7th Fret Guitar Studios

Specialties

At 7^th Fret Guitar Studios we’ve been teaching kids guitar using a variety of different styles (rock, jazz, blues, classical) for over 16 years. Our talented instructors use a proven, high-​quality curriculum that’s not only effective but a lot of fun! Students learn to play in small groups (2 — 4 students per class).

We offer adults, teenagers and children guitar lessons appropriate to their age.

Out student’s performance and learning make us proud! Since 1996, our students have put on at least two voluntary recitals per years. Many form their own rock bands with friends at school (they’re often known as «the guitar guy/​girl» at school). From 2004 through the time of this writing (Summer 2009), students of 7^th Fret and/​or Darin Au have held the top guitarist position in BOTH the lolani School Stage Bands and the Punahou School Jazz Band.

Please make an appointment before visiting us.

History

Established in 1996.

7^th Fret Guitar Studios filled a niche that was missing in music; teaching the keiki of Honolulu as young as 5 how to play the guitar. Teaching children is completely different than teaching teens and adults, which is the age most guitar teachers gear their teaching toward. We developed a holistic approach to music making and music learning that takes into consideration physical, emotional, and cognitive development of kids as well as keeping our studio family-​oriented, professional, respectful, yet relaxed.

Over the years, we have seen some of our students go on to get college degrees in music, form their own bands (rock, Hawaiian, blues, jazz, reggae, you name it!), and some have come back to visit to tell us that they still play their guitar alot!

Our teaching is very different than when we started out nearly 20 years ago and we expect it to change over the next 20 years as well. Our teaching must evolve because we must do what is best for our students.

Meet the Business Owner

Darin A.

Business Owner

Darin graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a B.A. in Music from the University of Redlands. He received his Master of Music degree in Composition from the University of North Texas, home to one of the largest music colleges in the nation. His compositions and arrangements have been performed across the United States, throughout Europe and in Asia. His works have been performed by several professional guitar ensembles, including the New York Guitar Quartet, the San Francisco Guitar Quartet, and the European guitar quartet, Guitar4mation.

He has performed extensively throughout the U.S. and among his local credits are concerts and CD recording with rock/​reggae band Thick Tubes and radio and television appearances with Kapono Beamer. His compositions and recordings have also been heard in productions for Honolulu Theatre for Youth. Since 2005, Darin has served as the Academy Music Department Head at Punahou School.