Guitar Lessons in Munich

Who are these guitar lessons for?

For children from about 6, on small guitars (1/2 or 3/4) with short, playful units. For teenagers who have a specific sound in their head – rock, metal, indie, funk – and finally want to play it themselves. For adults who "always wanted to" and wonder whether anything still works at 40 (it does). And for returners who quit years ago because the lessons were boring.

What you don't need: sheet-music skills, an instrument to start, prior experience. What you do need: 30 to 60 minutes a week with us and 15 minutes a day at home – better a little every day than a lot once a week.

What a guitar lesson at Fretster looks like

We work with the Fretster method across four areas – rhythm, motor skills, ear and theory – and each area is a branch of the learning tree, where you can see where you stand and what comes next. No rigid curriculum that is the same for everyone: a twelve-year-old with Nirvana in his ears gets a different path from a forty-year-old who wants fingerpicking for folk songs.

A typical lesson: a short hand warm-up, then one building block of technique (alternate picking, chord changes, position playing), then the song – broken into phrases you can practise during the week. Rhythm comes first, not last: a clean groove on three chords sounds better than ten chords without timing. Reading and theory come in small doses when they help you play – not as an entrance exam.

At the end of the lesson you know exactly what to practise until next time and why. For practice at home there are our own tools from the Fretster app: metronome, ear training and the sheet-music library with exercises on the great guitarists.

Why most people quit – and what the research says

Learning research is fairly clear here: spaced practice beats massed practice. A large meta-analysis (Cepeda and colleagues, 2006, over 250 studies) shows that repetitions with gaps between them stick much better than the same amount in one go. For the guitar that means 15 minutes daily does more than two hours on Sunday – and motor skills consolidate further during sleep between sessions.

The second point is motivation. Anyone who plays nothing that sounds like music in the first weeks quits – that is not a character flaw but the logical response to a system that postpones the reward to "later". That is why the song comes first with us. What we don't promise: that guitar makes you "smarter" or improves school grades. Such transfer effects don't survive large studies. What the guitar demonstrably trains is what it demands: coordination of both hands, timing, ear, persistence.

Electric or acoustic? And then: the band

Both are possible with us, and the choice is easier than you think: take the instrument whose sound gets you practising at home. The electric guitar has thinner strings and is often more comfortable for children's hands; the acoustic needs no amplifier and suits singer-songwriter, folk and fingerpicking. The technique transfers 90 percent, and you can switch any time. Don't buy anything before the trial lesson – we advise on size, model and budget.

What sets us apart from other guitar schools: from the moment you can play three or four songs securely, you can join a band. Our band programmes and the free Jam Station put you on stage with other students – timing, listening and stage nerves are not things you learn alone in your room. For blues and jazz fans there is also the sheet-music library with lines from B.B. King to Wes Montgomery, with notation, tabs and a loop function.

Locations and prices

Guitar lessons are available at both Fretster locations in Munich: in the south in Obersendling (Hatzelweg 25, 81476 München) and in the north-west in Allach-Untermenzing (Gustav-Otto-Bogen 13, 80997 München), easy to reach from Moosach, Pasing, Karlsfeld and Dachau.

One-to-one lessons on a monthly plan: 30 minutes 105 €, 45 minutes 149 €, 60 minutes 185 € per month. No commitment: a 10-lesson card (30 minutes 510 €, 45 minutes 570 €, 60 minutes 650 €). The trial lesson is free for children and teenagers; for adults it costs 20 €. After that, you decide – no automatic contract.

Frequently asked questions

From what age can children learn the guitar?

From about 6, on a 1/2 or 3/4 guitar. More important than age is whether the child can stay with one thing for a few minutes. The trial lesson shows whether it already fits – if not, we say so honestly and suggest waiting half a year.

Electric or acoustic guitar to start?

The one whose sound gets you practising. Technically the electric is often easier for beginners and children because of the thinner strings; the acoustic is simpler because no amplifier is needed. You can switch any time – almost everything transfers.

Do I have to learn to read music?

Not at the beginning. We work with tabs, chord diagrams, ear and recordings. Reading comes in when it helps you – for jazz, say, or to use the exercises from our sheet-music library.

How long until the first song?

With weekly lessons and daily practice you play a simple song with three or four chords in time after four to six weeks. Clean alternate picking, barre chords and solos take months – that is the same for everyone.

Can I play in a band later?

Yes, that is explicitly the goal. Our band programmes and the Jam Station are open to guitarists from the point where a few songs sit securely. Being on stage at Fretster is not a bonus but part of the lessons.

I quit years ago – do I have to start from scratch?

No. In the trial lesson we see what is still there – usually more than you think. Then you start where you stand and close the specific gaps that stopped you back then.