TJ's Website - Click Here
"Dave is by far the best guitar instructor I have ever studied with. He equipped
me with the musical tools I use every time I pick up a guitar. In addition to being a veritable dictionary of guitar
technique and music theory, Dave is definitely the most talented guitarist I know personally (and one of the nicest people
you will ever meet)."
~ T.J. Hill
Jason Roberts and his group Nice Monster - Click Here
I’ve been playing guitar
for 23 years and I’ve worked with a dozen guitar teachers, and Dave is not only the most accessible instructor I had,
but also the most proficient player. Dave manages to take a complex style of guitar playing and create a sound that is uniquely
his own. I learned a great deal from him about playing jazz guitar specifically and the guitar in general. For Dave, the guitar
is truly an extension of himself. I’ve met few people who share Dave’s passion for performance, teaching, and
music.
Currently, I perform guitar in two rock-oriented bands in Sacramento, California (www.myspace.com/nicemonster and www.christiankiefer.com), write and record with those bands as well as my own solo material (www.kjasonroberts.com), and I teach Literature and Composition as an Assistant Professor of English at Sierra College in Rocklin,
California.
~ Jason Roberts
Dave has been an excellent teacher. As a beginning guitar student, I enjoy Dave's
style of teaching. He keeps me motivated and has an incredible amount of patience. He always finds a way to explain material
in a way you can understand. To hear him play keeps me motivated. He has an incredible amount of talent and is
a very nice, easy going person. Not only do I see Dave as a very good teacher, I also see him as a good friend.
Thanks Dave!!
~ Frank Drost
I took lessons from Dave Schroeder for four years while he was
in Long Beach. When Dave decided to move to the bay area, it was the right thing for him personally, but
a disappointment for me to lose such a great teacher. The time I had spent with him moved me from a rudimentary
knowledge of guitar to learning reading skills, understanding some theory, and having an appreciation for jazz guitar that
I still enjoy today.
While I’ve tried other guitar instructors since, none have had the
combination of chops, music theory knowledge, and passion for jazz and teaching that Dave has.
Dave turned
me on to a lot beyond the usual scales, modes, and standards. One of his strengths was his fine 7-string solo
guitar work. In the time I took lessons, he shared some of his chord melody playing and helped me develop a vocabulary
of chords and substitutions. His discipline in how he approached learning for himself was something I also used to improve
my playing.
Beyond all of this, his passion and enthusiasm for jazz guitar was a strong motivator that kept me
listening to other players and trying to learn more all along. He’s the best!
~
Gordon Fogg
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| The Amazing Vocalist Dorothy Collins |
Dorothy Collins Web-site - Click Here
I played with Dave Schroeder during
my formative years of jazz, and I consider him to be one of my greatest influences. As an accompanist, he helped me to discover
my own style, giving me freedom, encouragement and solid support. As a player I found that his spirited, playful, and sensitive
style was very much an extension of who he was: a man who loves music, people and loves life! It has been great to see him
enjoying his success, sharing the music and teaching others with that same enthusiasm.
We had some great times
driving to gigs all over LA and Orange County (and aboard yachts), talking on the CB radio. Once I revealed my Jazz Club lottery
fantasy, which he proceeded to talk me out of, saying "You can't make any money owning a jazz club!" We played
'My Favorite Things' for Julie Andrews and Blake Edwards, who gave us a wink and a nod. Ate lots of 'two in a
bowl' soup. Were featured on local TV shows, and played with lots of great musicians over the years: Martin Matthews,
Jeff Jorgenson, Cecelia Coleman, Mark Massey, Justo Almario, and many more. It was a great time. He's been a mentor, a
partner and a great friend. I feel lucky to know him.
~ Dorothy Collins
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| From the left - Dave, Naomi, Jay, Diana, Dick |
Dave Schroeder has been a tremendously influential person in our son's life.
We hired Dave to give Jay guitar lessons when Jay was about 14 years old. Jay wanted to play the guitar but did not want to
do the hard work of learning to sight read. Dave patiently, professionally and with a great deal of friendship to Jay,
worked and worked with him. Today, Jay is a senior at UCLA as a music major with scholarships! He plays multiple stringed
instruments with the double bass being his primary instrument but also plays cello, guitar, electric bass and keyboard.
Jay has been accepted
into many performance groups where sight reading is critical and every time he goes through the process, he thanks Dave!
He has already gotten credits for indie films which is all sight reading work.
Dave is a true professional, and a very, very talented musician.
I have also hired him to perform for several
of my professional events and he is always a hit!
He will always be a part of this family's life.
~ Diana Rubottom
As a kid being around my dad, who was
very musically inclined, I learned a few things about music; but never took it seriously. I picked up and
began playing the guitar about five years ago at the age of 40. After self-teaching myself for about two
years I wanted more. I went to a local music store and spoke to the owner about taking guitar lessons and
I was fortunate enough that he referred me to Dave.
I thought
I had a pretty good idea about music going in with Dave; I soon learned I did not have a clue. Dave has
taught me so much about music theory, how songs are written, chord progressions, various scales, jazz vs. pop music, how to
really listen to a song to hear what the artists are doing with the music, etc…I still feel I have not touched the
surface of what Dave can teach me.
Not only
does he have the technical skills and knowledge to instruct, but more importantly his easy going personality enables him to
impart his knowledge to his students. Dave also teaches guitar to my 18 year old son. Although
my son and I have very different tastes in music, Dave tailors our lessons to our likes while still imparting the basics,
the foundation, for us to build upon. Dave is an excellent teacher and I look forward to continuing to
learn from him.
Not only did I find a great guitar teacher in Dave, I found
a new friend.
~ Bob Palermini
I have known Dave for nearly 20 years now. Our friendship began as I detailed in my testimonial
regarding my hiring him to perform at events I had hosted; please see that testimonial for details although in synopsis, that
friendship began after seeing his true kindness and professionalism in his work arena in the late 1980s. In the mid 1990s,
I wanted to take guitar lessons and I knew Dave was a teacher. I began taking lessons from him. I do want to mention that
my time was divided thinly between work, beach volleyball (which I was playing quite "seriously") and guitar. He
was a wonderful teacher; I had taken lessons for other instruments as a youth and my previous teachers would simply "push
their agenda" on me at a pace THEY felt was correct and if I ever showed up at a lesson with minimal practice since the
week before, they could tell and would let me know. This led to almost a "fear" the day or two prior to a lesson
when I had not done any practicing. With Dave, it was always a pleasant and kind atmosphere at a lesson. Once he saw my general
pattern of how much new material I could learn per week (probably less than most due to my time constraints with practicing)
he tailored his lessons to my scenario and it removed most of the "dread" at going to a lesson "unprepared";
the amount of "dread" not removed boiled down to my inherent personality of never wanting to be unprepared! I recently
contacted Dave again as I am considering taking guitar lessons again and although our geographic locations do not allow me
to take lessons from him, I trust him so much that I simply asked him for some referrals to local teachers where I am at now.
If geography would allow it, I would 100% go to Dave again and pursue the commitment to learn guitar from a true teacher!
~ Lawrence Wang M.D.
Dave Rocks. His dedication to his students is unrivaled. It's been three
years since I've had a lesson with Dave, yet we still keep in very regular contact, finding time to meet for java at least
a few times a year. I took lessons with Dave all throughout high school, where he inspired a deep passion for guitar
and music in me. His approach to teaching always had me reaching for more, while consistently being first and foremost
fun. I am now continuing the pursuit of the guitar at the University of Southern California, which will without a doubt
continue until the rest of my days. As, I am sure, will my relationship with Dave.
~ Jonathan Jovel
When I first started taking lessons from Dave, I had only a basic understanding of the
guitar. I could strum a few campfire chords, but I had no understanding of how music was put together or how to
solo over changes beyond the basic pentatonic rock and roll thing. Within a few lessons, Dave had me soloing over basic
changes and was opening my eyes to the complexity and beauty of how music actually works. It was only through what Dave
showed me that I was eventually ready to go on to learn from his teacher, Ron Eschete, and to eventually earn a degree in
Music. One of the greatest pleasures in my life was to go from being a student of Dave's to being someone he actually
occassionally gigged with. Dave has been an inspiration to me, and continues to this day to be a mentor in my own
musical career, as well as a great friend.
~ Clifford Barackman
I started taking lessons from Dave when I was in 5th grade and didn't stop taking
them until my junior year in high school. I've been a changed man ever since. He is a legend. When I first
met Dave, I knew little about the guitar. He taught me so much, so fast. He showed me things I never dreamed of learning.
When I picked up the guitar for the first time way back in 2nd grade, I just wanted to know how to play songs. Dave
not only can teach you any song you want to learn, but also the theory behind it all. He knows so much about music and
loves his job more than anyone I know. I look up to him as a hero. Hendrix and Schroeder. I owe a lot to
this great man and true friend.
~ Richie Peters
I am presently taking guitar lessons from Dave. I am 76 years old and have spent
a lot of time taking guitar lessons to improve myself over the years. If someone was to ask me to recommend a "top
notch teacher" of the guitar, without a moments hesitation it would be Dave. I've had lessons from other great
guitarists, and Dave is not only a great guitarist, he is also head and shoulders above the rest as a guitar teacher.
As a training officer for 18 years in an organized fire department,
I give
Dave an A+ as a teacher, as well as a guitar player.
Respectfully,
~ Bud Christianson
I first
began studying with Dave when I was 13 years old and continued with him for about 6 or 7 years. I still
remember being nervous to meet Dave for the first time and then feeling comfortable with him almost immediately.
His friendly nature puts his students at ease and his love for the guitar inspires them to learn and grow as musicians.
Besides just learning the guitar basics, Dave equipped me with musical knowledge that I still use today.
I have
studied with several guitar players besides Dave. And while all of them were extremely talented musicians,
none were as nearly as good at guiding me in my musical journey. Dave's easy-going nature and patience
create for a very productive learning environment.
I have since gone on to study music at Sonoma State University
and am now a semester away from completing this leg of my musical journey. I know, however, that I would
not have made it this far without the musical tools Dave has equipped me with.
~ Brian Pursell
Dave is the best guitar teacher. He is knowledgeable, talented,
and has great teaching ability. His knowledge can take you as far as you want to go as a guitarist, whether you want to sight-read,
solo, learn heavy-duty music theory, or just learn how to play your favorite songs. Furthermore, he is a good guitarist himself;
he is obviously an amazing jazz guitarists, but there was nothing he couldn't teach me because he could play any style
I thought of. In addition to all this, he has an outstanding teaching ability being able to perceive what the student is struggling
with, and how to relate to them in order to explain how to improve.
When I started taking lessons with Dave, I
essentially never played a musical instrument. Dave not only taught me how to play chords and strum them, but simultaneously
put everything in a music theory background; teaching how to sight read, scales, and so forth. He adapted to whatever
I wanted to learn, be it a song I heard on the radio, or training me for the jazz band at my high school. After taking lessons
for about three years, I went off to college and with the knowledge base I had from my lessons I taught my own guitar lessons
in as a part time job.
My last note on Dave is that you will rarely find a person like him, he Is passionate about
what he does, and exudes a positive attitude. Always on time and in a good mood, you'll enjoy every minute of your guitar
lesson. I'd recommend him to anyone, with full confidence that their expectations will not only be met, but most
certainly surpassed.
~ Yaeer Levi
Dave has really changed my life. When
I was in middle school, I had no musical talent whatsoever. Don't get me wrong; I loved music. But I was entirely lost
when it came to playing a musical instrument. I even failed at playing the recorder back in grade school!
But I
was an avid classic rock fan, and I idolized the famous riffs of Page, Hendrix, and the like. I wanted to play their riffs
so I could feel the music too.
I
started out taking lessons at the community center, and I must say they stank. The teacher was a good player and all, but
he could not teach. I temporarily ended my music career after these lessons.
However, the idea of becoming the next Jimi Hendrix lingered in my mind, and I decided to take up
guitar again. I asked my family friend for a recommendation, and he gave me Dave's name.
I strongly believe that Dave is the best guitar teacher around. Not
only can he play (I have seen a few of his awesome gigs), but he can teach. He will come to anyone's house and help
you learn to play the amazing instrument of the guitar.As an attestation of how good a teacher Dave is, I had no musical
talent when I started taking lessons, and neither did anyone in my entire family. But now, I can comfortably say that I
can play the guitar. I am no Hendrix, but I am competent nonetheless.
Beyond the tangible effects of Dave's teaching are the intangible effects of just being around
him. Whether it is 7:30 in the morning (a world record!) or late on Sunday afternoon, Dave is always happy and positive.
He will walk in your front door wearing his trademark Hawaiian shirt, and the whole atmosphere around you will brighten up.
Dave makes the lessons enjoyable and free of stress, just the way they ought to be. You will learn the songs and style you
want to learn, and even the music theory behind them.
In conclusion, I have greatly enjoyed my lessons with Dave so far, and I can safely assume that I will continue
to do so at least until I go off to college. But Dave's influence doesn't stop there: I look forward to continuing
to enjoy his gift of music for the rest of my days. Thanks a lot Dave!
~David Eliahu
