How Much Do Piano Lessons Cost?
The Complete Guide to Piano Lesson Pricing
Marc Levesque
updated 3/20/25 • 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 piano competitions might charge as much as $250 per hour!
Try a Half Hour Piano Lesson
Completely For Free!
60+
Instructors
30,000+
Lessons taught
4.9/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Average lesson rating
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 don’t 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.
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 impact piano lesson costs due to varying living expenses between urban and suburban areas. In cities, where living costs are higher, piano lesson rates tend to be more expensive than in the suburbs.
For example, the cost of in-person lessons in California versus Indiana differs by an average of 20-30%. The price gap for virtual lessons is slightly smaller, at around 20%.
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.
Get a Free Trial Lesson!
Learn new piano techniques through 1-on-1 lesson. The first lesson is on us.
Is It Okay to Switch to a Different Piano Teacher Later?
It’s perfectly fine to start at any time, but the earlier, the better! It’s ideal for beginners to learn piano correctly from the start with a professional teacher. While teachers without a degree or professional experience can be a good starting point, they’re not recommended for long-term growth.
A qualified, experienced teacher can guide students smoothly from beginner to advanced levels, helping them avoid bad habits like poor posture, incorrect fingering, and lack of hand and wrist control.
Before committing, plan your lesson budget and aim for regular lessons for at least a year or two to see meaningful improvement.
Piano
M.M. Hardin-Simmons University
Piano
M.M. Conservatorio Giuseppe Tartini
Piano
D.M.A. Indiana University
Piano
B.A. Maranatha Baptist University
Piano
D.M.A. University of Miami
What Do You Learn in Piano Lessons?
1. Posture and Hand position
Good posture and hand position are key to playing piano comfortably. Your teacher will help you find the best way to sit and position your hands, so you avoid muscle strain and play comfortably. Even small adjustments in your posture or finger placement can make a big difference in how natural and effortless piano playing feels over time.
2. Fingering
Fingering might not seem like a big deal at first, but it can completely change how easily you play. The right finger choices allow you to move smoothly between notes, making fast or complex passages feel much more manageable.
Your teacher will help you find the best fingering for every piece, making fast, clean, and even playing much easier. Over time, you’ll develop an instinct for choosing the most effective fingerings on your own.
3. Reading Music and Repertoire
There’s so much more to reading music than just knowing the notes! From tempo markings to dynamics and phrasing, these little details bring depth and emotion to your playing. Your piano teacher will help you understand these elements so you can play with confidence and express the music the way it was meant to be heard.
4. 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, Lessons.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.
Lessons.com 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. Some providers also weren’t clear about the pricing ahead.
Lessons.com 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.
Take a Free Lesson at Lesson With You!
Lesson With You offers 1-on-1 live online piano lessons with professional piano instructors who have college degrees from the top music schools. Try our flexible lesson and start your musical journey with us!
The first trial lesson is FREE! No Contracts Ever.
Interested In a Certain Style?
Musical Theatre Singing Lessons | Classical singing Lessons | Rock singing Lessons | Country singing Lessons | Pop Singing Lessons
Classical Guitar Lessons | Acoustic Guitar Lessons | Jazz Guitar Lessons | Rock Guitar Lessons | Electric Guitar Lessons | R&B Guitar Lessons
How much do music lessons cost?
Related Articles
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.
