Virginia H.
Kale Good is an excellent guitar teacher. My child has made enormous progress in technique and musicality with his guidance. We like the combination of the structured Suzuki method with improv and games, and my child also benefits from listening to and playing with others in his group classes. Kale takes pedagogy very seriously, has 1001 tricks up his sleeve for helping kids progress, and pays close attention to what each student needs. I can't recommend him highly enough!!
Travis F.
Our daughter has been taking lessons for over two years now. Kale is a fantastic teacher. He seems to know how to attune to each kid, figuring out the balance of challenging and reassuring his students. His Suzuki lessons have helped our daughter grown tremendously, especially her confidence. We highly recommend Kale.
Ted W.
My 11-year-old daughter has been taking guitar with Kale for about a year and a half now. Kale's great with kids--he's engaging, patient, and thoughtful. .. He helps my kid to think musically--playing interval-hearing games and such. (added 6 years later)
My 17 year old is now applying to colleges and has decided that she'll only consider schools with a classical guitar performance track. Thanks partly to Kale, making music has become a major and lasting part of my child's life.
Are you ready to unlock your child's musical potential? Look no further for the best children's guitar lessons in Philadelphia and on the Web!
Music has the power to transform lives, and learning guitar will have a profound impact on your child’s development. Whether your little one dreams of becoming the next rockstar or simply wants to explore their creative side, my guitar lessons guide students to amazing abilities while igniting their passion for music.
I offer a nurturing and supportive environment where your child will grow and learn at their own pace. A carefully developed curriculum combines learning songs with creativity and improvisation games and gives all children a thorough musical education.
Give your child the gift of music and let their musical journey begin with the best children's guitar lessons in Philadelphia or virtually anywhere in the world.
Numerous studies confirm decades of anecdotal experience: Music lessons massively benefit to your child's growth
Performing music is one of the most demanding fine motor skill activities.
Everyone loves music, and being able to create and share beautiful music is a joyful experience.
Learning to play a musical instrument can increase IQ by seven points
As your child achieves goals that once seemed unachievable, they'll learn the value of persistence and discipline.
Children learn to diagnose, break-down, and rebuild problematic sections of music.
Increases the brain area used for to audio processing & memory, making it easier to learn a foreign language.
As your child's skills and creative expression grow, they'll develop a unique musical identity. When family and friends recognize their accomplishments, your child's pride will grow.
Playing music engages the auditory, memory, emotional, and motor parts of the brain. Very few activities are this thorough.
The process of decoding written music is similar to words. Due to this, it reinforces reading skills.
Sharing musical experiences with others is a core cultural experience dating back thousands of years. Studies show these experiences increase people's willingness to work together.
Children learn to focus on the task at hand and understand the rewards of hard work. Creating beautiful music is rewarding, leading to a virtuous cycle.
Your child will learn to overcome common emotional roadblocks such as frustration and perfectionism. They'll learn to communicate in a creative and musical context.
If you don't know where you're going, you'll end up someplace else" - Yogi Berra
I'll always remember the first time I drove to my aunt's house for Thanksgiving dinner. My parents had taken a vacation, and they left my older brother and I home alone. I had driven there many times as a passenger, but didn't know their address or phone number. I had never driven there before.
As I drove along, each intersection was familiar. I was never worried or concerned that I would get lost. I knew the way there without knowing how to get there.
A huge part of my student's success is listening to repertoire recordings daily.
By listening daily, students can focus on the physical challenge of learning guitar. They avoid the incredible confusion of trying to learn two things at once. I can teach the skills needed to play a piece that the student already understands. Then you and I can help develop your child's ability to manage frustrations and rise to new challenges.
Take your child's playing to the next level with Power-Play Listening. It only takes a few minutes to make it work.
Make a playlist of the song your child is currently learning and the next 3 songs. Play it on repeat in the background for about a half-hour every day.
Your child will begin to rush through the repertoire. This will supersize their their motivation
Bonus Tip: If your an iOS user and handy with technology, you can use the default app "Shortcuts" to create an automation that plays this playlist at the same time every day, when you connect to your car's Bluetooth, or more.
Playing music is one of the most complex tasks your child can do. That complexity is a massive part of why learning music has so many benefits.
Teaching young children to play guitar requires an astute awareness of guitar pedagogy. Just as crucial is the ability to get young children to repeat a skill until it's easy.
I've compiled lists of over 50 games, categorized by genre, that I use in my guitar lessons in Philadelphia.
Attention games develop a child's ability to focus. Competition games heighten children's observational skills and help them refine a skill. Accumulation games have children to repeat a new skill five, ten, or even twenty times, ingraining the new skill.
These games are essential when I teach fundamentals in your first children's guitar lessons. Your kids feel pride, accomplishment, and self-motivation after they play recognizable music. Student's don't need the games at that point, but I keep using them because students love them!
Virtual version of "The Race Car Game" used in my guitar lessons. When a child plays accurately, their car moves. When they play inaccurately, my car moves. It's a race to the finish!
Balancing small toys on a child teaches proper posture when holding guitar. This game develops attention and focus.
Virtual version of "The Race Car Game" used in my guitar lessons. When a child plays accurately, their car moves. When they play inaccurately, my car moves. It's a race to the finish!
Balancing small toys on a child teaches proper posture when holding guitar. This game develops attention and focus.
We've all listened to incredible professional musicians via television, radio, and movies. Ever since birth. Here's one tool I use in my children's guitar lessons unlock the innate musicality of every student.
Many parents tell me "I don't have a musical bone in my body. I don't understand how my child plays guitar so beautifully!"
Musicality may be tough for you to define, but you know it when you hear it. Everyone feels music.
I teach my guitar students to be flexible and adaptable musicians. When students develop these skills, they unlock their ability express themselves.
My favorite simple-and-straight-foward game to develop these skills is Squiggle Maps. I draw a Squiggle on a map. High Spots are most intense, low spots are least intense. Students then "follow" the map while playing their scale, increasing and decreasing the intensity via volume, speed, and/or any of the other elements of musicality.
Simple. Only 1 change, and it's extreme.
Intermediate. Gradual change.
Advanced; many small changes.
Silly. Kids love it and it makes them think.
Simple. Only 1 change, and it's extreme.
Intermediate. Gradual change.
Advanced; many small changes.
Silly. Kids love it and it makes them think.
Get a piece of paper. Draw a squiggle on it.
Tell your child that the line tells them how loud to play. When the line moves to the top of the page, they get louder. When it moves to the bottom of the page, they get softer. As they play their scale, they move from left to right across the line.
Have your child play!
If your child struggles to understand, you can put a toy on the line and move it across the line as they play. Once they understand the concept, drop this teaching aid to build their ability to plan ahead.
Inexperienced teachers may be tempted to tell your child that they didn't do what the scale map says. This is only appropriate when teaching the game. After your child understands the basics, letting them experiment and explore take precedent. Critique should be used very, very sparingly. As scale maps get more complex, students develop increasingly complex planning and self-assessment skills. Asking them questions will help them to do this. Telling them what they did will not.
Test out lessons and see if I'm a good fit for your family before you ever start.
You'll have access to Philadelphia, State, National, and International Suzuki summer camps, weekend events, special recitals, and online community
Individual children's guitar lessons custom tailored to your child's personality, needs, and ability.
Favorites like "Movie-Pizza-Soda-Ice-Cream-Party-No-Parents-Allowed" are used to build a sense of community in the studio and outdoor group guitar classes in Philadelphia build camaraderie
Develop ensemble skills in the "safety net" setting of group class.
Most of the work of improving happens at home. I'll help and guide you with any struggles you may encounter.
Spring and Winter recitals in Philadelphia give your child a chance to show off their skills.
Easily reschedule lessons, pay for lessons, see lesson notes, and more with MyMusicStaff
I started teaching guitar in Philadelphia music schools almost 20 years ago. In mid-2010, I decided to try my hand at teaching independently and built a website. Within 7 months, I had enough students to quit all my other teaching jobs.
In 2014, I decided to focus on children's guitar lessons. I took my first Suzuki Teacher training and haven't looked back since. I've developed years-long relationships with families, and decades with some students.
Through the years, I've continued to develop my own skills, both as a teacher and a guitarist. I completed my Classical Guitar Performance and Music Theory degrees in 2010 at Philadelphia’s Boyer College of Music and Dance (part of Temple University). In 2024, I joined the faculty at Swarthmore College.
Throughout the years, I've continued to take lessons with regionally and internationally recognized teachers. I've continued to advance my teaching through further Teacher Trainings and workshops. I've taken the best ideas I've gotten and combined them with my own research. I've developed what I believe are some of the best guitar lessons a child could have.
You can read the long version of my story here.
Kale has been teaching our son Suzuki guitar for a year now, he began shortly after his third birthday. He is an excellent, patient and skilled teacher who really knows how to redirect an easily-distracted young learner. Our son loves Kale and playing music has had a great impact on him, we hope that this is the beginning of his life-long love for music.
My son began taking lessons with Kale when he was only 5 years old and has continued with him now for 3 years! ...Kale has such a way about him that, even when he is correcting my son, he does it with respect and kindness. ...Kale has passed down his love of music and instruments to my son... I have recommended him to many friends and will continue to do so--we are really lucky to have found him!
My 11-year-old daughter has been taking guitar with Kale for about a year and a half now, and I've been very happy with our experience with him. Kale's great with kids--he's engaging, patient, and thoughtful. Every lesson, I can tell he's working to put himself in my daughter's shoes to understand what she's getting and what she's not. And Kale's not one of those teachers who's only interested in teaching technical skills. He helps my kid to think musically--playing interval-hearing games and such.
**Edited several years later**
Turns out Kale is also great with teenagers. My kid is now 17. She's applying to colleges now, and she's decided that she'll only consider schools where she can do a music major--preferably with a classical guitar performance track. Kale has been working with her on choosing and polishing audition pieces, and generally helping her prepare for the next step in her musical education. Thanks partly to Kale, making music has become a major and lasting part of my child's life.
If you’re interested in learning guitar, we highly recommend Kale! …we loved it and made the commitment, and haven’t regretted it for a second.
I believe the most important thing is having a connection with a great teacher… Kale has an amazing ability to connect with students of any age, and it has been amazing for us to see our young son develop a respect for his teacher and an enjoyment of making progress through practice. His relationship with Kale is… a rich enhancement of his overall view of the world and himself.
My favorite thing about our lessons is to see Kale meet our son where he is at each time and then find a way to learn more about himself at the same time as learning more about music — quite a feat given that it can be hard to get a four-year-old to do much of anything if they’re not in the right mood.
Kale clearly has a deep understanding of child psychology. He was able to get a very impulsive, easily distracted toddler to follow directions and have a great time doing it. He was kind, understanding, and very tolerant.
I believe the benefits of his teaching can be infinite. Counting can become fun, patience a virtue, and for others, like my son, who struggle with speech, this can give them another method of communication and a confidence of self that is priceless...
Our daughter has been taking lessons for over two years now. Kale is a fantastic teacher. He seems to know how to attune to each kid, figuring out the balance of challenging and reassuring his students. His Suzuki lessons have helped our daughter grown tremendously, especially her confidence. We highly recommend Kale.
Kale is an amazing instructor who has the patience of the ancients with our child. He has been taking lessons for over two years and every lesson is a fun learning experience.
Neither my wife nor I are very musically inclined, but when my son showed interest in playing the guitar we wanted to find a good local option that could provide a worthwhile experience. Teaching my 5-year son was a challenge from the start. While he insisted on trying to learn the guitar, he would often shut down at Kale's lessons.
Kale remained persistent, patient, and supportive throughout as we all tried many different games and strategies to engage my son. After a break through and a year later my son is engaged and making good progress. My son looks forward to lessons, practices at home, and enjoys listening and playing music. Most importantly, my son is having fun, while learning good fundamentals from a strong musician and committed teacher.
and it's really accessible for the kids. But it's the same principles and pieces, so that our daughter has been able to play the Suzuki songs with her friends doing piano or violin, which is fun!
Click to play
Click to play
In the 1930s, two parents asked a young Shin'ichi Suzuki to teach their 4-year-old violin. He wasn't sure how. Then he remembered his struggle to learn German. He contrasted it to the fluency of the German children he met when he visited.
He thought about how children became virtuoso speakers and applied it to music lessons. He accepted the Student. The child amazed their parents with their progress. Soon, parents packed Suzuki's teaching studio with students.
Here are the key elements Suzuki used to get excellent results from his students:
Fast forward to today, and the Suzuki Method has spread across the globe. Teachers have "translated" to different instruments and developed graded repertoire for almost every instrument. It's been called The Mother Tongue Method due to its imitation of language learning. Or Talent Education because of it's core belief that talent is taught, learned, and earned through effort.
I've been training in and using this method for over a decade in my children's guitar lessons in Philadelphia. The difference between this method and conventional lessons is astounding.
One of the most famous chess players of all time is Judit Pulgar. She is legendary for her attacking chess style. Her 2 sisters are both incredibly strong players.
Their father, a psychologist with no knowledge of the Suzuki Method, wanted to prove that talent could be taught. And he created 3 of the most dominant female chess players of all time using methods familiar to every Suzuki Teacher.
Does Suzuki teach note reading? Yes! Perhaps you've heard it doesn't. This was an issue when the Suzuki Method first came from Japan to America due to differences in primary school music education. This issue has long-since been rectified. However, the rumor lives on.
My Suzuki Guitar Program combines individual lessons with a "Team Practice" group class. Team Practice group class has a compounding effect on my Philadelphia guitar students. Team Practice engages children more deeply in the music-making process by providing:
My students get the best of both worlds by combining group classes and individual guitar lessons. The results speak for themselves: The sum of the parts is greater than the whole.
Please note: Group Class is included with individual lessons and unavailable separately.
If you compare the kind of music that Mozart could play at various ages to today's Suzuki-trained children, he is not exceptional. If anything, he's relatively average.
Anders Ericsson - Research Psychologist. Author, Peak. 'Expert on Experts'
The process of learning written language goes on for a very long time; usually a minimum of twelve years of school. Musician's learn their musical ABCs, but much more quickly. Therefore, in early musical raining, musicians unfortunately tend to mix what they hear with what they see. This can detrimentally affect one's playing for the rest of one's life. The Suzuki Method of learning music is different. Young Suzuki students first learn how to play and then learn how to read music later.
David McGill - Principal Bassonist, Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Author, Sound in Motion.
A region of the top front part of the brain which is thought to be involved in problem-solving and conscious monitoring of our performance quiets down during improvisation...It seems that deactivating the self-monitoring, evaluating part of our brain frees us up to be more creative. There is some additional research that suggests musicians trained in improvisation might be more capable of unleashing their creativity in general.
Noa Kageyama - Sports Psychologist and Julliard-Trained Violinist
Talent Education
Learning in an encouraging environment with supportive and engaged parents, teacher, & community.
Mother-Tongue Method
Students learn the language of music in the natural order: listening, playing, reading. In this way, their ears guide their fingers.
Suzuki Triangle Support
Parent and teacher work together to support students and discover the appropriate level of challenge to motivate each individual.
Team Practice
Students play, communicate, and share ideas while developing musicality in the safety net of Team Practice.
Graded Repertoire
Students learn a carefully planed series of pieces, each building the skill necessary for new challenges and rewards.
Games, Games, Games
With a fishing tackle box full of toys and activities, I'll use all the tricks of the trade to keep your child engaged as they learn. And I'll teach them to you, too.
Realized Music Theory
Students first play instrumental games before learning abstract music theory, increasing functional understanding and retention.
CIA Missions
Creativity, Improvisation, and Adaptability games and exercises unleash every student's innate musicality.
YEs
no
Many teachers only provide a basic, weekly lesson and biannual recitals. Here's how they compare.
What you get with most Guitar Lessons
What you get with guitar lessons at Good Music Academy
You are fully protected by my 100% Satisfaction-Guarantee. If you don't think our lessons are a good fit for you after your first 6 weeks (45 days) of lessons, just let me know and I'll send you a prompt refund.
Kale Good
Founder, Good Music Academy
Tim A.
(via personal email) I wanted to take a moment to thank you for taking me on as a student, and let you know how much it has meant to me over the past couple of years. Learning to play this instrument has given me an extremely fulfilling new way to express myself musically, reawakening a part of myself that had lay dormant for the better part of a decade. Not only that, it's given me something to work toward and look forward to each week that lies entirely outside of my responsibilities as a father or at my job.
You really are a fantastic teacher, able to meet me at my level at every step of the way, and creatively introducing new technology and side materials organically as new challenges emerge on my journey. Thanks again, and I'm looking forward to the next year of study!
Allen Krantz
Department Chair of Classical Guitar program at Temple University
(via personal email) I just wanted to say that I auditioned your student ***** yesterday at Temple. She was very well prepared and had obviously been taught well so credit to you for your good teaching.
Darro Chea
Professional Pop-Punk Guitarist
Your lessons got me started on something great and now I'm going to be attending Berklee College of Music this fall! I really appreciate you working with me and getting me started
Matt Aigen
After years of guitar lessons, I have found a teacher that will guide me to my fullest potential on the guitar. In my other lessons I always felt that there was no long-term plan for what I was going to learn. There was no system, just "Bring in a song you want to learn". The songs I wanted to learn were WAY too hard for a beginner to learn. I would struggle to learn the song; sometimes I would get it but more often I would not. Frustration would follow and the guitar would sit un-played for days.
Now, I know where we are headed. The songs that I learn are challenging but not so far over my head that I put down the guitar. The lessons build on the skill that you have learned. Kale makes you feel comfortable from the first lesson. He watches you play and then gives immediate feed back on how you can improve. It is all-positive. My playing has improved so much in three months it is incredible.
Tysean Gross
When I first went to Kale Good Guitar studio, I had zero ability to play the guitar. I am now 25 years old, and it had always been a dream of mine to be able to play the guitar. I searched for many instructors, but I know I stumbled upon the best in the city. Kale is a very nice and funny guy. He makes you feel very confident in your ability to pick up the skill, and he himself is immensely talented on the guitar; it gives his students something to look up to. I sing and work with very talented musicians, and each of them have been impressed with how quickly I was able to pick up learning the guitar under Kale's guidance. I cannot imagine there being a better guitar instructor in all of Philadelphia. If you're serious about learning to play the guitar, there is only one place to go, Good Music Academy (formerly Kale Good Guitar Studio) When it comes to great instructors, Kale Good could not be better.
Laura Pozniak
After studying classical guitar throughout college I was concerned about finding a local instructor with a solid classical background, who could teach well beyond the basics.
With Kale, I was able to jump in comfortably where I had left off. He has an outstanding knowledge of the instrument, theory, and the genre, surpassed only by his knack for teaching it.
He truly understands the nuances and techniques of great playing, and is able to hone in on areas of improvement that I wouldn't pick up on otherwise. He takes the time to find music and exercises that are enjoyable and challenging - at the appropriate level for each student. On top of all this, Kale is relatable, patient, encouraging, and a blast to work with; I look forward to his lessons each week. He couldn't come with a higher recommendation!
Nick Patton
Prior to taking lessons with Kale, I was more or less self-taught, having taken only a few lessons from other guitar teachers over the years, and could string a few chords together and play the songs of some of my favorite artists. I've been working with Kale for less than a year and have seen significant improvement in my playing, musical rhythm, and understanding of music theory. Kale's classically trained background coupled with his enthusiasm to share his musical passion are unparalleled. Highly recommended.
Matthew Stein
Professional Bassist and Teacher
I've know Kale for over ten years and I've always appreciated his interest in deeply exploring many different guitar methods and teaching skills. I know that he brings a depth of knowledge and experience to his students, and doesn't get complacent, but is always learning and adapting his approach to fit a given student's needs. As a fellow music teacher, this is inspiring to see.
For sure. Kale knows his stuff.
Kale is good natured and has a great sense of humor... studying with him would never feel too "heavy" or too much like another thing you "have to do". He has also worked extensively with different age groups and knows a wide range of material. I think any student should feel confident that they have a qualified teacher.
Chiemena Ukazim
Professional Guitarist and Teacher
Kale has a firm belief in making music fun. Even though he is fun-loving, he does NOT scrimp on musicality. Students will benefit from seeing Kale's excellent technique and being around his infectious personality.
Andrea Cannon
Professional Guitarist, Teacher, and Suzuki Teacher-Trainer
Kale relates to his students, meeting them at their level. From young toddlers thru college-age, he connects the activities and the music to fit their interests and learning style.
He assesses the needs and interests of his students, and formulates a teaching plan for them as individuals. In this way, they receive instruction that truly motivates them to learn.
I think students will feel that their teacher takes an interest in them and cares to see them progress. They will appreciate the energy he brings to his teaching and will benefit from that.
Click here to contact me and we'll talk about lessons!
My teaching hours are Monday-Friday, from 12:00-9:00. Specific availability changes regularly. Contact me for specific available times.
Yes, I do! Contact me for more info.
4705 Baltimore Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19143. Easy access via 34 trolley, 64 bus, Grey's Ferry Bridge, and more.
Lessons canceled with 24 hours notice are given a Make-Up lesson which is valid for 6 weeks. All cancellations must be done via MyMusicStaff web portal.
A guitar, guitar case, and foot stool. Additionally, you'll need the Suzuki Guitar Volume 1 book and recording (CD or mp3)
Students are required to have a properly-fitting, nylon string guitar. The guitar must be no more than 1 inch above the child's belly button (1/2 inch for younger children) and have nylon strings.
Yes, rental guitars are available for approximately $20 per month.
Suzuki Lessons teach music skills in the same order that children learn language skills. First listening, then speaking, then reading, and, finally, writing. In my studio, this typically happens in late Book 1 or early Book 2.
The idea that Suzuki lessons don't teach note reading is a matter of something getting lost in translation. In Japan, all students are taught to read music in school. Therefor, it wasn't necessary for private music teachers to do so.
When the Suzuki Method was brought to America, this detail was missed and many teachers didn't teach their students to read notes. This oversight was quickly corrected, but this belief still persists.
For almost all the families I work with, I see them more often than they see their aunts and uncles. My relationship with the families lasts longer than with their school teachers. I've helped students make decisions about college.
I think it's worth giving you as thorough an understand into who I am and how I teach before we start working together. And it takes a lot of words to do that.
No.
My group classes are a core part of my curriculum and used in conjunction with private classes. They are complimentary to the individual lessons and are not the primary teaching vehicle. Therefor, they aren't available separately.
I will work with you to ensure that your child gets all the intellectual, emotional, and spiritual development that guitar lessons in Philadelphia can provide. Likewise, we’ll work together through the recitals’ excitement and the frustrations of bad practice weeks. Above all, we will stick with Shin’ichi Suzuki’s guiding principle; developing beautiful character comes first, making beautiful music follows.
I know that music lessons are a commitment to your family. I offer a 45-day money-back guarantee.
If you want your child learning from a highly trained teacher and experienced as both a guitarist and a teacher, contact me for more details.