6 reasons group guitar lessons may be a better option than one-to-one

So. You’ve decided you’d like to start guitar lessons. Now it’s time to find the right teacher.

Part of the decision process is to first decide one the most appropriate platform; whether to learn your instrument in a one-to-one or group setting.

For most prospective guitar students, one-to-one lessons are the default option. You may have already taken individual music lessons yourself; either on guitar or another instrument. If not, you will almost certainly have a friend or family member who has done so. However, it is important to note that individual lessons are certainly not the only option, and in many cases, not the best or most suitable option either.

Some teachers and music schools offer both individual and group guitar lessons, whilst most specialise in one or the other. As such, deciding whether to take one-to-one or group guitar lessons is likely to play a prerequisite part to deciding which guitar teacher will be the best fit for you.

Here are the six reasons group guitar lessons may be a better option than one to one:

1. Group guitar lessons are normally cheaper

The cost of instrumental lessons can vary greatly between different teachers, instruments and locations. However, one thing we can say with confidence is that group guitar classes are almost always cheaper than one-to-one lessons. As a rough guide, individual guitar tuition in Watford, Hertfordshire costs roughly £25 per 30-minutes or £45 per hour. Group guitar lessons cost roughly £20 per hour.

As you or your child will hopefully keep learning guitar for months or even years to come, the difference in price can really add up! Learning guitar in a group can save you an average of £5 per lesson, equating to a saving of £165 per year [33 lessons] or a total of £1,155 per child during the seven years of secondary school education.

2. You may find it more difficult to find a great teacher who is available to give one-to-one lessons

Of course, it’s no help finding the best teacher in the world if he or she is not available at a time and day that fits your schedule. Availability is somewhat of a double-edged sword.

The best guitar teachers, if only offering individual lessons, are likely to be fully booked and oversubscribed – possibly with a long waiting list. Afterall, most students are only available from 4-8pm on weekdays and over the weekend. It is a very short window to teach in and such it is logistically difficult to take on more than 50 students. On the other hand, teachers focusing on group tuition are more likely to have space to take on students as they are less likely to reach capacity.

It is worth noting, however, that with group lessons, it is paramount that students are placed in a group of similar age and playing ability. This may narrow down the lesson options available to you. Furthermore, group lessons have very limited scope to reschedule or refund missed lessons. If you think you may miss several lessons, I would recommend discussing this with your preferred tutor in advance and weighing up whether individual lessons may in fact be a better fit.

3. Group lessons can be more fun and engaging

Having taught a combination of one-to-one and group guitar lessons, I have found that group tuition is far more enjoyable and engaging for the vast majority of students. Of course, this may not be comfortable for more shy or reserved personalities. In rare cases, such as for children with conditions such as autism, individual lessons may be a better choice. If possible, however, I would still recommend trying group lessons as this can be an effective way to help students develop the confidence that will help with music performance, as well as other areas of life; such as public speaking.

With group guitar classes, students engage in more varied activities than in individual lessons and develop ensemble skills organically in the lessons. For example, one student may play the riff, another the chords, another a bass line. Students have the opportunity to explore percussion or introducing vocal parts; either lead or harmony. More advanced students may even take a guitar solo. In this way, students of all levels can hear and understand the context in which their part functions. With private lessons, however, there are times when it can feel like you’re practising penalties against an open goal! Being limited to teacher and student, two voices simply are not enough to do justice to a wide range of music students may wish to cover.

4. Groups give students the opportunity to socialise, make new friends and develop ensemble skills

Historically, music has always been a community activity. It’s a great way to meet new people and really brings people together. You may be familiar with this if you have a background in music, sang at a choir, chanted at a football match, sung “Happy Birthday” to a friend or family member or even taken part in karaoke at the office Christmas party!

5. Group guitar lessons enable students to develop objectivity, learn from others and better monitor their own progress

One-to-one lessons are fantastic as they are designed around you and move at your pace. However, one-to-one lessons are massively flawed as they are designed around you and move at your pace.

This may seem like a contradiction, but in my experience, whilst one to one lessons can be extremely effective at maximising results for highly motivated and / or experienced players, individual lessons can in fact be detrimental for beginners for exactly the same reason. How can a student monitor the speed of their progress if the lesson always adapts to it? With group lessons, learners can monitor their progress against their peers and assess their own performance accordingly. Students can teach and learn from each other and in doing so develop greater self-awareness and objective thinking – though let’s not mention SWOT analysis just yet…

Of course, a bit of healthy competition doesn’t hurt either!

6. Students learning in a group will likely be exposed to a broader range of music and become more versatile musicians

To cater to the tastes of the group as whole, students taking group guitar lessons are likely to be exposed to a wider range of music than those pursuing individual study. Whether this is viewed as a pro or con is somewhat dependent on the lesson objectives. If, for example, a student is only interested in learning to play metal or would like to fly through the classical guitar exams, a more focused, specialised programme of study as part of a one-to-one course is likely the most suitable way of achieving those goals quickly. However, in my experience, exploring a broader range of music is both more enriching and more enjoyable for the vast majority of students. After all, variety is the spice of life! Most learners are open to new challenges and learning new things. How could you know if you’d enjoy playing a piece by Metallica, Mozart or Duke Ellington before you’ve tried it?! Moreover, the modern guitarist is expected to be versatile. For any students who aim to play music professionally, in bands or even to take music GCSE or A level, it never hurts to have more strings to one’s bow.

Conclusion

There are certainly pros and cons to group and one-to-one guitar lessons. For group lessons to be effective, they certainly need to be delivered in a very different from individual ones; involving most of the students most of the time and only focusing on individual students where necessary as shown below.

Effective Group Guitar Lesson

• Most students are involved most of the time
• Students are engaged, active participants in the vast majority of the lesson
• Individual guidance is given where needed and student progress is closely monitored

In my experience, group lessons require the tutor a lot more thought and planning than one-to-one lessons, the creation of excellent, differentiated resources and an lots of back-up plans in preparation for the unexpected. If done well, I strongly feel that the vast majority of students would benefit most from learning in a group. Group lessons are more fun, more varied and better value than one-to-one. Of course, some students would benefit from one-to-one attention, especially if they are are working towards a higher grade or have bespoke goals or unique interests.  

I hope you have found this article helpful and we’d love to hear your thoughts and comments. Feel free to get in touch if you would like to learn more about our lessons and please do share this article with your friends and family to help them decide if they would be better taking group or one-to-one lessons on their instrument.