Built for Players
Trusted by Educators
For 35+ years, the Rock House Method has helped musicians of every level move from first chord to first stage performance - through structured method books, video courses, and a curriculum that meets students wherever they are.
Our Story
From One Music School
to a Worldwide Catalog
Rock House began as a single music school opened by a 15-year-old guitarist who couldn't find the lessons he wanted to take. So, he wrote them himself - and forty years later, that one method has become a full library used by students and teachers across the globe.
- 1986First Rock Guitar Video
John McCarthy creates the first complete rock guitar instruction series on video, opening at age 15 with the original Rock House School of Music.
- 2000The Method Is Born
Designs the Rock House Method - an accelerated learning system pairing video, book, and online support into a single progressive curriculum.
- 2001Goes Worldwide
Method launches to the mass market. Distribution partnerships with Hal Leonard, Amazon, Guitar Center, Musician's Friend, and Music & Arts.
- Today3M+ Programs Sold
Over 60 instructional books and 58 DVDs across guitar, bass, piano, and vocals - used in classrooms and bedrooms in every state and 40+ countries.
John McCarthy
Creator of the Rock House Method
Meet the Founder
A lifetime of teaching & playing
John Frederick McCarthy is a musician, composer, author, and the educator behind the Rock House Method. He began playing at age six, formed his first band by eight, and at fifteen opened the original Rock House School of Music in Connecticut.
In 1986 he created the first complete rock-guitar instruction series on video. In 2000 he assembled those years of curriculum into a single accelerated learning system - pairing books, video, and an online support track - and in 2001 took it worldwide. Since then, more than three million Rock House programs have been sold.
Today he continues to write, perform, and teach - and in 2024 launched AmpliTeach, a platform that helps independent teachers and music schools run their entire business in one place.
To learn more about John McCarthy click here →
Featured / Endorsed By
The Method
Three principles · One mission
Make great music education accessible to every learner - and give educators a curriculum they can trust to deliver results.
Progressive
Every method is built as a ladder - Beginner to Advanced - so students always know the next step.
Performance-Driven
Real songs, real techniques, real bands. Theory is the means; playing is the goal.
Made for Educators
Teachers use Rock House in private lessons and music classrooms because the curriculum is structured, complete, and supports every learner.
“If you can dream it, you can play it. The Rock House Method is built around that idea - one student, one chord, one breakthrough at a time.”
- John McCarthy, Founder
Ready to start playing?
Browse the full Rock House Method library - or get in touch with our team for classroom and bulk orders.