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Side hustle series: Guitar Teaching

Guitar Teaching

Lyle is a self-employed Montreal guitar teacher, performer, web-designer and blogger. For the past twenty years, he has adopted the tenets of voluntary simplicity to live a thrift shop life and has recently begun blogging with these concepts in mind at The Joy of Simple.

As a self employed guitar player, a huge chunk of my income comes from giving private guitar lessons to both young and old alike. It is a “job” that I thoroughly enjoy and, depending on the amount of students one has, it can be quite lucrative as a primary income earner.

That being said, teaching guitar, or any other musical instrument, can also be an enjoyable and cool side hustle that can put a decent wad of cash in your wallet every week, depending on how many students you are willing to teach and how much you charge.

Let’s dig a little further shall we…

What You Need:

The first obvious condition of having a successful music teaching side hustle is that you need to play the instrument you will be teaching, very well. Whether you are a guitar player, bass player, piano player, drummer, singer, bassoon player or any other instrument you can think of, if you can’t play it at a decent technical level, then maybe teaching music as a side hustle is not for you.

Now, you don’t need to be a virtuoso on your instrument of choice, or play in one or more bands like I do, but you do need to be able to teach at least the rudiments of your instrument with confidence and effectiveness. If you CAN play your instrument well however, that’s half the battle and you’re almost there.

Guitar Teaching

Good morning! Today I am very pleased to welcome Lyle who will share how he makes money teaching guitar. Having taught the piano for a few years, I know what you need most: nerves of steal! Some students are just not… gifted… But I will let Lyle tell you more about it. Let me know if you would like to guest post and share how you make money your way!

The other half of the battle is being able to actually teach what your potential student’s will possibly be looking to learn. In my experience, and especially in the popular music arena of guitar, the majority of my students are not interested in learning how to read music or any of the usual theoretical characteristics of music making. Their principal concern – generally speaking – is to learn songs that they like, so you’ll need to be proficient at being able to learn songs relatively quickly and then figure out a way of teaching those songs to your students. There’s obviously an art to doing this which is beyond the scope of this article, but is definitely something to think about.

One of the more simpler ways of teaching a new student, especially one who has never played an instrument before, is to provide them with a good instructional book, which you should already own and that they will need to buy. For your part, this a small investment of twelve bucks or so and will help you provide a systematic approach, that if you don’t already have in place, will help save you a lot of time and energy at the beginning until you find your groove! Having a lot of patience, a malleable ego and an ability to comfortably interact with both young and old alike is also key to not only being a good teacher, but also in keeping your students coming back week after week. Oh…and a sense of humor doesn’t hurt either!

You’ll also need a committed teaching space in your home. This could be as simple as two chairs and a music stand in an uncluttered area, or a dedicated room somewhere in your home. The choice is yours, but it should look somewhat professional. Of course, you can always teach at your students’ home if you have an issue with “strangers” showing up at your pad. In fact, you may find that parents, especially those with young children, would prefer that you teach their children in their own homes for comfort, familiarity and safety concerns. This can also work in your favor cash-wise because you can charge a little more for the “inconvenience” of having to travel to their home. I always tack on an extra five or ten dollars per lesson, depending on how far I need to travel and how much time it takes me to do so on public transit.

How Much Can You Make:

How much side hustle dollars you can make will be dependent on how many students you commit to and how much you charge them per lesson – or more likely – how much you charge their parents!

Most lessons will either be an hour or half an hour and, depending on your musical aptitude/experience, you can charge anywhere from fifteen dollars for a half hour up to fifty dollars for an hour for each private student. So, if you charged thirty-five dollars an hour and had only five students a week, you could potentially make one hundred and seventy-five dollars a week or seven hundred dollars a month, which could definitely come in handy when paying off your debt or saving for a family vacation.

Personally, I charge twenty-five dollars for a half hour lesson and forty dollars for an hour lesson. And while that may seem like a lot of money for a one hour music lesson, it is actually quite competitively matched with both higher end teachers and private music schools in my area who charge fifty-five dollars or more for an hour’s lesson.

One other consideration regarding payment is whether you will charge your student per lesson or in a batch of four weeks up front at the beginning or end of each month. Personally, I charge per lesson as I like having money in my pocket after the lesson. However, if you like the idea of having a bunch of cash up front, then opt for batch payments. Either way though, you’re getting PAID so the potential to make some decent side hustle money is definitely there no matter how you slice it 🙂

Finding Students:

Before you are able to make any money however, you first need students to charge!

If you are just starting out as a teacher, chances are you won’t have any word-of-mouth referrals to utilize. This is when you should turn to your personal social media accounts like Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, Linked-In or any other social media you are connected to. Put the word out amongst your friends and family that you are starting to teach music on the side and that you are taking on new students. Also, if your community or municipality has a Facebook page, join it and put the word out on that page as well.

Craigslist and similar sites are also a great way to get the word out. Make sure though that you don’t put down too much personal info in your ad though. Once a potential student contacts you, that’s when you can give out your phone number, email address and such if need be, not before.

You might also want to consider creating a free small website or blog solely to promote your music teaching services. This would feature your rates, teaching experience, testimonials (if any), contact info, lesson methodology and if possible, a video clip or two of your playing ability. An image of your teaching area along with a photo of yourself, preferably with your instrument in hand should accompany your About Me page. This helps interested visitors get a sense of who you are and makes contacting you a little more comfortable.

Of course, you could also just go old-school and plaster a bunch of printed posters around your neighborhood in hopes of attracting new students. I do this from time to time and it I’ve actually gotten quite a few students over the years with this tried-and-true promotional method.

The Downside:

The only downside that I have experienced , apart from the unpaid time spent traveling to a lesson outside of one’s home, is the potentially high turnover rate of students that you may experience. For whatever reason, some kids and/or adults think learning an instrument is a lot easier than it actually is. Sadly, when they realize how much work they need to put in, on an almost daily basis, they end up letting it go. So you may end up having the same student for years, while others may come and go almost weekly.

This is the nature of the business though and you just accept it and move on to the next student. However, if you are a decent teacher and focus on the wants of the student, rather than on what you THINK they SHOULD be learning, you should be able to keep new students for a at least a few months at a time…hopefully. Like anything, the more experience you acquire teaching, the more you will begin to see what works and what doesn’t.

Conclusion:

If you can play an instrument relatively well, there’s the possibility to make some decent money with nothing more than your instrument and god-given talent. I’ve been teaching guitar full time for the past six years or so and I have found it to be rewarding financially as well as emotionally! There’s nothing like teaching someone how to play their favorite song! Seeing the light in their eyes and the smile on their face as they rip through “Crazy Train” or “Sweet Child Of Mine” for the first time, is honestly, priceless. And the fact that I actually get paid for doing this…well that’s priceless too! 🙂

So, if you have a day job that is your bread and butter, but you would like a fun way to make a few bucks on the side, consider teaching some lucky guy or gal how to play their favorite instrument. You just may find that you like it so much so that it becomes your primary income source.

Take care and all the best.

Lyle

 

This post was featured on the Carnival of Money Pros, Carnival of Financial Camaraderie, Financial Carnival for Young Adults, Aspiring Blogger, How to Blog Carnival, Outlier Model, thank you!

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Lovely comments

  1. My friend was charging something like $45/hour when he was in college. He worked 20 hours or so a week and it really helped him pay down some of his loans before even graduating. If you like teaching and working with people AND of course have the skills, I think teaching guitar is a great side hustle. I had another friend who did this in high school for my brother. It’s really a win for everyone involved and I plan on paying someone to teach my kids guitar/piano/etc. when they are old enough to start playing (I guess I would have to have kids first haha).
    DC @ Young Adult Money recently posted…Double the Money, Double the FunMy Profile

  5. Hey Stefanie and thanks for the comment 🙂

    You are right of course that both piano and voice make a perfect pairing. That being said, if you were able to get your hands on an electronic keyboard, YouTube has a slew of great beginning piano lessons that you could follow at your own pace and schedule if you so desired.

    Take care and all the best.

    Lyle
    lyle @ the Joy of Simple recently posted…The Love You Get Is Equal To The Love You Give!!My Profile

  6. That sounds very similar to teaching beach volleyball. I think it’s great though when you can take a passion of yours and not only pass on that passion, but make money doing it. I tried learning guitar but I was very lazy, and couldn’t get my fingers around the neck of the guitar. I’m sure practice would have helped. 🙂
    Budget and the Beach recently posted…Ways to Protect Yourself on Your VacationMy Profile

  7. I think it is really cool that you can make extra money by doing something that you really enjoy doing. My step dad plays guitar and he’s getting pretty good, but every time he tries to teach my fiance he forgets that he’s trying to teach and gets a little carried away.
    Daisy @ Add Vodka recently posted…Kids, Timing, and MoneyMy Profile

    • Hey Daisy and thanks for the comment 🙂

      It’s weird, but teaching friends or family doesn’t work well when you are close to each other…I have a couple of students whose fathers play guitar, but for whatever reason, they won’t listen to their dads but they’ll listen to me!

      Does your dad get carried away like he’s performing for your fiance instead of teaching?

      Take care and all the best.

      Lyle
      lyle @ the Joy of Simple recently posted…The Love You Get Is Equal To The Love You Give!!My Profile

  9. Hi Lyle! As you know, this is one half of how we eat and pay bills every month. CJ is a classically trained guitar player who was masquerading as an elementary music teacher. His lack of enthusiasm for tah-tah-tee-tee-tah got the best of him, and the rest is history. You made so many important points. You need not spend a lot to get started. I think the most important way to retain students is to be friendly, reliable, and respond to student requests. It’s also important to remember that, when you’re teaching children, you’re marketing to moms. They are extremely busy, so being understanding and offering make-ups is really important. I bet your students love you!
    Tammy R recently posted…Leaving the “Comfort” ZoneMy Profile

    • Hey Tammy and thanks for the comment 🙂

      Actually my students DO love me…all humbleness aside…and it’s because I am not overly dogmatic about how I teach or run my schedule. I understand how families and lives fluctuate and I try to be as accommodating as possible. This goes a long way in retaining my students and makes a mom’s life a little easier :).

      I’m sure CJ and you experience the same level of love as one-on-one teachers.

      Take care and all the best to you both!

      Lyle
      lyle @ the Joy of Simple recently posted…The Love You Get Is Equal To The Love You Give!!My Profile

    • Hi Janine and thanks for the comment 🙂

      When it comes to being self employed or working out a side hustle, I always tell people to look inward first. Find those creative energies that can be exploited, then figure out how to monetize them. For some it’s really easy and for others it takes a little self refection.

      Take care and all the best.

      Lyle
      lyle @ the Joy of Simple recently posted…The Love You Get Is Equal To The Love You Give!!My Profile

  11. Lyle! Dynamite stuff, man. The last 8+ years have been a huge step up from the music classroom to be sure. Having the skills to figure shot out quickly and modify it for students is a specialty not acquired with very few years. Many students bring me notation (since I teach it) too which I must interpret and edit. So I am arranging, interpreting, reading tab/notation, composing and maintaining my own chops. Perhaps one could get started with fewer skills, but it might be tough and occasionally embarrassing at first. I rent a space in which I teach and it costs me, but I love not
    having people in my house. I also love that my side hustle became my main source of income!

    Have a wicked one!!!
    cj recently posted…Leaving the “Comfort” ZoneMy Profile

    • Hey CJ and great seeing you over here and thanks for the comment 🙂

      Agreed with all you have said and glad that you made your side hustle you primary occupation! I also toyed with the idea at one point about opening my own guitar studio, but there seems to be a lot of issues that would need to be worked out first and I’m worried that it would then just turn into another 9 to 5 style business with more crap to deal with other than just teaching guitar. But that’s just me!! Glad it is working out for you greatly 🙂

      Take care and all the best.

      Lyle
      lyle @ the Joy of Simple recently posted…The Love You Get Is Equal To The Love You Give!!My Profile

  13. I took lessons when I was younger for piano and guitar, but I don’t play either well enough to teach anyone haha. I do want to get back into playing guitar though, it’s been on my wish list for a while.
    CF recently posted…Living the Canadian DreamMy Profile

  14. It’s great that you share you gift and passion for music with people AND make a litttle side income. I grew up taking violin lessons. Music really does make the world a better place. Thank you for sharing your talent with others!

  16. Followed from Lyle’s blog and I have been enjoying seeing the other side hustles available! I am considering other ways I can make money and these have certainly given me ideas.

  17. Awesome! That’s so cool that you are able to make your living doing something you love full time. I am working on getting to that place with my side hustles as well! (I am really not musically inclined though so it’s gonna fall outside the realm of music most likely 🙂 All the best to you.
    Dee @ Color Me Frugal recently posted…Budgeting (or not!) the lazy wayMy Profile

    • Hey Kevin and thanks for the comment 🙂

      Being able to teach anything, music or otherwise, really is a great to make some extra cash on the side when needed. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a permanent fixture of your making money on ths ide, but rather a temporary one whenever you want to raise some extra cash. Happy to hear your wife enjoyed the teaching and earning potential.

      Take care and all the best.

      Lyle
      lyle @ The Joy of Simple recently posted…Guest Post #3, Cool Links And An Introduction (of sorts) !My Profile

  20. I worked my way through college giving guitar lessons on the side. It’s a great side income. One thing that worked well for me, but is fairly old school, is just hooking up with a local guitar shop. They funnel in lots of potential students. I rented a backroom from them and gave lessons there. It cut down on travel time and was a good symbiotic relationship for the store.

    • Hey Kevin and thanks for your comment 🙂

      I also worked at a music school for three years and hated it!! It did have all the perks you mentioned above, but at the end of the day, it was like going to another job. When I broke free and went private, that’s when I felt like I was doing something of value to both myself and my students!

      Do you still teach on the side?

      Take care and all the best.

      Lyle
      lyle @ the Joy of Simple recently posted…53 Going On 13 And A Special Birthday Present 🙂My Profile

  22. Turn your passion into your profession. You don’t have to work for the rest of your life. People who loves music and do know how to play any kind of instrument, you can make money with that knowledge. 🙂

  23. As a guitar teacher for over 20 years I always said that getting my first 10 students was the hardest part. As a “word of mouth” recruiter pre-Internet boom I can say that the best way I got clients was to go to your local music stores regularly and network with their owners. Most of these guys have relationships with musicians from around the area and it is a great way to recruit students. Also, ask them if you can play for free over the weekend or one of their busy nights as this is a great way to show your guitar skills.
    Dave Wentworth recently posted…The Best Kids Acoustic Guitar- The Rogue Acoustic Guitar ReviewMy Profile

    • Hey Dave and thanks for the comment 🙂

      That’s pretty much what I did back in the day. I also taught at a private music school which helped introduce me to a whole new community of students.

      Great advice and thanks for it!

      Take care and all the best.

      Lyle
      lyle @ the Joy of Simple recently posted…On Getting There!!My Profile

  25. The idea of turning something you’re passionate about, and good at, into a “side business” is such a simple concept, but I’ll bet a lot of people have never even thought about it! Learning to play a musical instrument is a great example because so many people are interested in the idea, but don’t know where to begin.

    But this is useful and actionable advice that can be used for any number of hobbies or interests.

    And if someone is serious about it, Lyle’s point about creating a website to promote it is a great one. Even if it’s just a basic site, if you meet someone who might be interested in your services, it’s easy to point them to the URL so they can learn more about what you have to offer, and hopefully contact you down the road.
    Fred recently posted…Taylor 110e Review – The Smart Way to Get That Taylor ToneMy Profile

  26. Good points Lyle. As a private instrument teacher with several years of experience Ill also give one quick tip, If you’ve got a knack for teaching, your students will often talk about it to their friends and family, and word will start to spread about your teaching studio.

  27. Lyle, Obrigado por compartilhar seu ponto de vista… Dá sempre para ganhar uma boa grana ensinando. Seu trabalho é muito bacaba!

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