Carol McComb Guitar Workshops

Carol is the best. She is a warm and engaging teacher who welcomes students of all different skill and comfort levels. I heartily recommend her if you're looking to learn guitar or harmony singing.

Carol is undoubtedly the best guitar teacher on the peninsula if you want to learn to play. She teaches group classes and has you playing along with her immediately. Her format is engaging and inspirational and not at all overwhelming. You meet other students at your level that you can eventually practice with. If you want to have fun while learning, her workshops are unbeatable.

I've really enjoyed taking guitar lessons from Carol. I was a complete beginner, and she really understands how to pace her group classes so that you are challenged ... but not too much that you're overwhelmed. I think her group classes are especially good if you're shy or have musical performance anxiety, because she doesn't put her students on the spot. The classes work best if you practice at home every day, but if you have to miss a week for some reason, she understands.

A couple things about her beginner class that I was surprised about when I came: (1) She/Griffon will loan you a guitar for free during the class; (2) her class teaches both playing guitar while singing. She doesn't seem to mind if you don't sing well though (that's me).

I have taken around a half dozen classes with Carol and enjoyed them all. She focuses on American styles of music ("roots" music, singer-songwriters, rock & roll, country) and teaches with a variety of both flat pick and finger-picking techniques. She is exceptionally knowledgeable about the development of these genres, the key players and their approach to music.

As a teacher she is kind and patient, and has taught enough students to be able to anticipate where things might get a bit tricky on a particular song. The atmosphere of the group classes is casual and familiar; we're all in this together taking on new musical challenges.

I highly recommend taking one of Carol's classes!