David First
David First

David First

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Interested musical styles
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Introduction: Among the many grants and awards I've received for my composing, I was named The Number One Guitar/Theory Lessons Teacher in Thumbtack's Best of 2015, as well as a "Top Pro" in 2016-18. Below are some reviews about my playing/composing/songwriting/teaching: 1. Thurston Moore in Mojo Magazine "Mind blowing." 2. NYTimes "Astonishing." 3. Time Out NY "The next big thing in guitar gods." 4. The Big Takeover "Powerhouse guitarist." -------------------------------------------------------------- I'm a composer, performer and teacher, written up in Pitchfork, The Village Voice, Guitar Player, and NYTimes, who makes it fun for beginners and fully develops the advanced. I teach all styles and desires, from songwriters who are interested in developing their creativity/improv skills, to those who'd love to play their favorite songs. I teach electric and bass guitar, midi and computer recording, fingerpicking, songwriting, noise, improvisation, rocking out, psychedelic sonic landscapes, blues, funky stuff, alternative tuning, various jazz-avant theories, guilty pop pleasures and ??? -------------------------------------------------------------- The following are a few reviews I received from my clients as a teacher prior to Thumbtack: 1. Bernard Gann/Liturgy (Thrill Jockey) "David's teachings expand across every spectrum of the instrument and encourage much thought beyond as well. The sound itself becomes the focal point, and the guitar is a vastly differentiated palette with which to achieve any end that you can imagine. Guitar technique is only a part of a larger whole, a brilliantly open-world philosophy where sound is king." 2. Theresa Smith/Home Blitz (Mexican Summer) "I've been playing basic rock 'n' roll guitar for 15 years and never taken guitar lessons before. David has really helped me begin to grasp the underlying structure of the instrument in a way that makes sense to me and that I can use to build on basic song structures in an improvisational setting. Plus, he's a great guy and killer guitar player. I can't recommend him highly enough!" 3. Eric R. "David has the depth and understanding to convey music with both soul and science. A lesson with him is like having your own personal composer, lyricist and guitar wizard. I can't believe my luck of finding him." 4. Michael W. "David's ability to psychically figure out exactly what I need and how to get it to me is the primary reason why I am able to continue on this difficult and important mission of finding myself, the musician. If I hadn't found him, I definitely would have quit by now. Equal parts guitar teacher, mentor, therapist, comedian and role model, David packs quite the bang for the buck. I didn't think creativity could be taught, but no! David has proved me wrong." 5. David G. "David's a versatile teacher. I am learning everything, from basic guitar to post rock, computer music and harmonics. He is patient but also challenging. I feel incredibly lucky to be studying under his tutelage." -------------------------------------------------------------- Below are some of the reviews I received as a songwriter/composer: 1. Paris Transatlantic "Simply a master chef when it comes to cooking up harmonics." 2. Splendid E-zine "It's enough to give you goosebumps." 3. NY Times "Kinetic dance rhythms with thoughtful lyrics." 4. All Music Guide "As a singer, he underplays in the manner of Andy Partridge, with a similar jazzy bounce, and his lyrics are comparable as well in their intelligence and elusive imagery." 5. Time Out New York "He is a guitarist with a flair for melody and a neat way of intertwining themes and stories as proved by his new CD."
Overview

Hired 82 times

Background checked

1 employee

38 years in business

Payment methods

This pro accepts payments via Cash, PayPal, and Venmo.

Top Pro status

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2018

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2017

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2016

Featured Projects

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Specialties
Interested musical styles

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Reviews

Customers rated this pro highly for work quality, professionalism, and value.

Exceptional 5.0

52 reviews

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pro avatar
Bilal K.
Jul 24, 2014
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Hired on Thumbtack

Hired on Thumbtack

I've been working with David as a "beginner" bass player for only a few weeks at this point, but I am already seeing really remarkable results, even in such a short time. He is very clear in his explanations, methodical, patient and knowledgeable. My lessons are a good mix of theory and practice (which is in response to my expressed interest in knowing more compositional theory). I feel much more confident about my bass playing, and am able to communicate better with band members. Most importantly, I have confident that with his continued guidance, I will be able to reach a level of competency and creativity. Based on my experience, I recommend him to anyone who want to learn the bass guitar, without any reservations.
Guitar Lessons
pro avatar
Evan M.
Sep 28, 2021
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Hired on Thumbtack

Hired on Thumbtack

David is an excellent teacher. He enables you to learn what you want to learn, while still being able to learn the necessary basics as a beginner. Within only the first few lessons I could see real progress because of him, and I’m always excited for the guitar lesson each week.

Details: 18 - 25 years old • No formal training; some self-taught experience • Yes, can read music staff • What the teacher recommends • Folk • Rock • Blues • What the teacher recommends • Yes, the student has an instrument • 60 minutes • Remotely (phone or internet)

Guitar Lessons
pro avatar
Jessica R.
Jan 7, 2019
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Hired on Thumbtack

Hired on Thumbtack

I am so happy with the quality of lessons that David provides. He is not only extremely knowledgeable about his subject, but also has a great sense of pedagogy when it comes to sharing that knowledge—something that is not always easy to find. His pacing is challenging without being overwhelming, and he is great at tailoring the lessons to what you want to focus on. He has been very encouraging to me about working on songwriting, and seems to really take his students seriously as musicians, no matter what level they are at. Great sense of humour, great communication and good with flexible schedules. Highly recommend!

Details: 26 - 44 years old • 0 - 2 yrs of formal training • Yes, can read guitar tabs • Acoustic • Rock • Folk • Blues • Yes, the student has an instrument • 60 minutes • I travel to the guitar teacher • The guitar teacher travels to me

Guitar Lessons
pro avatar
Matt E.
Dec 12, 2018
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Hired on Thumbtack

Hired on Thumbtack

Been taking lessons with David for about 6 months now and it has increased my playing skill and knowledge a ton. Each lesson is completely tailored to me with some theory, jamming, and song learning thrown in there. If you're looking for a great teacher, I would highly recommend.

Details: 26 - 44 years old • Yes, can read guitar tabs • No formal training; some self-taught experience • Electric • Rock • Blues • Yes, the student has an instrument • 60 minutes • Within the next 1 - 2 weeks • Need some more information before hiring • I travel to the guitar teacher • The guitar teacher travels to me

Guitar Lessons
pro avatar
Gretchen m.
Sep 23, 2015
·

Hired on Thumbtack

Hired on Thumbtack

David is the best! I started lessons having never played guitar in my life, and already by the first lesson, I had learned so much and could begin to play. David really listens to what you want to accomplish and specifically guides you towards your goals. David is an expert and a great teacher.
Guitar Lessons (for adults)
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David Hirsch

FAQs

  • What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?

    When I was a struggling, younger musician, my teacher, Dennis Sandole, who was a legend in the creative music community (Google him and see), was extremely understanding and fair about his rates. I try to continue this in my pricing. If you are in school, or working a low-paying job, I don't want to discourage you from learning. Thus, I keep my base price a low $40/hr. If you are a professional with a good job, OTOH, I do ask you to pay a little more...up to $50 (which is still very reasonable).

  • What is your typical process for working with a new customer?

    We set up a first lesson and if they aren't beginners, I ask the student to play one or two things that they are comfortable with that demonstrate their abilities. I may ask them to go through a basic set of chords and scales as well to make sure that they don't have any "holes" in their knowledge before we move forward with new material. If the student is a beginner I ask them questions about their background—whether they ever played another instrument, sang in a choir, danced, etc. Anything that might actually feed into their musicality. Then we start from the very beginning. In either case, I also ask the student to bring a playlist of songs they would like to learn/understand that gives me even more of a picture of the direction to take them. I CUSTOMIZE EVERY STUDENT'S LESSONS TO FOLLOW THE DIRECTION THEY WANT TO GO BASED ON THEIR MUSICAL INTERESTS AND WHERE THEY ARE CURRENTLY AT LEVEL-WISE.

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