How Much Do Guitar Lessons Cost?
The Complete Guide to Guitar Lesson Pricing
Marc Levesque
updated 1/5/25 • 4 min read
The Average Guitar Lesson Cost:
Guitar lessons generally cost between $40-$90 per hour*, but costs can vary widely depending on the teacher’s education and performing level, the location, lesson length and whether they are in-person or online.
The average price for a one-hour guitar lesson is $70. Live online lessons using Zoom or Skype charge between $30-50 for a half hour lesson. Local private one-on-one guitar lessons range from $35-55 for a half hour lesson, while in-person group lessons can cost $25 for a half hour lesson.
Guitar instructors without a music degree will charge as little as $35 an hour, and professionally performing guitarists with tour experience might charge well over $150!
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What Determines Guitar Lesson Costs?
Guitar Teacher Level
Guitar instructors without music degrees typically charge between $35 and $40 per hour but may not offer professional-level instruction.
Guitar instructors with music degrees in unrelated fields, like a Bachelor’s in drums, who also have some guitar skills, typically charge in the range of $35 to $50 per hour. They generally have a solid understanding of music, but they don’t have advanced guitar performing abilities and are very limited in giving practical instruction. This increases the risk that they will teach beginners bad habits that will be harmful over time.
If you’re looking for the ideal guitar teacher, think about choosing someone with at least a Bachelor’s degree in guitar. Lessons with these teachers usually fall in the range of $50 to $80 per hour on average. If you’re considering teachers with a Master’s or Doctorate in guitar, their rates typically range from $60 to $90 per hour.
Q. Is it okay to switch to a more professional guitar teacher later?
The answer is YES! But switching between too many teachers too quickly can actually slow you down. It’s best to stick with one teacher for at least a year before making a change.
Starting with a professional teacher—ideally someone with a degree in guitar performance—is a great way to build good habits from the start. They can guide you from beginner to advanced levels and help you avoid common mistakes with posture, warm-ups, and technique.
The earlier you start with a pro, the sooner you’ll get the right skills and make real progress with your guitar playing.
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Guitar
B.S. Northwestern University
Guitar
B.M. Berklee College of Music
Guitar
B.M. Berklee College of Music
Guitar
B.M. Chapman University
Guitar
B.A. University at Buffalo
In-person vs Online Lessons
Guitar online lessons are generally the most affordable, with an average increase of about $10 for in-person lessons at a teacher’s studio, and a small additional increase to have the teacher visit your home.
In-person prices can vary widely though depending on the number of qualified teachers in your area. To find qualified guitar teachers at reasonable prices, online lessons will be your best bet.
Pre-recorded vs Live Lessons
If you’re looking for the most affordable guitar lessons, you can consider pre-recorded lessons. These usually come in the form of video or app-based courses that teach basic guitar skills for a monthly fee. There is also a yearly package available, but it doesn’t offer a personalized curriculum.
Recorded guitar lessons can’t match the quality of live one-on-one sessions. With a live teacher, you get personalized material, real-time feedback on your playing, and guidance on improving your practice and performance skills.
Any student who is interested in becoming a capable guitar player is better off looking for live private lessons, such as the $35 half hour lessons offered through Lesson With You.
What Do You Learn in Guitar Lessons?
1. Posture
2. Guitar Techniques
3. Music Theory
How to Find the Cheapest Guitar Lessons
We surveyed over 100 teachers across our own site, Lesson With You, and three other major sites, Takelessons.com, Lessons.com and Thumbtack.com, using a random zip code as the location. We specifically looked for teachers who have a degree in guitar and teach online lessons.
Lesson With You has a set price of $65 per hour and is a better deal than the three alternatives mentioned, and indeed the value is better than any other site we have found. Each guitar teacher at Lesson With You has a Master’s or Doctorate in guitar, including from schools such as the University of Southern California, but the lessons are only $65 per hour, making the live online guitar lessons an incredible value.
Takelessons had the highest average price among qualified guitar teachers, at $75 per hour. Even finding a teacher who didn’t major in guitar, such as one with a violin or piano degree, did not do much to lower the price. Sorting through the options, it quickly became apparent that many of the top teachers did not have formal education in music, and even those who had a music degree often did not have it for guitar, despite charging high prices for music lessons.
Thumbtack has a lower average price, at $70 among the teachers we surveyed. But like Takelessons, many of the guitar teachers listed either did not have a music degree or did not major in guitar. Both websites have a very large number of teachers, so surely there are some good deals, but finding teachers who’s education and prices matched that of the teachers at Lesson With You is difficult and time-consuming.
Looking for the Best Guitar Lessons?
Lesson With You offers 1-on-1 live online guitar lessons with expert instructors who exclusively teach guitar and have at least Bachelor’s degrees from the top music schools including the Berklee School of Music.
The first trial lesson is FREE! No Contracts Ever.
Try a Half Hour Guitar Lesson
Completely For Free!
60+
Instructors
30,000+
Lessons taught
4.9/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Average lesson rating
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About the author
Marc Levesque is a graduate of the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University where he studied Piano Performance and Arts Administration, receiving both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees before attending Carnegie Mellon University to study educational technology. As a pianist, Marc made his debut with the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra at age 15, playing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 2., and he has performed at various summer programs and festivals across the United States, Italy, and Croatia. Marc is a co-founder of Lesson With You, which fully combines his love of music, technology, and education.
