Whether you’re picking up a guitar for the first time or working towards a grade, find a local guitar tutor in your area.
If we don’t yet cover your area, please get in touch — we may have a tutor near you, or be able to let you know when one is available.
Guitar lessons cover technique, theory, and repertoire across the playing styles you want to learn. Most students start with foundational skills and progress towards their own goals — whether that’s writing songs, performing live, or working through grade exams.
Most beginner guitar lessons start with basic chord shapes (E, A, D, G, C and their variations), rhythm and strumming patterns, and learning to read chord diagrams and tablature. Within the first few months, students typically work towards playing simple songs all the way through, building finger strength and developing a sense of timing.
Acoustic guitar is often the recommended starting point because it doesn’t require any additional equipment, but electric guitar is equally suitable for beginners — it depends on the student’s musical interests.
At this stage, lessons often introduce more advanced chord types (barre chords, seventh chords, suspended chords), scale patterns, basic improvisation, and more complex rhythm and lead techniques. Students may start exploring specific styles in depth — blues, rock, fingerstyle, jazz — and begin learning songs from artists they enjoy.
This is also the typical stage for students preparing for ABRSM, Trinity Rockschool, or RGT graded exams (Grades 1–5), each of which has structured technical and repertoire requirements.
Advanced lessons cover music theory in depth, advanced lead techniques (legato, sweep picking, hybrid picking), composition, performance preparation, and audition technique for music college applications. Students at this stage often work on building a personal style and repertoire, with some preparing for music conservatoire entry or professional performance.
Higher-grade exam preparation (ABRSM Grades 6–8, Trinity Rockschool higher grades) requires advanced technical work alongside performance pieces and theory.
Guitar lessons can be tailored to whatever style interests you most. Most local guitar tutors teach across multiple styles, so you can explore as your tastes develop.
Acoustic guitar covers folk, country, fingerstyle, classical-influenced playing, and rhythm guitar for singer-songwriters. It’s the most common starting instrument and remains the foundation for most playing styles.
Electric guitar lessons cover rock, blues, metal, jazz, funk, and contemporary styles. Lessons often include amp settings, effects pedals, lead and rhythm playing, and improvisation. Students don’t need a high-end electric guitar to start — most beginner electric guitars are more than capable.
Classical guitar uses nylon strings and fingerstyle technique, with lessons typically focused on reading standard music notation, classical repertoire, and graded exam preparation. ABRSM and Trinity classical guitar exams have well-established syllabi from beginner through to diploma level.
Bass guitar lessons cover playing in different styles — rock, funk, jazz, reggae — and focus on rhythm, groove, finger-style and pick playing techniques. Bass is often easier for beginners to make functional progress on quickly, and many guitar tutors teach bass alongside guitar.
Most guitar students take a 30-minute lesson once a week. As students progress, many move to 45-minute or 60-minute lessons to allow time for more material. Daily home practice — even 15–20 minutes — makes far more difference than lesson length.
Both work well. In-person lessons allow the tutor to demonstrate technique directly, correct hand position, and adjust the guitar setup. Online lessons (via Zoom or similar) suit students who travel for work, live in remote areas, or prefer learning from home. Many tutors offer both.
A guitar (acoustic, electric, or classical depending on your interest), a tuner (free apps work well), and ideally a strap and a few picks. For electric guitar, a basic amplifier and a cable. Beginner-suitable guitars start from around £80–150; you don’t need to spend more for your first instrument.
Most teachers will start children from age 7 or 8, when their hands are large enough to form chord shapes comfortably. Younger children (5–6) can sometimes start on a small “1/2 size” guitar or ukulele as a foundation instrument before moving to a standard guitar.
Choose your area to find a local guitar teacher.
We work with independent local guitar teachers across the UK. Each tutor sets their own pricing, lesson schedule, and lesson location — typically the tutor’s home, the student’s home, or a local music school. When you submit an enquiry, we connect you with a guitar teacher in the area you’ve chosen.
There’s no charge to use the directory. You arrange lessons directly with your tutor, including pricing and scheduling.
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