“I play the notes as they are written, but it is God who makes the music.”– Johann Sebastian Bach
After reading this Bach quote, I bet anybody would be tempted to learn piano. And, surely you can, but if it only was that easy. For starters, unlike Bach, you will need to worry about the budget. How much do piano lessons cost?
Honestly, there’s no single-word answer to how much a piano lesson costs.
You will be surprised to know how much the prices vary depending on your location, age, medium of the classes, duration, the piano teacher’s credibility, and other requirements.
Let me take you through the details that you must think about the budget before hiring a piano instructor.
How Much Are Piano Lessons?
The average cost of a half-an-hour piano lesson falls between $25 and $45.
And the approximate cost of an hourly piano lesson varies from $50 to $100.
Cost for Weekly Piano Lessons
| Payment Cycle | Class Duration | Cost |
| Monthly | Weekly half-an-hour | $110 to $200 |
| Monthly | Weekly hourly lessons | $210 to $330 |
| Annual | Weekly half-an-hour | $1000 to $1400 |
| Annual | Weekly hourly lessons | $1800 to $2400 |
Factors Affecting the Price of Piano Lessons: Think Before You Buy
As I have mentioned above, there are several factors affecting the cost of piano lessons.
From the city you are residing to your age; the cost of piano lessons may vary dramatically considering the shift in the factors.
1. Time: What Duration should you Set for your Piano Lessons?
Undoubtedly, length of the lesson is one of the primary factors for deciding the cost for your piano playing lesson. The most common lesson length set for a piano lesson are half-hourly and hourly. And depending on the time set for the class, the lesson prices can change by half.
For instance, the approximate price for a half-hour lesson is between $25 and $45. Contrastingly, the fee for an hour piano class rises almost double to $50 to $100.
What duration should you set for your piano lesson?
Well, the answer depends on the age and requirements of the student.
Is the student a 5-year-old? Is the student aiming for a professional career or simple recreational skills?
If you ask me, I would say go for a 30-minute lesson class if the student is too young or too old. Because younger kids and senior citizens generally have less attention span in comparison to young adults and grown-ups.
However, if the student is preparing for a professional journey as a pianist, even a 60-minute lesson would be less for them.
Did you know Bartolomeo Cristofori made the first modern-day piano?
Check out the History of Piano to learn about it’s origin.
2. Number of Classes per Week
Commonly people go for weekly classes for non-academic subjects and courses. Hence, let’s talk about piano lesson costs on weekly basis.
Check the detailed, estimated fee structure above.
But if you are taking more than one class per week, the price would definitely be higher than the expected budget.
How many classes should I take per week?
If you are learning to play piano for recreational purposes, I would suggest weekly piano classes. And if you still feel you need more, then you can also opt for two classes per week.
However, if the piano students want to be musicians, I suggest longer lessons and at least three to four classes per week.
3. Medium of taking class: Virtual v/s Physical classes
Are you buying an online course? Are you traveling to the piano instructor’s house? Or are you hiring a private tutor for playing piano at home?
Well, think wisely because each of these have a different range of prices. Of course, virtual classes are the cheapest these days and in-house piano lessons are the costliest.
However, if you are keen on taking physical classes but tight with the budget, I suggest taking group lessons at various music schools. These are mostly affordable. In addition to that, you can also check out group lessons in piano studio.
Customize Piano Lessons According to Your Needs
4. Geographical Location
Where do you live?
Are you living in the financially buzzing CA? Or a culturally vibrant New York city?
If you are living in one of these cities, prepare to pay a higher price for piano playing lessons than students in other places. Also, Los Angeles piano teachers are amongst the highest charging instructors.
I am talking about location because it’s one of the major factors affecting the cost of piano learning courses.
Usually, physical lessons are costlier than virtual classes. But in small towns and the countryside, sometimes, the price is significantly low. Even brilliant piano teachers charge less than the average teachers in bigger cities. Thanks to the low living cost of those places.
So, I suggest researching the teachers’ fee structures in your city/town. If it’s too much, you always have online tutors and courses.
5. Teacher’s Credibility
Always check the teacher’s professional background, experience, and alma mater before buying a course.
Questions to Check Teacher’s Credibility
- Does the piano teacher have a degree in music?
- How well versed are they with current music theory?
- Do they play professionally in concerts and orchestras?
- Where did they study from? Who are they playing with?
The price of the course/class will significantly change depending on the piano teacher’s bio.
If your budget is tight and you are a beginner, then I suggest you go for someone with a regular music/piano diploma.
But if you are already playing a piano and want to play on the stage someday, then pick a tutor with a proper music degree from colleges like Berklee College of Music and Yale School of Music.
The courses may come with a higher rate but you will get what you are looking for.
6. Discount
Yep. Keyboard lessons are costlier and they do make a hole in your pocket. But if you can get a decent discount, the hole may be way smaller than you expected.
But, how to get a discount?
(This part is tricky, and the payment process may vary from the way I will explain.)
In fact, if you are confident about the teacher and want to go a long way in your musical journey, then you can also pay annually or half-yearly.
That way, you are more likely to get a discount because most platforms offer discounts for annual or half-yearly payments.
And if they are not offering one, you can always ask for a discount. Try to do this before the first lesson. But if you aren’t sure enough about long-term plans, then, at least, go for monthly payments. Trust me. You can save a lot.
7. Topics You Want to Learn
Depending on the topics you want to learn, your level of learning piano will change. For instance, a beginner will start with the basics like playing piano with two hands, learning piano notes, etc.
An intermediate student will probably prefer to learn piano chords, scales, and arpeggios. On the contrary, an advanced student will be learning concepts like time signature and imply the knowledge while playing difficult piano pieces.
As expected, the prices for beginner’s piano lesson and advance piano training will be different. I suggest you ask the costs of piano lesson as per your level.
Again, if you struggling with a particular topic (such as reading sheet music), talk about it beforehand. Try to negotiate the pricing accordingly.
To know more about how much piano lessons cost, watch this video.
Conclusion
Learning to play piano is costlier than singing and guitar lessons. While we can’t change the cost, we can definitely explore the industry and pick the most affordable and suitable course for ourselves.
P.S. Don’t forget to get elaborate lesson plans before confirming the teacher.
Dear reader, I hope this helped you understand the pricing of piano lessons and will help you opt for one that suits your budget and requirements. Happy learning!