I. Beginner: Every student is unique. Students learn the fundamentals of piano: correct positioning, sight-reading simple melodies, understanding rhythm, meter and one of the most important of all – creative thinking.
II. Intermediate: Piano students have a firm grasp on meter, rhythm, and simple harmony. This is the stage where the knowledge of chord progressions, complex rhythms and a keen ear for good tone become imperative for further advancement. Students will learn about style among the different periods of music and will focus on important composers of those periods.
III. Advanced: With a firm foundation of music theory, piano students gain an understanding of the structure of particular works. They will learn to move beyond what is right or wrong and will begin to ask more subjective questions about drama, interpretation and creative decisions. Learning about the context of a particular work becomes important in answering these questions.
Our goal is to provide a warm and supportive environment in which all students can explore the world of music – not only the great heritage of the past but the lively world of today, including 20th-century art music and a wide variety of popular idioms.
In order to learn an instrument such as the piano, two elements are required: a desire to learn and a proper professional guidance. If a student can bring the desire, we will provide the proper support to enable a student to progress at his/her own pace.
Together we will discover the path to learning that works specifically for a student.
The joy of learning is the key to mastering any difficult idea or skill. Music is a language and just like with a language, a student will learn the fundamentals such as reading, fingering, harmony and theory, and then move on to more advanced skills such as performing, improvisation and arranging.
Learning is exciting when every lesson gives a student an inspiration and increased skills and abilities that lead to self-expression and spiritual growing.
Why the Fine Tune Academy is San Diegos # 1 choice for music lessons.
Whether you aspire to play Bach or Alicia Keys, SDSM’s dedicated piano instructors will help you become the pianist you want to be. Our faculty will introduce you to the fundamentals of sight reading, technique and theory, and incorporate your favorite songs into your lessons. You do not need a piano at home to take lessons; a simple full-size electronic keyboard will suffice for the first six months.
What’s the #1 reason to study the piano at the Fine Tune Academy?
Our piano instructors are warm and friendly, and get to know each student and parent on a personal level. We work with each individual or parent to craft a lesson plan that fits the student’s unique needs and favorite type of music. Whether you’re playing in local bands, a seven year old taking their first lesson, or a fifty year old returning to the piano after many years, our teachers will share their love for the piano and help you set goals to achieve your musical aspirations
What styles of piano do you teach?
We teach all styles, from rock, pop and jazz to country, blues and classical.
How qualified are your piano instructors?
Our piano faculty have received their musical education from such prestigious institutions as well as piano performance and pedagogy programs. Many have toured the US and Europe, and bring over 25 years of professional performance and teaching experience to your lessons.
What will I learn from piano lessons at the Fine Tune Academy?
Whether you want to learn Bach or Alicia Keys, our teachers are dedicated to helping you become the pianist you want to be. They will show you the fundamentals of sight reading, technique and theory, and incorporate your favorite songs into your lessons.
Do I have to know how to read music?
No. Beginners are welcome!
Do I need a piano to learn the instrument?
No, you do not need a piano at home to take lessons. A simple full size electronic keyboard will suffice for the first 6 months. Or feel free to rent a small keyboard from us for a monthly fee.
Are there piano recitals?
Absolutely! Every Winter and Spring, our students have the opportunity to perform in world class recital halls with Steinway and Yamaha pianos. Unlike most of our competitors, we do not charge students a fee to perform. And admission is free, so you can invite all of your family and friends.
The most qualified teaching faculty throughout San Diego
We have the most music teachers in San Diego, all with either college training or professional performance experience. Our music teachers are dedicated to learning about your personal musical goals and helping you to achieve them. With multiple music teachers for every instrument, we are confident that we have the right teacher to meet your music lesson needs. In addition to their teaching credentials, our teachers have warm personalities, are extremely friendly and dedicated to teaching you the style of music that you want to learn in your music lesson.
The widest range of music lesson times available seven days a week!
We are the only music school in San Diego that offers music lessons six days a week from early in the morning too late at night to accommodate your busy schedule.
Private and Group lessons available on a weekly basis
We are the only music school the teaches Private, Group, and After School programs in San Diego.
Our students have the most options when choosing how to get started or continue with their music education and experience. We offer one on one, semi-private, small group, and after-school programs in local communities throughout San Diego.
A proven track record of excellence since 2003.
See what our students are saying. Every year, aspiring music teachers start their own studio, and a year or two later it’s closed. The Fine Tune Academy has a proven track record of offering quality music, piano, guitar, voice, singing and drum lessons in San Diego year-round. Our full-time mission is teaching music lessons trusted by over 1,100 families for over 11 years.
Free music recitals in world-class music halls and our annual student showcase with NO participation fees!
We are one of the only music school in San Diego that offers free recitals with a grand Steinway piano in a first-class professional recital hall and student recitals.
Every parent just wants to know how their child is doing and if they are really progressing. The best way for a parent to understand if their investment in lessons is really worth it, is to have their child participate in a recital.
In the Spring and Winter many of our students choose to perform in our biannual recitals. We hold these at prestigious auditoriums with high-end pianos and world-class acoustics. All of our recitals are low pressure and aim to provide each student with a fun a positive performance experience!
Loaner Instruments to make getting started easy
We are the only music school in San Diego that offers FREE loaner instruments to get started on in lessons, which makes trying a new instrument for the first time easy and affordable for our students.
Once students have a better idea if an instrument is the right fit for them or not, we then provide options for continuing on with renting or purchasing.
The latest technologically advanced equipment and gear used for lessons with custom recommendations
Technology is also a big part of lessons at the Fine Tune Academy which allows students to have a modern and engaging lesson using music teaching apps, music software, Zoom, and more. Feel free to “use Your Own Device” in lessons! No other school in San Diego offers this technology.
One of the things that has really set up apart is our focus on providing lessons that are fresh, new, and engaging. There are so many great teaching apps out there now that we felt we had to include new tech into our lessons. By doing so, our students have never run the risk of being bored by their lessons. It’s a challenge to engage children or adults, but by integrating technology such as teaching apps from the iTunes store, GarageBand, ProTools, you name it, we’re providing a cutting edge lesson experience in the San Diego area.
Student Discounts on Group Lessons
We are the only music school in San Diego that offers discounted group lessons for our current enrolled students!
The Studio also sells music books, instruments and accessories. All of our current students receive a student discount that saves them money on all of their music supply needs.
Early morning and lunch time lessons for home schoolers, retirees, college students and working professionals.
Since we are are a large studio with many qualified instructors in San Diego we are able to offer lessons as early as 10 a.m. and we see many students between the hours of 11 a.m.-2 p.m. If you are a home school parent, retiree, college student or working professional who has a flexible schedule, take advantage of our early morning and lunch time lesson spots.
Picture Day
We are the only music school in San Diego that offers a picture day for their students. Every Spring and Fall we host a free picture day with professional photographers. This is a service that our student’s parents love as they all want quality photos of their children. Adults are welcome too! Students can bring their instruments to the photo shoot and wear whatever they like.
Professional and friendly office staff seven days a week to serve you.
We are the only music school in San Diego that offers full time professional customer service for their students seven days a week.
Many music studio desks are staffed by the teacher/owner or more commonly an answering machine. We have three office team members who are available at the front desk to assist our clients quickly and professionally.
The guitar instructors at the Fine Tune Academy teach rock, blues, metal, country and classical styles on both electric and acoustic guitars. Beginners work on chords, simple songs and melodies, sight reading and theory. Each lesson will challenge you with a new technique or music theory, and ends with something fun – such as your favorite riff or song. We employ a variety of guitar method books based on student needs and preferences, and encourage students to bring smartphones or CDs to their lessons to learn their favorite tunes.
What’s the #1 reason to study guitar at the Fine Tune Academy?
Our guitar instructors are warm and friendly, and get to know each student and parent on a personal level. We work with you to craft a lesson plan that fits your individual needs and the student’s favorite type of music. Whether you’re playing in local bands, a seven year old taking their first lesson, or a fifty year old returning to the guitar after many years, we’ll set goals to achieve your musical aspirations.
What styles of guitar do you teach?
We teach all styles, from rock, pop, jazz, and blues to metal, country and classical guitar – on electric and acoustic guitars.
How qualified are your guitar instructors?
Our guitar and music instructors have received their education from prestigious institutions, have toured the US and Europe, and bring over 25 years of professional performance and teaching experience to your lessons.
What will I learn from guitar lessons at the Fine Tune Academy?
Beginner guitar students can expect to work on chords, simple songs and melodies, sight reading and theory. Our instructors balance musicianship and fun by making sure that each lesson presents a new technical challenges or theory concept, and ends with something fun, such as your favorite riff or song. We use a variety of guitar method books, and encourage students to bring their smartphone or CDs to their lesson to learn their favorite tunes.
Do I need to purchase a guitar to learn the instrument?
The Fine Tune Academy offers acoustic and electric guitars for student lessons (for your convenience, students can use one of ours for the first month). You may continue to rent the guitar for $22.50/month after the first month. We also offer a variety of instruments appropriate for beginners, starting at just $89.00.
Overview
Whether you aspire to play Bach or Alicia Keys, the Fine Tune Academy has dedicated piano instructors to help you become the pianist you want to be. Our faculty will introduce you to the fundamentals of sight reading, technique and theory, and incorporate your favorite songs into your lessons. You do not need a piano at home to take lessons; a simple full-size electronic keyboard will suffice for the first six months.
What’s the #1 reason to study the piano at the Fine Tune Academy?
Our piano instructors are warm and friendly, and get to know each student and parent on a personal level. We work with each individual or parent to craft a lesson plan that fits the student’s unique needs and favorite type of music. Whether you’re playing in local bands, a seven year old taking their first lesson, or a fifty year old returning to the piano after many years, our teachers will share their love for the piano and help you set goals to achieve your musical aspirations.
What styles of piano do you teach?
We teach all styles, from rock, pop and jazz to country, blues and classical.
How qualified are your piano instructors?
Our piano faculty have received their musical education from such prestigious institutions as well as piano performance and pedagogy programs. Many have toured the US and Europe, and bring over 25 years of professional performance and teaching experience to your lessons.
What will I learn from piano lessons at the Fine Tune Academy?
Whether you want to learn Bach or Alicia Keys, our teachers are dedicated to helping you become the pianist you want to be. They will show you the fundamentals of sight reading, technique and theory, and incorporate your favorite songs into your lessons.
Do I have to know how to read music?
No. Beginners are welcome!
Do I need a piano to learn the instrument?
No, you do not need a piano at home to take lessons. A simple full size electronic keyboard will suffice for the first 6 months. Or feel free to rent a small keyboard from us for $22.50 per month.
Are there piano recitals?
Absolutely! Every Winter and Spring, our students have the opportunity to perform in world class recital halls with Steinway and Yamaha pianos. Unlike most of our competitors, we do not charge students a fee to perform. And admission is free, so you can invite all of your family and friends.
Overview
If you’ve always wanted to hone your skills as a rock, pop, country, jazz, gospel or R&B singer, the Fine Tune Academy has the voice teacher for you. Our voice faculty focuses primarily on popular music. Each week, students are led through physical exercises to improve their vocal range, ear training, breath control, enunciation and more. Each student set goals with their teacher, either to sound like their favorite recording artist, or to develop their own unique voice. We also teach TV and radio personalities who want to enhance their speaking voices.
What’s the #1 reason to take voice lessons at the Fine Tune Academy?
Our voice instructors work with each student and parent on a personal level to craft a lesson plan that fits the student’s individual needs and favorite type of music. Whether you’re a singer in a band, a seven year old taking their first lesson, or a fifty year old returning to singing after many years, our friendly, dedicated teachers will share their love of popular music and help you set goals to achieve your musical aspirations.
What styles of singing do you teach?
Our voice teachers primarily focus on popular music. If you’ve always wanted to be a better rock, pop, country, jazz, gospel or R&B singer, we have the right voice teachers for you.
How qualified are your voice instructors?
Our voice lesson instructors have received their musical education from such prestigious institutions and many have toured the US and Europe, bringing over 25 years of professional performance and teaching experience to your music school in San Diego.
What will I learn from voice lessons at San Diego School of Music?
Voice students spend time each week doing physical exercises to improve their vocal range, ear training, breath control, vibrato, tone production, enunciation and more. All voice students set goals with their teacher to work on sounding like their favorite recording artists, or if they prefer, to develop their own unique voice.
Rock Band Camp
Do you want to play like a pro? Dive into our Rock Band Summer Camp and transform into a Rockstar! Jam with fellow musicians, master epic solos, and rock the
stage with confidence. Ready to unleash your inner legend?
Musical Theatre Camp
Dream of being in the spotlight? Join our Musical Theatre Summer Camp and step
into the magical world of Broadway! Sing and perform iconic musical numbers that
will leave the audience cheering for more. Get ready to take center stage!
Songwriting Camp
Ready to write your own musical masterpiece? Enroll in our Songwriting Summer Camp and discover the secrets of crafting unforgettable songs! From lyrics that touch the soul to melodies that captivate, this camp is your gateway to becoming a songwriting sensation.
Mini Music Makers Camp
Want to ignite a love for music in your child? Our Mini Music Makers Summer Camp is the perfect place for young explorers (ages 4-6) to discover the joy of music. Sing, play, and create magical musical moments with other mini-music makers!