Looking for Guitar Lessons, Chicago?
“Piano Power has been very easy to work with. They are communicative, and I have really liked both instructors we’ve had.” -Rachel, parent, Chicago
Piano Power’s home office is located in beautiful Avondale, in the heart of Chicago. We currently serve Chicago guitar students in Bucktown, Wicker Park, Edgewater, the Gold Coast, Lakeview, Lincoln Park, Lincoln Square, Logan Square/Avondale, the Loop, South Loop, and Rogers Park. We love our Chicago students, and we’re happy to be a part of their active, fun lives.
Why is it great to be a music student in Chicago?
With so many live music and art resources at their fingertips, guitar students in Chicago have plenty of opportunities to enrich their music education in addition to lessons with Piano Power.
Many of our students enjoy the family-friendly programming at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and The Lyric Opera of Chicago, as well as great outdoor venues like the Grant Park Music Festival.
Chicago students of jazz are especially lucky, with countless jazz venues across the city offering a chance to experience the dynamic genre live. The annual Chicago Jazz Festival and Chicago Blues Festival are amazing opportunities to sample what the Chicago music scene has to offer in a family-friendly outdoor setting.
Age recommendations
Learning guitar takes more initial muscle strength than learning piano, and it also has less instant gratification– in other words, it’s harder to play something that “sounds like a song” in the first few months. Therefore, we recommend that students wait until age 7 or 8 before starting guitar.
Piano is the foundational instrument– it gives a great theory background and a great sense of how music works. Once a student has two or three years of piano under their belt, it’s a lot easier to transition to another instrument.
Read why you’ll never regret taking music lessons as an adult.
Practice expectations
Your guitar teacher will work with you to create a practice plan that works for your student’s schedule. The single most important element of guitar practice is regularity. We know our students are busy! But devoting even a modest amount of time each day to guitar practice produces much better results than relying on weekly “cram sessions.” Ideally, your student will make guitar a regular part of his or her day.
Read teacher Adrienne Schroeder’s amazing advice on how to practice.
We don’t have a guitar. Where should we get one?
In general, it’s better to start with acoustic guitar– it’s always easier to transition to electric later, rather than the other way around.
We also recommend that, no matter where you get the guitar from, your student comes with you so the store can get the right size. (There are three-quarter-sized guitars for young students, and full-sized guitars for older beginners.)
Keep in mind that a beginner doesn’t need a top-of-the-line guitar — something around $200 or $300 is probably fine. Guitar Works in Evanston is a great store, and Guitar Center in Highland Park is a decent backup option.
Piano Power recitals
If your student has been receiving guitar instruction with Piano Power for three months or more, he or she is invited to participate in our annual spring recital. Held in June and December, the recital is a wonderful, low-key way to celebrate your student’s achievements. Our guitarists perform a huge variety of repertoire — from classical to original compositions to Top-40 radio hits.
Read more about what makes Piano Power recitals so cool
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We’re ready to match you with a great guitar teacher!
We’d love to talk more with you about our terrific Chicago guitar teachers, and how to get the most out of your piano student’s experience. Our abiding goal is that our students develop a lifelong love of music.
Ready to connect with a teacher today?
