The Lord of the Strings

Los Angeles, United States

5

Open now

6 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards

Contacts

QR code, vCard

Telephone:
+1 213-479-4508
Website:
www.thelordofthestrings.com
Address:
11650 National Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90064
Mar Vista
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
0.9 miExpo/Sepulveda
1.1 miExpo/Bundy
1.2 miWestwood/Rancho Park
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Bussiness info

Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Parking
Street
Bike Parking
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible
No
Dogs Allowed
No

Today

Today 10:00 am – 9:00 pm
Open now
Local time (Los Angeles) 16:36 Thursday, 3 July 2025

Business hours

Monday 10:00 am – 9:00 pm
Tuesday 10:00 am – 9:00 pm
Wednesday 10:00 am – 9:00 pm
Thursday 10:00 am – 9:00 pm
Friday –
Saturday 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Sunday 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

Description

Specialties

I am a professional musician with multiple graduate degrees in music and various recording credits, and have offered guitar, bass, ukulele, ear training, songwriting, and music theory lessons in person and online for the last 16 years. I believe that with my expert guidance, each of my students can become a «Lord of the Strings».

So if you are looking for high quality guitar and music lessons that cover a range of topics including basic chords, strum patterns, fingerpicking, funk-​style strumming, bluesy bends, aggressive metal riffs, arpeggios, extended jazz chords, sweep picking, tapping, improvisation, technical proficiency, sight reading, theory and ear training, then you’ve come to the right place. Or maybe you want to learn to play that one song you’ve wanted to forever — from the most difficult Van Halen solo, to a simple folk tune. Or perhaps, you want to learn to write your own music, I cover that as well.

History

Established in 1998.

I have been teaching guitar and music theory students, as well as ukulele and beginner/​intermediate bass students for over 16 years, starting on the East Coast, in the Mid-​West, and for over 11 years in Los Angeles. I recently have started teaching via Skype as well.

Meet the Business Owner

Gabriel I.

Business Owner

Gabriel Isaac is a versatile session guitarist, seasoned live performer, multi-​instrumentalist, songwriter, gifted improviser and has been teaching guitar, bass, and music theory to students of all ages and levels, including some well-​known professional players, for over 16 years.

He holds multiple degrees in Music, including a Bachelors in Music Theory and Composition, a Masters in Jazz Studies — Guitar Performance. a second Masters in Musicology, and he was a Doctoral Candidate at USC in Musicology/​Ethnomusicology/​Jazz Studies.

Some of his favorite guitar players include: Stevie Ray Vaughan, Scott Henderson, Jimmy Herring, Eric Clapton, Eddie Van Halen, Jimi Hendrix, B.B. King, Albert King, Freddie King, Buddy Guy, Trey Anastasio, Carlos Santana, Jerry Garcia, Al Di Meola, Pat Martino, Joe Pass, Grant Green, Mike Stern, John Scofield, Robben Ford, Joe Bonamassa, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, John Petrucci, Steve Morse, Marty Friedman, Jason Becker, Yngwie Malmsteem, and many more.

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6 reviews of The Lord of the Strings

No registration required
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
Gabe did a great job at figuring out where I was as a guitarist and giving me helpful instruction from there. He’s knowledgeable about everything you’d want to learn about jazz music. In less than a couple months, I have a much greater understanding of music theory. I look forward to learning a lot more! Recommend him big time to anyone wanting to take guitar lessons — not just aspiring jazz players. Also, he can teach the ukulele well too!
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
Gabe lives up to all the aforementioned praises. Whether you are a beginner with no prior experience (like myself) searching for the basics or a vet looking to sharpen your skills, Gabe will be able to help you. He’s a great teacher for all skill levels and most importantly, very patient. He has a great talent in breaking down complex ideas into terms a beginner would understand. I feel the lessons are customized to my interests, strengths and weaknesses. He has a flexible schedule, also. After a year under his tutelage, I can confidently say I can play the guitar. Although, it might be a little while longer before I am headlining. Definitely a class worth taking!
PS. Did I mention he is patient!
Place rating: 5
Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, CA
Gabe is an amazing musician and it shows.
I on the other hand just picked up a guitar to spend sometime by myself, in a room, away from work, two crazy little kids and all of the other stuff that keeps me from simply relaxing. That worked for a few weeks and then I got bored of the books or online videos.
So I searched around and found Gabe (he had a kick ass deal for the first lesson!). The first lessons I assume were the typical lessons for someone who didn’t even know how to hold a pick. Fingers here, look there, this is how you tune and oh hey, it’s probably not working cause your amp isn’t on. Seriously, I had no idea what I was doing.
It’s a year later and I love my guitar more than I ever thought I could. I play almost every night and it’s not because I’m amazing at it but simply because Gabe challenges me. Of course I’ve improved, but more importantly I’m having a great time playing. Sure, the lessons are still a bit of work between a teacher and student… but after every lesson I get better and have more fun than before.
After we got past the basic stuff I began to ask certain questions about things. I was curious about: scales, this song or that song, Hendrix or The Beatles, etc. etc. Usually it was just curiosity of something or maybe a song that I could play if I just learned the simple way to play it. But Gabe, in his own very unique way, would basically push me to play the song the correct way… showing me piece by piece how to play the entire song. Sure, I still think Hendrix and John Frusciante are gods among mortals… but I can take a hack at some of their songs and have fun doing it!
Let me be clear, Gabe isn’t pushy by any means… he sorta just shows you that the song you thought was impossible… isn’t. And then walks you through it until you can pick it all up with the skills (and new confidence) he just gave you.
Gabe as a teacher is awesome… but is seriously impressive as a musician. I ‘ve mentioned countless songs to him and he just breaks them out without even needing to look at the music or hear the song. If he doesn’t know the song you’re talking about, once he hears it he usually can pick it up by ear. And don’t even get me started on how good his beer brewing skills are!
An overall guitar savior for us mere mortals.
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
I’ve been fortunate to receive lessons from Gabriel for little over a year and half and the very first thing you will notice about his teaching methods and what separates him from the vast majority of other guitar teachers is that not only will he cater to what you specifically are trying to improve upon but he also really pays attention to the way you play as a whole and will provide with you tips/​lessons on the entire aspect of guitar playing, even areas that you had not brought up with him. As a UCLA music student, I can’t stress enough not only how incredibly talented he is just at playing the guitar but the vast knowledge of guitar playing, guitar tone, guitar «tricks», that really encompass all of the stuff a student would yearn for in a lesson. And the direction of the lesson is completely up to you, I’ve stopped Gabriel before and questioned him on why he played something a certain and he gives you a detailed opinion on why he is doing it but also variations that might you suit you better a player. Furthermore, with his extensive background in music he can provide you with not only just the fundamentals and mechanics of guitar playing but crafting songs, music theory, and the structuring and of soloing. Not to mention I think he’s got every issue of guitar player magazine dating back to the 80s. I’ve taken lessons from nearly ever part of California (Sacramento, San Francisco, San Diego and LA) and I’ve yet to meet someone with his level of playing and dedication to his students. It’s been a great pleasure to learn from him, watch him play, and any student looking to advance his skills need not look any further. Simply put, you’re wasting your time going any place else, I know because I’ve been there.
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
When I started taking lessons with Gabe, I had never even held a guitar before! Now, four years later, I can strum just about anything at a campfire, play through many of the classic rock standards (Stairway to Heaven, Hotel California, etc.) and am working on my confidence for improvising as blues lead guitar. Gabe is a patient and encouraging teacher. He knows a lot of music history and theory, which gives me a deep understanding of why we play what we do. This knowledge allows me to go beyond mere imitation toward (eventually) new musical ideas.
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
Gabe is incredibly knowledgable at his craft, and can explain what he’s doing in a way suitable for everybody. Gabe introduced me to some exercises for speed and creativity that I use almost everyday to keep my fingers loose. Watching Gabe play is inspiring, to say the least. You can see on his videos online just how fast and accurate Gabe plays — it’s a thrill to sit in a room which that kind of talent. He’s also got a cool cat that really likes my guitar case. Go see him and definitely practice ALL THE TIME — if you do, Gabe can turn you into a serious player.
Oh, and he’s a cool guy, too. Easy to talk to and ask questions.