I am a guitarist with 37 years teaching, 43 years of live playing experience, and 47 years overall playing experience (as of 2024). In 2019, I released “Suspension of Belief“, a full-length album featuring my original compositions and guitar playing.
Feel free to explore the website to for my instructional-teaching philosophy; playing styles, opinions, and tips; transcriptions; and other links.
I teach in Cupertino at Canon Music.
I took guitar lessons from Jerry Baiden in the late 90s. I have since studied music at Princeton, Berklee College of Music, and MIT. In retrospect, I learned more about music from Jerry than I did from any of the university professors. This guy is one of the best guitarists I’ve ever met, and he’s also one of the most passionately musical people I’ve ever known. Since taking lessons from Jerry, I have performed across the country and I now develop guitar technology with companies like Gibson and Avid. Lessons from Jerry are worth their weight in gold!
I took both bass guitar and guitar lessons from Jerry in high school, and I will always consider those lessons to be one of the most fun things that I did during my otherwise studious and extremely nerdy teenage years.
As his student, you will discover very quickly that Jerry is not only passionate about teaching guitar, but also about teaching music. This goes beyond just teaching music theory (which he doesn’t skimp on, by the way, thank you Jerry!). I always loved hearing him talk about the backstory of each song I learned to play; not just the what, but the how and the why – the lifeblood of music itself.
His teaching curriculum is very structured and intentional but never feels restrictive or impersonal, probably because Jerry as a person is very chill and relaxed, and you will immediately want to be friends with him. If you are looking for a guitar/bass teacher who is not only insanely talented but also has a true gift for teaching and makes lessons fun and exciting, look no further, because Jerry is your man!
I couldn’t recommend Jerry highly enough. He not only taught me the technical aspects of Jazz and modal theory that I struggled with, but rejuvenated my passion for the genres I love, and continued to work with me through thick and thin to ensure I achieved my goals as a player. I could not have asked for a better mentor.
I introduce myself and show a sample of riffs and styles I use in my lessons.
Visit my YouTube channel to find seven tutorials featuring advanced-level selections.
Video Credit: Filmed, Edited, and Produced by Tom Odell, Los Altos, CA
My guitar lessons are focused on improving your skills as a guitar player and musician. I will assess your style and skill and provide the right materials to naturally improve your playing and musicianship. I have been teaching guitar for over 30 years and work with people at all skill levels.
Despite looking like a guitar, the bass guitar is a completely different instrument. My lessons focus on developing your general musicianship as well as gaining an understanding of the right mentality to be a successful bass player.
My ukulele lessons are all about having fun. We will explore your favorite songs, and you’ll gain a better understanding of music theory, and improve your technique. The ukulele is a great instrument for kids and people new to stringed instruments, and may even lead to guitar!
Released in October of 2019, Suspension of Belief is a collection of some of the songs I’ve written over the years. With the help of several talented musicians and recording engineers, I was finally able to bring my musical vision to life!
For more information about the album and to listen to some samples, please visit the album page!