How much do you pay/charge for private music lessons?

[Fitswimmer]

I pay $25 for a 45 minute piano lesson and my teacher provides the method books and the occasional sheet music or "fun" book. I go to her, but I like it that way-she has a Steinway grand that makes me feel really special when I play it.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I just paid for dd's sax lessons for Oct and it was 66.00.
She gets 1/2hr lessons once a week. This is at her high school during her band class.

 

[Galahad]

Thanks for all the responses. Before I posted this question, I had told them $10 a lesson to start, since they would be my first students. But I think I'd like to up it to $15/20 if this were a long-term thing. I'm too nice though, so it'll probably never happen. There are no string teachers in the area. They don't even have an orchestra at the local schools. You would have to drive 30 miles to a music conservatory in order to take strings, which is why I think the parent was so interested.

Two pieces of unsolicited advice

1) Since you are new to teaching, of course you can't start out charging the same that established folks do BUT!...............
2) Don't start too low - it will a) be harder to raise your rates and keep your students and b) it will be harder to establish you "bona fides" as a professional if you low ball it.

Here in Indy, a professional (member of the symphony, etc) would charge about $50 an hour or a bit more. The tier under that would charge between $35 and $40 an hour. (I charge $40 an hour but I've been doing it for a long time and I'm definitely in the "second tier").

 

[Talking Hands]

When daughter started teaching viola she charged $25/half hour. Now she has a masters in chamber music and on in conducting and plays in a symphony orchestra she is raising her prices. It all depends on your education, experience and location. Don't underprice yourself but don't overprice yourself for the area.

 

[Freyja]

I´m in Iceland so my answer may not be valid, but I pay $60 per hour for my kids´lessons.

 

[ChristmasElf]

We pay $125 per week for 3 days of voice lessons and theatre. Every time she opens her mouth I hear the ka-ching of a cash register it seems.

 

[Nikel]

Back in high school my senior year, I was charging $20 for 30 mins on clarinet or bass clarinet. I was paying double that for the lessons I was taking.

 

[Golf4food]

Depending on the market, I would say someone with just a music degree could start in the $20-25 per 1/2 hour range, then move up from there with level of experience (playing in a professional orchestra? charge more!) and years in the business (been teaching for 20 years and have 37 former students that are now full-time musicians? charge more!)

I used to pay $20 per 1/2 hour but it was in a smaller market. I would charge the same if I were to start giving lessons today.

Galahad is completely correct - if you charge too little you will harm yourself almost as much or more than charging too much.

 

[SamRoc]

Here in NYC for private voice lessons, my dd's teacher charged $75 an hour. She doesn't go there anymore, but I heard the teacher now charges $95.