OK, so this fall after going to yet another acoustic jam with only my voice (I love to sing harmony) and feeling like an idiot going “doo-dee-doo” when I didn’t know the words, I decided to take some guitar lessons so I could contribute more (and also accompany myself singing solo). Mr. S had attempted to teach me a few times, but I didn’t practice enough and could never remember the chords. I do have a music background (piano lessons and flute in junior/HS band), so I already have some theory knowledge and a good ear.
A friend of ours had mentioned that he gives lessons, so I started seeing him for an hour a week. My fourth lesson is tomorrow. We’re not using any books; he’s just teaching me chords and rhythms and we’re doing it by ear, mostly, which has been really fun because it’s just like the jamming I was trying to get better at. We may get into more theoretical stuff later, but as he said, he surmised (correctly) that I just wanted to get going playing and singing. With one or two more lessons, I’ll probably have enough to practice with for a while until I feel that I’m ready to advance.
We never talked about cost initially; he’s kind of laid back that way and prefers to barter when he can. So last week (after the third lesson), I said, “Hey, shouldn’t I be paying you something at some point here?” and he replied, “Well, what’s it worth to you?” Dang, I was hoping he’d just say, “Well, I usually charge $X for an hour lesson, so through today it’ll be $XX.” We went around a bit, but he still wouldn’t name a number.
So what should $X be? If it’s relevant, we’re pretty rural and this is not his primary gig, though he is a professional musician and also teaches yoga. Plus we’re old friends, so I don’t imagine he’s looking to gouge me.
If you’ve taken or given beginning music lessons – guitar or otherwise, I guess – what was the going rate? I did some Googling, and it seems to run $20 and up for an hour.
Thanks!
A guy I know around here does guitar lessons part time and I believe he charges $20/hour. A cursory glance through Google shows a wide smattering from $10-60 an hour. I think $10/hour would be a good rate seeing as you all are good friends - assumedly he’s having a better time jamming with you than he would with a random client. Maybe $15 an hour if you all are both fairly well off.
You did mention that he likes to barter though. I don’t know if he’s a drinker, but I am and I’ve never turned down a 12 pack for an hour’s worth of my time, regardless of task.
My guitar teacher charges $50 an hour.
He’s a great player. He can play any blues/rock/pop song. He can figure out songs by ear. He is EXCELLENT at evaluating my technique and figuring out what I’m doing wrong. He’s patient beyond any reasonable expectation when I fuck up the same four notes for an hour.
I teach rhythm guitar to kids in the summer…I charge $40 an hour.
Hell, I’ve married people for a bottle of wine.
What?
Oh, to each other.
Well, after this morning’s lesson I took out my checkbook and said I was going to be writing him a check today, and how much should I make it out for? (I also owed him for the yoga class we’re about to finish, so there was that to add in too.)
He finally said $10/hour, remarking that I’d helped him with computer stuff in the past (true, but most of that was several years ago) and that yes, he didn’t want to “stick” me. I had also given him a copy of a songbook (Rise Up Singing) after he’d asked if he could borrow mine, and once in a while he comes over to use my color copier or scanner, and I never charge him for that. He does seem to be enjoying the lessons, and pleasantly surprised at my progress, I guess compared to some other students he’s had. (On the few occasions when I’ve taught people things, it WAS much nicer when they twigged to stuff quickly instead of me having to explain obvious things over and over 12 different ways.)
So we decided one more lesson, and then I’ll practice over the holidays and probably a bit beyond until I’m sharp on what I’ve learned so far.
I’d have paid $20/hour, seeing that that seems to be a going rate, if on the low side, but cash is tight these days so I’m glad he gave me a deal. (He mentioned that he used to charge $15 for a half-hour, but that felt expensive to him.)
So that’s that. Thanks for the advice (as well as the smartass remarks :p)!
If he’s a bachelor dude, and likes to barter, why not invite him over to “sing for his supper”–by sing I mean teach you guitar. Hubby can grill steaks while you jam.
Depends on the teacher, really. A terrible teacher is worth nothing, the best of them really are worth the fifty or sixty dollars they charge, reasons outlined well enough in Runs With Scissors’s post. The trouble is knowing which is which.
If he can read music and pick up a song hearing it once, then he’s probably pretty much mastered the instrument, but that doesn’t necessarily make him a great teacher.
My advice would be find one that charges the most you are willing to pay for per hour and ask him if he’ll contract for just a few sessions. After that, you should be able to determine if the guy/girl is a good fit for you.
Traditional guitar lessons can be boring and test the limitations of your dedication to the instrument. If you have a tendency to abandon things without seeing them through then don’t take guitar lessons. Find a friend who’s good who will hang out and drink your beer and show you things. Later, when you start to pick up some skill and are more dedicated to the instrument, then you can seek out a teacher. Just don’t wait too long, the longer you wait, the harder it is to unlearn bad habits, but for me, and people like me, doing it that way was probably the only way I would have stuck with it.