You can certainly be a professional musician without going to college for music, so it is not a requirement to do so. However, students typically study guitar formally so that they have the required skills and they believe it will help them personally in uncovering some blind spots they may have.

Playing the guitar is your passion, and you might be interested in incorporating this passion into a future career. Bachelor of Music in Guitar Performance degree will help you further your technical and performance skills, so you are prepared to pursue job opportunities in many areas of the music industry.

What will you study?

You'll study core harmony and theory curricula, musicianship, orchestration, and music history. As you study the core guitar courses in this degree, you'll have plenty of practice. These opportunities give your hand-on experience playing with others, preparing you for different types of work, such as performing with an orchestra or participating in the recording industry.

Guitar programs help students learn the full range of modern guitar skills, and core subjects include guitar technique, guitar performance, guitar reading, and harmony/theory/hearing training.

The top music programs offer extensive stylistic and conceptual electives, including funk guitar, guitar effects, metal guitar, recording guitar, rock rhythm and lead guitar, modern jazz concepts, etc.

Degree levels

The Bachelor of Music in Guitar Arts is designed to develop well-rounded musical skills and literacy leading to a professional career as a performer in a wide variety of idioms or to an advanced music degree. The degree typically takes four years to complete. The program prepares the student for real-world opportunities in the arts in a variety of settings: traditional, entrepreneurial, and interdisciplinary.

Master of Music in Guitar is an advanced course of study for musicians who hold a bachelor’s degree and who seek graduate musical training and classroom learning to prepare themselves more fully for careers as professional musicians. Performance candidates present a recital or opera performance in lieu of a thesis. A two-year residency is a norm. The two-year graduate Guitar MM program focuses on advancing all aspects of guitar study and performance skills in a highly rigorous and inspiring curriculum. 

Career

Music careers often encompass various jobs and skills that combine to create a multi-faceted and rewarding career. Most guitar-related careers include some aspect of teaching. Music is a highly dynamic and ever-changing field, and the career you may have may not even exist yet!

Here are just a few examples of guitar-related careers:

• performer

• arranger

• composer (experimental, film, or contemporary commercial)

• teacher (private, high school, or postsecondary)

• recording artist

• producer

• music entrepreneur

• performance coach

• chamber musician

• musicologist

• music psychologist/therapist