Student Testimonials

I started guitar lessons a year ago with Craig. He has provided consistently high quality instruction with plenty of follow through. He sends out videos along with other information as homework between sessions. Craig has helped my guitar progress tremendously.

Having been a student for almost 10 yrs, taking lessons from Craig has been the single most important part of my journey as a guitarist. He is able to break down concepts of music theory into manageable pieces that allow anyone to understand.

Craig is a gifted, professional instructor. My daughter has truly excelled under his tutelage. We have appreciated the flexibility in scheduling around our daughter’s sports schedule. Craig’s natural aptitude for music and teaching is a rare thing to find. We are so happy to have found Sinclair Music Studio.

Craig is an amazing and patient teacher! He capitalizes on students’ interests and preferences and is great at building skills and confidence. He is great at teaching what you want to learn in guitar and adapting lessons to individual needs and preferences.

Craig is a great teacher. He is imaginative and knowledgeable and a great guitar player. I feel that he has been supportive and very patient with our grandson. In only four short years he has brought our student from no knowledge of the guitar to someone who loves the instrument and plays on a daily basis with no prompting from us. He has played his guitar with his school orchestra and is also in the Mariachi Band at school. For the last year he has also been playing with the worship team band at church. I highly recommend this experienced teacher!

Craig is a natural teacher! I love his use of videos to help remember what was taught in lessons and his follow up emails. My 10 year old came home from his first lesson able to pluck a melody and play chords. He hasn’t put down his ukulele since:o) I highly recommend Sinclair Music Studio.

I started taking lessons with Craig in 2015 as my New Year’s resolution, and I have been happy ever since. Craig is extremely knowledgeable and can work with students of any age and skill level. I knew nothing about music going in and have learned so much thanks to Craig. He is also very patient and cares that you are getting the most out of every lesson. I have not been to any other instructors but many other guitar players I know have also learned from Craig and speak very highly of him.

I’ve been a student of Craig’s for about 5 and a half years. Before I came to him I couldn’t play anything at all. When I first started I was playing guitar but have since added bass guitar. I play in a rock band and also for my church Hope Lutheran in front of hundreds of people at each performance. And all of this before I was fifteen years old!

I’ve taken lessons from Craig for a few years and would highly recommend Craig to anyone that wants to learn guitar from scratch or wants to improve on existing skills. Craig is an excellent musician and a dedicated instructor. He is thoroughly engaged in the teaching process and provides his students with audio and video clips, tab sheet handouts, and other materials in addition to the information packed lessons. He covers technique, songs, improvisation, etc., all in an easy going and understandable way. He has always been receptive to tailoring the lessons to specific areas I am interested in. If you want to learn or improve at guitar, give Craig a try. You will not be disappointed.

If there were more than five stars, I would give them. It took a lot of courage for me to attempt to learn the ukulele later in life. I have never played an instrument. Craig has the perfect balance of encouragement and support that keeps me going. He is so talented himself and his enthusiasm is infectious. Thanks, Craig, for helping me feel that I can be part of the magical world of music.

I’ve been taking lessons with Craig for about 10 months now. Before my lessons, I didn’t even know a single chord. From the beginning, Craig asked me about my goals and the types of music I liked to listen to. Our lessons are focused towards accomplishing my goals and on learning the types of music I enjoy. I feel like Craig easily adjusts his teaching techniques to help me get through the frustrating beginning stages of guitar playing. I’ve really enjoyed my lessons and I’m excited to continue.

Craig does a great job of explaining technique and making it fun and easy to learn. He has been great at communicating and getting a lot of progress with each lesson. I am a beginner so he has made it feel like it’s easy to want to practice and learn more. I would highly recommend Craig as an instructor.

Craig’s talent is his ablity to teach to your individual level & genre interest. He is well versed in a wide range of styles, and the videos made for your specific lessons are invaluable, allowing you to go back & review ad infinitum.

Craig is very knowledgeable, professional, courteous and can play AND TEACH a wide range of styles and genres. He’s excellent at giving me things to use for my next show. He explains how to think about the neck and breaks it down so you understand. He also gives you short videos to work on for the next time and to review. I’m very pleased with what I’ve learned and been able to use on gigs to make me a better player.

As for background on me: I’m a semi-professional guitarist and have played professionally for about 12 years doing blues, rockabilly and country. I usually average 50+ shows per year and there is a whole word of information that I’ve unlocked with Craig’s help.

In the span of two years Craig’s instruction has taken me from beginner to playing through some of my favorite songs.

I have access to a multitude of study materials, videos, background tracks, and Craig — he’s virtually always accessible.

Craig’s full time job is teaching and making music. If I’m stuck trying to figure something out I can send him a message and he’ll shoot a quick video for me.

Best music instruction around!

I’ve taken lessons from Craig for about 9 months. Lessons are very relaxed and Craig covers everything from technique to theory in about every style. He has focused me on the areas that I struggled for years on. I’m practicing songs I never imagined I’d feel prepared to play.

Craig is the absolute best! My son has been taking electric guitar and bass lessons from him for several years. Craig is professional and provides so much support via take home sheets, recordings on zip files and the opportunity to play around with other instruments. He is totally committed to his students. We can’t say enough about how much we appreciate him. My son is a junior in high school now and I can easily say working with Craig has been the best thing he has done!

I’ve taken guitar lessons from Craig Sinclair at Sinclair Music Studio for nearly three years, and I’ve went from being a true beginner to really being able to play my guitar and I’m extremely happy with my progress. I continue to learn new things and improve every week thanks to Craig and his teaching style. Instead of just having me play through practices in a book, he applies guitar technique to song learning and songwriting. In addition to all levels of guitar mechanics, I’ve learned music theory, which i can apply to my saxophone and piano playing as well. Yet another aspect of Sinclair Music Studio is learning how the guitar works and how to keep your instrument in good condition. That’s one thing I knew virtually nothing about and can now maintain my guitars condition on my own, and am still learning more. Sinclair Music Studio is an amazing place to learn more about music and specifically the guitar, and your interests are always put first.

I was a self-taught guitar player for 2 years prior to taking lessons with Craig. I have been taking lessons with him now for going on 2 years. I have gone from a beginner to now being able to follow and play songs all the way through. I can also do a considerable amount of improvisation and making music as I go. My interests lie in blues and 70’s & 80’s rock and Craig is able to not only help me with the songs I want but shows me how to make them my own with improvisation. I have learned rhythm and lead guitar from him and have significantly improved on my playing technique. He is very easy going and has a way to teaching that really helps you to understand what he is trying to convey. He is very flexible with lesson times. I especially like the tailor made videos that he often sends home with me. This really helps when I need to check something that we worked on a week ago or to help me with my technique by watching him. He’s also an great musician, I really like listening to him play.

I didn’t know the first thing about playing a guitar before I walked into Craig’s studio. After 1 lesson, I am confident that Mr. Sinclair is the best teacher I could’ve found. I was extremely impressed by his knowledge, professionalism and teaching technique. Craig ensures his students first master the very basics of guitar playing before advancing to more complex fundamentals. He has precise attention-to-detail and prides himself in teaching students the right way. Craig is easy to talk to and takes great interest in providing his students the best lesson(s) they can find anywhere. I highly recommend Craig to anyone looking for guitar lessons and I’m looking very forward to my personal future lessons with Craig.

My son, Sean, has been taking lessons from Craig since he was 10 years old. By the time he was in 6th grade he was playing guitar at our church, Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines, for our confirmation classes (which includes hundreds of kids). In 7th grade, Sean auditioned for the worship band for weekend services, and was selected for lead guitar at the age of 13, and began playing in front of thousands of people at weekend worship! Not only has Craig taught Sean the fundamentals of playing the guitar, he has continued to expand on Sean’s knowledge of music theory, understanding the intricate details about chords, solo, and improvisation. I have seen this detailed knowledge benefit Sean in school band, where he plays percussion, as well as with the piano, an instrument that Sean gave up in 4th grade, but continues to learn to play songs by ear based on the music theory he has learned with Craig. Sean has been able to develop his passion for music with deep knowledge and appreciation through Craig’s lessons, which has also built his confidence in himself as a musician. We have received many compliments on Sean’s musical knowledge and ability by other musicians who have played longer but do not have the knowledge of theory that Sean has at such an early age. I attribute Sean’s great musical success at a young age to Craig Sinclair, and am thankful that we have the benefit of such an amazing guitar teacher in this community!

Just wanted to let you know how much we appreciate and respect you. You have set an extremely high standard for Jake’s future guitar teachers and we compare them all to you. We are on to teacher #2 here in Austin, so we will see how he compares. Anyway, I wanted to reach out and give you a long overdue compliment.

My son has been taking lessons from Craig for over three years. It has been an outstanding experience for us. Craig has an exceptional range of teaching capabilities, from beginning to understand music to advanced theory. I would recommend Craig to someone who has never touched a guitar and to someone who already plays and wants to improve.

I would, without a doubt, recommend Craig Sinclair if you are searching for a guitar instructor in the Des Moines metro area. As a PhD in the field of education, I can honestly say Craig does all the things that outstanding teachers do. He works to understand exactly where his students are at and develops a plan to take them to the next level.

Craig’s teaching methodology is student-centered, meaning he is serious about helping the student accomplish their goals. He uses technology in ways that have helped my practice sessions. He uses hands-on teaching tools to show how the technique should feel. I especially appreciate the videos he creates, I watch them later in the week during my practice to remember all I learned from the lesson. Craig knows music theory and leverages theory in useful ways to enhance his guitar instruction. He has a variety of chord sheets and tabs that he frequently gives me to reinforce what we learned in our lesson.

Craig knows a variety of guitar genres: rockabilly, metal, acoustic, blues, grunge, country and more, he’s played them all. I’ve seen Craig perform a number of times around town, he may be the best guitarist in the metro! He is a true professional (doesn’t drink, smoke, do drugs). Craig is a legitimate master of the guitar and he know how to teach it to aspiring guitarists. I have seen great growth in my guitar playing ability thanks to Craig. I will continue to take lessons from Craig, he continues to guide me to become a better player.

I started taking lessons from Craig as a beginner from zero. His approach and methods made a lot of sense to me. He also gives you review and practice material until your next lesson and goes above and beyond to help with any needs. Not to mention he’s an all around great guy!

Craig has been professional in scheduling times. He has a nice studio with tools to help you learn. Most importantly, I have learned much about music and how the guitar adds to music rather than the other way around. Craig’s passion for music is evident in our lessons.

Guitar lessons with Craig are so great. Now only do you leave with so much more knowledge you go in excited and ready to go. He makes playing fun while making it very very productive. Earlier this year I started to build a 76′ Gibson Explorer re-issue and the day I told craig about it he was eager to help. Now its almost done and it looks tremendous. All in all, Craig is a great instructor as he is a great person! Go ahead and try a lesson!

I enjoy and look forward to my lessons with Craig. I started last spring with minimal guitar experience and Craig has worked with me to to develop good techniques to make the progression easier. Craig listens to what I want to get out of my lessons and tailors the lessons to my musical taste.

Best guitar instructor in Des Moines!. I had tried taking lessons at other local guitar shops and was just completely stalled out. Craig rebuilt me from the ground up, from technique to theory. He has great patience with his students and really uses technology to enhance the lesson.

Highly Recommended!

I’ve been taking lessons from Craig for almost 4 years now. He is extremely knowledgeable and has proven teaching techniques. He is always flexible and utilizes lesson time to the fullest. Craig will tailor lessons to each students interest. He will cover everything from music theory to soloing to rhythm in any music genre you’re interested in. Always helpful and available for questions. The bi-weekly lessons work with my schedule and the videos, music sheets, and mp3s he provides are always a great resource for practicing at home.

If you are a looking into being in a band or just a hobbyist (myself) I would highly recommend Craig! He is an experienced guitarist and teacher and is always looking for innovative ways to help his students become better guitarist/musicians!

Being older, I was hesitant to take up “a young person’s thing.” Well, this ol’ dog surely learned many new tricks! Acoustic, electric, rhythm, solo, jazz, rock, blues. Craig has it ALL! Malcolm Gladwell, author of “Outliers,” writes that masters of their craft have put in 10,000 hours. Craig has that, and he wants YOU to get YOUR 10,000 hours in, in 1,000! Smart teaching+smart practicing=fast learning.

My son has been taking lessons from Craig for over four years. He is a fantastic teacher who teaches in a fun environment with music the student is interested in. He keeps the lessons relevant and challenging and provides lesson materials that the student can use as a reference well after that lesson is complete.

We found Mr . Sinclair to be exactly what we were desirous of when we selected him as our son’s guitar teacher. What’s made him stand out was his refreshingly professional approach, we found lesson plans prepared and sequenced for the individual that allowed our son to seamlessly step into a lesson environment that fit him like a glove. The professional care taken combined with his teacher’s contagiously enthusiastic attitude, let us know that my son was in good hands.

I had the pleasure of having Craig as an instructor. He is extremely good at what he does, his method of teaching as well as the support you get from his videos and email access for the questions between classes is second to none. From technique to theory, this guy knows whats going on. Also the hour long lesson is the way to go, 1/2 hour classes just get you tuned up, slightly into the heart of it, and it’s time for the next week. This gives you a chance to relax and really dig in.

Update:

We have had our son taking lessons with Craig since he was 7 (he is now 14) Craig’s patience and teaching methods have been a perfect fit for our son and he is now able to basically jam with his friends and play anything he wants..we would recommend Craig to anyone who wants to learn the guitar….especially if they are a young student!

My son has been taking lessons from Craig for about 3 years, he is an excellent teacher and a talented musician! Very good with kids as well. A real pleasure to work with!

I started taking lessons from Craig almost 3 years ago. I have learned so much from Craig that other instructors couldn’t teach me. He is very patient and knowledgeable, and a great guitar player himself, I enjoy my guitar playing more than ever, and owe much of it to Craig. I highly recommend him!

Very Knowledgeable, Always accessible if I have a question, I have recommended him to several friends. I also like his style of teaching.

Craig is an outstanding teacher. He utilizes modern technological and digital aides to assure the students have a solid resource for learning. Incidentally, he also has a wide appreciation of all music types and genres. Highly recommend.

Craig is an amazing teacher! His patience, knowledge, and flexibility make him the best fit for us. He not only teaches you at your lesson but sends you home with more video work than you could dream of getting through between lessons. It’s like having him at your house teaching you, on your computer until you see him again. We both LOVE him!!!

Craig is an outstanding musician as well as an exceptional teacher. Both my grade school-age son and I take lessons from Craig. His teaching style and depth of knowledge allows him to work VERY effectively with all individuals whether they are young, old, experienced, or a beginner.

We enjoy practices in Craig’s studio and we also appreciate his use of technology. He has web-based tools, videos, apps, and other resources that help us practice and keep us motivated between lessons.

Craig is a great teacher and I highly recommend him to anyone looking for music lessons.

I have been taking lessons from Craig for a little over a year now and am extremely pleased with the results. I am always impressed with Craig’s knowledge of theory and a wide variety of music genres; as a result Craig is able to tailor his lessons to the style of music you want to play. I always look forward to lessons and Craig is always willing to help in between them.

Highly Recommended!

I have been working with Craig for 2 years now and have loved the experience. He uses a one-hour, bi-weekly lesson schedule which allows for an unrushed and substantively thorough lesson experience, and plenty of practice time in-between lessons.

Craig has allowed me to bring songs to him that I am interested in and we then work together using my songs and others to approach rhythm and soloing techniques, theory, and general music ideas and discussions. And perhaps the most beneficial part of working with Craig has been his embracing of technology in the form of mp3’s, software (e.g., Guitar Pro, Amazing Slow Downer), printouts of lesson materials, and shooting videos either during or after lessons that I can take with me to use during my home practice and to reinforce our lesson topics.

I would consider myself somewhere between a beginner and an intermediate player, but would definitely recommend Craig to players of all levels.

I have been taking lessons for 4 years. Before that I hadn’t taken any lessons. He is patient and helps with everything I need. He even helped me with a talent show at school. He is a great teacher. I look forward to lessons every week. I recommend him to beginners and experienced players.

I started taking lessons from Craig Sinclair almost four years ago. I’m in my 40’s and had no previous musical experience, but Craig took a patient and thoughtful approach to teaching which made it both fun and exciting. I say often that my lesson time is my favorite hour of the week. I feel like I can honestly tell people that I know how to play guitar…and prove it to them. I highly recommend Craig as a teacher, no matter your skill level. I plan to keep taking lessons as long as he’s teaching!

Craig is a great teacher, very knowledgeable and patient. He really takes the time to explain things and tailor lessons to each student. I had been playing guitar for years before taking lessons but have made more progress in the last year than the ten years prior to working with Craig. I highly recommend him to anyone looking for quality instruction in the Des Moines area!