Jerry is a great guitar teacher with an expansive knowledge of music. Each lesson is enjoyable and constructive, building upon the past material. He can teach the basics of music theory for beginners, and can also branch out into the complexities of blues, rock and jazz. I highly recommend him!
Jerry was my guitar teacher all through high school and played an essential role in my musical development. Not just an amazing player, he is able to really connect with you and elaborate upon each person’s individual needs/interests as students and show them the best way to progress towards their musical goals. I would tell my friends, as well as fans, about Jerry. Many of these people proceeded to take lessons from him, and not a single one was left unsatisfied. I had several guitar instructors before Jerry, and he far surpassed all of them in both skill and teaching. If you are looking for a great guitar teacher, you can’t do better than Jerry Baiden.
The first thing Jerry asked me was what music I liked. I think that says a lot about him. Through my four years in high school Jerry taught me rhythm guitar, starting with easy popular songs across several genres, and when I graduated from that, I brought in lots of Beatles songs and he taught me the rhythm guitar parts to them. I moved up to the lead guitar CD’s, which spanned genres from Yngwie Malmsteen to T-Bone Walker, introducing me to several styles of playing guitar, and the techniques and mindset needed to play each style.
In my senior year, the top jazz combo’s bass player and guitar player were taught by Jerry, the next combo down, the other guitar player and I were taught by Jerry, as was the bassist in the next combo below us. He produces quality students : )
Jerry is a remarkable person and an excellent teacher. He listens to your playing and he listens to you. I am truly glad that Jerry Baiden was my first guitar teacher. He gave me a deep understanding about how to make music with a guitar, and he did it with such compassion.
Thank you, Jerry.
I had the pleasure of meeting Jerry back in 2006. I wanted to learn how to play electric guitar, and my mom went online to find guitar teachers, and Jerry’s name came up as one of the best (with good reason). I ended up taking lessons for nearly 7 years. Jerry knows about every type of music under the sun, and can play them with his own style. His musicianship is unbelievable! Every lesson was different, even if some days it was just jamming together with a backing track (and those days can be just as important as going over scales). Jerry instilled in me a lifelong love of music, a passion for discovery, and has continued to be an inspiration to myself as well as his fellow students. Jerry is not only a great teacher, but a great guy, and one amazing musician! He has a variety of teaching techniques that’ll keep students interested. He introduced me to a number of my favorite bands, and hopefully students will find the same. He is totally the guy everyone should be taking lessons from! So do yourselves a favor and look no further! Jerry Baiden is your dude!!!
Jerry Baiden was a real inspiration for me. I had been playing guitar for a little while and was starting to get serious about my playing when my teacher suggested that I go study with his teacher… a guy by the name of Jerry Baiden. Jerry couldn’t have come into my life at a better time! His vast knowledge of music makes him an amazing resource for players of all levels. At our first lesson, we discussed where I was trying to go musically. He then came up with a plan that included blues, jazz, and rock styles, specifically tailored to my needs and interests. I think that’s one of the things that really sets Jerry apart. When I studied with him, I wasn’t just going through some pre-determined program. He really took the time to figure out what I wanted and needed and then led me to it. Not only did I make leaps and bounds studying with Jerry, but I had a ton of fun doing so!!!
Love him!
Jerry taught me guitar and bass for seven years, through junior high and high school. Through that entire time I experienced him as a dependable and loyal teacher as well as a friend to whom I could relate from my time as an immature sixth grader to when I was an arguably more mature high school senior. Then, in my second year of college, I was asked to play in a friend’s band. I wasn’t sure how it would go considering I had only been casually keeping up with music, but, and I credit this to the quality of Jerry’s teaching, I had the foundation that allowed me to impress them and am now a permanent member.
In summary, Jerry’s distinctiveness as a teacher is his versatility. Whatever the age, intention, instrument, or music style of the student, he can teach it and he can teach it well.
I didn’t know how to play guitar and went to my very first guitar lesson with a broken string! Jerry was kind enough to fix it and teach me how to tune my guitar. He is a magnificent instructor and really takes time to get to know students in a personal way so that he may understand their strengths as a musician in a much deeper perspective than most instructors. When Jerry used to deconstruct songs for me to learn, he would explain the music theory, history, and ‘riffology’ behind the artist and their song. You don’t feel nervous when you’re around him and he really puts you at ease with his carefree- yet superior God-like guitar skills. Rock, Blues, Jazz, Classical- you name it and he can do it! So long as you’re willing to work, anyone can learn how to play guitar and even those who already know can further advance their skills with Jerry’s guidance.
I took both bass guitar and guitar lessons from Jerry in high school, and I will always consider those lessons to be one of the most fun things that I did during my otherwise studious and extremely nerdy teenage years.
As his student, you will discover very quickly that Jerry is not only passionate about teaching guitar, but also about teaching music. This goes beyond just teaching music theory (which he doesn’t skimp on, by the way, thank you Jerry!). I always loved hearing him talk about the backstory of each song I learned to play; not just the what, but the how and the why – the lifeblood of music itself.
His teaching curriculum is very structured and intentional but never feels restrictive or impersonal, probably because Jerry as a person is very chill and relaxed, and you will immediately want to be friends with him. If you are looking for a guitar/bass teacher who is not only insanely talented but also has a true gift for teaching and makes lessons fun and exciting, look no further, because Jerry is your man!
My lessons with Jerry Baiden were monumental in helping me evolve as a guitarist!
There are things that Jerry opened my ears (and mind and fingers) to 20 years ago that I think about just about every time I pick up a guitar. In fact, I still have some of the notes he wrote out for me back in the day. I remember one week I’d go in and work on funk rhythm playing, then the next it’d be arranging Charlie Parker solos for guitar. He custom tailored each lesson and made it fun and challenging. Looking back, I was very lucky to have had such a patient and versatile teacher.
The icing on the cake is that he’s a great guy and monster musician too!
I have never sat closer to a better guitar player in my life. At my first lesson, I told Jerry that I wanted to play like this person or that person. After that lesson, the only person I wanted to play like was Jerry. I used to stop him and say, “show me how to play that lick!”, or “what made you decide to play that.” He would always remind me to take it slow, yet practice more.
When I was his student I practiced around 6-8 hours a day, everyday, for years. Now 20 years later, I am pretty much able to do/play whatever I want with the instrument, controlling sound with emotion.
Jerry really takes his students to the next level. He explains more than just theory and licks, and slowly lets you into his approach on music, visualizing the fret board, playing with dynamics, etc. One of the best pieces of advice jerry gave me was to learn the opposites. I would ask, “should i finger pick this or flat pick it? Should I use economy picking or alternate? Should I think theoretically, play licks, or just play whatever comes out.” His reply was, learn them all. so very true.