What does it take to teach online guitar lessons? Can anyone do it?
An online guitar course can help you if you're a professional guitar instructor or musician looking for ways to make a living doing something you enjoy.
Not only can teaching online help you earn more money from the comfort of your own home, but it also gives you more time to pursue your passion for playing guitar or creating new music.
Whether you're a seasoned guitar instructor looking for a way to serve more students and expand your teaching business, or you're on your way to becoming the next Jimi Hendrix, this guide will walk through the benefits of teaching online guitar lessons.
Why you should teach guitar online
Teaching an online guitar course allows you to teach where, when, and how you want. What's more, the number of students you can serve is limitless - as long as you have an internet connection!
Just imagine waking up in your own home and teaching students from all over the world. Or having online guitar lessons delivered to hundreds of students on autopilot, freeing up time for you to spend with family, develop new teaching materials, or hone your craft. This is the reality for many guitarists who teach an online guitar course.
As a full-time musician, having this kind of leverage can make all the difference between merely surviving and thriving.
Because, while selling backing tracks, looking for the next gig, and cramming your schedule with music lessons can help you make ends meet, they don't always translate into a scalable business.
On the other hand, online guitar lessons open up a whole new world of possibilities for making a living doing what you love.
How to teach guitar online
There are five key areas this blog covers to get you started teaching guitar online:
Step 1: Choose your online guitar course topic and positioning
The first step is to decide who and what you will teach. This will not only help you create better quality and more focused content, but it will also make your marketing more visible to prospective students. So ask yourself whether you want to teach beginners, intermediate, or advanced guitarists.
You may already be instructing a range of players in person. When starting with an online guitar course, it's best to create online guitar lessons for a specific target group and then expand from there.
In the same vein, consider whether there are any specific genres or techniques you could specialize in to set yourself apart. For example, do you enjoy teaching classic guitar, blues, or jazz? Or maybe you have a natural talent for teaching specific techniques like improvisation, finger-picking, or harmony.
Step 2: Decide your course format and teaching method.
When it comes to scheduling online guitar lessons, you have several options.
Maybe you'd prefer to take a more hands-off approach and create all self-serve virtual lessons.
Or maybe you enjoy face time with students but would like to use your time better by providing some supplemental online resources.
Let's take a look at different ways you can use to teach an online guitar course:
Option 1: Self-serve online guitar lessons
This approach is to create online guitar lessons that allow students to work through the material at their own pace with no additional coaching from you.
The benefit of this is that once you've created and uploaded your course, you can teach an unlimited number of students with no additional demands on your time.
Option 2: A combination of online courses and live coaching
Most online guitar teachers offer a combination of self-serve courses and live coaching.
The benefit here is obvious: you keep a connection with your students while reaping the benefits of scale through technology.
Option 3: Online guitar membership
The third option is to offer membership. Students pay a monthly subscription fee for new content or mentorship from you each month under this model.
Step 3: Get your equipment and tools for teaching online
The next step is to get the necessary equipment for online guitar lessons. In this section, we'll go over some of the most common tools used by guitar teachers.
Music recording software
You'll need solid music recording software to create audio samples and lessons. Garageband for Mac or Audacity for Windows is a free tool that makes it easy for you to do this.
Music notation software
If you prepare lead sheets, notate scales, and chord progressions, or teach guitar theory, you'll probably want to set up with music notation software.
Microphone
You'll need to invest in a high-quality microphone to record your audio. Sound quality influences how a listener evaluates a song. However, the sound is also important when teaching an online guitar course!
Camera
Many guitar teachers record online guitar lessons with a camera on their phones or laptop. This can work well, especially when accompanied by clear audio.
Video chat software
You'll need a video connection with your students if you decide to include live coaching in your online guitar course. Video chat software is an easy way to host individual or group sessions.
Internet
While it may seem obvious, having a reliable internet connection is important if you choose to live stream a part of your lessons! Failed connections are the most frustrating thing when you're in the middle of a session.
Step 4: Create your first online guitar course
Where do you start when planning your course content? If you take the next steps, you'll be on the right track!
Create your course sales page
A good first step is to create a sales page for your course. We recommend this for two reasons.
First, it will help you focus your efforts on defining your value proposition and creating a course outline.
Second, it provides a sales page to start driving traffic to. Don't be afraid to share what you're planning to create even before you start creating it! This is known as pre-selling your online course and is an excellent way to validate demand for your content.
Create your course outline
Suppose you want to create a fingerstyle guitar course. To create your outline, you must first identify the following:
What stage is your student in before enrolling in your course? (Point A)
What abilities and expectations the student has for taking your course (Point B)
The key steps, topics, and skills required to progress from their current state (Point A) to their desired state (Point B)
Once you have a rough outline, you will be able to decide whether you need to film a video, create a worksheet, or write specific lead sheets to improve your finger-picking strength.
Step 5: Market your online guitar course
Lastly, you must create a plan for enrolling students in your online guitar lessons.
Your goal in all your marketing efforts should be to increase your audience's 'know, like, and trust factor. In other words, by providing actionable value, you can increase your visibility in your target community, establish your authority, and create goodwill.
Comments