How Much Do Piano Lessons Cost?
The Complete Guide to Piano Lesson Pricing
Marc Levesque
updated 4/3/24 • 4 min read
The Average Piano Lesson Cost:
Piano lessons typically cost between $40-$90 per hour*, but costs can vary widely depending on the teacher’s education and performing level, the location, lesson length and whether they are in-person or online.
The average price for a one-hour piano lesson is $80. Live online piano lessons using Zoom or Skype charge between $20-40 for a half hour lesson. Local private one-on-one piano lessons range from $35-50 for a half hour lesson, while in-person group lessons can cost $25 for a half hour lesson.
Piano teachers without a music degree will charge as little as $40 per hour, and professionally performing concert pianists with with prizes from top piano competitions might charge as much as $250 per hour!
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What Determines Piano Lesson Costs?
Piano Teacher Level
An ideal piano instructor will have at least a Bachelor’s degree in Piano, and lessons with those teachers range from $40-$90 on average, with teachers with a Master’s or Doctorate in piano typically charging $60-$90 per hour.
Piano instructors without music degrees tend to charge between $35-$40 per hour but they may not offer professional instruction.
Piano teachers who have a music degree that is not piano related, such as ones with a Bachelor’s in vocal/singing who have some piano skills, will often charge $40-$50 per hour. They generally have a solid understanding of music, but they do not have advanced piano performing abilities and are very limited in the technical instruction that they can provide. This increases the risk that they will teach beginners bad habits that will be harmful over time.
Q. Should beginners start with professional piano teachers?
Absolutely! It’s best for beginners to play piano the correct way from the start with the help of a professional teacher. An experienced piano teacher can guide students smoothly from primary to advanced levels, helping them avoid developing bad habits such as poor posture, incorrect fingering, and lack of hand and wrist control.
It’s important for beginners to prioritize learning the correct piano techniques from the beginning to set up a solid foundation for future advancement. Before committing, plan your lesson budget and aim to take regular lessons for at least a year or two to see progress.
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In-person vs Online Lessons
Online piano lessons are generally the most affordable, with an average increase of about $15 for in-person lessons at a teacher’s studio, and a small additional increase to have the teacher visit your home.
In-person prices can vary widely though depending on the number of qualified teachers in your area. If you’re trying to find qualified piano teachers at reasonable prices, online lessons will be your best bet.
Location
Location can affect piano lesson costs due to differences in living expenses between urban areas and suburbs. In cities, where living costs are higher, piano lesson rates tend to be more expensive compared to suburbs.
Pre-recorded Lessons vs Live Online Piano Lessons
If you’re looking for the cheapest possible piano lessons, there is the option of pre-recorded lessons.
These are typically video or app-based lessons that aim to teach you basic skills and technique for a monthly fee. These videos are designed for a general audience and expect the student to learn piano independently. Unfortunately, these lessons cannot compare to the quality of live one-on-one lessons where the live piano instructor can customize the lesson material for the student and provide detailed feedback in real time.
Piano is a complex instrument that needs professional guidance and advice from instructors. Anyone who is interested in becoming a better pianist is better off looking for live 1-on-1 lessons, such as the $35 half hour lessons offered through Lesson With You.
What Do You Learn in Piano Lessons?
1. Posture and Hand position
In piano lessons, teachers give accurate live feedback on a student’s sitting position, arm and wrist placement, and hand and finger position on the keyboard. It’s essential for the student to find the a comfortable and stable position to play and practice piano, in order to avoid muscle tension and strain on the body.
2. Fingering
Fingering is a basic technical element in piano playing that helps pianists navigate smoothly between notes. Great fingering is a skill that lets you play notes fast, clean or evenly.
Professional piano teachers are trained to identify the best fingering and give live feedback to students, helping them to not only improve their fingering but also learn how to find optimal fingering and practice strategies on their own.
3. Reading Music and Repertoire
In piano lessons, teachers instruct learners to read music thoroughly, making sure that they don’t miss or skip any important musical details and elements. High-level piano performance requires attention to countless musical details, and it’s essential for teachers to remind students of factors like tempo markings, dynamics, pedal markings, harmonies, and the structure of the music. This will help you develop a deeper understanding of the music and expand their repertoire quicker.
4. Practice Methods
During lessons, piano students learn a variety of practice techniques and strategies to help improve their playing and expand their repertoire. For beginners, this includes basic technical exercises to strengthen their fingers and proper music reading. Advanced learners may focus on refining their tone and adding musical expression.
You will also learn how to set and achieve practice goals on a daily and monthly, and how to keep themselves engaged and inspired by using various practice methods.
How to Find the Most Affordable Piano Lessons
We surveyed over 100 piano teachers across our own site, Lesson With You, and two other major sites, Takelessons.com and Thumbtack.com, using a random zip code as the location. We specifically looked for teachers who have a degree in piano and teach lessons online.
Lesson With You has a set price of $65 per hour. Each piano teacher at Lesson With You has either a Master’s or Doctorate in piano, but the lessons are only $65 per hour, making the live online piano lessons an incredible value.
Thumbtack had the highest average price among qualified teachers, at $85 per hour. Even finding a teacher who didn’t major in piano, such as one with a flute or violin degree, did not do much to lower the price. Sorting through the options, it quickly became apparent that many of the top teachers did not have formal education in music, and even those who had a music degree often did not have it for piano, despite charging high prices for music lessons.
Takelessons has a lower average price, at $68 per hour among the teachers we surveyed. But like Thumbtack, many of the piano teachers listed either did not have a music degree or did not major in piano. Takelessons and Thumbtack both have a very large number of teachers, so surely there are some good deals, but finding teachers who’s education and prices matched that of the teachers at Lesson With You is difficult and time consuming.
Looking for the Best Piano Lessons?
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About the author
Marc Levesque is a graduate of the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University where he studied Piano Performance and Arts Administration, receiving both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees before attending Carnegie Mellon University to study educational technology. As a pianist, Marc made his debut with the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra at age 15, playing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 2., and he has performed at various summer programs and festivals across the United States, Italy, and Croatia. Marc is a co-founder of Lesson With You, which fully combines his love of music, technology, and education.
