The Complete Guide to Violin Lesson Pricing
How Much Do Violin Lessons Cost?
Marc Levesque
Updated 3/18/25 • 4 min read
The Average Violin Lesson Cost:
Violin lessons typically cost between $60-$100 per hour, but costs can vary widely depending on the instructor’s education and performing level, years of teaching, the location, lesson length and whether lessons are in-person or online.
The average price for a one-hour violin lesson is $70. Online violin lessons using Zoom or Skype charge between $20-40 for a half hour lesson. Local private one-on-one violin lessons range from $35-50 for a half hour lesson, while in-person group lessons can cost $25 for a half hour lesson.
Violin teachers without a music degree will charge as little as $35 an hour, and professional violinists with numerous competition awards might charge as much as $350!
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What Determines Violin Lesson Costs?
Violin Teacher Level
Are you looking for a violin instructor with a music degree? Teachers without one typically charge $35-$40 per hour, but they can’t provide professional-level guidance. Instructors with a degree in something like cello or viola, not violin, often ask $35-$50 per hour. They know music theory well but lack advanced violin skills and a deep grasp of the instrument, which can lead to beginners picking up bad habits that hurt progress over time.
Top violin teachers hold at least a Bachelor’s in violin, with lessons averaging $60-$90 per hour—those with a Master’s or Doctorate charge $70-$100. You might think these teachers are just for advanced players, but beginners benefit most from learning the right way early on with a teacher who can guide you smoothly to an advanced level.
Online vs In-person Lessons
Online violin lessons are generally the most affordable, with an average increase of about $10 for in-person lessons at a teacher’s studio or home, and a small additional increase to have the teacher visit your home, usually around $10.
Prices for in-person lessons can differ a lot based on how many qualified teachers are nearby. For instance, a teacher in the California area might charge $70 per hour, while you could get similar instruction in the Indiana area for $55—a difference of roughly 20-30%.
To get professional teachers at reasonable rates, most students will find live online lessons (not recordings) the best choice.
Live vs Pre-recorded Lessons
If you’re looking for the cheapest possible violin lessons, there is the option of pre-recorded lessons. These are typically video or app-based lessons that aim to teach you basic violin abilities for a monthly fee.
Unfortunately, the lessons cannot compare to the quality of live one-on-one lessons where the teacher can customize the material for you, give you live feedback on your playing in real time, and help you become better at practicing and performing.
Any student who is interested in becoming a capable and skilled violinist is better off looking for live one-on-one lessons, such as the $35 half hour lessons offered through Lesson With You.
Do Beginners Need Professional Violin Teachers at First?
For beginners, it’s best to start violin the right way with a skilled instructor who guides you from simple techniques to advanced levels without forming bad habits. Undoing mistakes in posture, fingering, or bowing could take months or even years.
An expert violin teacher helps you progress faster and builds a solid base for your future playing. Before signing up, figure out your budget and plan for regular lessons—ideally a year—to see consistent improvement.
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What Will I Learn in Violin Lessons?
Violin Techniques
During violin lessons, you’ll work on essentials like bowing, fingering, and posture. Good bowing drives the violin’s vibrant tone, and your teacher will show you how to do it well, blending in precise fingering and dynamics.
They’ll also coach you on finger placement to glide between notes and scales effortlessly. Posture matters too—expect guidance on holding the violin correctly and engaging your shoulders and arms for support.
Music Theory and Note Reading
Violin lessons include basic music theory, like scales, chords, and rhythms, which help you break down and understand pieces. The violin’s clear, melodic sound requires precision, so teachers will help you focus on reading rhythms accurately, keeping a steady tempo, and transitioning smoothly between notes with confidence.
Engaging Repertoire
With steady lessons, you’ll explore repertoire tailored to your level and preferences, from classical to modern styles. Your teacher will step in to recommend the ideal piece, making the choice easy. The more you practice and attend violin lessons, the better you’ll get at tackling a wide variety of music!
How to Find the Most Affordable Violin Lessons
We surveyed over 100 violin 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 violin and teach lessons online.
Lesson With You has a set price of $65 per hour and indeed the value is better than any other site we have found. Each violin teacher at Lesson With You has a degree in violin, including schools such as Yale and Indiana University but the lessons are only $65 per hour, making the live online violin lessons an incredible value.
Thumbtack had the highest average price among qualified violin teachers, at $70 per hour. Even finding a teacher who didn’t major in violin, such as one with a flute or piano 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 violin, despite charging high prices for music lessons.
Lessons.com has a lower average price, at $68 among the teachers we surveyed. But like Thumbtack, many of the violin teachers listed either did not have a music degree or did not major in violin. Some providers also weren’t very clear about their pricing.
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.
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Lesson With You offers one-on-one live online violin lessons with professional instructors who hold advanced degrees from top music schools. All teachers are background-checked. Try our lessons to expand your violin repertoire and learn core skills quickly!
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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.