How much do piano lessons cost in the UK?
/The piano is one of the most popular instruments for beginner musicians to try. But just how much do piano lessons cost and is it affordable?
It’s important to keep in mind that investing in piano lessons is investing in so much more than just the lessons. Not only will you learn music theory (a great foundation for learning other instruments), you’ll also develop other skills such as enhanced concentration and increased confidence. Perhaps you need no convincing! There are many ways to keep costs low when starting out on your musical journey.
The average cost of private piano lessons
The national average cost for piano lessons ranges from £25 to £35 for an hour’s lesson. These rates depend on various factors including location: the cost of lessons varies city by city, with the most expensive lessons in London.
When budgeting, include other costs, such as buying an instrument and travelling to and from lessons. Fortunately, there are some excellent electric keyboards on the second-hand market, usually starting around £100. It’s reassuring to know you don’t need a grand piano to get you started! Our guide to buying a piano has more information on this.
How much do beginner lessons cost?
Beginner piano lessons are in some ways the most challenging aspect of teaching piano. This is because a beginner is the most likely student to give up as they have invested less in the learning process.
The teacher needs to:
Create a positive relationship and a structure that keeps the student interested
Offer the student relevant subject matter offering an insight into a broad range of music that doesn't overstretch the individual but gives them the skills they need. Often, a beginner is unsure of exactly which direction they might want to go in, so it’s the teacher’s job to find a genre that encourages the student to learn.
Introduce technical, aural, compositional, practical, and improvisational skill sets, where suitable, to provide a holistic approach to learning. If introduced at the right time, then it will help to avoid having to go over these things again later on.
This approach will keep the lessons interesting and reduce the level of stress. Stress is the main cause for someone quitting any activity and it is much more common for a beginner to give up as they have less to lose.
As a beginner, it’s important that you are provided with long and short-term musical goals. Learning to play the piano for fun versus wanting to pass your ABRSM exams will require piano tutors with experience and qualifications in both areas. Therefore, it is beneficial to have someone with a broad musical knowledge so that you can keep your options open.
Children’s piano lessons cost
Piano lessons for children can cost between £15 to £35 depending on location, the tutor’s experience and the session duration. The lessons must be fun and motivating! As children can find it more difficult to sit and concentrate for longer periods of time, thirty minutes is the average class duration, but it could be longer depending on your child’s experience or attention span.
A good piano tutor will want to know about your child’s learning style and work with this to help them excel.
Online piano lessons cost
Online piano lessons can be carried out in the comfort of your own home, at your own pace, on your own piano. As there is no requirement to travel, you can save money and avoid the stress of fighting traffic to arrive on time. Opting for online piano lessons widens your options in terms of selecting a tutor, as you are not limited to location. All you need is a device with a camera and a high-speed internet connection that allows good quality video calls.
How to save money on piano lessons
Taking group piano lessons may be cheaper than private piano lessons. This could be more motivating for you, although you will receive less 1:1 time with the tutor. It is worth talking to your tutor about possible discounts if multiple members of your family are taking lessons or if you would like to make a block booking of lessons in advance.
Online piano lessons are certainly a cheaper way to learn than 1:1 lessons. Whilst there are many online learning resources on websites such as YouTube, they cannot give the expert feedback and personalised teaching that a piano tutor can!
At PLUK, we recommend a camera set-up for our online lessons to ensure we have the best viewpoints to analyse how our students can improve technique. We offer online or face to face sessions in Bristol and Brighton. Contact us to find out more!