Five Reasons to Take Music Lessons at Guitar Center

When I told my parents I wanted to play guitar after being “infected” by The Beatles, my mom signed me up for lessons with a 70-year-old Swedish woman. She was nice, but learning “Oh! Susanna” on acoustic guitar didn’t exactly inspire a youngster trying to suss out the British Invasion.

Subsequent teachers were similarly more concerned with having me learn what they thought I should know, rather than reveal the mysteries of the music I was passionate about. As a result, I stopped playing guitar until I was 17 years old, when a high school friend invited me into his garage band.

If that hadn’t happened, I doubt my life path would have included becoming editor of Electronic Musician and Guitar Player, opening four San Francisco Bay Area recording studios, playing in tons of bands, and finding a musical home at Mi5 Recordings and a distribution deal with Universal Music Group. A music teacher didn’t lead me into this wonderful life in music. A kid named Kirk Griffin with a beaten-up Fender Telecaster Thinline did.

I’ve shared this somewhat lengthy and personal preamble to illustrate why encouraging and supportive music lessons are indispensable.

Music lessons can fire up enthusiasm for playing or transform zeal into apathy—whether you’re a pre-teen beginner, an adult looking to play an instrument for the first time or an experienced pro seeking to improve their chops. The wrong teacher or lesson path can derail what should be one of the most joyful pursuits of your life.

That almost happened to me. Don’t let it happen to you or your children.

Instead, keep musical aspirations energized at your local Guitar Center, which offers in-store lessons for musicians of different ages, abilities and interests. Here are five reasons why taking lessons at Guitar Center could resonate throughout your entire life.

Learn From Experienced Musicians

To be fair, every reputable music teacher should be an experienced musician. But not all musicians are supportive, stimulating and inspiring teachers.

Guitar Center instructors are selected for their musical knowledge, teaching abilities and experience. They undergo screening and training, and many have high-level professional performance or music-education backgrounds.

Guitar Center’s comprehensive vetting is key for not just instructional ability, but also temperament, stylistic breadth, familiarity with contemporary teaching methods (YouTube, apps, interactive lessons, etc.) and being empathetic to the needs of students.

In my case, I did appreciate my mother asking her friends to help find a guitar teacher for me, but the chance of locating an authentic rock instructor from the advice of ’60s moms was like expecting a squirrel to devise geopolitical peace strategies.

Furthermore, unlike a YouTube tutorial, an experienced teacher can provide real-time feedback on how a student negotiates a particular technique, riff, chord progression, solo, drum fill, groove, vocal passage and so on. They can point out potentially bad habits, help you understand why something isn’t working and suggest more efficient ways to practice. There’s no reason why any guitarist, bassist, keyboardist, vocalist, DJ or drummer should have to repeat mistakes for weeks or longer.

This is actually a big deal.

Inefficient breathing, bad posture and over-strenuous physical actions (involving wrists, arms, legs, fingers, vocal cords, etc.) can potentially cause throat issues, carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis and other injuries. A qualified instructor can help students recognize and remedy these danger zones.

Another advantage is encouragement.

Learning an instrument can be frustrating, especially when your musical ambitions are moving faster than your fingers. A good teacher can help turn frustrations into achievable goals.

You Can Audition Us Before You Commit

Guitar Center has more than 290 locations across the nation, so if there’s a store nearby, you can drop in, take a look at the Lessons center, meet some available instructors and ask about the program and facilities. You can also jump right in and sign up for a free, no-commitment lesson to experience first-hand if Guitar Center lessons are right for you. Particularly for parents, a free lesson is an opportunity to ensure the environment is comfortable, supportive and enjoyable for young children. Book your free trial music lesson.

You Can Grab an Instrument Off the Wall

Guitar Center stores have hundreds of professional guitars and basses and pieces of DJ gear in the house, and you can choose one of these instruments to play during your lessons without paying a rental fee. (Drums and keyboards are already waiting for you in the studios.) For guitarists and bassists, the fun extends beyond playing a model you’ve dreamed of owning—it also enhances your lessons.

For example, if you’re interested in studying songs by Stevie Ray Vaughan or H.E.R., you can choose a Fender Stratocaster and learn by playing the same type of guitar they do. If a future lesson revolves around Jimmy Page, you can opt for a Gibson Les Paul. It’s like choosing instruments on an ever-changing carousel of awesome. And there’s even more awesomeness, because if you’re a monthly student and find an instrument you love, you can use your exclusive discount to take that gear home for good.

Learn in a Safe, Supportive Environment

Guitar Center does not take security lightly. It can be worrying for parents to leave children temporarily under the supervision of strangers, and anyone can feel apprehension about taking lessons from someone they may have just met for the first time.

However, Guitar Center has security cameras in all Lessons studios to record audio and video. These cameras are one of several measures developed to support a safe learning environment. The footage may also be used for instructor training and quality assurance.

For parents, some Guitar Center Lesson studios have dedicated waiting areas, so you don’t need to leave the building while your child is taking their lesson. If you don’t see somewhere to plop down—or aren’t interested in perusing all the music gear in the store—you can ask an instructor or associate to find you a place to sit.

Immerse Yourself in an Oasis of Music

Look where you are. You’re surrounded by music gear and in a place where musicians and other students assemble as a community of creators. Inspiration is literally everywhere. Even more motivating, monthly students get VIP access to events and workshops, as well as a venue to perform at Guitar Center student showcases. Guitar Center not only provides the lessons to elevate your chops and musical knowledge, but we also get you onstage to strut your stuff.

Ready to Start Playing?

I can’t tell you how many times people have come up to me at a gig and said something like, “I tried to play guitar when I was young. I wish I never stopped.”

Well, guess what? You can start up again anytime by taking music lessons at Guitar Center.

There’s no reason for fear or embarrassment. Whatever your age or skill level, our instructors will alleviate any concerns or trepidation and put you on the path to gaining facility on the instrument of your choice. All you need—and this is 100% truth—is an interest in making music and a willingness to learn.

Here’s another cautionary tale: My journey with guitar playing was unnecessarily rocky because only one teacher—Mark Stefani—had the awareness to take me where I wanted to go when I started playing in bands during my late teens. When he moved out of town, I was back to learning on my own, and I had a ridiculous aversion to taking guitar lessons ever again. That was a mistake. My situation compelled me to learn “on the job and under fire” and I’ve collected decades of bad habits along the way.

Thankfully, Guitar Center ensures its private music lessons are tailored to your goals and interests. Guitar Center instructors adapt the lessons to how you want to learn and what you want to learn.

Excellent teachers matter. Customized lesson plans matter. You get both at Guitar Center, as well as the other benefits.

So, stop wishing you played an instrument or were much better at playing it. Find the right teacher. Learn. Practice. Trust me, the joy of making music will follow you every day of your life.