All About Piano Lesson Costs
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peanut_butter:
Thanks peanut butter for your response!Serendipity:
Hi all, may i know the market rate for a private piano teacher's monthly fees for beginners? What is reasonable for a Diploma holder teacher who does home visit?
I charge an extra $10-$40 for commuting. That would put my beginner fee to $170-$200/month, as the market rate suggest. However, it makes no business sense as it takes me at least 45 minutes to travel between my students' place. I could had given a lesson in that duration. :moneyflies:
Hence, from my perspective, It is reasonable to charge an extra 100-200% on top of the fee for my time or simply teach in a school for a commission >50%. -
Hi,
There are some doubts I would like the experts here to enlighten me.
Currently I have got a NAFA teacher who cost $360/mth to teach both my daughters (aged 5 and 6) piano.
What she does with my elder daughter is that she had been playing scales, sight reading and 2 grade exam pieces for around 3 months. That’s what we do week in and week out. Every time we are there, she is just there to listen 1 or 2 scales then the pieces.
Previously before we started on the pieces, we were playing some fingering techniques like czerny and hanon.
Some how it seems like she never showed my daughter how was it played and I have to “teach” my daughter every time there is a new piece until last 3 months as there is no new songs since then.
For my younger daughter, she is just there to “listen” to her playing as everything is taught by me myself.
What I would like to ask is that:
1. Is this the way NAFA teacher teach?
2. If my ultimate goal for my daughter is to play as many pieces as possible and in future, she can play “any song” i would like her to, what should I do?
3. Should I change the teacher cos it seems now im the teacher rather?
4. If I were to change the teacher, what kind of teacher should I look for? A “branded” one? or 1 that just asked us to go for grades (which I don’t think that is the ultimate goal for piano)
The last thing I want to emphasize is for my kids to enjoy playing piano which the elder one does not seem like nowadays.
Please enlighten me
Thanks -
When you say “NAFA teacher”, do you mean a teacher who is currently (or previously) teaching at NAFA or do you mean a NAFA graduate? From the above it does sound like NAFA junior session’s teaching - drill, drill, drill, emphasis on technique. What’s the reason for not giving new pieces? Is it because the old ones have not been perfected? Not up to scratch or not up to the teacher’s standard? Or it’s because the girls have exams round the corner?
Focusing on technique is a good thing as it opens up ways to play many pieces with ease, but as your girls are still young, there needs to be a better balancing. In NAFA it is a different story as the goal is different and therefore the way things are taught are geared to achieve this goal. Have you expressed your view to the teacher? Tell her that you’d like the kids to have a more balanced technique vs repertoire ratio.
Focusing on sight reading (which you mentioned the teacher is doing) is also a good way to achieve your “ability to play any piece in future”.
If you were to change teachers, I’d suggest getting somewhere who is able to share or accommodate your opinions and goals, someone whom you feel at ease to communicate with and someone who has the ability to execute the teaching. -
Hi jce,
Thanks for the advice
My concern is that are NAFA teachers teaching techniques different from other teachers outside? So how to the “branded” teachers teach? do they teach the way like the NAFA teachers do? The reason I asked is that do they just say which pieces they want the students to learn and then just that? The parents and the child will figure out how to play the song by themselves (by sight reading first) and the teacher did not demonstrate and is just there the next week to listen?
Please advise -
Best I PM you
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pahchee:
I am going to assume that your daughters are currently taught by a NAFA Young Talent teacher as NAFA graduates may differ vastly in teaching approaches.Hi jce,
Thanks for the advice
My concern is that are NAFA teachers teaching techniques different from other teachers outside? So how to the \"branded\" teachers teach? do they teach the way like the NAFA teachers do? The reason I asked is that do they just say which pieces they want the students to learn and then just that? The parents and the child will figure out how to play the song by themselves (by sight reading first) and the teacher did not demonstrate and is just there the next week to listen?
Please advise
I won't comment on 'branded' teachers as their teaching approaches may vastly differ from each other as well. Anyway, eventually students should be able to pick up the notes for a piece by themselves, preferably as early as possible. I would demonstrate on the piano how a certain passage should be played, but I try not to demonstrate the notes unless they have misreading.
For the very young around 4-7 which I have quite a few now, their understanding and shape recognitions may not be as well developed yet. Deciphering staff notation is quite similar to working solutions for arithmetic, so at that age it may be quite difficult. So, normally, I am more relaxed for this age group and I will demonstrate the notes and how to practice them (and to the parents as well so they know how to guide the kids at home). Though I have to stress, I normally would not continue this kind of 'imitation' practice after 1 year of lessons.
As for choice of pieces, I think the general consensus is there needs to be a mix of compulsory pieces (usually technical studies and one or two exam pieces) and free-choice pieces to maintain a healthy interest. -
Any idea how much is the fee for G7 now? I heard some teachers charge $280-$300/month.I heard my friend’s girl teacher charge per month and no lesson if there are 5 weeks in that month and no make-up lesson if is a public holiday. Is that reasonable?
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Yes, not teaching 5th week and public hol with no make-up for these is norm. Basically operating like music schools, 44 lessons per year. Fees wise really depends on qualification and experience of the teacher
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Thanks Jce
However, I had heard some charges only by lesson and I think is more reasonable as it is a freelance job, not a company. If charge using the school’s method, then smart parents will plan ahead to choose those day which no PH falls on that day during the whole year to avoid “fee-paid for no lesson” day.
Hope you are not offended. Just being fair to all parties. -
Most teachers will plan in such a way that all students get 44 a year, regardless of which day the lesson is on, that way it’s fair. Those who charge per lesson will generally charge more. Imagine if the student comes as he or she wishes, that is not fair on the teacher either. The slot is reserved for the student and the teacher is earning a living by teaching