Private fingerstyle guitar, clawhammer, and bluegrass banjo lessons in Greenwich Village since 1970. In-person in Manhattan, or online from anywhere.
Fretted Instruments School has been teaching guitar and banjo in Greenwich Village for over fifty years. Jack Baker opened the school in 1970 to teach American folk music, the fingerpicking and old-time traditions that were being passed around Washington Square Park at the time.
He is one of New York\'s most experienced string-instrument teachers. He has taught absolute beginners and working professionals, and he has taught the same student for forty-six years. The New Yorker once called the school “The Juilliard In Its Field.”
Lessons are private and one-on-one. You bring your goals, Jack brings the repertoire and a method built around tablature. Most students are playing real songs within the first few lessons, without learning standard notation first.
Travis picking, alternating bass, and solo arrangements in the style of Mississippi John Hurt, Rev. Gary Davis, and Doc Watson.
The thumb-and-fingers technique behind the Nashville sound, learned note-for-note from Atkins's recordings.
Old-time down-picking rooted in Appalachian tradition, from simple melodies to crooked tunes.
Scruggs-style three-finger rolls, backup patterns, and full song arrangements.
Practical harmony, chord construction, and ear training applied directly to the fretboard.
Never held an instrument, or coming back after years away. We start with how to hold the pick, how to tune, and your first real song within the first few lessons. No reading standard notation required, Jack teaches through tablature.
You can play some songs and want to go deeper. We work on cleaner technique, picking-hand independence, and building real repertoire in the folk, country, and old-time traditions.
Working players refining a style or adding a second instrument. Jack has taught accomplished jazz and rock musicians who came to study fingerstyle and clawhammer specifically.
Rates and current availability change, so the simplest thing is to get in touch. Jack replies personally and will help you find a time that works.
“I had a wonderful time working with Jack. He is the most patient and knowledgeable guitar teacher I have ever encountered. His encyclopedic knowledge of music and songs is astounding. I learned more from three lessons than I expected to learn in six months.”
Steve
May 2012
“I am an accomplished, professional jazz and rock musician. I hired Jack to teach me fingerstyle and clawhammer technique. He is extremely skilled in both. He's also a great guy and very patient as a teacher. I absolutely recommend Jack for lessons on the acoustic guitar and banjo.”
James Schwinger
May 2012
“My lessons with Jack are a highlight of my week. He is incredibly knowledgeable, not just about banjo but about a range of music. A musician's musician, and very much a teacher, welcoming of beginners like myself and skilled at pinpointed ways to improve.”
Nancy
April 2018
Read all 257+ entries in the guestbook.
In-person lessons take place in the neighborhood where the school started in 1970. The exact studio address is shared when you book.
Yes. Online lessons run over live video call for students who can't make it to Manhattan. They get the same one-on-one attention and detailed feedback as an in-person session.
Fingerstyle acoustic guitar, Chet Atkins style, folk guitar (Travis picking, alternating bass), and solo arrangements in the tradition of Mississippi John Hurt, Rev. Gary Davis, and Doc Watson. All levels, from complete beginner to advanced.
Bluegrass banjo (Scruggs three-finger rolls) and clawhammer (old-time down-picking). All skill levels.
No. Jack teaches through tablature, which is simpler and faster for most students. Many students are playing full songs within the first few lessons.
The studio is in Greenwich Village, Manhattan. In-person lessons are in New York City; online lessons are available anywhere.
First lesson, first instrument, or returning after years away. All are welcome.
Contact Jack