How Much Do Bass Guitar Lessons Cost in Memphis, Tennessee?
Compare bass guitar lesson pricing in Memphis by teacher quality, lesson length, online format, setup needs, and the value of a free first lesson.
How Bass Guitar Lesson Cost Works in Memphis, Tennessee
Bass guitar lessons in Memphis, Tennessee typically cost $58-$84 per hour, depending on lesson length, teacher experience, learning format, and the student's goals. A young beginner learning first bass lines and steady rhythm may only need a shorter lesson, while an older student, adult learner, or advancing player may benefit from more time for groove, clean technique, tabs, chord charts, tone, or playing with other musicians.
In Memphis, a one-hour bass guitar lesson typically costs about $65. Local private bass guitar lessons range from $32 to $46 for a half hour lesson and $45 to $65 for a 45-minute lesson. At the high end, professionally performing bassists might charge well above these rates.
Lesson With You offers live online 1:1 bass guitar lessons with a free first 30-minute lesson before weekly lessons begin. After the first lesson, weekly lessons are $35 for 30 minutes, $50 for 45 minutes, and $65 for 60 minutes. That gives you or your child a low-pressure way to meet the teacher, try the setup from home, and decide whether 30, 45, or 60 minutes is the right fit. For the broader lesson model, see our bass guitar lessons in Memphis, Tennessee page.
Calculate your Memphis bass guitar lessons price
Teacher education
Local in-person Our estimate is based on published rates from more than 8,000 instructors, focused on teachers with a bachelor's degree or higher in their instrument. We adjust for inflation and local living costs. Individual teachers set their own rates. Savings compare our price with the top of the local range.
$58-$84
per lesson
Lesson With You
$65
Save up to $19 a lesson
Meet your teacher firstBackground-checked teachersNo contracts required
Lesson With You prices vs other Memphis bass guitar lessons
Free Trial
$0
first lesson
Typical in Memphis: $32–$46
Save up to $46
30 Minutes
$35
per lesson
Typical in Memphis: $32–$46
Save up to $11
45 Minutes
$50
per lesson
Typical in Memphis: $45–$65
Save up to $15
60 Minutes
$65
per lesson
Typical in Memphis: $58–$84
Save up to $19
Meet a Bass Guitar Teacher in Memphis Before You Continue Weekly
Meet a bass guitar teacher in a free first lesson, try live 1:1 instruction from home, and decide whether weekly lessons feel right for you or your child.
- One teacher, one student, one personalized plan
- 30, 45, and 60-minute weekly lesson options
- Develop rhythm, groove, clean technique, songs, and bass confidence
- Start with a free first 30-minute lesson
Bass guitar lesson prices in Memphis
How do Memphis bass guitar prices compare?
Memphis bass lessons typically cost $65 an hour, matching Tennessee and coming in below the U.S. typical price of $72. Germantown and Bartlett are priced similarly, so lesson length, teacher training, and whether a studio asks for money up front matter more than the town you choose. Our prices fall within Memphis’s typical range, with weekly live online lessons and no drive to add to the cost.
Bass guitar lesson prices around Memphis
What does a teacher's degree add to the price?
A master’s or doctorate usually adds a few dollars per bass lesson, while training in bass or guitar matters most for learning solid technique and musical timing. Every teacher with us holds at least a bachelor’s degree in bass or guitar. That background helps your child or you build a dependable groove, read chord changes, and understand how bass supports a band.
Are 30-minute bass guitar lessons enough?
A 30-minute lesson is $35, a 45-minute lesson is $50, and a 60-minute lesson is $65. Thirty minutes suits a new player working on posture, tuning, and steady plucking; 45 minutes gives more time for chord changes and songs. An hour helps when a student is balancing technique with band repertoire or preparing for an audition. Three quick questions can suggest a starting point.
Which lesson length fits?
Budgeting for a year of bass guitar lessons
What will a year of bass guitar lessons cost in Memphis?
A full year of weekly 30-minute lessons with us costs $1,820 for 52 lessons. During the Memphis-Shelby County Schools year, August 3, 2026 through May 20, 2027, 37 lesson weeks cost $1,295. The drive is the cost most budgets leave out, especially when a weekly trip competes with school, work, and rehearsals.
Try your own plan
Total for your planTime in the carStudio totals use Memphis's typical lesson range plus a $25–$50 registration fee, and drive time counts the trip both ways. The plan starts at the Memphis school year (37 lesson weeks, August 3 to May 20) and a 21-minute drive, about the town's average commute.
Book a free first lessonWhat do studios charge besides the lesson?
Studios often ask for a $25 to $50 registration fee, then collect a month, term, or semester before lessons begin. A ten-week term can run $320 to $460, while a sixteen-week semester can be $512 to $736, and that money is hard to recover when plans change. With Lesson With You, the first 30-minute lesson is free, with no payment method needed, and there is no registration fee or term commitment.
Studio figure: a $25–$50 registration fee plus a 10-week term of 30-minute lessons at typical Memphis rates.
How you payBy the month, term or semesterPer lesson: $35, $50 or $65CommitmentA term or a school yearNone. Pause or cancel anytimeMissed lessonsOften lostRefunded or rescheduled with 24 hours' noticeNew teacherOften a new studio and new feesSwitch at no costGetting thereA drive every weekLive online from homeWhat does it cost to get started on bass guitar?
A student bass rental in Memphis typically runs $28 to $56 per month, while a used beginner bass costs $150 to $300 and a new student model about $260 to $270. Add a practice amplifier, cable, strap, and tuner; a gig bag and replacement strings add further cost over time. Tennessee sales tax adds about 10 percent to gear purchases. Keep the bass away from damp storage in summer and dry heated air in winter, and ask your teacher before buying.
Renting for a year
- Student bass rental for a year$336–$672
- Practice amplifier$100
- Instrument cable$15–$20
- Bass strap$9
- Clip-on tuner$19–$25
- Bass gig bag$60
- Beginning bass method book$8–$17
- Total$547–$903
Buying used
- Used beginner electric bass$150–$300
- Practice amplifier$100
- Instrument cable$15–$20
- Bass strap$9
- Clip-on tuner$19–$25
- Bass gig bag$60
- Beginning bass method book$8–$17
- Total$361–$531
Plus about 10% sales tax in Tennessee.
What books and materials will you need?
A beginning bass method book costs about $8 to $17, and a beginner electric bassist also needs a strap, cable, tuner, and amplifier. Effects pedals can wait until the player has a clear need for them. Memphis Public Library and Information Center may have method books or sheet music to borrow, so ask your teacher which book fits the lesson plan before buying one.
Getting your money's worth
Are bass guitar lessons worth the price?
Each weekly lesson should help you or your child leave with a clearer groove, more secure fretting and plucking, and a specific way to work on chord changes before the next session. A trained teacher can also hear when the bass line is rushing or dragging against a beat, which is difficult to judge alone. Against the top of Memphis’s typical range, our 30-minute lesson saves up to $11 each week.
What $35 a week gets you at Lesson With You
GabrielMaster’s in Guitar
WillBachelor’s in Guitar
NickBachelor’s in GuitarAre online bass guitar lessons cheaper than driving to a studio?
Per lesson, online and studio prices in Memphis are close; the difference is the trip, including driving, parking, and waiting over a school year. With our live one-on-one online lesson, your bass, amplifier, cable, and tuner stay set up at home, and the camera should show both hands clearly. Your teacher can then check fretting and plucking without a weekly trip across town.
Can apps or videos replace a bass guitar teacher?
Apps and videos can help a bass student tune, hear a steady beat, and review a technique between lessons, but they cannot adjust hand position in real time. Recording a bass groove with a metronome or drums and listening back can reveal whether you rush or drag against the pulse. Use that recording as useful information for the next lesson, not as a substitute for a teacher’s feedback.
What can you expect after 3, 6 and 12 months?
After three months of regular practice, a beginner can often tune the bass, fret clean notes, and hold a steady pulse on simple lines. At six months, students who keep practicing usually handle more chord changes and can follow easier songs with greater confidence. By twelve months, a steady learner may be ready to contribute bass parts in a school or informal group, though progress depends on practice and the time each student gives it.
What if the first teacher isn't the right fit?
A good bass teacher makes your child or you feel able to ask questions, then explains how to improve timing and hand position in a way that makes sense. If the teaching style is not a match, you can switch teachers at no cost rather than forcing a poor fit. The first 30-minute lesson is free, and there is no contract, so you can see whether the approach works before committing.
Find Your Next Bass Guitar Teacher in Memphis, Tennessee
Browse bass guitar teachers, compare availability, and start with a free trial before choosing weekly lessons in Memphis.
Filter by Day & Time
Will Orchard
Gabriel Maia
Nick Prato
Try adjusting your filters.
Local goals and what they cost
How do bass guitar lessons fit the school year in Memphis?
For students in Memphis-Shelby County Schools, a teacher can help plan bass practice around concerts, auditions, and busy school stretches. Bass is useful in bands and combos, so working on chord changes and a dependable groove can support playing with other students. Coordinate school repertoire and audition requirements with the school music teacher, then tell your lesson teacher when a concert or performance date is approaching.
What do local events cost to prepare for?
The West Tennessee Solo and Ensemble Festival has a Memphis Band Solo and Ensemble event in April, and each solo or ensemble entry costs $10; bass solos may be performed with or without an accompanist. A student competition through the Tennessee Music Teachers Association has 2027 fees of $43 for elementary, $48 for junior, and $53 for senior members, or $72 for nonmembers. Preparing an event piece during regular weekly lessons for three to six months costs $455 to $910 at 30 minutes; ask the school music teacher about requirements, and a school concert is another useful goal.
The Memphis bass guitar year
Memphis schools (Memphis-Shelby County Schools)Breaks: Oct 12 to Oct 19, Thanksgiving week, Dec 21 to Jan 4, Mar 15 to Mar 19
Working on the event piece, 3 to 6 monthsEventSchool in session
Where can a bass player play with others?
Bass players ages 10 to 18 can audition for Memphis Jazz Workshop; its August 29, 2026 audition costs $75 and is non-refundable. The Memphis Blues Society also has recurring area open jams and provides a bass amp, giving players a chance to sign up and play with others. Memphis Youth Symphony Program tuition covers orchestral training, but its Wind Ensemble and Youth Symphony or Repertory Orchestra are not a fit for bass guitar; local concerts can still help you hear how bass supports music in a group.
Keeping bass guitar costs down in Memphis
Borrow a method book through Memphis Public Library and Information Center if one is available, and ask your teacher before buying gear so you do not pay for extras too soon. The free first 30-minute lesson helps you try the fit before spending, and pausing during a busy week is possible with 24 hours’ notice. Family members who share a teacher get $5 off a second lesson in the same week. Memphis Public Libraries hosts free Friday jazz concerts near April, a low-cost way to hear rhythm sections together.
Start Bass Guitar Lessons at Lesson With You!
- One teacher, one student, one personalized plan
- 30, 45, and 60-minute weekly lesson options
- Develop rhythm, groove, clean technique, songs, and bass confidence
- Start with a free first 30-minute lesson
Frequently Asked Questions
At $65 an hour typical in Memphis, a weekly half-hour lesson is about $130 for four lessons. Lesson With You charges per lesson, not by the month, and there is no term to sign up for.
A 30-minute lesson with us costs $35. In Memphis, 30-minute bass lessons typically range from $32 to $46.
Yes, 30 minutes is enough for a beginner to work on tuning, plucking, fretting, and a steady groove. It is a practical starting length before adding time for songs or audition preparation.
Many children are ready when they can comfortably hold a bass and follow basic instruction, often around age 8 or older. Memphis Jazz Workshop accepts bass players ages 10 to 18, though private lessons can begin earlier if the instrument fits the child.
In three months of regular lessons and practice, many beginners can tune the bass, fret clean notes, and play simple lines with a steady pulse. Learning to follow chord changes and keep time with other players takes longer.
No, 40 is not too old to learn bass guitar. Adults can start with tuning, comfortable hand position, and a steady groove, then build toward songs at a pace that suits their practice time.
A short, regular practice session is more useful than occasional long sessions; many beginners start with about 15 to 20 minutes a day. Focus on the technique and groove your teacher assigned, then build practice time as playing feels more comfortable.