Take Online Guitar Lessons for Free with Florida Virtual School

Whether you’re a Swiftie or not, you’ve probably heard of Taylor Swift. From her nine No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, to her viral 2023 ‘Eras Tour,’ the American singer-songwriter has taken the world by storm. Even so, you may be surprised to hear that she didn’t learn guitar until she was around 12 years old—and you can too!  

Florida Virtual School (FLVS) offers two online guitar courses that allow students to explore a variety of music styles, develop fundamental guitar skills, and discover their inner musicians. And the best part—it’s free!  

Before we dive into our courses, here’s what you need to know about online guitar lessons.  

How do online guitar lessons work?

Do students learn guitar with an instructor?

Are online guitar lessons worth it?

How do music lessons benefit students?

Where can I take online guitar lessons for beginners?

How do online guitar lessons work? 

With Florida Virtual School, students experience the support and routine of in-person guitar lessons with the flexibility of online learning. “Our content is pre-loaded into small digestible lessons where students learn through reading, diagrams, and video,” says Rebecca Carlan, FLVS Music Instructor. And all you’ll need is a laptop, Wi-Fi, and a guitar!   

Do students learn guitar with an instructor? 

Yes! At Florida Virtual School, “instructors facilitate students’ individualized pace through the course and offer additional recordings and one-on-one video help to clarify and enrich students’ learning” explains Rebecca. 

Are online guitar lessons worth it? 

We think so! “Online guitar lessons are an economical way to expose students to guitar playing. Most private teachers charge anywhere from $30-$80/hour but with Florida Virtual School students are getting about 20 hours per segment of free instruction.” 

Music education also helps FLVS students, like Michael, unlock new hobbies and passions. After taking our guitar course at his local school, he discovered how great school can be!  

His new attitude toward learning inspired his mom to move him from his traditional brick-and-mortar school to home education so he could take even more FLVS courses. “Now, he is engaging with his teachers, working ahead of pace and excelling, while he helps his grandfather and profession guitarist produce his next album!” 

How do music lessons benefit students? 

Learning goes far beyond reading music and playing an instrument. Research shows there are many academic and social benefits to learning a musical instrument.  

“Learning to read music assists with fluency and understanding mathematical concepts. Plus, when you experience music, it helps you experience different emotions and helps you cope with other emotions. No other subjects but the arts can attest to that!”  

Here are three other ways students can benefit from learning music:  

Teaches Discipline 

Learning how to play music encourages students to practice daily or weekly—building routine and self-discipline.  

Increases Sense of Achievement and Confidence 

By mastering new skills in music, students feel a sense of achievement, increasing their pride and confidence! 

Reduces Stress 

Playing a musical instrument can help students reduce stress and anxiety by focusing on a positive activity.  

Where can I take online guitar lessons for beginners? 

Ready to start your first lesson? Florida Virtual School offers two engaging online courses for middle and high school students: 

M/J Guitar 1 

Open to FLVS Flex and FLVS Full Time 6-8th grade students. 

Whether you have been playing the guitar forever, or have never touched one, this course will jumpstart your music education or continue to build on your existing skills. You will learn to play a wide variety of styles by learning fundamentals of music and basic guitar skills as you journey on to becoming a skilled guitarist and musician.  

This course provides middle school elective credit. 

Guitar 1 

Open to FLVS Flex and FLVS Full Time 9-12th grade students. 

Build your foundation in music skills as you learn music notation, music styles, and full-strum chords. You will play the guitar, learn practice skills, and perform for your teacher throughout the course. No prior music experience is necessary, but you must have your own six-string guitar and a way to record and submit a video performance to your teacher. 

This course provides elective credit and fulfills a performing/fine art requirement for high school graduation. 

Students can also take M/J Exploring Music and Music of the World to learn about different musical genres and discover how music is created—no instrument required! 

With more than 190 online courses to choose from, Kindergarten-12th grade students can explore their passions and interests through core, electives, and accelerated courses online with Florida Virtual School. To learn more about our courses, visit our Curriculum page.