• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

how much do YOU charge for private lessons?

Gregory Bruce Campbell

Gregory Bruce Campbell

Apr 14, 2002
426
14
52
Helena, MT U.S.A 59602
www.practicalbasslessons.com
Disclosures
BEE basses, Morley pedals, AccuGroove, Eventide, Hipshot, Temple Boards, S.I.T. strings, more...
#1
how much do YOU charge for private lessons?

I would like to re-evaluate my rates...

and would like to get a feel for how much the rest of you charge per private lesson etc...

I have 55 students currently

BUT one young man just asked me my rates and seemed quite discouraged...

I do not want to turn folks away

BUT my lesson schedule is pretty packed and I have a waiting list of about twenty so I was thinking of balancing it out with an increase

BUT each time I see the light go out with people when I tell them the current rates I want to go out of my way to get them on my schedule especially if they are BASS students...

I have too many guitar and drum students!

LOL

go figure

so any way...

again I ask:

how much do YOU charge for private lessons?
 
#5
my first student i used to charge $5 per lesson..when i was i think 14 years old..

i charge $15, but only because of my age. nobody trusts that i have a working knowledge of music and music theory (im 17..sigh..)

but most of my bass playing friends charge 30-35. i know of one person who charges $50.
 
#6
My jazz instructor charges $25 for a half hour lesson. That was a five dollar increase over the past few years. That increased in January 2008. I have yet to get out of a lesson in under 45 minutes, and he has not asked me for any additional cash. Not sure what he charges other students, but $25 seemed fair to me.
 
#7
I don't give lessons, but I PAY about 100.00 per hour gladly for mine. A good teacher should not sell themselves short. You could always let them trade sweat to help subsidize, clean your pad, mow the lawn etc. But if you don't value your own time, no one else will.
There are lots of teachers, but it takes a lot more than skill and knowledge to be able to actually teach it.
 
#9
Supply and demand, my friend. With 55 students you can consider your service to be in demand. If someone is discouraged by the price I wouldn't worry too much. On the other hand if you feel there are special circumstances with a particular student you can always make special arrangements. I wouldn't go doing that just because one person sounds discouraged at the price. The other 55 people you teach obviously think your service is worth the money.

Music is a specialised field, too. You are there to give them a service that not many other people in the community can provide, and as a musician you spend time and effort building up to a point where you have something to teach one way or another. So whatever you are charging is worth it, in my opinion.
 
#10
my teacher charges 40 for an hour. It could be lower, and it could be higher, but i find the many years of experience as a musician he has to be worth the money.

I think ultimately you will be judged by your current students. If they feel they are getting alot out of it and they are willing to continue paying, I'd say you have a fair price.
 
#12
mutedeity said:
Supply and demand, my friend. With 55 students you can consider your service to be in demand. If someone is discouraged by the price I wouldn't worry too much. On the other hand if you feel there are special circumstances with a particular student you can always make special arrangements. I wouldn't go doing that just because one person sounds discouraged at the price. The other 55 people you teach obviously think your service is worth the money.

Music is a specialised field, too. You are there to give them a service that not many other people in the community can provide, and as a musician you spend time and effort building up to a point where you have something to teach one way or another. So whatever you are charging is worth it, in my opinion.
Click to expand...

I agree with this.
 
#13
mutedeity said:
Supply and demand, my friend. With 55 students you can consider your service to be in demand. If someone is discouraged by the price I wouldn't worry too much. On the other hand if you feel there are special circumstances with a particular student you can always make special arrangements. I wouldn't go doing that just because one person sounds discouraged at the price. The other 55 people you teach obviously think your service is worth the money.

Music is a specialised field, too. You are there to give them a service that not many other people in the community can provide, and as a musician you spend time and effort building up to a point where you have something to teach one way or another. So whatever you are charging is worth it, in my opinion.
Click to expand...

+1 from me as well.

You (OP) seem to live in a place where bass teachers are few and far between. To me it would suck to pay more than 25€ for a lesson (min 45 minutes, shorter lessons are IMO worthless), but if the market demands a higher price I guess I'd have to suck it up and pay or then don't take lessons from that person.

If you raise your rate, you will likely give away some students to other teachers charging less. There's nothing bad with that - you get more money for less work and other teachers get more students as well.

Btw, I can't imagine how you can fit in 50+ students in your calendar... :eek:
 
#18
I pay $20/half hour.

I wish it could go longer but my bass teacher is one of the best bass players in the city and he has a ton of other lessons. Hopefully he'll go with the idea of lessons outside the store (gas is $4 a gallon and its 15 miles away) or I'm going to have to find a new teacher.
 
#19
I stopped teaching just about a year ago. My schedule was completely jammed up between my day job and gigs, something had to go and teaching was it.

At the time I stopped (June '07) I was charging $45 an hour for students at their homes within a 20 mile radius, beyond the 20 miles there was a travel reimbursement. I would only teach players that could read and had some theory training, no beginners - no exceptions.

No one was concerned about the cost, but this is the greater NYC/Philly corridor ... ;)
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back