A post shared by Guitar. To become a guitar performer, first, you must have good music to offer. Small village? The correlation between the people that sees your content, and how much you get paid, will tell you what you are doing well and what you are not. While there are certainly a number classical guitarists who make most of their income from a combination of performing at concerts and selling CDs, the great majority of professionals earn some—and in many cases, most—of their living through teaching, either by having a steady position at an elementary or high school, college, conservatory, or offering private lessons, or both.