Skip to content
Rock WorksSchool of Music
Honolulu · Est. 1982

Real songs.
Real bands.
From day one.

Learn on a real song from your first lesson. Six months in, you're in a band — rehearsing weekly, aiming at a Hawaii stage.

The member area

Membership opens the lesson videos, song library and practice tools — the part of learning that happens between lessons.

Join the member area$55 a month, cancel any time — or $135 a term
Lessons at the school

Arranged with us, not booked here. A free trial is where that starts — bring nothing, we have the instruments.

How one song gets taught

The method

Five passes over the same song — so by the end you understand it inside and out, not just how to play along.

  1. 1

    Sing-a-long

    Learn the melody and lyrics by ear — no instrument required yet.

  2. 2

    Chords

    Play the song's core chord progression in a simple strum or comp pattern.

  3. 3

    Scales & fills

    Add the scale the song lives in, plus a few signature fills.

  4. 4

    Melody

    Play the actual vocal or lead melody on your instrument.

  5. 5

    Improv

    Solo over the changes using everything from the earlier levels.

Six months in, you're in a band.

Every student is placed in a Rock Band after six months on their instrument — four or five players, each on a different part, learning one song together.

Bands rehearse weekly and get the chance to perform on a real stage in Hawaii.

How the Rock Band program works →

Choose your instrument

Pick your sound

Lesson videos in the member area are organised by instrument. Pick yours and we'll carry it into signup.

One school, three ways in

Who it's for
  • Teens & bands

    Form a band with friends and siblings and take a song to a stage — or go one-on-one and set your own pace.

    Explore band lessons
  • Keiki (ages 5+)

    From age five up, singing the song comes before playing it — so a first lesson is music, not setup.

    See the early years
  • Adults

    Start at any age, on the same five levels everyone else gets. Scheduling works around a working week.

    Start as an adult
The record

Teaching in Honolulu since 1982.

Instruments
Six — guitar, piano, bass, drums, voice and ukulele.
Levels per song
Five, sing-a-long through improv.
Pace
Most students finish a song every four to six weeks.
Membership opens
Every lesson video, the song library and five practice tools.
Band placement
At six months, with a shot at a Hawaii stage.
Bands
Rehearse weekly and finish at a Rock Works recital.

Ready to play your first song?

Membership opens every lesson video, the song library and the practice tools. Lessons at the school are arranged with us.

$55 a month, cancel any time — or $135 for a three-month term.

Honolulu · Est. 1982

Real songs.
Real bands.
From day one.

A ten-year, song-based curriculum where every student learns to play, perform, and eventually write their own music — one real song at a time.

Membership opens the lesson videos, song library and practice tools. Lessons at the school are arranged with us — start with a free trial.

  • One song a month

    Every song is taught in five levels — sing-a-long, chords, scales & fills, melody, and improv.

  • Solo or in a band

    Learn one-on-one, or sign up with friends and siblings to form your own Rock Band.

  • A ten-year path

    We can tell you exactly where you'll be in 6 months, 1, 2, 3, 5, and 10 years.

How one song gets taught

The method

Five passes over the same song — so by the end you understand it inside and out, not just how to play along.

  1. 1

    Sing-a-long

    Learn the melody and lyrics by ear — no instrument required yet.

  2. 2

    Chords

    Play the song's core chord progression in a simple strum or comp pattern.

  3. 3

    Scales & fills

    Add the scale the song lives in, plus a few signature fills.

  4. 4

    Melody

    Play the actual vocal or lead melody on your instrument.

  5. 5

    Improv

    Solo over the changes using everything from the earlier levels.

Choose your instrument

Pick your sound

Lesson videos in the member area are organised by instrument. Pick yours and we'll carry it into signup.

One school, three ways in

Who it's for
  • Teens & bands

    Form a band with friends and siblings and take a song to a stage — or go one-on-one and set your own pace.

    Explore band lessons
  • Keiki (ages 5+)

    From age five up, singing the song comes before playing it — so a first lesson is music, not setup.

    See the early years
  • Adults

    Start at any age, on the same five levels everyone else gets. Scheduling works around a working week.

    Start as an adult
The record

Teaching in Honolulu since 1982.

  • Six instruments — guitar, piano, bass, drums, voice and ukulele.
  • Five levels to every song, sing-a-long through improv.
  • Most students finish a song every four to six weeks.
  • Membership opens every lesson video, the song library and five practice tools.
  • Bands rehearse weekly and finish at a Rock Works recital.

Ready to play your first song?

Membership opens every lesson video, the song library and the practice tools — the part of learning that happens between lessons.

$55 a month, cancel any time — or $135 for a three-month term.

Lessons at the school are arranged with us, not booked here — the trial is where that starts.