Charge for piano lessons

[MollyBerry]

How much is a reasonable price for piano lessons (45 minutes) ?

Location is St. Albans

[stillenacht]

£15-28

[stillenacht]

It depends if its a private teacher or county run, music college student or experienced teacher. I used to charge £12 for half an hour,5 years ago x

[Iamnotminterested]

I pay £14 for 1/2 hour with an experienced teacher but we are not in the leafy South.

[KathySeldon]

£30

[steppemum]

we pay £14 for half an hour, lesson at local music shop that has lessons on the floors upstairs. City in SW.

[JulieMichelleRobinson]

As a teacher I charge £20 for a 30min lesson (none of my students need 45min yet), but I live in an affluent area and I researched the prices charged by my colleagues/competitors first.

That said, I discount the rates for my youngest students (£10 for pre-schoolers during the day, £15 for KS1), for families who can't afford it, and for siblings or second study (I teach violin and piano) and I provide quite a lot of materials. I also have overheads to cover here, and rent to pay (where we live, a one-bed flat will set you back £900 a month). I also try to organise extra activities and offer catch-up lessons free of charge when students have been ill and try to do so if they've told me in advance that they'll be missing a particular lesson (e.g. a week's notice).

I think MU minimum is about £24/hour nationally, so less than £20 for 45min probably wouldn't be considered a fair wage. We probably paid around £30 for my lessons more than ten years ago, but my teacher was far more qualified than I am.

[Neverland2013]

very interesting thread..my DD's school charges £17/ph. We need to now decide if we should allow DD to do her piano lessons at school or privately. Any thoughts on this?

[JulieMichelleRobinson]

Per hour or for half-hour lessons?

I had violin lessons in school time on a rotating basis, and piano lessons privately after school. As long as your daughter is at least average academically and will make sure she catches up on what she's missed, lessons in school aren't usually problematic (12 GCSEs and five A-levels, all at good grades, says it's fine - although my school thought I was crazy).

If she's struggling, or just plain disorganised, outside school may be better unless you can arrange lessons at lunchtime or immediately before/after school.

[Nocomet]

About £11 for 30 minutes, but we pay by the term, miss the odd one, get the odd 3/4 hour one thrown in. Sometimes they run into choir practice.

What exactly I pay for and what is exam work and what becomes part of practicing solos and small for the choir and village concerts, I loss track of. I certainly know DD does a awful lot more singing practice than 30 min a week.

[Nocomet]

Small groups

[whatsthatcomingoverthehill]

I pay £25/hr for my lessons and consider that cheap considering he is degree qualified, performed around the world etc. You couldn't get a lawyer or accountant for that much...

[meditrina]

£20 for 30 mins (for a really, really good teacher)

[ShadowOfTheDay]

We pay £25 for an hour including travel expenses (he does this part of town on a certain day) - we have 2DD and split the hour depending on who has an exam coming up, or who needs more help at whatever.. or even who is a bit too tired...

[Middleagedmotheroftwo]

We pay 12.50 for 30 mins (North Wilts)

[JulieMichelleRobinson]

Cost of living in my area is really high - "According to the government's statistics unit milk, fruit and vegetables costs about 33% more in Jersey, while meat is 25% dearer" (Cf. BBC) and rent for a one-bedroom flat would be upwards of £900 a month, with house prices being absolutely ridiculous. No free doctors or dentists.

As a teacher, I'm degree qualified (BMus from a good uni), have a good general pedagogical background (tutored as a volunteer while at uni, managed 2/3 of a PGCE straight after degree, taught secondary music for two years without it, have TESOL qualifications). I currently freelance as a performer too (dance-school piano, church organ, gigs - had three in the last week).

Oddly enough, no one has yet asked to see any of my qualifications, most of the parents never having heard me play, and only one parent has asked to see my CRB check. I've also only ever had one person question the fees.

[morethanpotatoprints]

Julie.

You are charging specialist price there how come if you don't mind me asking? Do you have another day job, is music playing as a profession paying your way?
I too would question your fees as they are higher than the MU rate

[morethanpotatoprints]

OMG, your a school teacher

I know specialist conservatoire teachers not charging this for private lessons.

[JulieMichelleRobinson]

No, I'm not a school teacher. I taught secondary school music for a while. I teach one-to-one on violin and piano and teaching/performing is my only job.

The school teaching experience is useful and relevant simply because it provides me with an overall pedagogical background. Since my students range in age from 3 to 30 when they begin, having some notion of how to tailor lessons appropriately to the level of general development is fairly useful. I use specialised materials and teaching techniques with the youngest students (pre-schoolers and then KS1) because I don't consider it appropriate to start them on regular course materials. I have a specialised course for teenaged beginners, appropriate to the skills they usually want to learn and more relevant to music GCSE or BTEC performances.

More to the point, my fees are in line with other local teachers - I did my market research. Fees locally range from £130 a term for 20min lessons one-to-one (teachers either well-qualified or with years and years of experience, terms of 10 weeks plus project week) down to £15/lesson for group lessons (up to four) with teachers who may or may not have any formal musical qualifications. I also stratify my fees, so my pre-school students only pay £10 a lesson and KS1 £15, unless I'm asked to visit the house.

In comparison, ballet lessons in a group of 22 students will cost you about £95 a term.

[chauffeurmummy]

I pay £18 for half an hour piano outside of school and £17 per half hour for singing and cello in school. My dd is 7.

[JulieMichelleRobinson]

Morethanpotatoprints:

Also, in case you hadn't noticed, the Musicians' Union does not set rates. The rates that I quoted above are their minimum recommendation. You wouldn't ask your plumber why he charges more than minimum wage, would you?