Sam Davis Guitar & Bass Lessons

Sam is a patient, kind, incredibly knowledgeable, and versatile teacher. He makes learning the guitar so much fun; I look forward to my lessons every week! Lessons with Sam have way exceeded my expectations for quality guitar lessons! more

Sammy plays all styles of guitar, he has a strong Jazz playing style background and he really drills in the chord relationships. He has taught me much more than I thought I could learn. I've been taking lessons from him for 4 years. In the beginning year he taught me "Blackbird" by the Beatles, which is impressive! He's my very first guitar teacher and in two years I was ready to start playing gigs. I now to come to my lessons with guitar and bass music I need to learn fast. One year I played for a wedding, a Christmas cantata, and Easter service. In all cases, he was able to calm me down, reassure me that it was playable, and teach me the music. If you take lessons from Sammy, you will need to meet his cow! more

I've been a student of Sam's for a few years now and he's been such a personality since the day I met him. He lives on a hill on Broadway, equidistant from Harvard and Central Square. The first thing to say about Sam is that he knows his stuff. He may not consider himself to be a good guitarist, but he's just being humble. Also, he knows so much about music theory, so he's the perfect guy if you're into that sort of thing. When he writes his master book about the theory of music and everything, you can be proud to know you heard the wisdom firsthand from the guru himself. He knows a wide variety of songs and will totally roll with whatever works with you. He tailors his lessons to your personality and what makes you happy. Furthermore, he breaks up the monotony of lessons with very lighthearted jokes and will get into a discussion with you about whatever you want. He loves laughing and being just a highly personable guy. It's nearly impossible to hate him. Also, the dude's got mad connections, so he can get you in touch with people in a whole bunch of fields if you're into that sort of thing. He's such a quirky and crazy man that he'll change your life perspective very quickly. With an awesome cow in his quaint basement lair, you will feel like you are sitting down with a true god in his craft. But don't cross him, or you'll be subjected to the Torture Chamber. And the Torture Chamber is freaky. Take lessons with this man, and your life will be complete. The eternal path to supreme knowledge will open for you and you will experience an hour of nirvana every week. Thus, Sam Davis is the man. more

Getting there: Sam's location on Broadway is fairly easy to get to by T, walking distance from my apartment, or by car (he has guest parking permits).The space: Sam's pad-cum-studio is a reflection of his personality. Fanciful, eclectic, colorful, and bovine...I don't want to ruin the experience, but I suggest you suspend all disbelief before entering his domain. Oh, and ask him about "the cow." Enjoying surrealism will help you enjoy the space. The instruction: I've been a student of Sam's for 7 months now, and it has been going very well. Sam and I discuss where I want to focus my learning effort on, and he tailors our time together to help me achieve my goals. In addition to being an excellent guitarist, he can comfortably teach important musical theories, helping me move from "sort of guitar player" to "guitarist" and "musician."Sam's style: Sam is really friendly and easy to get along with. Given the nature of a one-on-one teacher-student relationship, this is critical. Though he can definitely be, "fanciful, eclectic, colorful, and bovine," he takes his music very seriously. His style naturally puts you at ease, and makes you feel comfortable with trying some new or difficult concept. Sam is a great teacher, no doubt. Logistics: Sam will schedule lessons any day of the week, from roughly 9AM to 9PM. Lessons are $50/hr. with a discount if you book 10 lessons at a time. So why 4 stars, and not 5? There are two reasons: 1. I've only been a student for 4 months. In time I might revise my rating - you can rate a restaurant on Yelp having been once, but I feel like this is different. 2. $50 per lesson is a little more than other instructors in the area. However, I believe that in this case you get what you pay for. If you're looking for a great guitar instructor, I recommend you talk to Sam and schedule a lesson. more

Sam Davis is an excellent teacher with years of experience. You can tell that he loves what he does, and he wants you to love learning about guitar. As a student of his for several years now, I can say that he doesn't shy away from pushing your limits, but always within what your current level is so you never get bored because there is always more to learn. Sam is not just a great teacher, but an amazing person. He is funny, brilliant, interesting, and just an all-around good guy. You really should take lessons from him. As a bonus, you get to meet Darla. more

Not only is Sam the funnest and most intelligent guitar teacher you'll ever have he knows everything! What I like about Sam is that he is a frequent performing musician and always learning himself. It's great to be able to bring my son to see him perform. Everything about Sam from his interior decorating to the hair on his head is inspiring. I can't say enough! I'm gushing! more

Not only is Sam the funnest and most intelligent guitar teacher you'll ever have he knows everything! What I like about Sam is that he is a frequent performing musician and always learning himself. It's great to be able to bring my son to see him perform. Everything about Sam from his interior decorating to the hair on his head is inspiring. I can't say enough! I'm gushing! more

I have been taking lessons with Sam for a few years, and he has impressed me from day one with his passion for music, and most importantly, teaching music. His system for teaching students on both guitar and bass guitar will make you a better player, and his intelligence and sense of humor will ensure that you will have a ton of fun doing it. Having tried other teachers in the area over the years, I was a little frustrated until I met Sam, and I now trek from the suburbs to Cambridge for my lessons because I can't imagine finding a better teacher. Highly recommended for guitar players of all ages and levels! more

As a student for the past five years, I have learned a lot of enriching material from Sam. Sam Davis makes sure that his students understand and apply the material they are taught. He is a patient, understanding yet vigorous teacher with decades of musical experience. Sam teaches Jazz, Rock, Reggae, Blues, Folk and many more genres. Many experienced musicians in Cambridge and Boston that I have played music with agree that Sam Davis is the best guitar teacher in the area. Sam Davis is for anyone who wants to be fully immersed in music. The music theory that Sam masterfully teaches has allowed me to access my full potential of song writing. Just one hour with Sam is enough to practice for weeks. Sam's lessons are taught in the comfort of his home though a one to one bases. Weather you're someone looking to master music theory or just picking up the old guitar and want to lean how to play a few songs, Sam is a great teacher and I recommend him to anyone willing to learn. more

Sam Davis is by far the best of the best when it comes to teaching students of all ages and skill levels guitar and bass guitar. Teaching for over 20 years now, as well as playing professionally for twice that, Sam Davis knows how to teach well. His personalized teaching plan gives students the basics, teaches them songs they are interested in, and other songs that build upon and reinforce what they have learned so far. Beginners learn chords and scales and revisit those same songs they played rhythm guitar to later on, this time playing lead and learning how to solo and rock out. When I started taking lessons for Sam I was hopeless, I could barely play after years of trying to self teach with online lessons/dvds/books. Sam taught me things these books can not teach you: rhythm, an ear for music, style, and confidence. Two years later I am playing at open mics infront of crowds as well as forming a band with another one of his students. So perhaps you already know a thing or two about guitar? Sam can make you better, take you to the next level like song writing, singing while playing, playing with others, and improving your technique. Guitar lessons can be expensive, so don't waste your money on the second or third best, and check out Sam Davis, it will change your life. more