Private Guitar Lessons
with Rob Hampton
In person in Redmond, WA · Zoom lessons worldwide
You've always meant to learn guitar.
Maybe you played a little in college and drifted away from it. Maybe your child has been asking for lessons and you're not sure where to start. Maybe you've tried YouTube and ended up more confused than when you began.
That's where I come in.
I've been teaching guitar since 2003, now based in Redmond, WA. I work with complete beginners, kids as young as four, adults who "can't sing," and people who've tried to learn before and gotten frustrated.
I especially love helping raised-by-wolves guitarists--they're mostly self-taught with lots of great skills, but also gaping holes. Backfilling those gaps is thrilling! (I should know--I was raised by wolves myself.)
What makes lessons with me different
There's no shortage of guitar instruction on the internet. Most of it is fine. But wading through it, figuring out what to learn in what order, staying motivated when things get hard — that's the part nobody on YouTube can do for you.
Before your first lesson, we talk. I want to know what music you love, what you've tried before, and what's gotten in the way. Then I build a course of study around your goals and your favorite songs — not a generic curriculum designed for nobody in particular.
My students don't practice scales for months before they play something that sounds like music. They play real songs, early, because that's what keeps people going.
See what's possible
This could be your child.
This is Elena, 7 years old, playing with her dad Luis on drums. My friends Joe Walker (guitar) and Brady Kish (bass) round out the band.
Or this could be you.
My student John is seated, strumming and singing. I'm to his right playing the green Telecaster, loving every second.
How it works
1. You reach out.
Send me an email with a little about yourself — where you're at with guitar, what you'd like to learn, when you're generally free. I write back personally.
2. We figure out if we're a good fit.
Not every student is right for every teacher. I'll be honest with you about whether I think we'd work well together.
3. We get to work.
Lessons are one hour, once a week. I teach on Zoom or in person at my home studio in Redmond. In-home lessons in the Seattle area are also available.
4. You keep going.
Most of my students stay for years. I use a monthly tuition structure — about 40-48 lessons a year, with room for vacations on both sides. Miss a lesson? I make you a custom video lesson during your regular time slot so you don't lose the hour.
If you're local, there's one more thing: twice a year I host a student concert called The Jam — a fun performance night where even beginners get real stage experience. It's optional, but most students end up loving it.
Rates
Weekly lessons — monthly tuition: $695/month
40-48 lessons per year. Custom video lessons provided in place of cancellations.
A-la-carte lessons: $220/lesson
Available for students who prefer a flexible schedule.
Students joining mid-month are pro-rated at 25% of the monthly rate per remaining lesson.
Summer Rate for New Students
$525/month
Normally $695
Through August 2026
Lock in $525/month now — the rate rises to $695 in September.
Heartwood members get an additional discount. Learn more about membership.
What students say about learning with Rob
From private students...
I'd been playing guitar for 20 years before meeting Rob, but I still sounded like a beginner. Rob's strength was to break down all that was going on and provide simple exercises that allowed me to make progress without being overwhelmed. Since starting lessons with Rob, I've learned songs from Creedence to Pink Floyd, and can now actually view a recorded performance without cringing.John Parchem - Student since 2010
Erik Nordstrom - CEO, Nordstrom - Student since 2007He doesn't separate the world into those with musical talent and those without. He believes everyone is musical! He teaches from such a nurturing and positive perspective that you can't help but have fun. Now I can sing and play a whole lot of songs on the guitar that once seemed impossible.
Kumar Mehta - Student since 2012Within a few weeks of starting lessons, I was strumming and singing my first song. Four months after I touched a guitar for the first time, I performed in public. Thanks to Rob, I have a new passion and new ability that has enhanced my quality of life.
From website members...
Frank AmmiroI have taken over 30 private lessons over the past 10 months from 3 different teachers, and none of them ever suggested getting a head start on the chord change during an up-strum like you do.
Owen StensethSomething has clicked this time in a way that it never has for me before. Your enthusiasm and teaching style has been a big part of that.
HelenYour teaching style is so clear and thorough, the humorous touches have made me laugh out loud, and your kind heart shows.
Bill RoemerI've taken lessons and extensively searched the web for better instruction. What a find in Heartwood and Rob. The videos are the best instruction I have experienced — detailed and spiced with humor, while going slow enough to grasp the concept.
About Rob
I've played guitar since I was 14. I have an MA in Education from Stanford and spent a few years teaching high school English before I figured out that guitar lessons were a much better use of everyone's time. 😬
Since 2003 I've taught everyone from four-year-olds to Fortune 500 CEOs — beginners, intermediate players, kids, adults, shy singers, and people who'd been trying to learn on their own and gotten stuck. I'm also the author of Rob's Totally Awesome Guitar Teaching Handbook, used by guitar teachers worldwide.
My love for the guitar began one day after school when I was twelve years old. Poking around the house, I found my mother’s neglected Martin guitar, and plunked out the bass riff to “I Heard it Through the Grapevine.” I love reliving the excitement of that day every time I teach new students how to fret their first notes.
Ready to get started?
I currently have a few openings in my teaching schedule. If you're interested, just send me an message and tell me a little about yourself. I'll write back personally — usually within a day.
