A teacher chosen for the student.
WYL matches around age, personality, musical interests, neighborhood and schedule, not simply the first open slot.
Find the right teacher.
Guitar lessons in NYC.
In-home guitar, ukulele and bass lessons for kids, teens and adults across Manhattan, Brooklyn and parts of Queens.
You already know why guitar is fun. WYL takes care of the harder part: finding the right teacher and making the weekly routine work.
Tell us about the student →
In-home NYC
Standing weekly lessons
Guitar + ukulele + bass
Kids + adults
A school behind the lesson
The weekly lesson should be the easy part.
New York family schedules are complicated enough. The point of a school is to make the relationship more stable than the calendar.
A weekly time that stays simple.
A standing lesson gives music a predictable place in the week. No booking the same appointment over and over.
A school that stays involved.
If something changes or the fit is not quite right, there is still someone behind the relationship to help.
Standing weekly lessons
Give music a place in the week.
Guitar lessons work better when the teacher and student can pick up where they left off instead of starting fresh every time.
A standing schedule also means one less thing for a family to coordinate every few days.
Your regular time is held for the 16-lesson semester.
The same teacher comes back knowing what the student has been playing, what clicked last week and where to go next.
When school, sports or family life changes, WYL can help work through the schedule rather than leaving the family to start the search again.
The semester is not about making lessons feel rigid. It is what makes a standing relationship possible.
How we teach
Guitar is already fun. Keep it that way.
A riff, a chord, a groove, a song. Guitar gives students something recognizable quickly, and WYL teachers use that immediacy.
Technique, rhythm, reading, theory and ear training come in as they help the student play more of the music they care about.
Guitar, ukulele + bass
Different instruments. Different ways in.
The student may arrive wanting a first chord, a favorite riff, a band, a song to sing with, or a deeper understanding of the instrument.
Guitar
Acoustic or electric. Rock, pop, jazz, folk, blues, fingerstyle, songwriting, improvisation and more.
Ukulele
A comfortable first instrument for many younger players, and a great instrument for chords, rhythm, singing and songwriting.
Electric bass
Groove, time, harmony, rock, funk, jazz and learning what it means to make a band feel good.
The faculty
A teacher the school actually knows.
WYL works with musicians and educators with different personalities, musical lives and teaching strengths. The match matters as much as the instrument on the teacher's profile.
Finding the right teacher
The match is personal.
Tell WYL what the student listens to, what they want to play, where they live and when they are free.
Will Armstrong founded WYL as a working musician and teacher and still oversees the matching process.
Tell us about the student →Musicians who teach
The playing matters too.
The faculty includes working guitarists, songwriters, jazz musicians, performers and experienced educators.
Students can work on songs, bands, improvisation, songwriting, auditions, ensemble playing and more.
Meet the faculty →
Beyond the lesson
Guitar makes sense with other people.
WYL recitals give students a chance to perform, play with faculty musicians and hear what everyone else is working on.
For a guitarist or bassist, getting out of the bedroom and into a room with other musicians can change everything.
See performances →Guitar lesson FAQ
A few common questions.
What age should a child start guitar?
Size and interest matter more than a fixed birthday. Many children are comfortable beginning guitar around six, while younger students may have an easier first experience on ukulele. WYL can also help with instrument size.
Do you teach ukulele?
Yes. WYL teaches ukulele both as a first instrument for younger students and as its own instrument for accompaniment, rhythm, singing and songwriting.
Do you teach electric bass?
Yes. Bass students can work on groove, time, harmony, rock, jazz, funk, improvisation and ensemble playing.
Do you teach complete beginners and adults?
Yes. WYL works with first-time kids, teenagers, adult beginners, returners and experienced players.
Where in NYC do you teach?
WYL teaches in students' homes across Manhattan, Brooklyn and parts of Queens. Online lessons are also available.
What if we can't commit to a standing weekly time?
Pay-as-you-go lessons are available for families or adults who need more flexibility, subject to teacher availability. For students who can keep a weekly time, the standing schedule gives the teacher and student more continuity.
Start here
Tell WYL about the student.
Age, neighborhood, schedule, what they listen to and what they want to play. WYL will recommend a teacher and the next step.
Tell us about the student →