Are you a college student looking to make some extra cash? Do you have a passion for music, particularly guitar? If so, teaching guitar may be the perfect side hustle for you! Not only does it allow you to share your knowledge and love of music with others, but it can also be a lucrative way to earn some money on the side. In this article, we’ll discuss how to get started with teaching guitar as a side hustle.
Teaching guitar is a great way to share your passion for music with others while making some extra cash on the side. Whether you’re an experienced guitar player or just starting out, you can teach guitar as a side hustle. In fact, teaching guitar is a popular way for many musicians to supplement their income. With a bit of preparation and some marketing skills, you can start teaching guitar to others and make some money in the process.
Determine Your Teaching Style
Before you start teaching guitar, it’s important to determine your teaching style. Do you prefer to teach beginners or advanced players? Do you focus on technique or theory? Answering these questions will help you establish your teaching style and determine your target audience.
Create A Lesson Plan
Creating a lesson plan is essential when teaching guitar. It helps you stay organized and ensures that you cover all the necessary topics. Your lesson plan should include exercises, songs, and other materials that will help your students improve their skills.
For new players focusing on chords and simple songs is a great way to start things. As your students become more experienced, you can add in exercises to develop techniques like sweep picking and arpeggios.
Gather Teaching Materials
To teach guitar, you may want teaching materials such as chord charts, music theory books, and songbooks. These materials can help you structure your lessons and provide your students with the necessary resources to learn and practice at home.
If you have chord apps like Ultimate Guitar Tab, you can use their resources to help your students learn new songs and chords.
Set Up A Teaching Space
Setting up a dedicated teaching space is crucial for teaching guitar. It should be a quiet and comfortable space with adequate lighting and a chair for you and your students. Additionally, you may want a music stand and physical teaching materials on hand if that is how you want to teach.
Market Your Services
Once you’re ready to start teaching guitar, it’s time to market your services. You can create flyers or posters to hang around campus, post on social media, or create a website. Be sure to highlight your experience and teaching style to attract potential students.
Determine Your Rates
When teaching guitar, it’s important to determine your rates. Research what other guitar teachers are charging in your area and adjust accordingly. You can also offer discounts for students who sign up for multiple lessons or refer friends.
Many teachers charge $40-60 a session or more and offer 50% off for a first lesson.
Customize Lessons For Each Student
Every student is unique and has different goals and abilities. It’s important to customize your lessons to each student to ensure they get the most out of their lessons. This will also help you retain students and attract new ones through word-of-mouth.
Remember some students want to learn Dylan, others Metallica … that’s a big difference.
Utilize Technology
Technology can be a helpful tool when teaching guitar. You can use apps or online tools to help your students practice, record lessons for your students to review, or even offer online lessons for students who can’t make it to your physical teaching space.
Create a Business Plan
Creating a business plan can help you stay organized and on track when teaching guitar as a side hustle. This can include setting financial goals, developing a marketing strategy, and identifying your target audience.
FAQs
Here are some FAQs that may arise when starting to teach guitar as a side hustle:
Q: Do I need to be an expert guitarist to teach guitar?
A: While being an expert guitarist is helpful, it’s not necessary. As long as you have a solid understanding of the basics and can communicate them effectively, you can teach guitar.
Q: How do I deal with students who don’t practice?
A: It’s important to emphasize the importance of practice to your students from the beginning. If a student consistently doesn’t practice, you can have an open and honest conversation with them about how they can improve their skills and if guitar lessons are the right fit for them.
Q: How many students should I take on at once?
A: This depends on your availability and teaching style. Starting with one or two students and gradually increasing your workload is a good approach to ensure you can handle the workload and maintain the quality of your lessons.
Q: How do I set up a payment system for my lessons?
A: You can set up a payment system that works for you and your students. Some options include accepting cash or online payments through platforms like Venmo or PayPal.
Teaching guitar as a side hustle is a great way to share your passion for music with others while earning some extra cash on the side. By following these tips and developing your own teaching style, you can establish a successful guitar teaching business. Remember to stay organized, market your services, and customize your lessons to each student to ensure they get the most out of their lessons. Happy teaching!
