, then I would. I had a terrible time here interacting with the owner (her name is Myrna). She was incredibly rude and unpleasant, so much so that I would never patronize this business again. My first interaction with a junior employee was great, but once I had to interact with the owner, I was so angry I could cry. She was so rude to me, and her manner while speaking to me was as if I was a child or a simpleton. Not pleasant. Good customer service is a huge part of why I try to patronize small businesses. If the customer service is awful and the prices high too, what reason is there to ever give them my money? I would never go here again. read more

It's pricey and I always feel pressured. Otherwise, seems like a decent enough place. I only shop there when I need something right away. Things are more than half price on Amazon (same brands, same quality.) read more

I just found the guitar selection extremely limited. I'm a somewhat novice player, but not a complete greenhorn, and I was looking to upgrade. Unless you want to either go really cheap or break the bank, there's not a lot of selection. Middle way, man, I can't buy a guitar for $650 or $800 yet, but I don't want some piece of wood that's $150-$200. Give us some range! read more

My daughter has been attending Middle C Music for (2) years playing the chello. Music education to me is important because it helps with the development of different advance levels in growth and life improvement. Growing up I always enjoyed learning about new things and when i found out that my daughter was musical inclined.so with that being said I started looking for music classes and found Middle C Music for such a musical intellectual little girl. I deem that she set the way to a superior existence of being the musician she wants to be and to continue to set out on this journey of music. read more

If you need to find or order special music, Middle C is the place. I enjoy browsing through the wide selection of music and generally find something extra every time I go to the shop. The location is quite convenient by Metro, bus, or car. read more

Excellent store, knowledgeable staff and wonderful teachers. Middle C also sponsors community events including a series of concerts open to the public. One of my favorite places in Washington. read more

Stay away from renting or buying any instruments here. Another review makes reference to the owner's "rough edge" -- I might have used stronger words, but I'll leave it at : stay away. read more

Three stars for the guy being helpful, at least now I know what to buy on amazon. Went to buy a couple things but they only had one item which I was willing to purchase, but since I didn't quite reach the minimum card purchase I could get my item. Is it so wise to send a customer away over a small percentage fee, who would have come back for the items when in stock? Instead eating a .37 cent transaction fee you made no sale and lost another customer to amazon. You want your small business supported? Buck up an weigh the options. read more

Scratched my instrument when trying to dislodge my trumpet mouthpiece (which they were unsuccessful at), then proceeded to insult the quality of my instrument, saying they aren't used to handling any trumpet that costs under a thousand dollars. Went on for several minutes about how my instrument was low quality - I'm not a professional musician, I just play for fun. It was totally unnecessary and impolite commentary. They did send my trumpet in to a repair shop for free to remove the mouthpiece after I complained about my instrument being scratched, which is why I have given them three stars. However, they seemed upset that I didn't bring my trumpet in a case to send it for repair, but with the mouthpiece stuck it wouldn't fit in a case! It was an unpleasant experience overall, but I appreciate that they did our the effort in to fix the issue, even if they were rude about it the whole way through. read more