About
My name is Eric Gracia, and I am an award-winning concert guitarist and teacher. I DO NOT ONLY TEACH CLASSICAL GUITAR, BUT I TEACH ALL STYLES OF MUSIC. I WILL ALSO TEACH YOU ANY OTHER INSTRUMENT YOU OWN FOR FREE, INCLUDED IN MY LESSONS. I UNDERSTAND THAT LEARNING A MUSIC INSTRUMENT REQUIRES A SET OF GIVEN TECHNIQUES AND THE WILLINGNESS TO LEARN THEM.
I teach in Houston Texas and all the surrounding areas and have played on National Public Radio(NPR), as well as for presidents and mayors of many cities. I have been assistant director of the annual Classical Minds Guitar Festival and Competition held at the University of Houston, as well the assistant director of the Greater Houston Guitar Guild. I have studied with over 80 masters of guitar from around the world, most of which have doctoral degrees. My first instructor was the second person in the world to get a doctoral degree in guitar education and performance. I consider my lessons as masterclasses, in which I cover everything, from technique to music theory to repertoire, posture, stage presence, guitar repairs, and all musical styles. I have taught over 500 students in Houston since 2004. My students have gone on to win international competitions and talent shows and have been accepted in highly accredited universities. I am a guitar teacher for the student who wants to get to the highest level of the craft. I also offer a monthly meeting for all my students free of charge to perform the pieces they are working on and be critiqued by myself and my peers. It is a great chance to meet people working on perfection just like you. I teach all ages starting at 3 years old onward. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. References are available upon request.
The gratification of seeing a student who has never played the instrument before, being able to achieve a goal within less than an hour.
Highlights
Hired 12 times
1 employee
21 years in business
Serves Houston , TX
Payment methods
Cash, Check, Venmo, Paypal, Apple Pay, Zelle
Specialties
Musical styles
Rock, Country, Blues, Jazz, Folk, Classical, Recommendations available
Guitar style
Acoustic guitar, Electric guitar, Ukulele, Recommendations available
Has instrument
Student who have a guitar
Years experience
No formal training, No formal training; some self-taught experience, 0 – 2 years experience, 2 – 4 years experience, 4+ years of experience
Able to read music
Students who can read music staff, Students who can read guitar tabs, Students who cannot read music
Lesson length
45 minutes, 60 minutes
Student's age
Under 5 years old, 5 – 10 years old, 11 – 13 years old, 14 – 18 years old, 19 – 25 years old, 26 – 45 years old, 46 – 65 years old, Over 65 years old
Photos and videos
Reviews
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JN
J.C. N.
Eric is a fantastic instructor who goes the extra mile to help me as a student. I highly recommend him!!!
April 05, 2023
•Hired on Lessons
VL
Victor L.
He is an expert and has a good manner.
April 05, 2022
•Hired on Lessons
AT
Amy T.
Eric is an amazing teacher. I have been taking lessons with him for over a year. His depth of knowledge in all genes of guitar music is absolutely amazing. He is always encouraging me, even though my skill level is low. I couldn’t recommend him enough to anyone interested in learning the guitar. He is the best.
December 16, 2021
•Hired on Lessons
JW
J W.
Mr Gracia is kind, upbeat and great at working with our daughter, age 9. He works with her on a variety of styles and skills using classical and electric guitars. He is responsive to our interests and feedback. Perhaps most importantly, he works to foster a strong appreciation of, and technical foundation with, the guitar. I would strongly recommend Eric Gracia.
July 14, 2018
KJ
Kresimir J.
Comes to home. Very knowledgeable. Good price.
May 02, 2018
CV
Cristina V.
Simply stated, Eric is awesome. He plays guitar like an angel and teaches with passion and patience. His lessons are specifically tailored to each students needs and interests. For instance, one of his lesson for my 10 year old son may encompass technique, music theory and history, songs, proper posture, etc. Therefore, each is unique and most valuable. Eric is amiable, open to communication, and punctual.
April 29, 2018
Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
My typical process when working with a new students is first understanding what their goals are, musical tastes and time free to practice daily.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I started with blues and rock music with Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Led Zeppelin, Eric Johnson, Steve Via, Joe Satriani, Jeff beck etc at 6yrs as a adult I have been lucky enough to train with the best in the field of classical guitar. My first teacher was the second doctor of classical guitar in the nation Dr. Michael Quantz. In Brownsville Texas. Through him, I was able to study with almost every big name in the classical field because of a festival held yearly at the university of Texas Brownsville. Moving to Houston, Texas I worked with another great guitarist and created the greater Houston guitar guild and The classical minds Festival, which was held at U of H for about 13 years. I myself have study with over 80 instructors from around the world specifically working on time periods Style and technique. In Houston, I am the judge for Southeast Texas for the UIL, which is a competition for public schools. I am the guitar judge and I see hundreds of players a year and critique their playing ability. Some have gone onto great Heights In the field.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
My current price per hour as of now is $80 per lesson and $65 for online via FaceTime or zoom. I include all materials. All my student needs is just their guitar and two chairs for the lesson. Everything is included from music theory and technique to repairs.
How did you get started teaching?
I got started teaching at 12yrs in middle school by being the assistant instructor of my guitar class. It was a struggle because I am left-handed and the school did not want to supply a left-handed guitar, but because they did, I work extra hard and became the best to the point of teaching classes, most guitarist that studied at school came into my home on the weekends for private lessons.
What types of students have you worked with?
I work with all students no experience required. Just a student with Willingness to learn. My youngest age is 3 my oldest age student as of right now is 91. If you are a student with experience, I help with fixing issues and technique to refine you’re playing an ability. I also work with students with physical ailments, such as cerebral palsy, ADHD, and car or motorcycle accidents. Just because a student has a small physical or mental issue doesn’t mean they can’t be the best guitarist in the world. If you look behind all the greats. they all have some issue and guitar is a great way to learn how to focus, and see results on a daily basis. myself, I had a horrible stutter all my life, which was very hard to speak to people. So I spoke with my fingers. It creative confidence in me to the point that I don’t really have a stutter anymore.
Describe a recent event you are fond of.
My students regularly place in talent shows and competitions around the nation. Usually, my students are the youngest in there age group. If I say a student is good enough to place in a talent show or competition I pretty much guarantee a top placing for them as I am myself and the judge for UIL for Southeast Texas, and have been for the last eight years. I judge about 120 players every year in February for the state of Texas. So teaching my students I know how to get to the exact level they need to be champions!
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
The advice I give to students when researching a guitar teacher is to Speak to the teacher first before agreeing to lesson to see if their personality mesh’s with yours. I do my best to understand my students goals in our first conversation, Explaining in great detail what and how we would learn in lessons. Conveying my excitement for the instrument and experience. If a teacher is just concerned about payment and specific about their time only it’s not a great way to start. My students choose the best time for themselves, especially for the first lesson as we do not want to have any extra activities after to review if any questions arise, always best to have that done the same day as, if time goes on the questions you may have maybe forgotten, etc.
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
The questions of student should have prepared is what is the teachers experience if there is any references to check the teaching further of the specific teacher either phone calls or emails to previous or current students of the teacher. What is the educational background. Most online guitar players are doing it just for money and have no experience other than practicing in their bedroom if I was looking for a I would like to know that he or she is serious and have put plenty of years into teaching, not just being a guitarist. Just because a teacher is a great guitarist doesn’t mean he or she is a great teacher. I have wasted quite a bit of money on teachers in the past that I thought would be a great fit for me because of their technical liability, but they don’t know how to convey lesson material very well. Understanding how to play for yourself is very different than how to teach all walks of life and experience levels.
Services offered
Guitar