How Much for a Music Lesson?

Subject: RE: How Much for a Music Lesson?
From: NicoleC
Date: 28 May 02 - 12:58 AM

I pay $17.50 for a half hour in Sacramento, CA. I couldn't tell you if he's a great player or not, but he's an awesome teacher. (If you like the low key, self-discipline approach.) I find 30 minutes works well for me at this point; 45 would be a bit too long. But we're not clock watchers, sometimes it's 20 minutes and sometimes 45 -- whatever gets the job done.

Subject: RE: How Much for a Music Lesson?
From: greg stephens
Date: 27 May 02 - 12:23 PM

£15-25 would be a standard UK range of prices, Iwould think. Per hour. Don't think you can get much done with less time, after the chit chat. Musicians Union rates are currently £19 (that's purely from memory, I might be quite wrong).

Subject: RE: How Much for a Music Lesson?
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 27 May 02 - 11:24 AM

I LOVE barter! T'is why I'll never get rich...or probably even middle class.

I've traded banjo lessons for fiddle instruction. Lessons for acting tips......and even....lessons for home-made PESTO!

Around here (Toronto, with a 5 million population base) my prices are about average for lessons with a long time working professional. Where I've been lucky is that many of my students have been coming for five to ten years. When I first looked at those numbers, I thought: "Jeez, you'd think they'd have learned by now"! But that ain't the whole story...I think they enjoy the relaxed atmosphere, and it's a chance for them to pick awhile and have some fun (albeit with a musical Sgt. Major drill instructor!)

Cheers

Rick

Subject: RE: How Much for a Music Lesson?
From: KingBrilliant
Date: 27 May 02 - 03:57 AM

I pay £30 UK per hour for fortnightly singing lessons. Its worth every penny.
Originally I split the hour with Hammerite so we each got 30 minutes - but that was too short. When she backed off from lessons I took over the whole hour, and the rate of improvement accelerated very sharply.
An hour gives you time to warm up, consolidate techniques and learn something new - and have a bit of banter as well of course.

Kris

Subject: RE: How Much for a Music Lesson?
From: Ebbie
Date: 27 May 02 - 01:18 AM

Thanks, folks! This is very interesting. If I do start studying with someone, I really want 45-minute sessions- I know me and my mouth!

Subject: RE: How Much for a Music Lesson?
From: Mooh
Date: 26 May 02 - 11:32 PM

Location, location, location...

I've been told that if I relocated to "the big smoke", say somewhere near ol' Rick F., I'd be able to double my rates easily. In fact, I know that it's true. However, 3 hours away, nestled against Lake Huron, surrounded by mile after mile of farm land and freshwater fishery, the market won't support it. This month an established teacher is relocating to a more urban area to start his trade again. Subsequently, about 40 half hour students are suddenly looking for a teacher. Given my waiting list, I guess this is job security for me.

I charge new students $22 per hour, $16 per half hour, but I do not encourage half hour lessons. Established students have been paying $20 per hour, but as of next September, they'll all be set at $22. Some special situations may warrent different arrangements but these are very few.

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: How Much for a Music Lesson?
From: alison
Date: 26 May 02 - 09:43 PM

I like the barter arrangement... at the moment I'm learning bagpipes by teaching the teacher to play tin whistle!!... or you teach me someting and I'll give you a massage / reflexology treatment.....

but when I taught for money I charged $25 hour

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: How Much for a Music Lesson?
From: 53
Date: 26 May 02 - 09:35 PM

I charge $10.00 for 30 minutes and $20.00 for an hour. These rates are considered cheap down here where I live.

Subject: RE: How Much for a Music Lesson?
From: Blues=Life
Date: 26 May 02 - 08:53 PM

I have a very good, very experienced teacher, and the music store at which he teaches charges $49 US for a month of weekly 30 min lessons. It gets better. If I know I will be missing a week (vacation, work, whatever) they prorate it and I only pay for the lessons I take. Also, on the rare months that have 5 Mondays instead of 4, I still only pay for 4 lessons. But wait, there's more. Since there is no one currently taking lessons after me, and he likes my attitude and work ethic, inevitably we run long to 45 or 60 minutes. Ya just gotta love it.

Blues

Subject: RE: How Much for a Music Lesson?
From: Jeri
Date: 26 May 02 - 02:07 PM

Rick's $50 CA converts to 32.60 USD or 22.36 UKP. I took fiddle lessons for a while, and it was $30 per hour back in '88 or '89.

Subject: RE: How Much for a Music Lesson?
From: DMcG
Date: 26 May 02 - 01:53 PM

My sons' guitar and drum lessons each cost £18: one is 45 mins and the other an hour. That's more or less the same as the US prices quoted here (except Rick's)

Subject: RE: How Much for a Music Lesson?
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 26 May 02 - 01:48 PM

I found that with the approach I use, a half hour is simply too short, so I only do 1 hour sessions. It's fifty dollars, and most of the folks I work with are already experienced or professional. Generally, with beginners, I reccommend they learn the basic chord forms (with a few suggestions on alternative fingerings) and one solid right hand approach (either strumming or fingerpicking). That's the time consuming stuff, and I just don't think they need to come week after week to learn that....gets too expensive. Once they've shown some commitment, we can work on the tips and tricks.

Cheers

Rick

Subject: RE: How Much for a Music Lesson?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 26 May 02 - 01:13 PM

Therapists usually book for an hour (well mine does) so that there is at least 45 mins of meaningful conversation. There is always going to be an element of 'hello, how are you today' in every teaching/learning environment.

LTS

Subject: RE: How Much for a Music Lesson?
From: Ebbie
Date: 26 May 02 - 12:47 PM

Thanks, Mark. It just occurred to me that a lesson might be optimum at 45 minutes- isn't that the length of a therapy session? :) What bothers me about 25 minutes is that in real time part of the appointment is inevitably taken up in small talk. Even 5 minutes becomes important when you then have only 25 minutes left.

Not that I know that the instructor watches the clock that closely.

Subject: RE: How Much for a Music Lesson?
From: Mark Ross
Date: 25 May 02 - 01:00 PM

I'm teaching here now in Oregon and my students are paying $25 a lesson(there's no particular time limit, lessons can go as long as 90 minutes, sometimes as short as 45, it depends on the student, how much they can absorb, etc.). There's no set rules, it depends on where you are located, I hear that in the Bay Area teachers are getting $60 a lesson, but there must be a lot of competition. I even do barter if the student really wants to learn and is short on the long green.

Mark Ross

Subject: How Much for a Music Lesson?
From: Ebbie
Date: 25 May 02 - 11:42 AM

People (Americans?) are funny about money- so maybe no one wants to discuss this but- how much can one expect to pay per unit for weekly music lessons?

A friend of mine is a mando player, pretty good but still learning. (Being who he is, he will probably always be learning.) Recently he's been studying with an accomplished player; he's paying $25.00 for a half hour lesson once a week, and he's happy with it.

As he said, since it's just for a halfhour, he has to stay focused, but he says he takes a lot of ideas and information home to work on. Of course most of the lesson takes place as homework, which is fine because he's going to be playing at home anyway.

If I were to study with him, I think what I'd be looking for at the start is ways to smooth out flat picking and how to pick within chord forms. I'm self taught- and it shows!