How Much Do Guitar Lessons Cost in Memphis, Tennessee?
Compare guitar lesson pricing in Memphis by teacher experience, lesson length, online format, setup needs, and the value of a free first lesson.
The Average Guitar Lesson Cost in Memphis, Tennessee
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 chords and steady rhythm may do well with 30 minutes, while an older student, teen, or adult working on full songs, electric guitar, songwriting, or performance goals may need more time.
In Memphis, a one-hour guitar lesson typically costs about $65. Local private 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 guitarists might charge well above these rates.
Lesson With You offers live online 1-on-1 guitar lessons with a free first 30-minute lesson. Weekly lessons are $35 for 30 minutes, $50 for 45 minutes, and $65 for 60 minutes. Because lessons are live online, you or your child can meet the same dedicated guitar teacher each week, get real-time feedback from home, and choose a weekly lesson length after the first meeting. For the full city lesson overview, see our guitar lessons in Memphis, Tennessee page.
Calculate your Memphis 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 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 Guitar Teacher in Memphis Before You Continue Weekly
A good first lesson should leave the student feeling comfortable with the teacher and clearer about what to practice next.
- Meet your guitar teacher before continuing weekly
- Work with the same dedicated teacher each week
- Get live feedback on chords, rhythm, songs, and setup
- Choose 30, 45, or 60 minutes after the first lesson
Guitar lesson prices in Memphis
How do Memphis guitar prices compare?
Memphis guitar lessons typically cost $65 per hour, matching Tennessee’s typical hourly price and coming in below the US typical $72. Germantown and Bartlett are priced alike, so lesson length, teacher training, and whether a studio asks for money up front matter more than choosing between nearby towns. Our prices fall within Memphis’s typical range.
Guitar lesson prices around Memphis
What does a teacher's degree add to the price?
A master's or doctorate in guitar usually adds a few dollars per lesson, while training in technique, reading, and teaching beginners matters most for a new guitarist. Every Lesson With You teacher holds at least a bachelor's degree in guitar. That foundation helps your child or you build clean chord changes and steady strumming without rushing past the basics.
Are 30-minute guitar lessons enough?
Our 30-minute lessons cost $35, 45-minute lessons cost $50, and 60-minute lessons cost $65. Thirty minutes suits a beginner learning chord shapes and strumming; 45 minutes gives room to work on transitions and a song section. An hour helps when a player is developing picking, reading, and repertoire together. Three quick questions can suggest a starting point.
Which lesson length fits?
Budgeting for a year of guitar lessons
What will a year of guitar lessons cost in Memphis?
Fifty-two weekly 30-minute lessons with us cost $1,820 for a full year. Memphis-Shelby County Schools runs August 3, 2026, through May 20, 2027; its 37 lesson weeks bring the 30-minute total to $1,295. The drive is the cost most budgets leave out, especially when a weekly lesson means repeated trips across Memphis.
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?
Many Memphis studios add a $25 to $50 registration fee and ask for a month or term up front, such as $320 to $460 for ten weeks. A 16-week semester can run $512 to $736, and that money is hard to recover when plans change. With Lesson With You, nothing is due before the first lesson, so you can try a lesson without paying in advance.
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 guitar?
A beginner guitar can be rented locally for $24 to $29 a month, bought used for $120 to $200, or bought new for $220 to $280; a stand and tuner cost about $23. Memphis sales tax adds about 10 percent to gear. A setup costs about $90, and fret leveling with a setup costs about $180. Keep the guitar away from damp storage in summer and ask your teacher before buying.
Renting for a year
- Acoustic or electric guitar rental for a year$288–$348
- Stand and clip-on tuner$23
- Beginner guitar method book$10
- Total$321–$381
Buying used
- Used beginner guitar$120–$200
- Stand and clip-on tuner$23
- Beginner guitar method book$10
- Total$153–$233
Plus about 10% sales tax in Tennessee.
What books and materials will you need?
A beginner guitar method book costs about $10, and a stand keeps chord charts or notation at eye level while you play. You will also need strings, which cost about $6 to $8 a year; ask your teacher which book fits your goals before buying. Memphis Public Library and Information Center may have method books or sheet music to borrow, helping you start with less expense.
Getting your money's worth
Are guitar lessons worth the price?
Each weekly lesson should leave you or your child with a clear guitar skill to practice, such as steady strumming or cleaner chord transitions. At $35 for 30 minutes, our lessons are up to $11 less per lesson than the top of Memphis's typical 30-minute range. Regular feedback helps a beginner turn practice into a song section they can play with confidence.
What $35 a week gets you at Lesson With You
GabrielMaster’s in Guitar
WillBachelor’s in Guitar
JacobBachelor’s in GuitarAre online guitar lessons cheaper than driving to a studio?
Per lesson, online guitar prices are close to studio prices, but a weekly trip adds driving, parking, and waiting over a school year. You need a stable chair, a safe place to rest the guitar, and a camera angle that shows both hands. Our lessons are live and one-on-one, so your teacher can see your fretting hand and correct chord shapes as you play.
Can apps or videos replace a guitar teacher?
Guitar apps can tune strings and show chord shapes, while videos can demonstrate strumming and picking. They cannot hear why your chord buzzes or adjust the lesson to your hand position, so use them between weekly lessons rather than as a replacement. Your teacher can help you use a tuner correctly and choose a practice goal that fits your current song.
What can you expect after 3, 6 and 12 months?
After three months of regular practice, a beginner can often strum steadily and play a simple song section, while chord changes are still developing. By six months, many learners can move between common chords more smoothly and keep a song's rhythm. At a year, steady practice may support fuller songs and basic picking; progress depends on the time you put in between lessons.
What if the first teacher isn't the right fit?
The right guitar teacher makes it easier to keep going, and switching teachers at no cost is better than forcing a poor match. A good fit explains chord shapes clearly, listens to your goals, and gives your child or you music worth practicing. Your first 30-minute lesson is free, and there is no contract, so you can test the fit before deciding to continue.
Find Your Next Guitar Teacher in Memphis, Tennessee
Browse guitar teachers, compare availability, and start with a free trial before choosing weekly lessons in Memphis.
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Local goals and what they cost
How do guitar lessons fit the school year in Memphis?
Memphis-Shelby County Schools students can use guitar lessons to build skills for school concerts, auditions, or accompanying, even when their school role is not a guitar part. A teacher can help adapt strumming and chord work to a student's music and plan around busy stretches near performances. Ask the school music teacher which parts or accompaniment skills would be useful for an upcoming concert.
What do local events cost to prepare for?
For Memphis-area guitarists, a school concert or recital is a practical performance goal. The West Tennessee Solo and Ensemble Festival takes place in April, with solo or ensemble entries costing $10 per event; either may be performed with or without an accompanist. Preparing an event piece during 13 to 26 weekly 30-minute lessons costs $455 to $910 with us. Ask the school music teacher about requirements.
The Memphis 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 guitarist play with others?
Guitarists can contribute rhythm and accompaniment in school or community groups, where steady chord changes support singers and other players. Memphis also has live music to hear together: students and seniors can attend Memphis Youth Symphony Program fall concerts for $5, and Opera Memphis offers free performances across the city in September. Hearing live players can help a young guitarist connect strumming and dynamics to music beyond practice.
Keeping guitar costs down in Memphis
Borrow method books or sheet music from Memphis Public Library and Information Center, and choose a guitar setup that fits the learner rather than buying advanced gear early. Free live music includes Opera Memphis performances in September, while students and seniors can attend Memphis Youth Symphony Program fall concerts for $5. Try the free first lesson, pause during busy weeks, and share a teacher with a family member to save $5 on a second weekly lesson.
Start Guitar Lessons at Lesson With You
- Meet your guitar teacher before continuing weekly
- Work with the same dedicated teacher each week
- Get live feedback on chords, rhythm, songs, and setup
- Choose 30, 45, or 60 minutes after the first 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 guitar lesson with us is $35. In Memphis, the typical half-hour range is $32 to $46.
Yes, 30 minutes is a useful length for beginners learning chord shapes, steady strumming, and a simple song section. It gives you focused feedback without making the first stage of guitar feel overloaded.
Many children are ready around age 7 or 8, when they can hold a guitar comfortably and follow simple instructions. A teacher can help choose an appropriately sized instrument and keep early work focused on basic chords and rhythm.
In three months, a regular beginner can often strum steadily and play a simple song section, though chord changes take continued practice. Progress depends on how often you practice between lessons.
No, 40 is not too old to learn guitar. Adult beginners can start with chord shapes, steady strumming, and songs that fit their interests, then build skill with regular practice.
A short, focused practice most days is more useful than an occasional long session. Start with enough time to review chord shapes and strumming, then follow your teacher's guidance as your hands get more comfortable.
For guitar, the 80/20 rule means focusing most practice on a few skills that help with many songs, such as clean chord changes and steady rhythm. Your teacher can help identify which basics will make the biggest difference for your current goals.