Do You teach steel lessons? How much do you charge?

Dom Franco · Post by **Dom Franco** » 9 Oct 2007 4:47 am

I have a local music store that sends students my way, when they sell a Dobro or Steel Guitar.

I have had many students over the years, but never enough to make a living, just spending cash.

How much do you charge?

Thanks
Dom

George Keoki Lake · Post by **George Keoki Lake** » 14 Oct 2007 7:53 am

Any "private" instruction here at home, I charge $40.00 for a one hour session. I also teach classes at a senior centre (ages 55 and over). They pay a very small fraction of that amount. Presently 32 students per week. Fun group.

http://www3.telus.net/public/lake_r/

Ray Montee · Post by **Ray Montee** » 16 Oct 2007 8:53 am

I was charging $25.00 per hour and the hour frequently ran over into an additional 15-20 minutes without any penalty. Students paid it without any conflicts........

HOWEVER one local musician announced here, that HE provided lessons for "FREE" which caused me to feel like a thief so I quit entirely. Too much hassel...

Ran into the same thing in flight instruction.....

Scott Thomas · Post by **Scott Thomas** » 16 Oct 2007 10:19 am

Ray, anyone who has spent any time here on the forum and knows what you would have to offer as a teacher, would find that $25 a real bargain and a small price to pay for passing on a little of what has taken you a lifetime to learn.

Harrison Withers · Post by **Harrison Withers** » 16 Oct 2007 10:22 am

move to western michigan, I'll give you $25 an hour every other week. Once a week is to often for me ....

Harrison

Bill Creller · Post by **Bill Creller** » 16 Oct 2007 1:01 pm

If it's worth anything at all, it's worth 40 bucks anytime.
People are likely getting what they are paying for if it's cheap.

Don Sulesky · Post by **Don Sulesky** » 16 Oct 2007 1:25 pm

I think it depends on the part of the country and area you live in.
I live in a retired area of Florida so even though I'd like to charge $40 for an hour which usually runs about 10-15 minutes over I have to charge what they can afford which is a little less.
Don

Denny Turner · Post by **Denny Turner** » 16 Oct 2007 11:45 pm

The most famous Steel Guitarist on the planet charged his local students $20 an hour 15 years ago (and I understand that was his price when he had to quit about 5 years ago). I don't think he needed the money but he was a stickler for Musicians getting paid their fair due. Inflation adjusted for average wages over the last 15 years has been about 30%.

I think pricing of "anything" is a matter of heart, needs and sense of fairness; Notwithstanding that a number of folks think that what the market will bear fits into that scheme as well.

Bob Stone · Post by **Bob Stone** » 17 Oct 2007 4:58 am

Don't most music teachers charge about $30 or more for half hour lesson? Why should steel lessons be any cheaper?

Gerald Ross · Post by **Gerald Ross** » 17 Oct 2007 4:59 am

A private golf or tennis lesson with a "club pro" is about $50-$60 an hour here in Ann Arbor.

Why should music lessons be different?

Gerald Ross · Post by **Gerald Ross** » 17 Oct 2007 5:00 am

A private golf or tennis lesson with a "club pro" is about $50-$60 an hour here in Ann Arbor.

Why should music lessons be different?

seldomfed · Post by **seldomfed** » 17 Oct 2007 8:53 am

In our town, $20 a half hour is average for most lessons. Some of the more 'famous' local players can charge more.

I do $30 an hour. The pedal students take a few min to set up and pack out, so an hour is about right. The lap students also take a little time to get settled. The hour goes fast. I think /1/2 hour for steel is too short.

Giving lessons for free hurts the market for those that try and make a living. If you value your time and skills, you should charge a far price.

Stu Schulman · Post by **Stu Schulman** » 17 Oct 2007 10:02 am

I can't remember ever charging for lessons...I don't think that I'm a great teacher either,I've had some really great teachers who never charged me...so I pass it on.There are real full time teachers out there who have better methods than me and should be paid accordingly.

Denny Turner · Post by **Denny Turner** » 17 Oct 2007 12:42 pm

DUH-ble post; Sorry. $:\$

Denny Turner · Post by **Denny Turner** » 17 Oct 2007 12:43 pm

I should have added that I think pricing should be (imho) a quite personal thang (unless a Teacher belongs and is loyal to a Union, Association, etc), ...and that what seems right for some folks might not seem or be right for others; And what One might rationalize as Right, is not neccessarily right for Others. I have some trouble understanding propositions overly-based upon what the market will bear or other rationale for setting monetary standards for "All". For example, over-pricing can cause a Teacher to have fewer students, while well-thought-out pricing can bring greater returns (not neccessarily monetary) in the number of students being taught; And the chances are good that a student won't last / stay with a Teacher that is over-pricing his/her abilities.

The abstract of teaching is just too vast between teaching on a more-casual level and teaching on a professionally devoted level. I have listed some resources towards the end of this posting should anyone desire a starting point to delve into the abstract of teaching.

-------

Much to my disappointment I had to quit teaching on a schedule basis a couple years ago, ...after promising my now-deceased Mentor I would carry on his work the best I could (and I hope to resume as soon as I can). When I was teaching I charged the $20 an hour he did, ...because I couldn't do it for any less and felt awkward charging any more than he did. So without having to wade through the many things I considered in charging more, I valued his genius & experience he exhibited in most things; And I found peace in complying with his example he figured out far deeper and better than I could have. BUT that doesn't apply to anyone else unless they just happen to have or find similar opinion.

But, if someone visited the shop / house and had a question, we might sit down for an undetermined amount of time to teach casually at no charge. I also taught some welfare kids (and a couple of adults) at no charge ...in exchange for odd-jobs around the yard so they didn't get the wrong idea about welfare. On the other hand I've had people come for an entire day of dedicated teaching in a casual "hillbilly luau" setting, ...some from the mainland, ...a few for 2 or three days; And the price was set at whatever they thought was fair, which was always quite rewarding in many ways.

Now, with all that mushy stuff said, I also think that if a Teacher depends upon teaching for professional income, then what the market will bear is certainly a consideration along with the other considerations I said in a previous posting above, as well as every other suggestion folks make in this discussion chain.

I also failed to mention that another chief consideration a Teacher might (should?) have in pricing is the ability of the Teacher thus value of the teaching; Not difficult to make a self-analysis and apply percentage to "Common Practice" / "Industry Standard" / etc. Besides the level of knowledge of music theory applications to an instrument, and the level of practical experiences in doing so: Methods of Instruction is also important, ...and there are any number of good MOI books in just about any academic discipline; And I would suppose that a high school or college band / music Teacher would be a good source to begin searching for current and/or good MOI books. I'll bet some Fo'Bros here would know of some good music MOI books. I have a couple but they're packed away and Jesus might come back before I could find them. Anyone interested in teaching materials might also search here, here, here and here.

George Keoki Lake · Post by **George Keoki Lake** » 17 Oct 2007 1:55 pm

Just something to think about...Try getting a PLUMBER to come over for an hour ! I'll bet it would cost a MINIMUM of $80.00

Rick Aiello · Post by **Rick Aiello** » 17 Oct 2007 2:04 pm

I tutor chemistry ... on a "sliding" scale.

$30 an hour for High School Chem (any level - regular, honors and AP)

$50 an hour for College Inorganic Chemistry (Freshman level).

$75 an hour for College Organic Chemistry (Sophomore level).

$100 an hour for Quantitative Analysis and Biochemistry (Junior Level).

$125 an hour for Physical Chemistry and Quantum Mechanics (Senior Level).

Hey ... it's diaper money

Denny Turner · Post by **Denny Turner** » 18 Oct 2007 1:41 pm

Well, we've pretty well covered the spectrum of what different folks consider and/or rationalize for a fair Music Teacher's wages. If I didn't know better, I might be led to think the Master was a "dummy" for charging $20 an hour (about $26 in today's money) ....or that I could go back to teaching music at the 9-fold rate I was earning at my job while his student (which would be cool if it was reality and fair).

Rick's mentioning tutoring brings up an interesting question: I wonder if there's such thing as Music Tutors, and if so how much Tutors for top-shelf symphonies get paid? (not counting kings' courts and the oil rich centers of the Arabian Penninsula!). Might give us an idea of where to set the Music Teachers vaulting bar and it's increments (unless the Music Stardom industry has done that already). Is there such thing as Music / Instrument Tutors? If so, what's that scene? It never ever occured to me before (but then again, I was only recently turned on to long-division math $:\$ ).

How about locale? Maybe moving somewhere like Palm Beach might be a consideration for a career-minded Music Teacher. Or are such centers already tied up with Stars and Teachers with Music pedigrees? Hmmmm ...maybe choosing the Steel Guitar to teach in the right location ain't a bad idea! Anybody wanna buy a beachfront home on the Northshore Oahu?

Drew Howard · Post by **Drew Howard** » 18 Oct 2007 6:12 pm

I taught at stores for decades. In the 80's I was making $20/hr. Good money then, not so now. Stores don't raise rates. I've taught on my own now for 6 years. $50/hr.

Denny Turner · Post by **Denny Turner** » 19 Oct 2007 2:37 am

Drew brings up a good unmentioned point in teaching in stores: Commissions on sales to augment wages for teaching. Like many other professions that afford good opportunity by building up clientel; So can a motivated Music Teacher in a store, making sales to students' needs (or beyond what they need for some teachers

); Which is what many stores hire a teacher for in the first place. Doing a good job for the store also puts a teacher in a position to get / negotiate discounts on his/her own purchases which can in turn be sold or bartered ...best to do at a distance to preclude misunderstandings with the store about "competition". Working in a good music store is also a good place to make oneself and his/her talents well known in music circles. But I might add that I've known and known-of many Musicians that tried working in music stores and didn't like it; Really wanting to work in a music store seems to make the difference allot of the times in who likes it and succeeds and who doesn't.

Maybe Drew and/or Others who have taught or worked in music stores can add some more pros and cons to consider. Although, ......a decent slate of $50/hr students in private practice is pretty respectable! And I'll bet commanding that price has allot to do with the quality of teaching gained from much experience doing it!

Drew Howard · Post by **Drew Howard** » 19 Oct 2007 4:40 am

I teach 1-4 ADULT students a week on a variety of stringed instruments. I'm not burned out from teaching 40 beginners per week, which is what a store is all about.

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Do You teach steel lessons? How much do you charge?

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