How much should I charge for beginner piano lessons?

[thequietone]

I'm hoping to start teaching children piano from home. The thing is, I've not ever done it before. I don't know how qualified one has to be? I've ABRSM 1-8 in piano and violin, a 10 year scholarship to a music school from 8-18 and a music degree. Is that sufficient, or do I need more than that?

From what I've got in skills, how much should I charge students?

Many thanks in advance for any advice.

Have you done any of the beyond grade 8 stuff in piano?

Beginners lessons round here are around £13 per 30 minutes generally. But the teachers I know have further qualifications than grade 8.

Have you done your DipABRSM? Might be worth at least doing the teaching one, or maybe a PGCE?

For beginner lessons obviously your piano skills are fine, but you might want to look at gaining some actual teaching skills.

You'll also presumably need a CRB check.

Lessons costs as DeWe says, but that would be for qualified teacher which you're not, so maybe £8-10 per half hour?

I'd be very happy with your qualifications for teaching my dc.
I'd suggest about £12/half hour.

I'd be happy with you too don't get me wrong!

But presumably your students will progress and you won't want to pass them on to another teacher so I'd advise doing some sort of teaching qualification alongside the instrument teaching so you can use different teaching methodologies as they develop their piano skills.

I started to teach my own dd piano (and only have G7 myself!), but after a year tbh I really didn't know how to develop her any further so I handed her over to a qualified teacher.

hi,
I couldn't go beyond grade 8, as my hands were too small to cope with anything more advanced. My teacher and I used to have to tippex out notes and place them elsewhere in another octave on desperate occasions!

This is really helpful advice - I thought I'd need something more than just my experience. I'll look into this now.

I had the same problem - dd has too! We can just about manage an octave but not with any notes in the middle! Piano isn't her first instrument fortunately but she really needs to do it in case she wants to do music at university!

You don't need any qualifications to teach privately from home as it's an unregulated industry.

However, if you were to approach a school about working there as a peripatetic music teacher, they would usually expect a BMus and/or a Licentiate Diploma in teaching and performing.

The average rate for qualified piano teachers working in London state schools is around £27 an hour.

Maybe you are better than you thought. You must be very talented to get a place in music school.(Do you mean the specialist school?Like Cheatham?)
I would love to meet a teacher who experienced with small hands doing big movement!
Price range from I have ever heard, also depends on your area,is £10-£25/30mins.

£16 per 30 mins here in Leicestershire

Locally teachers charge from £12-£16 per half hour (South East).

You would be fine to start teaching with your qualifications - grade 8 in two instruments plus a music degree is better than many in my area - but there are many avenues to help develop your teaching skills. As already mentioned look into any of the teaching diplomas with Trinity Guildhall, Royal Schools and London College of Music, or you could go down the European Piano Teachers Association route and do one of their courses (they are good - I've done one). Alternatively the CTABRSM is good, although expensive and there are MA post graduate courses available at Reading University I believe. Both RSM and TG run professional development courses throughout the year with details on their websites.

The entry level teaching diplomas (ATCL, dipABRSM, ALCM) don't actually require you to have pupils at that point but licentiate level and above will.

You don't require (by law) a CRB check, but it is worthwhile to have one. As a self-employed teacher the easiest way of doing this is through an umbrella organisation or by volunteering/working at a school or church or scouts/guides/similar groups.

Do happen to live near se21 OP as looking for a new piano teacher for my DD who is seven

Just as Shelling peas said. In addition the best teachers of music ime have been the ones who teach music not how to play 3 pieces and collect grade 1-8. I know several leading musicians who tutor at conservatoires who have never passed a grade, teaching qualification as in PGCE, but have a degree as you have. If you are a parent as well this is a bonus as kids and parents will relate to you. Hope you get this post and wish you well. Everybody has to start with their first pupil. Go for it.

Hi - I realise this is an old thread but I'm looking for advice too. I have just bought a digital piano - a lovely Kawai weighted model - after 20 years without one at all. I had passed all my grades and they failed my first diploma attempt and didn't get the chance to go back.

I was thinking about teaching the piano when I'm less rusty and was wondering if anyone knew of good teaching courses around London without costing the earth. I was also wondering about Suzuki teaching...

Any advice gratefully received!

HP

The Epta teaching course (held somewhere in Hertfordshire) costs around a grand, I think. I don't think the CT Abrsm is running now, bt their Diploma is popular (I think about the same price as Epta). Rockschool run an online teaching diploma, again at about the same price.

EPTA PTC course is now approx £2k. It's a year long course with residential weekends and is based at Purcell School in Watford. Good and thorough course.

CTABRSM is no longer on offer in the UK.

teaching diplomas are available from ABRSM, Trinity and LCM but these are self-study and do not teach you how to teach. You would need to do a lot of research and reading on your own. An already practising teacher is useful to have as a mentor.

2k for the Epta course. I'd go for that one, in an ideal world. As shelling says, most of these courses don't actually teach you how to teach.

There's a helpful little ebook called If I can Teach Piano Anyone Can by Jan Hazell which is really good Imo for wannabe piano teachers.

Also look at the Abrsm forum if you haven't already for tips and advice on teaching piano.

A 'good price' depends on what you expect to get from music lessons.
Good fundamentals are very important if you don't want to exclude that your child will possibly become a musician or a good teacher.
In facts a statistic reports that 90% of later success of a music student depends on how good was his teachers. Such a huge impact!

If you want to save money be aware that this probably will be a limiting factor in a possible music career for your child.

Get on touch with the musicians union. They will advise you on fees etc. Becoming a member gives you public liability insurance, help with contracts etc.

Further to my previous message, I should add that I work as a piano teacher in Cheshire and am currently charging £11 per half hour lesson. This is lower than some other teachers in the area but I know if I increased my fee, I would lose some of my students.
I should also mention that in addition to my e-book, I also have a website - teachpianoathome.com - which is packed full of tips and advice for piano teachers - many of whom have contacted me to say how useful they've found it. There are pages on choosing books, finding pupils, teaching in schools, entering pupils for exams, teaching pupils with learning difficulties etc. etc

Sorry Jan. Senior moment.

The Curious Piano Teacher(s) is also quite interesting for resources/ideas.

No problem - just glad you found the book of some help.