How much do piano lessons cost?

Author: Jen K.
Millions of people ask Lessons.com for cost estimates every year. We track the estimates they get from local teachers, then we share those prices with you.

Piano lessons for any age are available in most cities across the country. From music theory to sight-reading to improvisation, learning to play the piano well, or better than you do at present, will take an investment of time and money.

Piano teachers’ prices can vary substantially, but you can expect to find one that matches your personal piano playing goals quite easily at a price that fits your wallet.

Piano Lessons

Individual Lessons

On top of their private lessons, some piano teachers also teach in high schools and colleges, so their higher prices reflect that. Teachers also base their prices on where they live, their years or decades of teaching, their depth of knowledge and proficiency, and travel time (if relevant).

Lessons usually last from half an hour to a full hour, and are priced accordingly. A selection of prices are as follows:

Piano Lesson Length	Average Cost
30 minutes	$40
45 minutes	$50
60 minutes	$60

Group Lessons

Some music studios provide group keyboard lessons, but when it comes to piano classes, one-on-one lessons are the norm.

Children's Lessons

A select few teachers teach only children, such as those at The Piano Player Studio (UT), who mostly work with children ages 8-10 and charge $25/hour. Most lessons for children are half an hour long, while those for adults are 45-60 minutes. Prices are adjusted for the difference; for instance, Pat’s Music Studio in Hayward, CA, charges $30 per half hour for very young students.

Package Discounts

Many piano teachers will give a discount for upfront payments or a block of sessions. Leanne Schafer of Schafer Piano Studio (CA) offers a monthly rate of $124 for a half hour lesson once a week, while Julie Holtzman of Holistic Joyful Lessons (NY) offers a monthly fee of $400 for a one-hour lesson per week, which she says can go on a little longer than an hour when necessary.

Standalone Specialties

Many teachers settle into their preferred musical genre or teaching style and then offer that to their piano students as a standalone specialty. For example, Christopher Jackson of I Am Leven (GA) LLC’s specialty is music performance and musical theater, thanks to his fifteen years of live performing experience in various ensembles, while the owner of Nimble Hands, LLC (LA) implements Piano Pedagogy principles into her teaching, which she learned and adopted during her undergraduate studies as a music major.

Reputation

Many piano teachers have degrees in music and are knowledgeable in all the foundational essentials for piano playing—sight-reading, music theory, and more. Most teachers for children have gone through rigorous background checks, depending on the sites they offer their services through, and many piano instructors for all ages can be found online via online rating sites.

Lessons from Highly Accomplished Teachers

Some piano teachers are highly accomplished musicians in their own right, and their charges reflect their expertise. To illustrate, Jun Li, of Jung Lin’s Piano Studio in Brooklyn, NY, charges $100/hour. She studied at The Juilliard School, earning a BA in piano performance and composition and a master’s in piano performance. Julie Holtzman of Holistic Joyful Lessons in New Jersey is also a Juilliard graduate, Carnegie Hall concert pianist, and Gershwin specialist, and she also charges $100/hour.

Locations

Piano lessons mostly occur in the student’s home or in a music studio, and some teachers will teach in their own homes. Travel costs are additional or included in the hourly rate, at a cost of $15-25. Teaching hours can be flexible.