“Brian is terrific to work with for someone like me — picking it up after being out of practice for a long time. It’s fun and he adapts to what I need.”

— Peter Eisner

“Brian is an excellent teacher. The lessons I take from him are primarily delta blues. He is very knowledgeable about the genre and makes excellent suggestions based on my own inclinations and abilities. He is very patient and honest. Music is my profession and Brian helps me to broaden my musical vocabulary. I can’t recommend him enough.”

— Neil Fallon

“My son Andrew, age 10, was a beginner when he started with Brian a little more than a year ago. Not only is Brian an experienced, expert guitar player, he’s also an exceptionally patient teacher who adapts his lessons to the skill level and tastes of the student. Brian makes guitar lessons fun and knows how to motivate my son to continue practicing outside of lessons.

Andrew started out learning guitar and recently has taken up the bass, too! He’s been learning songs I like with dominant bass patterns such as Pump it Up by Elvis Costello, Get Ready by The Temptations, the theme song from The Barney Miller show (1970s) and, most recently, Sunshine of Your Love by Cream.

Andrew really looks forward to his weekly lesson and has a great rapport with Brian. Andrew learns the basics using Brian’s guitar instruction book, learning how to play blues and rock standards while mixing in the alternative rocks songs he plays and performs with his band.

Brian has been invaluable in teaching Andrew the skills required to perform live in front of an audience, reviewing performances and providing advice on how to optimize live sound production. Brian provided great notes about the stage set up for my son’s band’s performance at the school talent show. In less than a year, Andrew went from just picking up the instrument to playing on stage in front of a large audience and holding his own with a band of more experienced musicians. Brian was a huge help in making this happen!”

— Morgan H

“Our 13-year old son has been taking guitar lessons with Brian for nearly a year. Brian exhibits all of the hallmarks of a great teacher. He is very patient. He is very enthusiastic. He enjoys teaching and likewise wants his students to enjoy playing. He seems to take great pride and satisfaction in the development of his students. And, oh yes, he’s also a remarkably talented musician. I could go on and on singing Brian’s praises, but the proof is in the pudding, as they say – our son not only does what he rarely did with his previous teachers – practice – but he’ll often just pick up the guitar just to play around. Music to our ears! Very glad we found Brian (and it was through Yelp!).”

— Bethesda Family A

“I’m a 44-year-old guy who taught himself how to play some guitar, mostly hippie songs from the 60s and 70s, back in high school, and who would occasionally pick up his acoustic again over the years. But I would always end up being frustrated by my inability to get beyond a certain, intermediate, ability level. This year I finally decided to see if I could get out of that rut, and my main strategy was to take, for the first time, lessons. I found Brian Gross via internet search, and have been working with him since early this year. It’s been great. Brian has taught me a lot of very pretty stuff about guitar that I never managed to learn on my own. And he got me learning how to play new (to me) and different types of music, including some blues and jazz, through which I’ve picked up techniques I didn’t know before. I was also inspired to get an electric guitar and amp, which has been a lot of fun too. I’m never going to be a great guitar player. And I’m probably someone who could learn a fair amount on my own without any instructor, given the right circumstances. But in my actual circumstances, my weekly lessons with Brian have kept me moving forward in my learning much more than I would be able to do on my own. Thanks to him, I’m no longer frustrated about being stuck in a rut, and am having more fun and learning at a faster rate than I’ve done since high school!”

— Jeffrey B.

“I take lessons every other week with Brian, and he is a fantastic instructor. He has a great ear for the blues and helps not only teach you how to play the music but also to sound better while doing it. He’s had great tone tips for various songs and styles and his approach to teaching is very laid back and not pressured at all. He’s helped me get a regular practice routine together and on my way to being a better guitar player and musician”

— Willie Macfee

“I have been taking weekly lessons from Brian for the past six months, and they are the highlight of my week. The lessons are great fun. Brian is a patient teacher, who makes a real effort to meet the student at his/her ability level, and musical interests. I really appreciate his comprehensive knowledge of the blues, and its performance since he is a working blues musician, and I am a blues devotee. I’ve never taken guitar lessons before, and this has been a really great experience.”

— Howard Moss

“My 13 year old son has been taking lessons with Brian for about 9 month.I was not sure if my son would continue the classes beyond a couple of months but Brian’s patience and laid back approach has awaken interest in music in my son, and for that I am grateful. He is very respectful of individual student preferences and interest, and understanding of his needs and adjusts his teaching accordingly. . The fact that my son looks forward to Wednesday guitar classes is a gift that Brian has given him and for that i am grateful to Brian Gross.”

— Soraya M.

“My eight-year old son and I have started taking guitar lessons with Brian. He’s really great. He has made playing the guitar enjoyable, easy to understand, and approachable. It’s particularly impressive given the fact that we are taking lessons together, at the same time, and have very different approaches to learning to play. My son, who never was particularly excited about learning to play an instrument, actually looks forward to practicing and to lessons. It’s really a great experience and I highly recommend him.”

— Scott S.

“I have been taking lessons with Brian for over a year with my 9-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter. The lessons have given me an additional way to connect with my children, which has been very gratifying. Brian’s teaching is fun and very flexible, giving us the opportunity to select songs and determining the pace of learning. In addition, we have enjoyed watching Brian perform at different venues. To see your teacher perform is very inspiring. The experience with Brian has been much more than just a simple guitar lesson.”

— Neil Alt