Guitar Lessons in Missouri
What guitar lessons cost across Missouri, and how to find the right teacher.
Guitar lesson prices across Missouri
A one-hour guitar lesson in Missouri typically costs $59 to $86, and a half hour $32 to $47. Prices change noticeably from town to town. The St. Louis area runs highest, up to $96 an hour.
Every town has two guides: a guitar lessons guide, with local schools, events and places to play, and a costs guide, with that town's prices in detail.
| Town | 30 minutes | One hour | Guides |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis area | |||
| St. Louis | $33–$52 | $60–$95 | LessonsCosts |
| O'Fallon | $33–$51 | $60–$94 | LessonsCosts |
| St. Charles | $33–$51 | $60–$94 | LessonsCosts |
| St. Peters | $33–$51 | $60–$93 | LessonsCosts |
| Florissant | $33–$52 | $60–$95 | LessonsCosts |
| Chesterfield | $32–$50 | $59–$92 | LessonsCosts |
| Wentzville | $33–$51 | $60–$93 | LessonsCosts |
| Oakville | $33–$51 | $60–$93 | LessonsCosts |
| Wildwood | $32–$49 | $59–$89 | LessonsCosts |
| University City | $33–$52 | $60–$96 | LessonsCosts |
| Ballwin | $33–$52 | $60–$94 | LessonsCosts |
| Mehlville | $33–$52 | $60–$95 | LessonsCosts |
| Kirkwood | $33–$51 | $60–$94 | LessonsCosts |
| Maryland Heights | $32–$50 | $59–$91 | LessonsCosts |
| Hazelwood | $32–$50 | $59–$92 | LessonsCosts |
| Webster Groves | $33–$52 | $60–$95 | LessonsCosts |
| Arnold | $32–$50 | $59–$92 | LessonsCosts |
| Old Jamestown | $32–$50 | $59–$92 | LessonsCosts |
| Affton | $33–$52 | $60–$95 | LessonsCosts |
| Creve Coeur | $32–$51 | $59–$92 | LessonsCosts |
| Concord | $33–$51 | $60–$94 | LessonsCosts |
| Ferguson | $33–$51 | $60–$94 | LessonsCosts |
| Manchester | $33–$52 | $60–$94 | LessonsCosts |
| Lake St. Louis | $33–$51 | $60–$93 | LessonsCosts |
| Spanish Lake | $33–$51 | $60–$93 | LessonsCosts |
| Clayton | $33–$53 | $61–$96 | LessonsCosts |
| Lemay | $33–$52 | $60–$95 | LessonsCosts |
| Overland | $33–$52 | $60–$94 | LessonsCosts |
| Washington | $32–$50 | $59–$92 | LessonsCosts |
| Troy | $32–$50 | $59–$92 | LessonsCosts |
| Dardenne Prairie | $33–$51 | $60–$93 | LessonsCosts |
| Festus | $33–$51 | $60–$93 | LessonsCosts |
| Eureka | $32–$50 | $59–$91 | LessonsCosts |
| Jennings | $33–$52 | $60–$94 | LessonsCosts |
| St. Ann | $33–$52 | $60–$95 | LessonsCosts |
| Union | $32–$50 | $59–$92 | LessonsCosts |
| Crestwood | $33–$52 | $60–$94 | LessonsCosts |
| Town and Country | $32–$50 | $59–$91 | LessonsCosts |
| Bridgeton | $32–$49 | $59–$90 | LessonsCosts |
| Bellefontaine Neighbors | $33–$51 | $60–$93 | LessonsCosts |
| Kansas City area | |||
| Kansas City | $32–$46 | $58–$85 | LessonsCosts |
| Independence | $32–$46 | $58–$85 | LessonsCosts |
| Lee's Summit | $32–$46 | $58–$85 | LessonsCosts |
| Blue Springs | $32–$47 | $59–$86 | LessonsCosts |
| Liberty | $32–$46 | $58–$84 | LessonsCosts |
| Raytown | $32–$47 | $59–$87 | LessonsCosts |
| Gladstone | $32–$48 | $59–$87 | LessonsCosts |
| Grandview | $32–$47 | $58–$85 | LessonsCosts |
| Belton | $32–$47 | $58–$85 | LessonsCosts |
| Raymore | $32–$46 | $58–$85 | LessonsCosts |
| Grain Valley | $32–$47 | $59–$86 | LessonsCosts |
| Kearney | $32–$45 | $58–$83 | LessonsCosts |
| Smithville | $32–$45 | $58–$83 | LessonsCosts |
| Excelsior Springs | $32–$46 | $58–$84 | LessonsCosts |
| Springfield area | |||
| Springfield | $31–$43 | $57–$79 | LessonsCosts |
| Nixa | $31–$44 | $57–$80 | LessonsCosts |
| Ozark | $31–$43 | $57–$79 | LessonsCosts |
| Republic | $31–$43 | $57–$79 | LessonsCosts |
| Bolivar | $31–$43 | $57–$79 | LessonsCosts |
| Joplin area | |||
| Joplin | $31–$43 | $57–$79 | LessonsCosts |
| Carthage | $31–$43 | $57–$79 | LessonsCosts |
| Neosho | $31–$43 | $57–$79 | LessonsCosts |
| Webb City | $31–$43 | $57–$79 | LessonsCosts |
| Cape Girardeau area | |||
| Cape Girardeau | $31–$43 | $57–$79 | LessonsCosts |
| Jackson | $31–$43 | $57–$79 | LessonsCosts |
| Jefferson City area | |||
| Jefferson City | $31–$43 | $57–$79 | LessonsCosts |
| Fulton | $31–$43 | $57–$79 | LessonsCosts |
| Other Missouri towns | |||
| Branson | $31–$43 | $57–$79 | LessonsCosts |
| Columbia | $31–$43 | $57–$79 | LessonsCosts |
| Farmington | $32–$47 | $58–$86 | LessonsCosts |
| Fort Leonard Wood | $31–$43 | $57–$79 | LessonsCosts |
| Hannibal | $32–$46 | $58–$84 | LessonsCosts |
| Kirksville | $31–$44 | $57–$80 | LessonsCosts |
| Lebanon | $31–$43 | $57–$79 | LessonsCosts |
| Marshall | $32–$45 | $58–$82 | LessonsCosts |
| Maryville | $32–$45 | $58–$83 | LessonsCosts |
| Mexico | $32–$46 | $58–$83 | LessonsCosts |
| Moberly | $31–$44 | $57–$80 | LessonsCosts |
| Poplar Bluff | $31–$44 | $58–$81 | LessonsCosts |
| Rolla | $32–$47 | $58–$85 | LessonsCosts |
| Sedalia | $32–$45 | $58–$82 | LessonsCosts |
| Sikeston | $31–$44 | $58–$80 | LessonsCosts |
| St. Joseph | $31–$43 | $57–$79 | LessonsCosts |
| Warrensburg | $32–$45 | $58–$83 | LessonsCosts |
| West Plains | $31–$44 | $58–$81 | LessonsCosts |
No Missouri town by that name yet. Lessons are live online, so you can still start from anywhere in Missouri.
Meet a Guitar Teacher in Missouri Before You Continue Weekly
The first lesson is also a simple way to check the student's guitar setup, camera angle, sound, and lesson length before choosing a weekly plan.
- Try the first 30-minute lesson free
- Check your guitar, sound, and camera setup from home
- Ask about acoustic, electric, or classical goals
- Continue only if the teacher feels like the right fit
Find Your Next Guitar Teacher in Missouri
Browse guitar teachers, compare availability, and start with a free trial before choosing weekly lessons in Missouri.
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How guitar learning works in Missouri
Missouri schools set music learning standards from kindergarten through grade eight, but local districts decide which courses and ensembles to offer. Guitarists can take part when a school includes guitar in an ensemble: Lebanon High School’s jazz band, for example, welcomes students in grades 9–12 by director permission or audition. The state requires one fine arts credit for high school graduation, and local boards may add requirements, so a private guitar lesson can build skills alongside the opportunities a student’s own school provides.
Auditions and events in Missouri
How does a guitarist reach Missouri's top student honors?
A student should begin by asking the school music director whether guitarists have a role in that school’s jazz audition process and what material applies. This is a school-level question before it is a statewide audition route, so the director can clarify the student’s available entry point and explain any next steps toward recognition.
What do auditions ask you to prepare?
If a school offers a guitar role or another event, the student should prepare only the material that event actually assigns rather than assume a jazz, classical, or orchestra excerpt applies. In weekly lessons, three to six months is a useful window for developing an event piece, giving the player time to learn it securely and make it musical without crowding out regular practice.
Starting at any age
Starting a child on guitar
A child is ready to begin guitar when holding the instrument and using both hands feels manageable, rather than at one fixed age. Starting privately lets your child build coordination and musical skills without waiting for a school ensemble to open a place for guitar. A teacher can introduce chords, reading, and songs at a pace that fits the child, then help connect that foundation to an opportunity such as school jazz if it becomes a goal.
A teen in Missouri
For a Missouri teen, guitar study can connect private practice with a school opportunity such as Lebanon High School’s jazz band, which includes grades 9–12 students by director permission or audition. The state’s school jazz audition materials do not establish a guitar part in the 2026–27 packet, so the school music director is the right person to clarify what a guitarist can pursue. Weekly lessons give you or your teen a steady place to develop playing alongside schoolwork, guided by whether the goal is jazz, solo music, or playing with others.
Starting or coming back as an adult
It is not too late to begin guitar as an adult in Missouri, and school music experience is not a prerequisite. A community option for guitarists is St. Charles Guitar Club in St. Charles, which welcomes players of all skill levels and styles to play together. If your goal is a more arranged ensemble sound, you can work toward reading parts and playing steadily with others; a one-on-one teacher meets you at your current level and helps you build toward that goal.
Finding the right teacher
What should a good guitar teacher do?
A good guitar teacher connects the student’s goals to the instrument, whether that means chords and songs, fingerstyle, classical playing, or school jazz. A teen exploring a school opportunity needs guidance that follows the material the school actually assigns, while a younger child often benefits from a pace that keeps practice manageable. Training matters, but so does a teacher’s fit with your or your child’s age, interests, and way of learning. Lesson With You teachers hold at least a bachelor’s degree in guitar, and you can choose a teacher yourself or ask us to recommend one.
How do live online guitar lessons work?
A live Zoom guitar lesson lets the teacher hear tone, rhythm, and phrasing while seeing your fretting and picking hands in real time. Set a camera where both hands are visible, keep the room quiet, and have the guitar ready; the teacher can respond as you play. Online lessons mean no commute and give you access to a teacher who fits rather than only whoever is closest. A student in St. Louis and a student in Washington get the same choice of teacher and the same one-on-one weekly lesson, with one dedicated teacher getting to know how the student learns.
What $35 a week gets you at Lesson With You
GabrielMaster’s in GuitarWillBachelor’s in GuitarJacobBachelor’s in GuitarGuitar in Missouri
Where to hear guitar
Beyond St. Louis, the Missouri Symphony in Columbia offers family concerts, orchestral works, holiday music, and popular favorites, including an all-ages Halloween concert. In St. Joseph, the Saint Joseph Symphony performs at the Missouri Theater, with half-price tickets for students and children. These concerts give you or your child chances to hear orchestral playing in different parts of Missouri and to notice how guitar fits into a larger ensemble sound.
Where to play with others
For informal playing in Missouri, the St. Charles Guitar Club welcomes guitarists of all skill levels and styles at its twice-monthly gatherings. Players who want to develop ensemble skills can look toward organized guitar groups, but the clearest shared route for a student is to build reading, timing, and reliable parts in lessons before joining a group. That foundation helps you or your child move from playing alone to listening and responding to other musicians.
Guitar around Missouri, area by area
St. Louis area
In St. Louis, students from grade school through graduate school can get tickets starting at $15 for select St. Louis Symphony Orchestra concerts. A valid student ID also opens a free Concert Pass for participating St. Louis ensembles. The 18th & Vine Student Jazz Festival features middle- and high-school ensembles at the Gem Theater, with free noon concerts open to the public, so young guitarists can hear jazz played by students.
- School year
- Aug 24 to May 27, 36 lesson weeks (Saint Louis Public Schools District)
- Town guides
- St. Louis, O'Fallon, Alton, St. Charles, St. Peters, Florissant, Chesterfield, Wentzville
Kansas City area
Kansas City, Missouri, offers free outdoor summer music on the riverfront through Current Sessions. Across the state line, Kansas City Kansas Community Orchestra concerts are free and open to everyone. In Overland Park, Kansas City Young Chamber Musicians provides ensemble opportunities for young musicians, giving families a way to hear chamber playing as well as informal outdoor performances.
- School year
- Aug 25 to May 28, 36 lesson weeks (North Kansas City School District)
- Town guides
- Kansas City, Overland Park, Kansas City, Olathe, Independence, Lee's Summit, Shawnee, Blue Springs
Springfield area
Springfield families can hear free public concerts at Park Central Square through Live From Downtown, which presents music each Saturday evening from May through September. The Levitt AMP Springfield Music Series adds ten weeks of free outdoor concerts and family activities downtown. Both give guitar students a chance to listen closely to live performers and experience music with an audience.
- School year
- Aug 25 to May 27, 37 lesson weeks (Springfield R-XII School District)
- Town guides
- Springfield, Nixa, Ozark, Republic, Bolivar
Columbia area
Columbia offers free Mizzou New Music Initiative concerts, open to the public unless an event says otherwise. The Higday Mozart Outreach Concert Series brings performances to Columbia-area schools and community settings. For guitarists interested in playing as well as listening, the Missouri Old Time Jam meets monthly at the University of Missouri’s Sinquefield Music Center.
- School year
- Aug 25 to May 27, 38 lesson weeks (Columbia Public Schools)
- Town guides
- Columbia
St. Joseph area
St. Joseph’s free Parties on the Parkway offers a way to hear live music outdoors on the second Thursday of the month during summer. For a guitarist, that is a useful local listening opportunity alongside individual practice, with performances in different locations along the parkway system.
- School year
- Aug 25 to May 26, 37 lesson weeks (St. Joseph School District)
- Town guides
- St. Joseph
Sedalia area
A student with a valid ID can attend Sedalia Symphony Orchestra concerts for free. West Central Missouri Music Educators Association events give junior high and high school students another way to take part in music beyond individual lessons. Together, listening and participating can help a young guitarist stay connected to music while building skills.
- School year
- Aug 27 to May 26, 38 lesson weeks (Sedalia School District #200)
- Town guides
- Sedalia
Lebanon area
Lebanon’s 3rd Friday on Mulberry brings live music to town on the third Friday of June, July, and August. It gives a guitarist a relaxed way to hear performers in a community setting and to stay connected with live music during the summer.
- Town guides
- Lebanon
A little guitar history in Missouri
Missouri’s guitar history connects with the state’s acoustic folk traditions and classical playing. Kansas City native Ken Whisler became a guitar maker and studied classical guitar at UMKC with Douglas Niedt; he also won UMKC’s Concerto/Aria Competition. In St. Louis, the St. Louis Classical Guitar Festival gives soloists and ensembles a place to perform. For a student, those examples show guitar as both a solo and ensemble instrument, with room to explore different musical traditions while building a strong foundation.
Start Guitar Lessons at Lesson With You
- Try the first 30-minute lesson free
- Check your guitar, sound, and camera setup from home
- Ask about acoustic, electric, or classical goals
- Continue only if the teacher feels like the right fit
Frequently Asked Questions
Choose a teacher who fits your goals, experience, age, and way of learning, and who can help you build the skills you want. Lesson With You offers one-on-one weekly Zoom lessons with teachers who hold at least a bachelor’s degree in guitar; you can choose a teacher or ask us to recommend one. The first 30-minute lesson is free, with no payment method needed.
Yes, a live video lesson lets a teacher hear your playing and see both hands in real time, so they can respond to your technique and sound as you play. A steady camera view and quiet place at home make the weekly lesson practical, with no commute and access to a teacher who fits your needs.
Missouri’s 2026–27 high school jazz audition material includes a “Rhythm Changes-no Guitar” part, so guitar is not represented in that audition packet. Ask your school music director whether the school has a guitar role or another audition opportunity and what material applies.
A child can start when holding a guitar and using both hands feels manageable; readiness matters more than a fixed age. Private lessons let a child begin building skills directly, with school opportunities such as Lebanon High School jazz available for eligible students by permission or audition.
No, adults can begin or return to guitar at any age, and school experience is not required. St. Charles Guitar Club in St. Charles welcomes guitarists of all skill levels and styles, while private lessons can help you build toward the music and level you want.
Guitar lessons in Missouri typically cost about $65 an hour, or $32 to $47 for a half hour. Lesson With You charges per lesson with no term to sign up for, and the first lesson is free.