Guitar Lessons in Pasadena, CA

Further your Guitar Skills at Pasadena's Award-Winning Music School

The Academy's Guitar Lessons in Pasadena, CA

The Altadena Academy of Music, serving hundreds of students from the vibrant city of Pasadena, California, is a distinguished institution that offers exceptional guitar lessons to aspiring musicians of all ages (including adults) and skill levels. With a rich musical heritage and commitment to nurturing artistic talent, the academy has become a hub for individuals seeking comprehensive world-class guitar lessons in the area.

At the Altadena Academy of Music, students embark on a transformative musical journey under the guidance of highly skilled and experienced Pasadena based guitar teachers and instructors. The academy prides itself on employing a team of dedicated professionals who are not only accomplished performers but also passionate educators. They create a supportive and inspiring environment that encourages students to unlock their full potential and develop a deep love for the guitar.

Whether students are absolute beginners or seasoned guitarists looking to refine their technique, the Altadena Academy of Music caters to their unique needs. The curriculum is thoughtfully designed to provide a well-rounded musical education, encompassing fundamental skills such as music theory, sight-reading, ear training, and proper hand positioning. Students also have the opportunity to explore various genres, including rock, classical, blues, jazz, contemporary, and more, allowing them to broaden their musical horizons and discover their individual artistic voices.

The Altadena Academy of Music takes pride in its state-of-the-art facilities, which are equipped with top-quality guitars to ensure an exceptional learning experience. The academy also hosts regular recitals and performance opportunities, allowing students to showcase their progress and gain confidence in their abilities. Furthermore, the academy actively engages with the local community, organizing concerts and events that foster a sense of artistic collaboration and appreciation.

Serving the beautiful community of Pasadena, with its vibrant arts scene and proximity to renowned cultural institutions, the Altadena Academy of Music offers students a rich musical environment that fuels their passion and growth. Through its commitment to excellence, personalized instruction, and nurturing environment, the academy continues to inspire generations of guitar enthusiasts to explore, create, and flourish in the realm of music.

New students enrolling in guitar lessons receive a welcome package as well as an Altadena Academy of Music Practice tote bag. For more information regarding guitar lessons at the Altadena Academy of Music, please contact our office by calling us at (626) 296-0799 or registering for lessons by clicking the button below. The Academy proudly offers guitar lessons to students in Altadena, Pasadena, La Cañada, Glendale, Burbank, Monrovia, San Gabriel, Alhambra, San Marino and surrounding areas.

Guitar Lessons Tuition in Pasadena, CA

The prices listed here are for private piano lessons taking place at the Academy once a week, as well as virtual and online piano lessons. The Academy is located on the border of Pasadena, CA and Altadena, CA. For in-home lesson rates, please contact us!

30 Minutes

$154

Per Month

45 Minutes

$235

Per Month

60 Minutes

$295

Per Month

Levels of Guitar Lessons

No matter the level at which you currently are - whether a complete beginner or an advanced student who has been taking guitar lessons for a decade - the Altadena Academy of Music, serving Pasadena, is here to help you get the most out of guitar lessons. Since we specialize in private lessons which we have been delivering since 2003, we ensure that your experience with guitar lessons is tailored to your current level, the pace at which you are comfortable to work at, as well as your goals and ambitions within music.

Beginner

Our beginner guitar lessons are perfect for students who have no previous background in music and are looking to learn to play an instrument. Our private beginner guitar lessons will focus on fostering the basic knowledge of the guitar as well as learning how to name the different strings. Students who participate in beginner guitar lessons will learn basic fingerpicking patterns and techniques to apply during their musical career.

Intermediate

Intermediate guitar lessons will teach students how to proficiently transition between chords as well as how to play more challenging musical pieces. Intermediate guitar students will learn advanced strumming patterns and various rhythmic sequences.

Advanced

Our advanced guitar lessons are for students who are looking to take their musical skills and apply them in the real world through competitions and various teaching roles. Advanced guitar students are proficient in advanced fingerpicking techniques and can play difficult solo pieces. These students are able to easily express their style and expand their musical creativity by composing their own pieces.

Why Choose Our Academy for Guitar Lessons in Pasadena, CA

Our Guitar Teachers

Our teachers are truly the core of our institution. As mentioned previously, we receive hundreds of teaching applications every year, and every guitar teacher on our team is a proven professional with a great personality (and their educational, performance, and teaching background speaks for themselves too!).

Our Facility

We pride ourselves on teaching students on the finest equipment, including the best-in-class upright and grand pianos, including a large array of Yamaha U-1s and U-3s, as well as Steinway & Sons Grand Pianos.

We feature a comfortable lounge for parents with high-speed WiFi, an area for little kids to play and check out Lego magazines and coloring books, as well as plenty of free parking. The Academy, located on the border of Pasadena and Altadena, is central to grocery stores, even allowing you to make a quick grocery run while your child is in class.

Our Experience

We have been part of the Pasadena, Altadena, and La Cañada communities since 2003. Delivering guitar lessons to thousands of students (both children and adults) over the years has allowed us to foster the best possible environment for learning music.

Our Policies

We provide students with month-to-month lessons with no long-term commitments. Switching gears away from music? Simply give us a 30-day heads up and you are good to go! Need to change your lesson time? Let us know and we'll be glad to look at other options. And of course - need to miss a lesson? Let us know in advance and you can always receive a private make up credit, rather than lose your lesson or do a group make up.

Our Accolades

We genuinely hate to brag - but we have been chosen as the Best Music School by Expertise Magazine for several years in a row. We are also a Pasadena Weekly Reader Recommended Music School (every year since 2015). Lastly, we are a Steinway & Sons Teaching and Educational Partner, an extremely rare designation for private music schools, as well as members of the Music Teachers' Association of California. The list of the Academy's accolades, including students' competition wins, goes on, and we really hope it speaks for itself!

Meet Some of Our Guitar Teachers in Pasadena, CA

As Pasadena's top-rated music school and academy for acoustic, electric, and bass guitar lessons, we generally attract over fifty top guitar teachers' resumes for a single guitar teacher opening at our school located on the border of Altadena and Pasadena. As you can imagine, the selection process to teach guitar at the Altadena Academy of Music is extremely rigorous and includes not only technical and behavioral interviews, but also sample lessons and feedback collection from students.

Due to this rigorous interview process for guitar teachers, we pride ourselves in having the most dedicated and prestigious faculty of any school in the Altadena and Pasadena area. Guitar teachers on our team have received degrees from the world's best music programs, including the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, USC Thornton School of Music, Juilliard, Peabody Conservatory, Berklee College of Music, Columbia University, and the Curtis Institute of Music.

Our Piano Teachers

All of our private guitar teachers possess not only excellent teaching ability, but also hands-on performance experience which allows them to share unparalleled real-world expertise during each and every guitar lesson.

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Mr. Marc

Director
Jazz Performance, New England Conservatory
piano bass guitar voice lessons pasaena

Mr. Sam

Teacher
Master's Degree, Columbia University
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Mr. Drew

Teacher
Jazz Guitar and Film Scoring, University of North Carolina
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Mr. Mike

Teacher
Master's Degree, California Institute of the Arts

Our Guitar Lesson and Student Gallery in Pasadena, CA

Frequently Asked Questions About Guitar Lessons

The time it takes to master guitar varies for each individual. At our Music Academy, our professional instructors strive to meet the individual needs of each of our students. Personalized lessons taught by our teachers, along with diligent practice, will help students reach their full potential in whatever time is necessary for them.

Our Music Academy takes practice very seriously, and encourages parents to oversee that beginner guitar students practice for at least 15-30 minutes every day.

Consistency is the most important factor when it comes to practicing, we recommend practicing as often as possible to help retain what your child has learned.

As the old saying goes (pun intended), you are never too old to pursue a new hobby. Adults make up about one-third of the Academy's students, and adult guitar lessons specifically are a very popular choice. Adults choosing to pick up music usually do so to engage in a new hobby, meet friends , and hone their musical abilities.

Additionally, students looking into improving their memory, as well as controlling certain conditions, such as Parkinson's tremors, are actually encouraged to begin guitar and music lessons, as playing music is scientifically proven to stimulate the brain and allow you to strengthen and improve your hand coordination.

All of our guitar lessons here at the Altadena Academy of Music include sight reading and music theory, unless that is something you are not interested in due to time constraints or personal preference. Unlike many teachers and schools, we include music theory into all of our lessons by default, as it's crucial for long-term success.

Learning music and taking lessons without learning how to sight read and understand the "behind the scenes" is akin to learning a foreign language without learning the alphabet. You may be able to recite a few phrases extremely well, but once faced with a phrase that may not be exactly what you have learned, you will not be able to make any progress. 

For beginner guitar students, some finger pain may be present at first. As you develop your fingers and hand positioning, as well as the proper amount of pressure to be applied on the strings, finger pain will gradually fade away. Slowly increasing practice time will also alleviate finger pain! Remember - this is a normal occurrence and every guitar player goes through it when starting with guitar lessons!

Consistent practice is the most important item that will help improve a student’s guitar playing speed.

While practicing, we recommend that students perform the various exercises that were demonstrated in class by their guitar teachers in order to further progress their technique and skills. With time, practicing will become second nature!

Our Award-Winning Pasadena Music School