I have never taught music as a way to earn money--I just don't have the expertise or education for that. However, over the years I have helped about a dozen people learn to play guitar--usually with the forewarning that when they get beyond my ability to improve them, they have to go find a real teacher. My expectation and 'fee' was--and is, because I have a student now who's asking me for help with his chording, etc--that he/she MUST practice for an hour every day, seven days a week, fifty-two weeks a year, NO downtime, no excuses, no shit! Five of those kids went on to other teachers. The other seven or so dropped out--well, dropped out is wrong. I dropped them out because their progress week to week indicated to me that they just weren't keeping up their end of the deal.

When I took lessons from JP Cousineau (I was twelve at the time and he charged me $.50 a lesson--yes, you could buy someting with fifty cents then), his policy was "I have made the time for you. Therefore, regardless the circumstance, you owe the $.50." Nothing unfair about that, IMO.