Going rate for Guitar Lessons?
Phil
feeling the need to. So I look up a known, local player I'm
interested in studying with, and find that his rate is $70 an hour.
This seems like an incredible ammount of money to me. Is this really
around what lessons cost these days?
EricAtUNC
That's way too expensive. Lessons should only be $40-$50 an hour,
unless the guy is this big, famous guitarist and teacher. You could
take lessons with Jimmy Bruno online for $60 per quarter.
-Eric
dcfr...@gmail.com
Joey Goldstein
I just raised my rate from $70 to $85.
It had been $70 for at least a couple of years.
At my rates I tend to only get students with a certain level of
seriousness, which is what I want.
My rate pays for a 1 hour lesson, but usually they last closer to 2 hours.
And I'm worth it.
Of course, I don't have any students right now! <g>
--
Joey Goldstein
<http://www.joeygoldstein.com>
<http://homepage.mac.com/josephgoldstein/AudioClips/audio.htm>
joegold AT sympatico DOT ca
Pat Smith
reasonable for someone that is experienced. Expect a lot of answers that
say it's too much since guitarists tend to undervalue themselves.
Phil
Joey, you would be my first choice if you didn't live, like, 1000
miles away.
Mark & Steven Bornfeld
My guess is if he's a good teacher he's well worth it. If he's a
crummy teacher $25 an hour would be too much.
FWIW, my daughter took piano lessons with a local lady maybe 5 years
ago, and we were paying $25/ 1/2 hr., payable by the month at the
beginning of the month. She was a first rate player, but she didn't
motivate my kid. Don't know whose fault that was.
I would guess this is subject to a lot of local variation--like how
many teachers there are in your town.
Steve
--
Mark & Steven Bornfeld DDS
http://www.dentaltwins.com
Brooklyn, NY
718-258-5001
sheets
> That's way too expensive. Lessons should only be $40-$50 an hour,
> unless the guy is this big, famous guitarist and teacher. You could
> take lessons with Jimmy Bruno online for $60 per quarter.
$50/hour is not expensive. My kid was getting $50/hour teaching music
lessons at a local music store. For me to dedicate an hour of my time
to teaching plus the associated time of conversation before and after,
I often charge between $75/$100.
Keith Freeman
The question I would ask is, is it worth $70 to you?
-Keith
Portable Changes, tips etc. at http://home.wanadoo.nl/keith.freeman/
e-mail only to keith DOT freeman AT orange DOT nl
Derek
an hour, plus a video of the lesson to review any time you wish. He
personalizes the lesson.
Then there is Mike's Master Classes, Jimmy B's institute as mentioned
above, workshoplive.com where Jody Fisher (and others) has a bunch of
lessons up.
With the internet, there are lots of options besides the local guy,
though the local guy might be just fine, but for that price, there are
plenty of other options.
EricAtUNC
I agree, $50 is not expensive. Some teachers limit the lesson to one
hour exactly and then it's 'see you later', usually never extended
beyond the hour. Maybe it is the area that you live in which dictates
the price per hour one pays. I usually go for one lesson to see if
it's worth it or not.
I studied with Howard Morgen for several years, who I and many others
consider a great teacher. His rates were much less than $70.
If it was a teacher who I admired and respected and I always learned
valuable information each lesson, I *might* consider paying that much.
Rick Ross
"Joey Goldstein" <nos...@nowhere.net> wrote in message
news:fkbbte$uo6$2...@news.datemas.de...
> Phil wrote:
>> I haven't taken a guitar lesson in years, but have recently been
>> feeling the need to. So I look up a known, local player I'm
>> interested in studying with, and find that his rate is $70 an hour.
>> This seems like an incredible ammount of money to me. Is this really
>> around what lessons cost these days?
>>
>
> I just raised my rate from $70 to $85.
> It had been $70 for at least a couple of years.
> At my rates I tend to only get students with a certain level of
> seriousness, which is what I want.
> My rate pays for a 1 hour lesson, but usually they last closer to 2 hours.
> And I'm worth it.
> Of course, I don't have any students right now! <g>
but you're probably sending them home with enough work for at least a month
so, to maintain perspective, an $85 lesson with advanced material is
actually a good value if the student applies his/herself and does the
homework..
jamierosenn
I usually charge $60 an hour but I do have a starving student rate as
well ($50). But friends of mine charge between $50 and $90 an hour.
-jamie rosenn
================
www.jamierosenn.com
ray...@yahoo.com
Eric,
If you are a teacher with back to back lessons, you really have to be
highly structured with the time. The next student should not be
required to sit and wait. It isn't fair to their schedule.
And then the day would end at 10-11PM!
Rob
Joey Goldstein
>
>
> "Joey Goldstein" <nos...@nowhere.net> wrote in message
> news:fkbbte$uo6$2...@news.datemas.de...
>> Phil wrote:
>>> I haven't taken a guitar lesson in years, but have recently been
>>> feeling the need to. So I look up a known, local player I'm
>>> interested in studying with, and find that his rate is $70 an hour.
>>> This seems like an incredible ammount of money to me. Is this really
>>> around what lessons cost these days?
>>>
>>
>> I just raised my rate from $70 to $85.
>> It had been $70 for at least a couple of years.
>> At my rates I tend to only get students with a certain level of
>> seriousness, which is what I want.
>> My rate pays for a 1 hour lesson, but usually they last closer to 2
>> hours.
>> And I'm worth it.
>> Of course, I don't have any students right now! <g>
>
> but you're probably sending them home with enough work for at least a
> month so,
Actually, forgot to mention....
The lessons are once every 2 weeks.
> to maintain perspective, an $85 lesson with advanced material
> is actually a good value if the student applies his/herself and does the
> homework..
Mark Guest
If he's good, and you have the dough, why not? I'm not teaching at
this point because I can't get motivated to teach at poverty rates.
Pay the man!
All the best,
Mark Guest
Jazz Guitar
www.myspace.com/markguest
"It's taken me all my life to learn what not to play."
(Dizzy Gillespie)
Funkallero
You're in Canada, right? Maybe a cash exchange difference?
Joey Goldstein
CAN $ is just under par right now with US $.
Joe Montgomery
1 hour lessons ranging from $50-80 per (with "extended" time and
materials.)
Bi-Weekly? Once a month?
Once a day? <grin>
So, basically, $25-40 per hour per week, regardless if it's the same
student or a different one, right?
--
I was charging just under $100 a month for hourly weekly lessons for
'beginner jazz guitar.' I considered the 5th week months a 'bonus'
lesson, but that was measured against my right to cancel a lesson or 2
here and there because a gig would come up or a school function, etc.
It worked out well...
--
So I guess my thoughts go to is it the hourly rate we're concerned
with or the overall length of time we have the same student for and
are we talking $75 an hour for a beginning student, or intermediate?
Over the last 5 years I taught part time, I averaged about 18-24
months per student. Is that good, bad?
And are those $75 per hour lessons you guys are giving declared
income? Just curious.
JM
EricAtUNC
>
> - Show quoted text -
Rob,
Exactly, which is the way it should be. I wouldn't want to wait. I
was mainly referring to an earlier post where there is 'before and
after' time, occasionally. I've never experienced that myself (the
before and after time).
I really enjoy taking personal lessons, every other week. It gives me
the time to work on things, come up with and ask questions and get the
immediate answers.
Eric
ray...@yahoo.com
Eric,
Sounds good. You are lucky to find someone that can go without pay
for the time on the off weeks (unless they come every other week as
well? Do you do hours? Pay by the month?
Rob
go2...@mac.com
My private students take one two-hour lesson once a month. The fee is
$100.00 because I think lessons should be accessible to any SERIOUS
student. I do insist on the two hour session, though. I live in a
relatively remote mountain community between LA and San Diego, so yes,
my students who tend to come from all over Southern California, tend
to be pretty serious.....
I must say though, the best lessons I ever had were from teachers that
charged very little--Joe Diorio and Ted Greene come to mind.....
Jody Fisher
www.jodyfisher.com
www.myspace.com/jodyfisherguitar
EricAtUNC
Usually I pay by the hour at the end of each lesson, but I would pay
by month if I had to. I did the every week lesson and it was just too
much information I was given to absorb completely every week. Two
weeks I have time to absorb the material in practiving every night,
that way I am fully prepared for each lesson, thereby not wasting my
time or the teachers.
dunlop212
with the best player in town. I won't say more, in case he reads this
thread and raises the price!
My wife pays $70 bucks an hour for her piano lessons, though.
Joey Goldstein
> I am paying a fraction of what you guys are talking about for lessons
> with the best player in town.
What town?
cl...@claymoore.com
Hi Phil,
It depends on a lot of things, like where you're living for one. A
LONG time ago I heard Richie Beirach charged $100 per hour. A lot of
NY-based players charge that, and indeed I payed that much for a
lesson from one of them when he passed through Minneapolis a couple of
years ago.
Another way of putting that into perspective is to look at how much
people charge per hour in other disciplines. Some time ago I finally
bought my wife and I some dance lessons. The studio where we went was
charging $100 per hour for private lessons, and the head instructor
had her underlings doing the instructing, who were all young people
with limited teaching experience. I've heard the same thing is common
in the golf world. I can think of no sillier pastime than golf, so if
people can blow $100 per hour on lessons for that surely a good guitar
teacher could be conceivably worth $70 per hour.
Clay Moore
ThirtyOne
> I haven't taken a guitar lesson in years, but have recently been
> feeling the need to. So I look up a known, local player I'm
> interested in studying with, and find that his rate is $70 an hour.
> This seems like an incredible ammount of money to me. Is this really
> around what lessons cost these days?
I pay $40/hour every two weeks. I pay for 2 lessons at a time. I
have a great teacher who is a full-time musician and well-known on
this group. He only teaches jazz.
My old teacher from high school (20 years ago) still teaches back in
my hometown. He is a fine musician with a music degree and he teaches
for $34/hour.
I think it really depends on what part of the country you are in. I
am in NC (like Eric I assume) so that may be part of it.
One thing for sure - $75-100 is worth it if it is the only good
teacher you can find. What they teach you you have forever.
gtrbar...@gmail.com
I take lessons for $55/hour in the Austin area....which is pricey for
my budget...but yes when you compare to other disciplines "consulting
rates" is reasonable.
Now I have consulted off and on for years as a software engineer. I
also tutor students in software design or programming languages (my
profession). I have a curriculum that I follow that leads the student
to a planned level of expertise. Without that, I cannot effectively
gauge what level the student is when they start with me, how far they
have come in knowledge, and where I am trying to take them.
When I go to lessons...and I have been with different players all
incredible jazz players, well known in the local professional jazz
community...I know for a fact that they have no sense of where I
should be going, what they should be teaching me from class to
class...they have no curriculum.. it's like little Sammy's lesson ends
and then my lesson starts...and it's always the same question..."what
were you working on the last time"...then we go off on a lesson that
is completely non-sequitur to what I did the last time.
On top of that, many players are phenomenal, but do not know how to
teach the concepts that they play...a great player does not make a
great teacher. And if you don't have a clue how to teach and have a
curriculum that is planned, and you are not planning each lesson that
I come to with a set of goals and an agenda, well are you really worth
$70 an hour? NO. Without a plan, I am teaching myself based on random
ramblings with no end goal in mind.
That said, I really do have high hopes for my newest teacher...he
actually is able to explain most concepts...but still...no curriculum.
tonyde...@gmail.com
> I haven't taken a guitar lesson in years, but have recently been
> feeling the need to. So I look up a known, local player I'm
> interested in studying with, and find that his rate is $70 an hour.
> This seems like an incredible ammount of money to me. Is this really
> around what lessons cost these days?
My price here in NYC is $100 per hour, however I may keep the student
here for three hours (many drive in from tri-state area) if he
pleases. I often get into it, man.
-TD
Jon Fox
news:6b6935e7-fb19-42be...@f3g2000hsg.googlegroups.com...
If you don't mind me asking, who are you studying with in Austin?
--
****************************************
Jon Fox
Instructor of Commercial Music - Guitar
McLennan Community College
www.jonfoxjazz.com
Mark & Steven Bornfeld
I'll bet they do too!
ThirtyOne
> incredible jazz players, well known in the local professional jazz
> community...I know for a fact that they have no sense of where I
> should be going, what they should be teaching me from class to
> class...they have no curriculum.. it's like little Sammy's lesson ends
> and then my lesson starts...and it's always the same question..."what
> were you working on the last time"...then we go off on a lesson that
> is completely non-sequitur to what I did the last time.
That is not my current experience. I have had many guitar teachers,
some lasted years some lasted weeks. There are two things at play
(just like any consultant arrangement): 1 - Have you expressed
clearly your expectations and goals. 2 - Do they have a unifying
method that works for you.
One teacher I went to was a country player. I just wanted to learn
about hybrid picking and told him exaclty what I wanted from him. We
spent a couple of months on that and I said thank you and that was it.
Another one handed me Leavitt 1 even though I had been playing for 10
years. If I could have been patient with him I would probably be a
competent jazz player by now, but I just couldn't get into it. It
lasted one month. So he had a curriculum but it didn't work for me.
My crrent teacher has a unifying approach that works for me and he is
bringing me along at a very deliberate pace. Sometimes we spend 2
lessons in a row on basically the same material. Other times we move
forward but I get the impression he is moving me along based on what
he is hearing in my playing, not just following a syllabus in his
head. Sometimes I ask for things and he gently pushes back because it
is not part of his method.
I agree that because someone is a good player doesn't make them a good
teacher, but I strongly believe you can move forward much more
effectively with a good teacher than on your own.
Jon G
> I haven't taken a guitar lesson in years, but have recently been
> feeling the need to. So I look up a known, local player I'm
> interested in studying with, and find that his rate is $70 an hour.
> This seems like an incredible ammount of money to me. Is this really
> around what lessons cost these days?
in san diego it ranges $40-60/hr. excluding those newbies or chumps.
which i once was to get started.
now, i'm at $50/hr.
thinking of raising it.
Jon G
<bornfeldm...@dentaltwins.com> wrote:
> Phil wrote:
> > I haven't taken a guitar lesson in years, but have recently been
> > feeling the need to. So I look up a known, local player I'm
> > interested in studying with, and find that his rate is $70 an hour.
> > This seems like an incredible ammount of money to me. Is this really
> > around what lessons cost these days?
>
> crummy teacher $25 an hour would be too much.
> FWIW, my daughter took piano lessons with a local lady maybe 5 years
> ago, and we were paying $25/ 1/2 hr., payable by the month at the
> beginning of the month. She was a first rate player, but she didn't
> motivate my kid. Don't know whose fault that was.
> I would guess this is subject to a lot of local variation--like how
> many teachers there are in your town.
no fault.
try a different teacher.
Jon G
bummer.
i hate when guys do this to themselves.
not your fault, but he should have some more pride in the work he's
put in.
Jay
be cooking his/her meals, making beds, doing laundry, cleaning chamber
pots, dusting pianoforte keys, au pairing his kids, carrying water
from the well, plowing the lower 40, polishing the pewter, shoeing his
horses, making soap, etc.
Mark & Steven Bornfeld
>
> no fault.
> try a different teacher.
She took up dancing...
--
Jay
<bornfeldm...@dentaltwins.com> wrote:
> Jon G wrote:
>
> > no fault.
> > try a different teacher.
>
> She took up dancing...
>
> --
Hey guys - just visited your website. Very cool! I'm guessing ya'll
have a guitar duet going?
Joey Goldstein
> Phil wrote:
>> I haven't taken a guitar lesson in years, but have recently been
>> feeling the need to. So I look up a known, local player I'm
>> interested in studying with, and find that his rate is $70 an hour.
>> This seems like an incredible ammount of money to me. Is this really
>> around what lessons cost these days?
>>
>
> It had been $70 for at least a couple of years.
> At my rates I tend to only get students with a certain level of
> seriousness, which is what I want.
> My rate pays for a 1 hour lesson, but usually they last closer to 2 hours.
> And I'm worth it.
> Of course, I don't have any students right now! <g>
>
Okay. Y'all have scared me straight and I've lowered my rate to $80.
<http://homepage.mac.com/josephgoldstein/Less/jazguitless.htm>
Mark & Steven Bornfeld
Mark doesn't play much anymore. And I'm lousy enough to annoy him when
I practice in the office. (and I'm lousy enough to annoy my wife at
home when I practice, so I'm pretty well screwed).
Steve
--
Martunes
> On Dec 19, 6:47 am, Phil <pdema...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> > around what lessons cost these days?
>
> in san diego it ranges $40-60/hr. excluding those newbies or chumps.
> which i once was to get started.
> now, i'm at $50/hr.
> thinking of raising it.
In a Vancouver suburb I'm higher than anyone at $50 but I teach 1/2
lessons to mostly kids. I have 50 of them! I charge adults $55/hr and
have 3 or 4. Because the schools don't have music teachers anymore,
I'm getting contracts to teach introductory guitar in elementary
schools - I charge $60. It can be a grind but anytime I get tired of
it, I remember that I could be working for someone else. I can still
get a lesson from a really good guy for $60 or $70 (and am happy to
pay it). I always gets more than a hour too. I get great lessons right
here from all you vets - thanks.
Lumpy
> but you're probably sending them home with enough work for at least a
> month so, to maintain perspective, an $85 lesson with advanced
> material is actually a good value if the student applies his/herself
> and does the homework..
My students all get "advanced material". If they don't apply themself
and/or don't do their homework, I release them from furthering the
burden of them practicing. I'm not at all interested in students
that are self deprecating, constantly make excuses for why they
didn't practice or in some other manner refuse to accept greatness.
Lumpy
You Played on Lawrence Welk?
Yes but no blue notes. Just blue hairs.
Gerry
> Rick Ross wrote:
>> but you're probably sending them home with enough work for at least a
>> month so, to maintain perspective, an $85 lesson with advanced
>> material is actually a good value if the student applies his/herself
>> and does the homework..
>
> My students all get "advanced material". If they don't apply themself
> and/or don't do their homework, I release them from furthering the
> burden of them practicing. I'm not at all interested in students
> that are self deprecating, constantly make excuses for why they
> didn't practice or in some other manner refuse to accept greatness.
When studying classical guitar I had the frustration of not being able
to cover the the weekly material. The next lesson with the teacher, we
went over the same material again and he watched and counseled as I got
my practice in. "We can't go on to the next piece until we get through
this one," he said sympathetically. I went home that week with the same
material. I felt totally screwed.
It relates to the misconception that students are being given
"information" at all lessons, rather than guidance through a channel of
activity.
When I didn't have time to practice a few weeks later I stayed up until
about 3 am the night before covering the material to avoid facing the
same humiliation.
--
///---
ES175_Player
There's a guy around here that teaches, but doesn't have any
students...
His going rate is $10,000,000 an hour...
Says he's still waiting on the right guy...LOL..