Piano lessons are crazily expensive!
I am talking in particular about private lessons, the thing that almost everybody on the internet will urge you to take when you ask about learning the piano.
Go to Reddit or the Pianoworld forum for example.
They are both great places to learn and exchange, but there is a good chance that you will get a “get a teacher” as an automated response to any question like “I want to learn the piano” or “I have been trying to learn for xxx months and I struggle…”.
Try it.
It is almost like a game you will win each time.
But it is really the only way to learn?
Is it the one for you?
If you are reading this, I guess that you are at least considering an alternative.
And your wallet will thank you.
Yes, usually people don’t talk about that, but I want to talk about money now.
As I said at the beginning of this page, piano lessons are very expensive.
It depends on many factors and where you live, but I’ll take the average cost in the USA.
Not the most expensive by the way. In the UK where I am, it is even worse.
So a piano lesson with a private teacher will be around $50 for 30 minutes.
Not too bad to get personal guidance from an expert. And I won’t deny that it can be very valuable (there are good teachers out there, among the frustrated pianists who couldn’t live from their music)
BUT.
There are a few things to consider here.
First, the “expert” may not be so good.
Or maybe a good pianist but not a good teacher at all.
The kind of teacher that gives you a stomach ache before a lesson.
Second, you can’t replay the lesson. If you need a bit more time to learn, if you have difficulties (including physical ones), you will have to pay for a new lesson, for the exact same thing.
Third, if you haven’t practiced, you pay someone to watch you practice.
I know I’ve done it more than once. Not pleasant for you because you feel a bit guilty not having done your homework and clearly annoying for the teacher who wastes his/her time. I am also a teacher so I can understand both sides.
And now comes the hard hidden truth, the crazy cost of piano lessons.
Let’s do the maths.
On average, you will get 1 lesson each week, 40 weeks a year.
To be able to play 2-3 good songs decently, it can take a good 3 years.
Thus, we have: 3 years x 40 weeks x $50 = $6000!
About $2000 per song.
Yes, this is a business for sure!
But it has to be worth it.
Or at least, you have to know what investment you will need.
But you can (and that’s what you are doing now) find a better way.
Faster and much much cheaper to achieve your goal.
With more fun!
That’s what I chose to do and I am glad I did it.
Do you want to know how?
