| If you are an experienced guitar player in need of | | | | If you want to ensure that you get some interest |
| some cash, why not give guitar lessons? Would you | | | | from possible future students, just give them a good |
| rather spend all of your time working hard just to | | | | price. Giving cheap guitar lessons will still make you |
| make a lowly minimum wage, or would you like to | | | | more money than most other part time ventures. |
| spend a half hour teaching someone how to play | | | | Some of the more experienced teachers command |
| some chords and get more than double that? Why | | | | $30 for a half hour. You could offer rates of $10-$15 |
| submit yourself to an employer's orders and demands | | | | for a half hour and still be in good shape. Many |
| when you can be your own boss and do something | | | | private instructors travel to student's homes for |
| that you actually enjoy? Giving guitar lessons can | | | | lessons, and if you are considering doing this you can |
| really be a nice gig, but for a number of reasons, | | | | charge more for travel expense, but it should also be |
| most people who are perfectly qualified would never | | | | easy enough to find people in your area willing to |
| even consider it. | | | | come to you. |
| You don't have to be a guitar virtuoso to give music | | | | Having said all that, not everyone would be a good |
| lessons, and you don't need to have twenty years | | | | candidate for becoming a private guitar teacher. You |
| of playing experience under your belt. All you have to | | | | do need to have some guitar ability and knowledge, |
| do is find someone who can learn from you, | | | | and you will have to keep an organized schedule and |
| someone who can benefit from whatever you do | | | | plan things out. You will also usually need to provide |
| know. There are plenty of people who have just | | | | equipment, or at least have your own functioning and |
| picked up a guitar and want to take lessons. In many | | | | quality equipment. Having chord charts and other |
| ways it would be better for them to avoid the highly | | | | resources available to your students is important and |
| trained guitar professionals and take lessons from | | | | will make your services seem more professional and |
| someone who was at their level not too long ago. If | | | | dedicated, but the thing you will need most of all is |
| you know basic chords and scales you can teach | | | | the ability to communicate and work with your |
| someone who doesn't even know how to get their | | | | students. |
| instrument in tune yet. | | | | Not everyone can sit there and patiently explain to a |
| So how do you find people that would be a good fit | | | | beginner where to put their fingers and how to pluck |
| for you as a private teacher? When I decided to | | | | a string. Some people just aren't meant to be |
| start giving lessons I put one add up on craigslist and | | | | teachers and if you don't think you can spend a half |
| within a few days I had multiple replies. From those | | | | hour to an hour talking people through guitar |
| replies I could choose the students who best fit my | | | | techniques, do not start lining up students. If you are |
| schedule and knowledge. I ended up getting a few | | | | unsure, try giving a music lesson to a friend or |
| students who would come to me and pay me well, | | | | relative and see how it goes, but at the same time, |
| and I was making decent money from a couple hours | | | | don't worry if you take a few lessons to get the |
| of work per week. I don't even think I would | | | | hand of it. The important thing is that you have a |
| consider it work. | | | | desire to do it. |
| On craigslist you can browse posts from people who | | | | There is still, and will probably always be, a large |
| are looking for teachers or you can put up your own | | | | demand for guitar teachers to give people private |
| listing with a description of your services. There are | | | | music lessons. If you are at all considering becoming |
| other websites that have similar services specialized | | | | one, I would encourage you to give it a shot. As |
| for guitar players and teachers, but they generally do | | | | they say, it beats flipping burgers. |
| not have the traffic that craigslist gets. | | | | |