How much do you pay for lessons?

Portphilia · #1 09-12-2012, 06:46 PM

So I've recently got in contact with a well known bass teacher in my area, and when he brought up how much he charges for a lesson, he told me it was 50 bucks a lesson, 60 if he comes to my house (understandable). I then realized that I have no idea what I should expect when it comes to paying for a lesson. Does 50-60 bucks sound reasonable for a lesson with a credible bass teacher? Now obviously it's worth is really in what I get out of my lesson with the teacher, but I'm also just curious what you guys pay for your lessons.

cloverkeys · #2 09-12-2012, 06:50 PM

How long are they?

Portphilia · #3 09-12-2012, 06:59 PM

Hour long lesson.

DC Bass · #4 09-12-2012, 07:21 PM

Fifty or sixty dollars for an hour lesson is a good price, provided the teacher is qualified. Many people, to include myself, pay a great deal more than that and still feel they have received a bargain!

Many, many years ago I was lucky enough to attend a master class with the great classical guitarist Bejamin Verdery. He passed on this most profound bit of advice:

You do NOT pay for lessons with money, you reserve your teachers TIME with money.

You really pay your teacher by being a good, attentive student who works hard, completes assignments, exhibits a positive attitude and shows musical growth.

Best of luck!

Joe

basspirate777 · #5 09-12-2012, 09:26 PM

Good response up above. I was paying 60 an hr in Pittsburgh for one of the university guys...I know the PSO principal is like double that.

With the frustrations I experienced my first year on DB w no teacher....I'm happy to pay it!

Adam Attard · #6 09-13-2012, 06:31 AM

My high school teacher charged 60 an hour, and he was incredibly qualified (masters from Rice). So that seems like a fair price to me. Plus he was an amazing teacher and guy (and often went over on lessons to make sure to help me out!)

Ron Plichta · #7 09-13-2012, 07:13 AM

I pay $50 an hour for a private instructor in Fredericksburg, VA. It costs me about $15 in gas to get there since it's an hour away, but I generally get a little more than an hour's worth of time out of her and she's pretty patient with me (I need all the help I can get

).

Jayhawk · #8 09-13-2012, 07:26 AM

I guess it depends on where you are in the country and the availability of qualified instructors.

Low Sound Love · #9 09-13-2012, 07:35 AM

I've never paid more than €20/hour for private lessons (teachers were always professional musicians). $60 sounds like a lot to me.

**MostlyBass** · #10 09-13-2012, 07:37 AM

I charge $80 per hour (or any fractional variation) and reserve the right to drop students that are consistently unprepared.

I have a solid resume as well as an excellent private instruction curriculum that has proven very successful over the past 15 years.

Blakewdm · #11 09-13-2012, 07:39 AM

pricing can also be effected by where you live

**MostlyBass** · #12 09-13-2012, 07:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blakewdm

pricing can also be effected by where you live

Agreed. Location definitely affects costs.

fergus currie · #13 09-13-2012, 02:17 PM

I charge 70 euros for 1 and a half hours which usually end up being more like 2 hours.

Adam Attard · #14 09-13-2012, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MostlyBass

Agreed. Location definitely affects costs.

Definitely. I was lucky to live near a metropolitan area which had a number of teachers, including mine. It'd be more difficult to find one in say, the middle of Montana.

MaxJohnson · #15 09-13-2012, 03:07 PM

I have taken lessons with people for 60-120, it's worth it if you have a great teacher, who you "click" with.

Lazarus.Bird · #16 09-13-2012, 03:08 PM

I pay $70/hr in Pittsburgh. Guy has 30+ years of teaching, has an impressive professional resume, teaches grad students at a highly accredited music school, and most importantly provides fantastic instruction and shows me great respect. I initially thought it was a bit steep but now I feel it is worth every penny.

Les Fret · #17 09-14-2012, 01:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaxJohnson

I have taken lessons with people for 60-120, it's worth it if you have a great teacher, who you "click" with.

120$ is a very high price unless your teacher is really famous or so. With today's crisis not many people are going to pay that I think. I pay 30 euros an hour. 30-40 euros seems to be the price in my country for a good (but not famous) teacher.

lowendrachel · #18 09-14-2012, 10:09 AM

I used to get a lesson for $50 for an hour. I used to come to his appartment and he was always late to let me in. Learned the basic stuff but I thought he wasn't a good teacher. So I stopped getting lessons from him.

ransombass · #19 09-14-2012, 10:18 AM

I pay $50 an hour with the first call bassist here in Tulsa. He's also the bass instructor at Tulsa University. He really keeps me on my toes and won't let me slide on anything. I love that.

rosskratter · #20 09-14-2012, 09:01 PM

$50 an hour is low here in NY, some guys (i.e. David Grossman from the NY Phil) go up to $175 or $200. Mike Richmond charges $100.