How Much Do Guitar Lessons Cost?
A common question I’m asked is “How much do guitar lessons cost?”
Well, the price for guitar lessons depends on a range of factors such as:
- Teacher experience and qualifications
- Cost of operating the business (rent, equipment etc)
- Socio-economic status of the community
Some music schools also offer discounted rates for bulk purchases. For example, Ultimate Guitar Academy is located in the Narellan and Camden area of South-West Sydney, Australia, where going rate for guitar lessons is about $40-$45 for half an hour including GST. Our rates are currently $389 per term (10 weeks), which averages out to be $38.90 per lesson. It’s also worth noting that the Music Teacher’s Association has set recommended minimum rate for 2022 of $51.70 per half hour.
To be completely honest, it is actually incredibly difficult to offer rates as low as this. There are many unseen costs involved in running a business that really eat into your profit margin. So if you feel like you’re paying a fortune for a teacher, they might actually be making less of a profit than some other cheaper tutors who cut costs by teaching from home or don’t have things like public liability insurance.
Regardless of all of this, if a guitar teacher is going to help you learn the instrument, then it’s well worth the money. I might be a little biased here, but consider this – when I first started teaching, I didn’t believe in “guitar lessons” whatsoever. I just started teaching friends because they wanted me to. I told them I’d do it for free, but they insisted on paying. After a while, I started noticing that my “students” really benefitted from the advice I was giving. They learnt faster, developed good techniques, avoided bad habits and actually enjoyed learning more. Their money was actually well spent!
Over the years, I have been completely converted from someone who thought it was all a bit of a joke, to someone who actually takes lessons quite seriously.
As a parent, there’s another factor to consider – this tutor will be spending a fair amount of time with your child. They’re going to be a pretty strong influence on their development as a human being. This isn’t something I ever realised until my students started writing some really long Christmas cards each year, thanking me for making their day happier whenever they saw me. As a fellow parent, this is an aspect that I place heavy importance on. It doesn’t matter how awesome a guitar teacher is, if they’re not going to be a positive influence on my children then they won’t be part of their life.
So when asking “how much do guitar lessons cost?” I honestly think that if you find a good teacher where you can see the value in what they’re offering – then they’re well worth what they’re asking.
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