When I decided to study the bass guitar I had the incredible good luck of stumbling across Dave... I can't imagine finding a better teacher! He is rock solid on technique and skills but also has a wealth of knowledge about music theory and styles, and also the history of bass guitar and the bass players who have contributed to the field. I love our diversions into different bass players and the ways that they've changed musical history. I tend to learn music a bit differently than most people and Dave has been incredibly good at listening to me about what works for me and what doesn't, and adapting his teaching accordingly. It's been fun for me to broaden his horizons about musical theatre, and he's cheerfully rolled with all of the weird stuff that I've thrown at him. Dave has my highest recommendation. read more

Here are some of the reasons why you should consider Small Steps Music for your guitar lessons: * the teachers: Dave and Rodney are both consummate professionals, but they are also fun and caring individuals whose love for music and guitar playing is infectious. * the flexibility: They bend over backward to accommodate your time constraints. My son kept having to switch his soccer days each season and I hesitated to go back to request another time slot for guitar lessons, but Dave, who masterminds the schedule, just made it work. We are so grateful. * the lessons: We were lucky enough to have both Dave and Rodney teach my son. He picked up on different aspects of the craft from each of them. The lesson content is tailored to the student's current needs. My son started at Small Steps while in Kindergarten and he quickly learned enough chords to play songs appropriate to his age. He still needs to be reminded that practice makes perfect and Dave does a great job of a) reminding him to do short, regular practices to keep the skills up and b) keeping the assignments manageable so that if he works at it, he can return the next week with new skills to apply to new songs. And did I mention that free choice plays a big part in what they practice? Students at Small Steps are encouraged to come with ideas for new and popular songs to learn, while Dave and Rodney will make sure that they are well-versed in some of the classic rock/folk/pop that inspired their current favorites (and inspired their parents and grandparents!). *the concerts. The annual concert (or "jam session" as they call it) is truly a highlight. Students of all ages and genders perform in a club-like setting with amps, speakers, etc, and it's inspiring for them to get a sense of how far they personally have come and how far they can go as they rock along to the other performers' songs. Summary: If you've been tempted to learn guitar, you can't go wrong with Small Steps Music. The supportive, experienced teachers, low-key environment, and challenging but doable lessons have kept my finicky son coming back for 6+ years and given him the confidence to play and sing at family events, both public and private. read more

Dave is simply an amazing musician. It took me awhile to sign up with him because he is so popular, but, in the end Dave was very accommodating and managed to fit me in for a lesson. And everything else is history. I have learned alot from him in the past two years in mastering how to play the bass. His studio is well-equipped and I am surprised with the amount of instruments he has available -- a keyboard, acoustic guitars, multiple (and very nice!) basses, and a minimalist drum setup. He is a patient and devoted teacher -- he makes learning music very approachable and do-able, as evident with the number of people that take lessons from him. His students are of all ages and different levels of mastery. The industry also recognizes his expertise as he plays professionally for different groups / bands. All in, Small Steps Music is a one of the hidden gems of the Peninsula, and I would not go elsewhere to learn music. Edit: No way! Just after I posted this review I heard Dave playing on the radio with his band. Very cool!!!! read more

Dave is fantastic. My son started taking acoustic guitar lessons with Dave at age 9 and just loves to play music all the time. He loves the music dave teaches him and over the last year and a half he has learned to play Hotel California, several AC/DC songs (on electric guitar), Weezer, Bob Dylan, and Dave has encouraged my son to make up his own songs. Dave is a great teacher and my son has had a wonderful experience. read more

I started taking bass lessons with Dave in the fall and can't recommend him highly enough! He is methodical, patient, flexible in his teaching style and priorities, and clearly able to adapt to students with significant prior musical knowledge to make sure that the lessons are challenging at every level--I'm finally getting to understand harmony, which I never truly got even after years of musical instrument training! Also, his new remodeled garage studio is perfect for jamming! read more

Dave Minor has been an amazing teacher and mentor for our 9 year old son Max. Max started a year ago with Acoustic guitar and recently switched to Bass. Dave has given Max a strong musical foundation and has helped inspire Max to even write his own song! I highly recommend Dave to introduce your family to guitar and guide you on an amazing musical journey! "I love jamming on my guitar with Dave!" -Max, 9 yrs. old read more

I can't say enough good things about Dave & Small Steps Music! My 10 year old daughter started electric guitar lessons last Fall. She enjoyed it from day 1. We initially started with the 30 minute lesson. My daughter begged to increase her time to 1 hour! Dave makes her lessons super fun, but he also has high expectations and holds her accountable in a supportive way. After only 6 months of lessons, she learned all her chords and a bunch of songs. She even participated in the Spring recital which she loved. After finishing her piece, she said "That was so fun! Can I do that again next year?!". She was also quite inspired by the other SSM students who played at the recital! They all rocked it! I highly recommend Small Steps Music! read more

I've been casually playing guitar for ~15 years and Dave from Small Steps was exactly what I needed to take my playing to the next level. In my first meeting with Dave 3 years ago he quickly was able to identify my skill level and what I needed to focus on to improve my playing. He has a strong understanding of music theory as well as practical application on numerous instruments which allows him to be a great teacher. Dave's lessons have a very good structure and he has a proper music theory curriculum, something that I realized is almost necessary to really understand an instrument. My goal when I started lessons was to improve soloing skills, I was able to accomplish that and a lot more! Dave also has a good knowledge of music production and can provide lessons on recording and music as well! The virtual lessons over the last year have been great. Dave has an excellent setup and there is not much missing from the in-person lessons. Just miss the concert with all the students at the awesome Menlo Park venue! read more

Dave has been teaching my son guitar for over 5 years. And it sounds like he's been playing a lifetime. Not only has my son learned a ton (which I consider par for the course,) but Dave and Rodney have kept it fun. Without that, there's no way my guy would still be playing today. Can't thank Small Steps enough for giving my son a skill he'll have for a lifetime. read more

Six years later and we are still loving Dave and Small Steps, and our music has been a game changer for our son.

Dave is an amazing, FUN, and engaging guitar teacher! I would recommend him to anyone in a heartbeat. If you're a beginner (as I was), he will get you started with the correct habits, and help you understand the "whys" of what you're playing. If you are more advanced, I have no doubt that Dave can help you take guitar to the next level, because he himself is incredibly talented, and knows SO much about music theory - not just of Western music, but of other music genres as well. He'll help you play the kind of music you're interested in, and probably also give you a history lesson about that music (he seriously knows everything). He'll challenge you, but support you as you learn. My experience with Dave and Small Steps Music has been absolutely fabulous. Thanks Dave for all the jams! read more

I can't recommend this school highly enough! Our son has been taking electric bass lessons with Dave for 10 months, and the progress he's made has been amazing. The lessons are designed to incorporate the fundamentals and music theory, with enough "jam" time to keep the students having fun and loving music. Dave is incredibly patient and fun to work with - the perfect instructor for a young person developing their interest in music. read more

Dave has been a great teacher for our boys taking guitar and bass lessons for several years. He's multi-talented and connects well with his students. Our boys have really appreciated the connection with Dave. He both teaches what his students need to learn while allowing space for them to learn the songs they want to learn. Through his teaching, both of our boys have developed a love for music. read more

My daughter learned to play the guitar thanks to Simon and his creative teaching. He is a fantastic teacher and very encouraging to the student. I would highly recommend him. read more

Dave Minor is the kind of person who was born to teach guitar, especially beginners. He is extremely patient, kind, and enthusiastic. My seven-year-old has made great progress and looks forward to every lesson. I've already recommended him to several people! read more

I am a retired adult who loves music (I sang in two excellent choirs) but have never played an instrument or read music. I could not have been a more "know-nothing" student. Dave took this in stride with an encouraging and optimistic attitude. He makes it clear that he has high expectations but he's very kind and forgiving when I don't quite meet them. He finds ways to keep me motivated by giving me things I can do (e.g., work on music theory) when I have trouble doing things I eventually must do (e.g., contort my fingers in ways I never imagined possible). Dave is fantastic and, though the guitar is much harder than I'd imagined, I love practicing, playing and going to my weekly lessons. read more

Several friends recommended Dave to us, for lessons for our beginning 8 year old. He is amazing. Kind, patient, and most of all, he makes learning music fun. I highly, highly recommend him!! read more

Dave is fantastic. I couldn't recommend him more highly. I have always wanted to play guitar but didn't decide to actually start taking lessons until well into my 40's. My only goal is to have fun. I have a terrible ear and my fingers are not at all nimble. But that doesn't deter Dave from making sure we have a great time every week. We cover a bit of music theory and sometimes he's like a personal trainer forcing me though finger exercises if I've failed to practice. But more often he is quickly getting me up to speed on just enough technique to have a lot of fun playing in a range of genres, ranging from folk and campfire songs to 12 bar blues to reggae. The lessons are a highlight of my week, and after a few years with Dave, I can now very humbly jump in an play along with friends who've been musicians all their lives, which is such a joy. read more

I'm a twenty-something working professional who picked up the guitar in college and had been self- taught until then. Earlier this year, I decided I wanted to level up my guitar-playing and searched for local lessons. Small Steps Music popped up and I gave it a shot. Dave is a great teacher who is willing to tailor your lessons to what you want. He's very structured and teaches music theory in a way that's practical and actually understandable! Growing up, I took tons of music theory classes but Dave makes the concepts accessible. I love that I can now solo and jam with others now too, instead of playing the same pop chords over and over again. I'm very happy with the progress I've made in the past six months. Thanks, Dave! read more

Dave is fantastic! My daughter came away from a year of lessons with a sense of technique, an ear for deconstructing the pop songs she listens to and now seems to really enjoy experimenting with music. If we hadn't moved away, we would definitely still be taking lessons with Dave. read more

Dave is incredible at coaxing the music out of our 11yo son. He has improved so much, and it is all because of Dave. He is an awesome role model in music and the arts, and we are grateful to have him as a very important influence in our son's life. He is infinitely patient and kind, and offers inspiration and unflinching encouragement to our novice guitar player. Highest recommendation. read more

You know it's all about the Dave ;) Super professional for all ages and backgrounds in music. Dave builds a plan that fits your lifestyle and progress is really visible. The lessons are always fun, good balance on theory and technique, and it even makes you enjoy more when listening to music. Absolutely a gem in our community! read more

Dave has been great at teaching my 7 year old the guitar. He seems to give enough technical assignments so they get a good foundation but also doesn't overwhelm the students with boring exercises that young kids will quickly burn out on. My daughter always looks forward to her lesson and is showing real progress in learning an instrument. If you're thinking of getting you or your child started on guitar or bass I would highly recommend Dave. read more

My daughter took Bass guitar lessons with Dave for over a year. He is a wonderful teacher and had a great connection with my daughter. He was able to teach her a few basic songs very early on, which really boosted her confidence and interest in the instrument. I highly recommend Dave for kids of all ages! read more