Taking Guitar Lessons with a Friend

I get asked quite often if it is ok to take guitar lessons with a friend. Beginner students are usually nervous about trying something new and would like to have a friend with them. Some students are looking for a jam partner.

While I strongly encourage parents to take lessons with their 7-or 8-year old, taking lessons with a friend may not be a great idea. Three important things to consider before taking guitar lessons with a friend are musical taste, motivation, and dedication.

Does Your Friend Like the Same Music?

It is very important to make sure you have the same taste in music when signing up for guitar lessons with a friend.  In 20 years of teaching, I have had numerous people take lessons together who have very different taste in music. And when this happens, learning a new song turns into a job for one of them. If you like rock and are stuck doing a Willie Nelson song, you will not want to practice. If you love country and are introduced to a Metallica song, you may not even have the right guitar set up to play it. Even people with similar tastes in music tend to like different songs. And the fundamental drive for people who are learning guitar is the excitement of playing songs they like.

Taking Lessons with a Friend with Similar Motivation

If you are interested in taking guitar lessons with someone, make sure they are motivated to be there. I find that there is usually one person who consistently misses lessons. When that happens, they fall behind. The next time they make it, we need a lot of one-on-one time to go over what they missed. The first few times usually is no big deal. But after a while, they get so far behind that the student who is there every week does not learn anything new that day. After a while, the student who is behind ends up usually feeling bad that they are not where they should be. Which leads to my final consideration.

Focus and Dedication

If you are taking lessons with someone who is not practicing, the lessons will progress very slowly. It is common for one student to practice while the other one might not even pull the guitar out of the case during the week. It is rare to have two people progressing at the same rate. This is hard on both students since one has to wait for the other catch up and the other feels lost or behind.

Conclusion

One alternative to taking private lessons with a friend would be to take a guitar class together. For one-on-one lessons, it is generally a much better idea not to have someone else with you. Having someone come and occasionally sit in with you may be a great idea. If you are nervous about your first lesson, have a family member there with you. A good guitar teacher will put you at ease in no time.

If you have any questions or would like to sign up for lessons, feel free to contact me. I have a studio in Greeley and Boomer Music in Fort Collins Colorado.