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Perhaps just me, i find it strange, some prefer not to post the rate. What the reason of this? Will teacher charge different for different students?

From a consumer POV, i can rule out so many options, if i saw a teach er charge $100 a lesson, i don't bother to check other thing. it is not because i don't think they deserve to charge 100 but i don't want to pay 100.

It is all about transparency. Why do i have to contact the teacher to find out the rate? it remind me piano and car dealer. It always so much time waste bouncing around different dealers..etc

Likewise, if I see a teacher charge $40/month I will not follow up.

Would it be unreasonable if teachers did charge students differently? After all, as just one example, I could easily imagine it would require more effort to prepare an advanced student for a piano diploma then it would be to teach a typical grade 1 student.


I guess this depends on what area of the world I'm in and the cost-of-living there. But yes, in the US, I wouldn't either as I'd want a teacher with more experience than a rate like that represents.

I like the scenario someone mentioned earlier in the thread: Post your rates on a sub-page (can't think of the proper name offhand) so that it's not the first thing prospective clients see, but it is available for those who would like that information available to them.


There's almost no web presence for piano teachers in my area. It is a puzzle to me.

I’ve witnessed a 3 year finish a lesson with my son’s teacher once. I can’t imagine anything more difficult than trying to teach a 3 year old how to play piano. The most amazing part of the lesson was the child was actually cooperative, learning and smiling.

A common misconception.

Teaching beginners is typically a lot more labor and thought intensive than teaching advanced students.

I don't dispute that, and I guess no one who had raised a child will dispute that.

A daycare teacher taking care of 3-year-olds is typically a lot more labor and thought intensive than teaching university students. They are different challenges, different skill sets, and of different market values, unfortunately.

Guess what, teaching a 2-year-old to play piano would be more difficult, and teachers who teach 2 year olds are deserved to get 2 times more.

The greater skill and challenge remains greater for teaching a five year old beginner, seven year old beginner, ten year old beginner, or older. The challenge has to do with the skills that need to be given - and does not have to do with the age of the student being taught. All foundations on the various sides of playing music on an instrument must be established at a time when the students has none whatsoever - and in a way that will not disturb what is good and natural. What the advanced student does becomes easy or hard due to those foundations. The teachers of beginners are not given nearly enough respect or recognition. That's why it drives me nuts when a novice wanting to learn to teach is told, "Why not grab a bunch of beginners."

I'm brand new to "piano teaching as a viable business", so I can't tell you how effective this is/will be yet, but I have a "lessons" page that does not mention my fee, but there is a link to a studio policies pdf that does include rate, payment structure, and details like that.

I get that there is a culture around music/piano teaching that makes it feel impolite to talk too much about what time with the maestro might cost, but as a consumer who is planning on committing a significant amount of money on this service (over $1k a year), it's vital information. Playing hard to get about rates leaves a bad impression when I'm shopping for lessons, and I don't want any potential students or families to walk away because they can't get the details they need in a clear and easy way.

But, we'll see if it works, or if it matters much one way or the other.

I'm also hoping that having my rates posted will prevent potential students from feeling like the rates are negotiable, and having to have haggling conversations with people.

So far (and literally, I am two days into this endeavor), I've had one person contact me saying, basically, "Hi, I'm interested in lessons, I saw your schedule/rates and I'm ready to pre-pay for the fall," and one person contact me saying, "Hi, what do you charge for piano lessons."

I've had only one person try to haggle with me on my rates in the decades I've been teaching. I wouldn't worry too much about having to deal with that if you don't post rates. I've not had a website most of the years I've taught, and haggling was never a problem except with that one person, and only once with him.

Simply answer, "My rates aren't negotiable."

This is so true.

Since I do quite a bit of judging and adjudicating during the year, I see results of good teaching. It does exist, in pockets. Many teachers clearly know what they are doing and can engender results based on their teaching method(s).

But what drives me nuts is the sheer number of incompetent teachers who continue to get clueless clients and churn out deplorable students. A few of their students get to me, and by then there's absolutely nothing I can do to salvage the students.

Consumer here - but I definitely like to see rates on the webpage. It's not my top priority - but after seeing "About me" info, testimonials from students, and studio policies - the rate is next most important. Not because I'm trying to save the most money, but because it gives me an idea who the teacher is.
If they are charging $80/hour, I have no doubt they are worth that - and NOT for me. Why? Because I'm a casual player who isn't trying to be the best there is, have a limited budget, and also require some flexibility with my time because of my job. Not only are they probably not the right teacher for me, but I can almost guarantee I am also not the right student for them - they're going to want someone who is a lot more serious about their studies.
On the other hand, if they charge $30/hour, I know that teacher is probably pretty inexperienced or not very good (can't keep schedule full), and more importantly, doesn't have confidence in their skills. If they were confident in their abilities they would be charging more in line with what other teacher's charge.
If instructors are in the ballpark average for my area, then I'm not going to nickle and dime, and choose one because they're $5 less than another. But it does help weed out the extremes and avoid wasting both my and the teacher's time.

If I'm looking and see, say, 10 teachers who look similarly qualified - and 5 of them post prices (within the average range for this area), and 5 of them don't - I'm going to talk to the 5 with prices first. I will only go to the 5 without prices if all of the first 5 fall through for some reason.

I do not have a website. I am on LinkedIn, but not FaceBook. I have about 30 students, and am happy with that.

When a random person learns that I am a piano teacher, they ask, "oh, I always wanted to learn/my child wants to learn/how much do you charge?"

My first question back is, "do you have a piano?"

Then, I ask them to contact me (I provide email and cell number) to set up a free 15 minute interview, where I will go over my policy page and expectations.

My rationalization is this- if they cannot make the effort to contact me, own a piano, and meet for 15 minutes, then they are not going to commit to paying for lessons and practice.

Or,
if they straight out just want to know my rates, I respond with, well, that's like asking what I charge for cutting someone's yard- do I use their mower or mine, do I trim hedges, do I mulch, how large is the yard, how often for service, what about flowers, etc...
my simply stating a price without telling ALL I have to offer is a disservice to both of us.

Word of mouth is the best recommendation.
Bonus- I have never ONCE had a problem collecting tuition from my home studio families. I have a relationship with them.

(also, I am a bit of a techno-phobe, although I am not old. I'm in my 40's) (That is NOT old)

To my mind, these two quotes are somewhat in conflict with each other.

You say that, though you like to see rates on a webpage, it's not your top priority. However, if you find 10 teachers who appear similarly qualified, but don't contact the 5 who don't post rates unless the 5 who do all fail somehow, then you are making a teacher's non-posting of rates a very big priority to you.

Words on a page will only go so far in getting to know who a teacher really is and how s/he operates. Many teachers might "sound" similar in print, but there can be vast differences between them in how they actually teach and relate in a face-to-face situation. How would you know you weren't trading an excellent teacher for an okay one if you rejected the excellent one who didn't post rates and instead chose a merely okay teacher who did?

I'm with you on this. All who ask about my rates also get a rundown of what they get for the price.



Indeed 40-something is not old.

So well put! I'm happy to lose out as a piano teacher to those who are price shoppers vs learning shoppers.

To want to know the price range beforehand does not mean one is price shopping. When I decided to have piano lessons, I did not know if they cost 20 euros or 100 euros. Every single teacher had the prices listed on their site, so I could be pleasantly surprised to see even the most expensive only were around 40 euros. That meant more money could be spend on buying the piano.

Agree! That is not price shopping. Just trying to understand the "local" market.

:
I'm kind of coming from the opposite perspective: post my rates so that if it's not withing someone's price range, neither of us waste our time. Nothing against them - we all have to work within our means - and I'm certainly not trying to price-gauge, but enticing someone with all the great stuff you can do only to have them find out that they can't afford you can be disrespectful. I teach for a living. People pay me and that's not a secret.