Guitar & bass lessons · Northeast San Antonio
Kids, teens and adults learn from a TEA-certified music teacher who is also the lead guitarist of San Antonio hard rock band Violet Vanity. Patient enough for a six-year-old. Fierce enough for a future shredder.
Who it's for
Whether it's a seven-year-old's first song or an adult finally chasing the guitar dream, every student gets a plan built around the music they love.
That proud grin. That “Mom, Dad, listen!” Rolando teaches music to young children every day, so lessons are patient, playful and built around songs kids already love. Small wins every week turn into real confidence.
Maybe a guitar has been leaning in the corner since high school. Maybe you want to play like your heroes. Learn from a guitarist who plays real stages: technique, theory, improvisation, tone, and the nerve to play in front of people.
The journey
Every lesson moves you one fret closer to the moment you play for someone and they cheer.
The day it clicks. Your fingers find the shape, you strum, and it actually sounds like music.
A whole song, start to finish. The one you've always wanted to play.
Playing along with others, improvising, and finding a sound that's yours.
A living-room concert, a school talent show or a real stage. When the lights come up, you'll be ready.
Meet your teacher
By day, Rolando teaches music to elementary students. By night, he's “Axl,” lead guitarist of Violet Vanity. Every lesson gets both: a teacher's patience and a performer's fire.
He studied guitar under the legendary Roy Meave, earned a Bachelor of Music from UTSA, and has taught guitar since 2021, including at Sam Ash Music, where he taught 25+ students from beginner to advanced. More than 90% of his students keep coming back.
On stage, he's a founding member, lead guitarist, writer and producer of Violet Vanity, the San Antonio hard rock band behind the rock version of the viral “San Antonio” song. Before that he played with Paradise Lion, and he's performed at venues across Texas, from Houston and Dallas to Austin and San Marcos.
“I still remember the first time a guitar made me feel something I couldn't put into words. My job is to get you to that feeling, and then help you share it with an audience.”Rolando Handy II
Lessons & pricing
Monthly tuition covers four weekly lessons and holds your time slot. Start with a $25 trial lesson, credited to your first month when you enroll within 7 days.
How it works
Send a request below. You'll hear back with open times, usually within a day.
A relaxed 30 minutes: play a little, talk about the music you love, and set a first goal.
Pick a weekly slot. Tuition renews monthly, and reminders and billing run themselves.
A practice plan after each lesson, milestones to celebrate, and monthly updates for parents.
On stage
Lessons come from real stages, real bands and real nerves before the first note.
Violet Vanity's hard rock take on the viral San Antonio song, released in 2026.
Gig dates, riffs and studio moments.
Questions
Six is a great age to start. Lessons for young kids are 30 minutes, hands-on and song-based, so they stay fun and focused.
Absolutely. Plenty of students start from zero, including adults. Your first lesson covers how to hold the guitar, your first chord and a simple song.
Yes, for practice at home. Not sure what to buy? Ask before you shop. Rolando will help you pick a first guitar that fits your size and budget.
In a private guitar room on San Antonio's Northeast side; the address is shared when you book. Rolando can also come to your home within 10 miles for an extra $20 per lesson (45- or 60-minute lessons).
Yes. For students under 13, a parent or guardian stays on site. Rolando is a certified Texas educator who has passed state fingerprinting and a background check.
Give 24 hours' notice and you'll get a make-up lesson within 30 days, booked online. Sick but able to play? You can switch to a short video check-in instead.
Tuition is billed monthly with autopay and covers four lessons. There's no registration fee. To stop lessons, just give notice by the 15th for the next month.
Yes. Lead technique, speed, theory, improvisation for rock, blues and jazz, songwriting, bass and playing in a band are all on the table.
Lessons are in person for now. Online lessons are planned for later.
Book a trial lesson
Book a $25 trial. You'll play, talk about your goals and leave with a plan. No pressure, no contracts.