Interested in learning to play piano, but worried about the financial commitment involved? Don’t let the cost of piano lessons deter you! Here are some tips for balancing the costs from Brooklyn, NY teacher Liz T…
Some people may shy away from learning to play piano, thinking the equipment, sheet music, and private lessons are too expensive — but there are many ways you can actually save money and benefit from music lessons at the same time!
Here are some cost-effective ways to learn music and help you balance your budget:
1. Buy a used piano or small keyboard.
Learning to play piano on a grand piano may be nice, but if you do not have the $10,000 or the room in your house for one, don’t worry! I suggest buying a used upright piano — newspapers, Craigslist, schools, churches, and antique shops often sell upright pianos in good condition for reasonable prices. Also, if you are not sure if piano is the right instrument for you or how much you are willing to invest in music lessons, you can buy a small keyboard from Best Buy or Guitar Center anywhere from $100-$200. Here are some great options.
2. Take lessons online.
Many teachers offer affordable, and even lower rates, for taking lessons over Skype. Many teachers have package deals, and offer shorter lessons, such as 30-minute or 15-minute lessons. Learning to play piano online also saves you money, because you won’t have to pay for gas driving to lessons. Additionally, many private schools hold recitals and require yearly fees, whereas you won’t need to worry about that if you’re taking lessons online.
3. Buy and print sheet music online.
There are many affordable online sheet music stores that allow you to print or download certain songs or books by artists/composers for a low price. I suggest Musicnotes or 8notes. Another way to save some money is to put those ear training skills to use! Practice transcribing your favorite song on the radio just by listening and figuring out the chords and melody yourself. You can also save money by making your own staff paper, which can be expensive.
4. Watch videos on YouTube.
Although I would not recommend watching YouTube videos in place of regular lessons, watching piano tutorials is a cost-free activity you should definitely take advantage of to enhance your musical training! There are many videos on YouTube that teachers post, giving master classes, demonstrating new playing and performance techniques, choosing between different brands, and so on, which will all help you become an even better musician!
Please don’t think that taking piano lessons is a large expense. These simple tips will help you balance your budget and learn music at the same time! And don’t worry — the money and time that you do invest working with a great teacher will definitely pay off in the long-run!
Liz T. teaches singing, acting, and music lessons in Brooklyn, NY, as well as online. She is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music with a B.M in Vocal performance and currently performs/teaches all styles of music including Musical Theater, Classical, Jazz, Rock, Pop, R&B, and Country. Learn more about Liz here!
Photo by krunkwerke
Suzy S.