Jacob Light – Guitar Lessons In Walnut Creek, Ca

About 15 years ago I bought my Stratocaster. It had always been a dream of mine to play but I never actually did anything with it. It was more of a decoration piece on a stand in the corner for all of these years. I basically knew nothing. At the urge of my fiancé I decided it was time to find an instructor. I searched the internet high and low because I wanted to find the best that I could. I can honestly say that I did. Learning this instrument is a very difficult thing for anyone but it seems extra hard for me for some reason. He has the patience of a saint. He takes his time, he caters everything to what your goals are and the type of music that you want to play. He pushes you to excel and picks you up when you might be frustrated. Not only is he a guitar God but his knowledge of music is unreal. I had no idea how intricate music itself was. It boggles my mind at the knowledge he has. I look forward to my lesson every week. I am excited to see what I will be able to do in the next year and beyond with his help. I can’t say enough. He even took time to look for a good used instrument online for me to purchase. All of the Unilocal reviews is what made me finally decide to call him and it turns out that every single one of them is true.

I purchased my husband a guitar over a year ago in order to encourage him to take lessons. It worked and he was lucky enough to see the LIGHT on Unilocal.Jacob has been a fantastic instructor and my husband looks forward to his weekly lessons. I even reached out to Jacob for Xmas gift ideas and he gave me several great suggestions. If you are interested learning the guitar, you’ll be impressed by Jacob.

I’ve been searching for a teacher like Jacob for a long time now. He is very knowledgeable in ALL genres of music and is able to tailor to what kind of music you want to learn. I came to Jacob with some basic knowledge of theory and guitar and didn’t quite know how to put them together. He adapted the lesson to me and taught me how to blend the two. I’ve become so confident how I play now and it is all thanks to Jacob! He is very excited about teaching and playing music and it is very evident in the way he teaches. I couldn’t recommend him enough. I really wish I found him a few years ago!

All the good reviews for Jacobs teaching serves him well. He earns each and every star he gets. He taught me how to hold the guitar as well as the parts and names to go along with it. I was a complete beginner and in a week I could play basic songs. Moved from the area after taking lessons for about 2 months and have not found the same quality or professionalism in an instructor since. May have to drive back into walnut creek once in a while to continue once again.

Hands down the best guitar teacher I’ve ever had. He has a very holistic and tailored approach to helping the student become the type of guitarist that he/​she wants. The lessons are a well-​crafted blend of technique and theory augmented with songs or styles that the guitarist is interested in.
It’s very apparent that Jacob loves music and the guitar (and other instruments) and wants to share that with as many people as possible and in a very meaningful and thoughtful way.
He’s incredibly responsive to emails and texts; he’d rather clarify an exercise or technique than for the guitarist to waste time learning improper technique.
Thirteen year old me wishes Jacob was my first guitar teacher. I would have been a much better guitarist.
I can’t recommend him highly enough.

With some background in acoustic guitar, I’ve recently decided to start playing electric guitar. At the same time, my kids wanted to start playing acoustic guitar. We started with Jacob around the same time. Our experience has been incredible. Jacob brings in vast experience, playing many different genres and a deep knowledge in music. He is extremely patient and enthusiastic about learning. Our house is now full of music and we can’t wait to make it to the next class and learn new things!

Amazing guitar teacher! He makes learning the guitar fun and exciting. I have been wanting to learn for years and I finally took the plunge and started lessons with Jacob. We dove right into it on my first lesson with learning chords, some guitar history and a song. Every week he teaches me a new song which makes lessons fun! He is very patient and open to questions. I’m looking forward to learning so much more from him and seeing how much I have improved in a few months!

Me and my wife decided to learn playing guitar a few months ago. My wife had some music experience playing piano in her youth but I had never touch a musical instrument in my life and did not even know if I had any talent for it.. After a few months, I am surprise by the progress I have made and I am looking forward for every lessons. Jacob had been able to tailor his class for our musical interest and ability level. Jacob is obviously a great guitar player and what take him apart is his ability to explain music in a simple way, appropriate for our level. His passion for music is contagious and I highly recommend his service.

I’m mostly a self-​taught guitar player. I’ve been playing for more than 10 years.
I never quite got to learning theory, and I haven’t made any significant progress during the past few years.
On a brink of despair, I started looking for an instructor who could help me level up. I was lucky to find Jacob!
He’s a very inspiring person, a great guitar player, and with every lesson I find that there’s more I can learn from him than I thought the last time. We’ve just started a few weeks ago, and I already see significant improvements in my technique and theory knowledge. And the best part for me is that I again pick up and play my guitar just as often as when I’ve just started!
There are also a few other things that I appreciate:
— Jacob has a nice web site with tons of videos where he’s playing, and where you can schedule a lesson.
— He’s very punctual.
— He’s an actual practicing musician, and he records often.
— Lessons are well structured.
If you are feeling stuck, he can help!

Jacob has been an incredible instructor. He’s patient and professional and knows how to push you past what you believe you can achieve. Playing guitar was completely foreign to me but with Jacob’s help, within the first few weeks, I began understanding much more than I thought and have been able to pick up playing much sooner than expected. He caters to your style of music and creates lesson plans specifically to your strengths and weakness. He’s extremely responsive via email/​text and appreciate the reminders before my lesson is coming up. If you want to learn guitar in a comfortable and fun environment, look no further!

I was really interested in learning how to play the guitar. My wife is a great singer, my kids are taking piano lessons, so I thought why not add myself to the mix. When I found Jacob’s guitar lessons, it got me intrigued because of all the positive reviews I read. All I can say is that those reviews are spot on! Starting from day one, where I had no experience at all with the guitar, he introduced me to all the basics. Week after week I’m always learning something new. His patience and his one to one teaching style really makes me appreciate his knowledge and love of music. I know for sure that his willingness to teach helps bring out stuff in me that previously I might have doubted. When I get my reminders the few days before my lessons, sometimes I question myself if I did my homework or did I practice enough. But regardless of how much I practiced or how little I practiced, he knows right at the beginning of the lesson where I stand and we go from that point. Sometimes I may over analyze some things that I’m trying to learn (hey I’m an analyst!) But he’s like my sensei, keeping my thoughts in check, not trying to overanalyze things and to keep it simple! I feel like I’ve hit major milestones l when I can make those little goals that he pushes me achieve every week! I would vouch and definitely recommend Jacob any day!

Jacob is an amazing instructor. Learning the guitar has been on my mind for quite a while and the first guitar instructor I found was Jacob. I really just wanted to learn the guitar at a very basic level and be able to play a few songs. Jacob’s amazing guitar skills can be seen from his videos on his website, but I can share a few things that stood out:
— My first meeting with Jacob. I let Jacob know, that I’ve never touched a guitar in my life and that I want to be able to play certain songs (American, Indian, Pakistani,) with different difficulty level. I was expecting a «ummm, that can’t happen,» or «you’re jumping too quick and you should follow this first…» But he took an approach of «That Sounds great, lets make this happen and here is how we are going to make it happen.»
To add to this, I showed him a Pakistani song that I was interested in playing (Jacob, obviously hadn’t heard of it.) And within a couple of minutes he was playing the entire song, how cool!
— His passion to make sure you are on top of your game in practicing is amazing. One week I wasn’t able to practice as much and I showed up playing extremely horrible. Jacob took a few minutes to try to help me out to understand how I can make time for practice and to pretty much, let’s say, keep it real. I really appreciated that, because he’s in it to make sure you become as good as you want to be and more.
— Where I am today. I can definitely say I am much further from the moment I started playing the guitar. To be able to pick up certain chords quicker or even understand transitions in songs and most of all being able to play the songs that I want to play much better. People are actually surprised how I can play seeing that I’ve only been learning for a few months. This is all due to Jacob’s guidance and help.
In my last lesson with Jacob, I told him that now I actually enjoy playing the guitar, like it’s something I want to continue doing and really master and maybe even switch to electric guitar eventually. This is new goal is definitely due to Jacob’s help.
Who knows, I might just even ask Jacob to let me one day do a gig with him!
Jacob’s definitely recommended.

After 30+ years of wanting to learn guitar, Jacob’s reviews inspired me to give it a shot, and I am sure glad that I did. Jacob is a natural teacher, combining great knowledge with patience and understanding, to deliver an experience that is clearly catered to the individual.

Jacob is a great teacher that will meet you at any skill level. From day one you get a sense of his passion for guitar and his excitement in inspiring that passion in his students. He makes learning enjoyable but also ensures that you push yourself to the next level. He is also well organized but flexible in his teaching approach and will cater to your learning style and musical taste. All after offering you a beverage! Highly recommended!

Jacob is as «good as it gets» as the five stars indicates! Not only is he an excellent teacher, but also kind, enthusiastic and motivating! As many of the reviews have indicated, Jacob’s ability to pin point what a student knows already and what a student needs to learn (which in my case is a lot), is incredible! In the four lessons that I have had with Jacob, I have learned so much about playing the guitar; he integrates all of his knowledge about music into one’s lesson making the lesson very meaningful! Jacob asks his students for a list of songs that they want to learn to play and he weaves each new lesson into the learning of the songs. Another thing that has really helped me is that Jacob will have me video (from my phone) part of the lesson and I am able to watch the video at home, while I practice! It’s really helpful! I highly recommend Jacob as a fantastic and extremely gifted guitar teacher and musician! His studio is also «cool»! :)

Nothing short of the BEST!
The first day I sent Jacob a message explaining how I had no musical experience whatsoever, but wanted to learn how to play acoustic guitar, he enthusiastically guided me in picking up a guitar and set up a lesson that would work with my schedule.
Our very first lesson, and every lesson after, I’ve always been greeted with a warm smile as well a cup of coffee which allowed us to catch up quickly on the week and jump right into our lesson. Jacob has always made it a priority to teach songs that I like (HUGE BONUS) which makes our weekly sessions so much more fun (After my second lesson, I was already playing one song confidently)
Jacob is very patient and always available! He’s quick to encourage and let you know to call him if you ever struggle with a portion of the lesson, yet at the same time he will challenge you and incorporate your creativity into various songs you play.
I highly recommend Jacob to anyone looking for a fun, challenging, patient and interactive instructor!

For ten years, I repeatedly resolved to learn how to play the guitar. This year, driven to the point of distraction, my wife bought me one as a gift. Her kindness posed an immediate challenge — finding the «right» instructor. Fortune shone on me, I found Jacob Light.
I began guitar instruction young, but discontinued my education soon thereafter largely due to a poor instructor. I am haunted by recollections of learning «Back in Black» and other inappropriate songs by rote memory; (AC/​DC fans, please take no offense — my point is this former instructor provided no consideration for his student’s musical taste or aspirations. He also did not take the time, or perhaps have the ability, to provide context — the whats and whys — for our lessons). So I attended my first lesson with Jacob Light with some trepidation.
After learning my limited musical background, Jacob set me at ease immediately. More importantly, he carefully considered what and how I wanted to learn. Confronted with ambitious goals (especially given I am not musically inclined), Jacob responded with a «can do» attitude. I was pleased and impressed with his positive attitude. He showed no doubt that he could help me achieve my ambitions.
Of course, proof is in the pudding. After a month, Jacob had me doing things musically I thought would take years. I could move around the guitar using various chord shapes to express different tonality and different patterns to express various rhythm progressions. And, I am beginning to understand why and when to do so. Jacob is providing me a solid foundation to allow for musical improvisation and professional guitar play.

Now, as my wife reminds me, I am far from channeling Eric Clapton. But, I see a path to eventually doing so. This is only due to Jacob. I look forward to our weekly lessons, as he challenges, encourages, and helps me forward in a patient and upbeat manner.

I’m usually a little suspicious when I see an overwhelming number of 5-​star reviews, but after having studied under Jacob, all I can say is that I wish I could give him 6 stars.
All the things you’ll read in the other reviews are true: the coffee, the availability, the enthusiasm/​passion, the notebook, etc., so I won’t try to list those items as well. What I will say is Jacob’s an incredible teacher, and I say that full well knowing that I’m not the easiest student to teach. I tend to do things the hard way, obsess over minutiae, and in general approach things the way I want, regardless of good advice. In spite of that, Jacob is always enthusiastic, extremely patient, and is an absolute joy to study with. He’s incredibly talented and yet equally humble.
I can’t imagine studying under somebody else.

Over the years I have taken music lessons on different instruments with a variety of teachers. Jacob is really the best! We’ve had weekly lessons together for about 3 months and each time I leave with a big smile on my face. Jacob has a talent for finding that «sweet spot» to constantly challenge me without leaving me feeling overwhelmed. Not an easy balance to achieve. The lesson is clearly a highlight of my week!
Jacob’s website clearly shows he has much experience and given a lot of thought to playing music and his approach to teaching. What surprised me was how well it translated into the lessons themselves and was not just simply a marketing piece!
Jacob is exceedingly organized and treats the hour lesson with great discipline. He has an interconnected «curriculum» that he covers and yet is flexible enough to find what each individual student needs. We keep a notebook and revisit the homework assignments the following week to ensure steady progress. Jacob covers a concept from a variety of angles so that if one approach doesn’t click with you, another will. He is clearly very bright and enthusiastic, making him a keen observer of technique and musicianship. I play an electric ukulele, and Jacob is helping me understand how my instrument can stand on its own within a band context and not be just another «guitar.» We are working on the construction of solos and bringing out expressiveness in my playing, along with building upon my knowledge of music theory and technique.
Also important is Jacob’s availability via text or email if you need to clarify a concept in between lessons. He doesn’t want you to be stuck.
And yes. You can look forward to Jacob’s pouring you a lovely cup of coffee, green tea or peppermint tea while you plug in and tune your instrument!
I count myself lucky to have found Jacob, who has been an exceedingly positive influence on my musical development. He’s just an all around positive guy who is «the real deal.»

I have nothing but great things to say about my experience with Jacob! His patience combined with his incredible talent makes him a master of his craft.
I have been taking lessons from him once a week for the past two months and I find myself leaving each lesson feeling accomplished. Jacob is great at personalizing each lesson to accommodate both your weekly schedule and your personal interests. I’m sure the obscure songs I have requested to learn to play, as well as the few I have attempted to write myself, are not on his typical curriculum, yet he always finds a way to seamlessly incorporate my personal interests into his lesson plan!
He pushes you to do what he knows you are capable of and I truly appreciate his professionalism and his passion for what he does. I highly recommend him
Also, he has the cutest cats and offers you coffee at the start of your lesson. What more could you possibly ask for?