If you have thought about learning to play the piano, maybe even to become a great pianist someday, you’ve probably wondered how to get the motivation for self-teaching – or otherwise found yourself asking, “how much are piano lessons?”

This question is worth a bit of research if you’re truly interested in the piano – sometimes the price of lessons can make an aspiring young student wary. Don’t fret, though – there are cheap options to be found, and even if they can’t be, then just remember that the value of learning something as beautiful and timeless as playing the piano is worth more than money.

Piano lessons can be found in person, offered at universities or particular music schools; they can be found in community settings, perhaps offered by your local rec centre; they can be offered in personal settings by fellow musicians. All of these options would offer different instruction for different fees.

Why do piano lessons vary in price?

Piano lessons can vary in price because the instructors aren’t all offering the same things, at the same place, at the same convenience.

Some instructors have to put a lot more effort out to teach students than others – say you’re instructing advanced musical theory and applications, compared to teaching beginner piano lessons. The lessons in theory will undoubtedly cost much more than the piano lessons.

Let’s look at differences between some popular types of lessons.

University piano lessons could be priced based on a number of factors.

Some universities offer music classes independent of their academic courses, but ones that are a part of schooling would typically be included as a part of your tuition fee.

• University piano classes cover all sorts of aspects of in-depth music theory, as well as offering training in different methods of play styles.
• These lessons are comprehensive and very valuable – a lot of famous historical musicians had to be taught through universities or colleges.
• These courses, just like any university course, are likely to be on the expensive side – between $1000-15000.

Community piano lessons are a good option for people on a budget, but unfortunately aren’t always available

Sometimes your local classified ads might offer community piano lessons at a local studio or similar venue.

• These are often taught by an individual who wants to share his or her knowledge with the locals.
• These classes may run for a single day or several weeks.
• They could cost anywhere from $50 for the day to $500 to a couple months of teaching.

Community piano lessons are often taught in group settings, and sometimes, if the event is held by or for a charity, attendance might be free of charge. These lessons are often enough to spur curious musicians into deciding to pay for more long term lessons.

Some online communities offer excellent quality lessons at a very reasonable price, and are sometimes a much better deal than anything that can be found locally.

Individual piano lessons are usually offered by people who need a bit of extra cash

They may be parents, people in between jobs, musicians with free time, etc. How much these piano lessons cost depends on the level of skill of the individual and how much they want to charge.

• It’s a good idea to be cautious of these lessons – if you don’t have any musical background with which to compare the things you’re being taught, someone could teach you nonsense and just be out to seek out people to rip off. This isn’t very common, but it is possible.
• Try and find a personal review of the instructor before you submit yourself to his or her instruction.

What is the best price to pay for piano lessons?

It depends what you’re hoping to get out of your piano instruction. Someone who took classes to play in the New York Orchestra, for example, will have been expected to pay more for instruction, when compared to how much piano lessons cost for a teenager who wanted a new hobby.

If you want a new hobby, and are interested in playing piano for personal use but not really planning to take it to very high places, you could benefit from taking personal lessons.

They’re often the cheapest, and you can usually pay per day of instruction. This means that if you don’t like the lessons, you can bail out, and you won’t have lost that much money.

These lessons are also much more casual than other forms of instruction, which can be stressful and demanding. With personal instruction, you only learn as much as you want to.

If you want to be a professional piano player as part of an orchestra or a big band, you’re going to want to pay more for your lessons. You’ll probably be looking at paying tuition at a university or a high-class music school, so expect your lessons to cost somewhere in the thousands.

Remember that some professionals were not taught in university and instead only took personal lessons – but this isn’t always easy for them.

Aspiring players with any intention can benefit hugely from online piano lessons which are affordable, don’t discriminate, and are extremely easy to manage.

In conclusion

The price you’re going to pay for your lessons depends on what you hope to get out of them, and what your goals involve. Typically, lessons cost more for more ambitious players, so if you’re hoping to reach the world’s hall of fame, you’d best be ready to shell out some cash!