How Much Do Guitar Center Lessons Cost?

Last Updated on December 27, 2023
Written by CPA Alec Pow | Content Reviewed by CFA Alexander Popinker

Guitar Center is one of the most popular and trusted music companies, with over 300 locations all around the United States.

The company provides a large number of musical instruments and workshops and even offers music lessons.

As they state on their official website, ” Music is the greatest unifying force in the world”. Making quality music and having fun while learning is their goal. Group lessons are made to challenge the students and learn from each other, as well.

The founder, Wayne Mitchell, was the first to open a store, where the staff, mostly musicians, encouraged the customers to try out the instruments.

Guitar Center is the perfect place to take music lessons. Guitar, drums, violin, no matter what you look for, you can learn how to play different instruments in a creative environment along with other passionate students.

How Much Do Guitar Center Lessons Cost?

The cost of guitar lessons at Guitar Center can be anywhere from $100 up to $150 for four sessions of 30 minutes each, in what’s called the Express lessons package. Also, you can also go for the Standard lessons package which will cost between $200 and $260 for four sessions of one hour each. The costs will greatly depend on the location of the center. We recommend contacting your nearest center in order to get an exact quotation.

For example, based on our research, for an Express Lessons package, you can pay around $109 in Richmond and $125 in Los Angeles. Also, the Standard Lessons package is $219 in Richmond and $250 in Los Angeles.

You will also be charged $30 for a one-time registration fee.

On Yelp.com, a reviewer located in San Francisco stated that he paid $130 for four lessons a month, one lesson per week, each lesson of 30 minutes. Also, another reviewer claimed that the cost of a 30-minute lesson was around $35.

Guitar Center lessons overview

The Guitar Center provides a 15-minute lesson for free, in order for you to see if you resonate with the instructor and the Guitar Center lesson programs.

First, you will have a meeting with your instructor and will go over your level, skills, and what you aim for. In order to be able to do this, you will have to schedule a meeting, by phone, on their official website, or at their central office.

If their services are to your taste and you decide to take lessons from their center, you have to register first, pay the one-time fee, and then choose the lesson package for your needs. Also, some instructors require students to purchase a lesson bundle. Even if this is not confirmed, the cost also can vary depending on the instruments that you play, the lesson material, and the geographical location of your local center.

Guitar Center welcomes students of all skill levels. Whether they are beginners, intermediates, or pros, they have highly experienced instructors to teach each student and make performance.

Generally, most of the students choose to take a 30-minute lesson once a week. Each student will have a designated instructor.

The company provides the option to take the lessons in-house, at their facility or you can choose to have them online. Either way, the cost will basically be the same.

Students can interact with their instructor outside of classes. The company has designed ”open office” hours for students and teachers to gather and discuss various aspects of music training. This can occur during the store program.

There is the possibility for the students to practice in the center’s rehearsal rooms. This option may not be available in all the locations and will be charged extra.

Guitar Center encourages students to participate in ”jam night”. In this night program, based on their level, students meet and play as a band to get motivation and learn to play together and synchronize.

As a reward and also a challenge, students who begin to make performances will have to play a concert with an audience, usually family and friends. For this, GuitarCenter will gather three to five students with similar skills.

Guitar Center had over the years different programs to support musicians. The most popular are the Guitar Center Drum-Off, Guitar Center Sessions, and others.

Types of lessons available

• Band and Orchestra
• Bass Guitar
• Guitar
• Mandolin
• Banjo
• Drums
• Keyboards/DJ classes
• Recording Software
• Vocals

Extra costs

As stated above, the Guitar Center offers students the possibility to practice in the rehearsal rooms, and this comes with an extra cost of around $28 per 30-minute.

While this is not confirmed, a lesson bundle may be required, costing at least $10.

Online Guitar Lessons

Several Guitar Center stores provide online guitar courses. To ensure that your local center has this option available, contact the office or search on their official website.

The company assures that all the instructors are certified, and have years of experience in music background. Also, some of them have credentials from music schools. Besides the performance, the company ensures that the instructors have patience and know how to behave with the students.

Lesson credits are non-refundable and have a 90-day period of usage.

Rescheduling lessons is an option, but be sure to announce at least 24 hours in advance.

For online courses, you will need to use the Zoom platform.

Keep in mind that all the lessons are recorded and stored by Guitar Center.

How to save money

An Open House event is the best way to save money. During this period, they usually offer discounts on the registration fee, lowering it to $20 or less.

Check their official website for promotions and discounts, as they often provide different offers. For instance, at this time of publishing, Guitar Center offers four lessons for the price of three and discounts for guitar players.

Look around for different options, as there are many other centers such as Guitar Center. Compare the costs and amenities to make sure you get the best deal.