The Struggle to Find (and Pay) a Good Piano Teacher

When someone has made the decision that they want their children to learn how to play piano, there is no substitute for personal contact with a gifted piano teacher who patiently guides her students along the blissful musical journey, whether traditional or non-traditional. Ideally, she teaches, your children learn to play beautifully, falling in love with piano, and go on to lead a life full of musical joy.

(We will use 'she" because the majority of piano teachers are women, but men of course can and do teach.)

She loves music, gently moves them to try, rewards their every success, and makes them feel safe. She nurtures in your children a love of learning, gives them a gentle path to success, and most importantly, teaches them to enjoy the process and the practice.

She is there, and can show them hand position, how the piece should be played (modeling is one of the primary ways we learn), and can help bridge the gap between notation and music. She encourages your children, gives them context, history, and different ways of looking at music, and if she is truly unique, she actually shows them ways to improvise and create their own music.

There are those lucky ones who are able to find an excellent teacher who loves piano, loves to teach children, and is great at what she does, awakening a hidden talent within the kids she comes in contact with. Reality, unfortunately, is not always so lovely.

While it is definitely possible, is it still improbable to find "the perfect teacher." And, if she is that good, perhaps her time slots are full or she charges three times what the others do, per child.

But as wonderful as this ideal teacher may be, even if you can find her and afford her, all her work is for naught if your children do not practice, and practice properly. She cannot be there when they practice, so they will inevitably forget or improperly learn habits that have to be undone.

Another limiting factor, of course, is cost. If you do happen to come across the perfect piano instructor, and she actually has room in her schedule (if the whole world hasn't discovered her just yet), it is not likely going to be inexpensive. The price will vary from teacher to teacher, and from area to area, but one can expect to pay anywhere from $40-$80 an hour for lessons, especially in an urban environment where there is more competition. If you have at least one lesson a week, this can very quickly become significant.

And finally, this is only for just one child. If you're like most families, you want to give this opportunity to all your children.

Additionally, these type of piano lessons involve a great deal of planning... driving to your child or children's lessons, waiting for them to finish, then driving back to pick them up, week in and week out. Coordinating an already busy schedule may not sound very appealing, but it's the price that many are willing to pay, and one may question, "Is it really worth it"?

Ultimately, there are many pros and cons to working with a piano teacher - this path has worked for some, but definitely not most aspiring students, judging from their high dropout rates. Stepping away from the practical challenges, another issue that arises with any type of in-person lessons, whether traditional or non-traditional, or whether group or private lessons, is parental involvement.

Because of the nature of piano lessons, most teachers will not allow parents to sit in on lessons. This is not necessarily because they have something to hide, but it is simply not how they are used to working. In such a situation, how can we as parents get and stay involved in our children's musical journey?

Is it possible for us to learn in the process of teaching our children like we do while reading literature together, for example? Yes, we may get "involved" by reminding them to practice at home, but often, our own limited knowledge of music would prevent us from getting engaged into the actual instruction as much as we'd like.

This article is not meant to be a knock on the piano teacher. Their contributions to increasing music literacy around the world cannot be overlooked. And if someone chooses a different route to beginner's piano, at some point in the learning process, the teacher will be a valuable addition.

Simply put, with music lessons, we as parents cannot learn along with our children in the same way we do with their other homework. So are parents, we need to do our "own" homework and ultimately decide what will be the best piano learning method for our own children.

Vincent J. Miele is an accomplished musician, writer, and and consultant for Music Brain Training Co., a leading piano learning software provider.

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