Becoming a guitar instructor allows you to share your musical talents while helping aspiring musicians learn and progress. As demand grows for guitar lessons, an instruction career offers flexibility, satisfaction from teaching, and income from doing what you love.
If you’re passionate about guitar and want to teach others, here’s how to become a guitar instructor in the UK.
Build Strong Guitar Skills
Naturally, the first step is developing proficiency on the guitar yourself. Becoming a skilled player involves:
- Learning proper guitar technique – posture, finger placement, strumming motions.
- Mastering basic guitar chords and ability to smoothly transition between them.
- Understanding music theory fundamentals like time signatures, notes, scales.
- Learning multiple guitar styles (rock, blues, classical, folk, etc.)
- Practicing regularly to build dexterity and muscle memory. Aim for 30-60 minutes daily.
- Learning sight reading skills to play sheet music.
- Developing ear training skills to play by listening.
- Learning improvisation techniques.
- Building a broad repertoire of songs.
Great instructors have versatility across many genres and styles. Though natural talent helps, dedication to deliberate, regular practice is key.
Obtain Relevant Qualifications
While formal qualifications are not strictly required, obtaining training credentials can give your services more legitimacy and help attract students. Options include:
Music Degree
Earn a university degree in music with a specialization in guitar performance, theory, or education. This provides comprehensive training.
Teaching Certificate
A certificate from an accredited program in guitar instruction develops core teaching abilities.
Graded Exams
Passing graded exams from an institution like the Registry of Guitar Tutors or Rockschool demonstrates playing abilities.
Industry Certifications
Organizations like the ABI offer accredited certification programs for instructors.
Aim to train at the highest level possible to stand out in the field.
Invest in Professional Equipment
To teach guitar effectively, you’ll require certain equipment:
- High-quality acoustic guitar – For learning fundamentals and practicing without an amplifier.
- Electric guitar + amp – Allows teaching of electric guitar styles and techniques.
- Guitar case – For protecting instruments when transporting between lessons.
- Spare strings – Have on hand for string breaks or to adjust a guitar’s sound.
- Guitar stands – Let guitars be stored upright ready for use during lessons.
- Music stand – For holding sheet music during instruction and practice.
- Tuner – Essential for tuning guitars accurately before playing.
- ** Metronome** – Helps students master timing and rhythm.
- ** Recording device** – Useful for recording students to review progress.
While not mandatory, having your own equipment creates a more professional, convenient teaching environment.
Create a Teaching Studio
You’ll need a dedicated teaching studio to conduct guitar lessons. Key considerations:
- Enough space for you and the student to play comfortably
- Chairs for student and teacher plus guitar stands
- A desk or table for sheet music
- Proper acoustic treatment to prevent sound reverberation
- A waiting area for parents or early students
- Display space for guitars, cases, accessories
- Decoration like posters to inspire musical interest
- A music stand and whiteboard for instruction
- Storage for supplies and educational materials
- Restroom facilities
Ideally locate your studio near public transportation and parking. Offer both daytime and evening lesson slots to accommodate different schedules.
Develop Your Curriculum
A strong curriculum tailored to each student’s ability level and musical interests is the foundation of quality instruction. Be sure to cover:
- Correct posture, hand positioning, guitar holds
- Note names, reading tablature, sight reading
- Basic open chords and transitioning between chords
- Music theory and how to read sheet music
- Playing scales, arpeggios, and lead sheets
- Strumming and fingerpicking techniques
- Common chord progressions in various genres
- Popular songs and traditional pieces to learn
- Music listening and analysis
- How to tune a guitar
- Care and maintenance for the instrument
- Preparing for live performance
Adapt lessons week-to-week based on the student’s grasp of concepts and progress. Offer opportunities to give mini recitals.
Set Your Rates
Pricing your instruction competitively is important to build your client base as a new teacher. Consider prevailing rates for guitar lessons in your area. Typical pricing averages:
- £20-£25 per hour for beginner students
- £25-£40 for intermediate players
- £30-£60 for advanced students
You can charge slight premiums for traveling to provide in-home lessons. Extra services like recital preparation may warrant added fees as well. Consider bundled deals for purchase of 5 or 10 lessons at once. Offer discounts like “First Lesson Free” to initially attract new students.
Market Your Teaching Services
Promoting your services is essential for getting guitar students. Effective marketing approaches include:
- Creating a website highlighting your teaching skills, musical background and guitar capabilities.
- Posting ads on community boards and in local newspapers/magazines.
- Starting social media accounts to share musical content and engage with potential students.
- Distributing flyers and business cards in music shops and schools.
- Offering free introductory lessons.
- Partnering with local music shops and schools.
- Joining local chamber of commerce groups and networking.
- Getting listed on instructor directories like First Tutors.
- Offering special deals around holidays and peak learning seasons.
Ongoing marketing is necessary to maintain and grow your student base. Leverage word-of-mouth referrals too.
Develop Your Teaching Ability
To be a truly effective guitar instructor takes practice and continuous development of your teaching skills:
- Expand your guitar knowledge through ongoing lessons, research and conferences.
- Attend teaching seminars and classes.
- Read guitar instruction books and pedagogy resources.
- Observe other respected guitar teachers to analyze their methods.
- Start with beginner students to gain experience.
- Request feedback from students and parents on your lessons.
- Videotape your lessons to see where you can improve.
- Adjust your approach based on each student’s learning style and strengths/weaknesses.
- Make lessons fun by injecting creativity, passion and humor.
Refine your methods to become the best possible teacher and maximize student success.
Provide Ongoing Support
The greatest instructors don’t just teach weekly lessons – they provide ongoing encouragement and support. Ideas include:
- Checking in with students regularly on their progress.
- Arranging performance opportunities at recitals or community events.
- Connecting advanced students with bands seeking new members.
- Encouraging students when they hit plateaus.
- Celebrating achievements like mastering a new piece.
- Sharing fresh guitar learning resources and links.
- Answering questions in between lessons.
- Expressing genuine pride in students’ milestones.
This inspires students to stick with lessons and continue growing their skills over the long term.
Expand Your Services
Once established, look for ways to grow as an instructor:
- Offer lessons in additional instruments like bass, ukulele or banjo.
- Provide ensemble classes for groups of students.
- Create guitar lesson videos or online courses.
- Offer music theory tutoring beyond guitar.
- Branch into composition and songwriting instruction.
- Provide lessons focused on particular styles like classical or flamenco guitar.
- Start a guitar instruction blog, podcast or YouTube channel.
- Publish guitar lesson books or instructional CDs/DVDs.
- Teach at music camps or provide lessons at schools.
Diversify your offerings to reach more students and maximize your teaching career.
Join Professional Associations
Membership in industry groups provides guidance, networking, credibility and other benefits. Top UK associations include:
- Registry of Guitar Tutors (RGT) – Provides exams, insurance, resources.
- Musicians Union – Advocates for musician rights. Offers legal services, advice.
- Association of Professional Music Teachers – Focused on supporting music educators.
- International Guitar Foundation – Nonprofit group that promotes guitar through events, publications and more.
Invest time participating in professional communities to enrich your instruction abilities and career.
FAQs About Becoming a Guitar Instructor
1. What qualifications do I need to teach guitar?
Answer: No mandated credentials are required, but obtaining musical training, teaching certifications and guitar skill exams will give you legitimacy and appeal to more students.
2. How much do guitar teachers charge in the UK?
Answer: Average rates range from £20-25 per hour for beginners to £25-60 for advanced students. You can adjust pricing based on location, student level, travel, and additional services.
3. Where can I find guitar instructor jobs?
Answer: Create your own teaching studio, advertise services independently, partner with schools and music shops, list on instructor directories, apply at music academies and community education centers.
4. How can I get guitar students as a beginner teacher?
Answer: Offer introductory deals, partner with local music shops, advertise online and via print/flyers, ask existing students for referrals, network locally to spread the word. Build gradually through outstanding instruction and word-of-mouth.
5. What equipment do I need to teach guitar lessons?
Answer: At minimum have a quality acoustic guitar, electric guitar/amp, tuner, metronome, spare strings, guitar case, music stand, and teaching aids like books. Invest in additional tools over time.
Conclusion
Becoming a professional guitar instructor lets you combine your musical passion with the rewards of helping students progress. With dedication to developing your own guitar skills, obtaining credentials, effectively promoting your services, and providing engaging lessons tailored to each learner, you can build a fulfilling teaching career. Strive to make each lesson fun while helping students achieve excellence. By committing to ongoing improvement as both a musician and teacher, you’ll be able to enjoy and thrive in this exciting career path.
