Sam Davis is a wonderful guitar teacher and a very nice guy. I've enjoyed every lesson I've had with him. It had been over 35 years since I had taken guitar lessons as a teenager and I was a bit anxious to find a teacher who would help me restart my fretboard explorations. Sam was the perfect teacher for this. He introduced me to a host of new concepts, exercises, and ideas. I particularly appreciate the quality of the written materials he gave me each lesson. These charts and diagrams will be a rich resource for me to draw from for years to come. I feel lucky to have found Sam and sat in his student's chair. I also feel quite privileged to have been introduced to Darla. ...read more

I have wanted to learn to play the guitar ever since I started sitting around camp fires at age 8. I finally cleared out some time in my schedule last fall and took 13 lessons with Sam (I bought his 10 "3 free" package). What a blast! Sam doesn't have a set curriculum, he just follows you wherever you want to go. He taught me basic chords and how to read tab the first week, and from there it was all based on what I wanted to learn. I would have made more progress if I had spent more time practicing on my own, but Sam always made me feel like the hour spent with him was worthwhile -- even I asked him to help me with the same song I'd been doing for weeks. Warning: I do not recommend Sam if you want a more textbook-style guitar instruction program. But if you want to have a great time learning from a really talented guitarist, Sam is your man! ...read more

I came to Sam after being self-taught for a few months, but still very new to playing guitar. Sam is local to Cambridge - about halfway between Central Square and Harvard Square, walkable from either Red Line stop. I was instantly put at ease when I saw Sam's teaching space: colorfully painted, barnyard-themed (parts of it, at least), equal parts shrine to guitar and a display of Sam's unique personal style. Did I mention Darla the Cow, Sam's six-foot fiberglass pet? Sam's teaching style is a mix of whimsy, technical mastery and artistry. One moment we could be talking about the mixolydian mode, the next moment talking about the proper way to hold your fingers on the fretboard when playing a certain scale, straight into which types chords sound the most "orcish." He is very easy-going, but don't be fooled - his 40 years of playing guitar have made him a master. The guy is a ton of fun, and loves sharing his gift. Go See Sam! ...read more