It seems you can learn anything online these days, and playing the piano is no exception. Whether you have a busy schedule, have limited transport options, or, as we’ve seen with the COVID19 situation limited in our movements and connections, finding a teacher online could provide the answer to help you reach your goals. Whether you call them remote, virtual, or online lessons, they follow the same concept as in-person lessons, except the teacher, is on the other end of a video chat app! But the questions remain, how much do they generally cost, and are they any good?
Here’s how much you can expect to pay for remote, online piano lessons
Live virtual piano lessons can cost anywhere from $12 to $180 per hour, depending on your teacher’s experience, reputation, and residing country. However, you can get good quality instruction from reputable sources specializing in children and/or recognized music exams from $20-$30/lesson.
I’ve covered ‘Remote Piano Lessons & Video Chat Apps’ like SKYPE and Zoom here and also looked at lesson length and expected practice times depending on your experience level here. This article will look at websites that provide teachers and give a quick overview of what they offer. Of course, there are plenty of others out there, but hopefully, this will provide you with a start and show you the opportunities available.
TakeLessons
TakeLessons is a site that provides private lessons for a variety of instruments and subjects, including the piano. You can choose to take lessons online, in-person, or at a teacher’s studio. If you ever decide to switch from online lessons to in-person classes, you’re not guaranteed to find a teacher, even if you live in European countries like France.
Private Lessons
Before finding your ideal piano teacher, you have to answer a mini-quiz with just three questions:
- Learning Medium: Do you want to take online classes, lessons at your house, or go to your tutor’s studio?
- Style: Is there a particular style of music that you want to learn – jazz, blues, pop, classical?
- Pieces: Are there any specific pieces that you want to learn to play?
Once you have answered all of these questions, you can also customize your search by narrowing it down according to these attributes:
- Student Age: This category is divided into children, teenagers from ages 13-17, adults from 18 – 65, and seniors. Selecting the proper checkbox will match you with a teacher who’s comfortable with or has experience teaching someone of your age group.
- Gender: Concerned parents might feel better pairing their children with same-sex teachers.
- Availability: You can pick the days of the week when you’re free to take your lessons, and it will automatically pair you with teachers who have open slots on these days.
- Price: Feel free to adjust your price range as you want, though you won’t be able to find a teacher who charges less than $25 for thirty minutes.
- Background Check: This option lets you pick teachers who have passed the background check from Sterling, an identity verification site proving that they are who they say they are and don’t have a criminal record.
- Student Favorite: Teachers rated as student favorites are in the top 15% of teachers for that subject. These individuals are thoroughly well-versed in their subject, though they are also more likely to charge higher fees because of their experience.
- Teachers on Sale: This tag shows teachers offering a sale for specific age demographics for a particular period. You can see the deal when you sign up for the teacher’s lesson package. For example, a teacher might be offering $30 off if you take ten 45-minute lessons with them.
Teacher’s Profile
The site will automatically filter ideal matches for you based on these choices. When you pick a teacher, you will be able to learn more about them through their profile. You can also read reviews left for them by other students, along with finding out how highly their students rank them based on a five-star rating system.
Going on a teacher’s page will also let you see what timings they’re free on each day, along with their pricing for various time slots. Because booking a proper time slot can be confusing when you live in a different country, the site helpfully includes a dropdown timezone checklist that you can change to fit your country’s time zone.
Unfortunately, there isn’t a language checklist, so if you don’t speak English proficiently, you will have to search for a teacher who speaks your mother tongue the hard way. You can try calling a student counselor at 877-310-1872 to find a teacher for you, but that will involve spending your own money to make a potentially expensive call if you don’t reside in the USA.
Payment and Refund
When you’re making a purchase, you have the following payment options:
- Visa
- Mastercard
- Paypal
- American Express
- Discover
If you’re not happy with your teacher, you can get a refund for any future lessons within 90 days of the date of purchase of your package. However, you need to contact TakeLessons at least 24 hours before your next class, or you will not receive a refund for that lesson.
TakeLessons does not offer a free trial first lesson.
Group Lessons
You can opt for a course that offers live group lessons. You can get a 14-day free trial followed by classes for $19.95/month. They also provide on-demand videos on various concepts that you can watch anytime if you can’t remember what your teacher said the last time you saw them.
You can visit TakeLessons by clicking here and have a look around their site
Music Lessons Anywhere
Music Lessons Anywhere has a professional, educational environment. They teach music lessons online using Skype for various instruments, not just the piano. This school has several teachers, any one of which will be assigned to you for your lessons.
Before you begin your lessons, you are eligible to receive a free trial lesson so you can find out whether the teachers are a good fit for you or not. Once this is done, you can choose to take private lessons or group lessons.
If you’re a beginner, group lessons are a better option for you because they will be cheaper, and you will be able to interact with other newbies on the same level as you and make friends.
No matter the format you choose to take, your teacher will email notes and exercises to you for revision purposes at the end of each lesson.
You can also augment your learning by attending the free weekly workshops that this school organizes:
- Theory Club Workshops: Available for adult intermediates, adult beginners, and kids, these theory workshops are held weekly on different days at specific times. They go through the basics of theory using old ABRSM and Trinity worksheets and incorporate games at times to augment your comprehension of theory.
- Aural Workshops: Hosted every Saturday at 1 pm GST, these aural workshops are for beginners and intermediate students alike. They are meant to train your listening ear so that you can identify various cadences or keys by ear alone.
- Kids Composing Club: This club will teach your children the basics of composition to start writing basic songs for their respective instruments.
- Form & Analysis Workshop: This workshop breaks down various musical forms from different periods and details how they should be played. Learn more about the basic ABA form for a sonata or the origins of the tone poem.
- Performance Workshops: The Ensemble Club and Performance Club will let you link up with fellow music lovers from around the world and play in front of or with them.
Besides workshops, the school also hosts yearly online concerts in live streams that invite students to show off their skills. These are uploaded in the form of videos on YouTube.
Price
This music school is based in the UK and priced in GBP. Advanced lessons are a bit more expensive and there are discounts available for buying monthly (blocks of 4):
| 30 mins | 45 mins | 1 hr | |
| All lessons (Block of 4) | £66 (£16.50 each) | £96 (£24 each) | £120 (£30 each) |
| Grade 8/Diploma/Sibelius/Cubase (Block of 4) | £88 (£22 each) | £132 (£33 each) | £160 (£40 each) |
| All lessons (Single) | £22 | £33 | £40 |
| Grade 8/Diploma/Sibelius/Cubase (Single) | £27.50 | £40 | £50 |
Correspondence Lessons
If you find yourself too busy to go for weekly lessons, the school offers specialized classes called correspondence lessons. These lessons consist of the same time blocks – four lessons of whichever duration you choose, whenever you choose. However, you will only have one or two live classes, with the remaining amount of time dedicated to tuition-by-email.
Essentially, you will be emailing your teacher any questions and assessment papers that you have. Your teacher will then do the research necessary, subtract the time taken to do this research, and send the message to you from your remaining time block. They will then send you answers in video or audio format, along with the amount of time that you have left in your time block.
You should receive answers to your questions within three days of the email that you sent. Regarding flexibility of lessons – once you book them, the date and time are set. If your teacher is nice, they might shift the dates if you need to change them, but they are under no obligation to do so.
Prices for these lessons are the same as for regular classes.
You can visit Music Lessons Anywhere to see if they are a good fit for you.
Preply
Preply is an online hub that connects students with teachers in a variety of subjects.shows you the number of tutors available for the subject that you select. Currently, they offer 79 tutors that teach piano—general prices for this site range from $15 to $40 per hour.
You can customize your search with these options:
- Price per hour: Price does not necessarily guarantee experience, though it is a good indicator.
- Country: This option lets you pick the country where your teacher lives. Selecting a tutor from the same or nearby countries allows students to feel more comfortable with them because they are likely to share similar cultural values and ideas.
- Availability: This customized option lets you pick your ideal days and times to find a piano tutor who fits your schedule.
- Also speaks: If you’re not a fluent English speaker, you can pick the language that you want your teacher to speak so that you’re more comfortable while learning.
Preply conveniently adjusts your tutor’s schedules according to your time zone so that you don’t have to worry about accidentally booking an incorrect timing. They also offer a free trial lesson so that you can decide if you’re comfortable proceeding.
Like most sites, you can read the teacher’s profile and reviews to see if they’re a good fit for you. You can also look at their education and work experience to see if they specialize in the fields you want to learn more about.
If you’re discontent with your tutor, you can always request a refund. However, you need to fulfill the following conditions:
- No unconfirmed lessons with a tutor
- Payment made less than 90 days ago
You will also have to provide the tutor’s name and the reason you are requesting a refund to the support team when you do so.
You can visit Preply here to find out more of what they have to offer
Lesson Face
Lesson Face features a much larger variety of multilingual teachers than your average website. With a special language filter, you’ll be able to find teachers from all around the globe who speak a multitude of languages like Arabic or Hindi.
All teachers are screened and vetted and their reviews and popularity tags are easy to see. Besides this, it offers other tags to choose the day you’re available and a price point that suits you.
It’s also specially catered towards children, with a unique kid-friendly tag that you can select to find teachers who specialize in teaching kids.
In terms of cost, you’ll find the cheapest class is currently available at $15 for thirty minutes, with most teachers charging $30 and upwards for a thirty-minute class. If you want to ensure that your money is well-spent, you can tick the free trial tag to go for a free class and confirm that you wish to continue pursuing lessons with that teacher.
Piano Pass
For interactive live group classes, you can also get a piano pass. This lets you interact with other students while learning sheet music and new concepts that you might not have been exposed to before. These live classes are different from private classes because they go through varying levels of difficulty, and they do not go through concepts in chronological order.
Hence, you will still need private lessons. However, if you want to progress faster, meet new friends, and learn wildly different concepts that you won’t be learning in your private classes, you should get a piano pass.
It’s only $10 for the first trial month, after which it increases to $29/month. However, you can also get the annual pass for $199 or the kids’ annual pass for $149.
You can find out more about Lesson Face here
Music & Arts
A US-based music school, you’ve likely seen one of these stores in your state if you live in America. This store has in-person music lessons for many instruments, not just the piano. However, they have recently come up with online classes that you can apply for as well.
These are live, interactive weekly lessons that you can access with a secure video link that will be recorded for safety purposes. Music & Arts offers a personalized curriculum that is suitable for all ages and skill levels.
All you have to do to register is enter your ZIP code so that you can find lessons with an instructor near your location if you ever decide to switch to in-person classes. Here’s the pricing based on the duration of your lesson, your skill level and a standard ZIP code setting (prices do fluctuate depending on your location):
| Lesson Length | Beginner | Intermediate | Advanced |
| Four x 30 mins | $119.96 | $123.96 | $131.96 |
| Four x 60 mins | $239.92 | $247.92 | $263.92 |
Keep in mind that if you are not a registered member, you will be required to pay a one-time $30 registration fee.
It’s worth noting that Music & Arts is also a retail store where you can buy and even rent your pianos! You can find out more by visiting them here
Piano Teachers Connect
Piano Teachers Connect offers both in-person and online lessons. However, you can only find in-person options if you’re living in the UK, USA, or Canada.
If you’re opting for online lessons, you should realize that the price is fixed no matter which teacher you pick. The only time it deviates is based on the length of the lesson.
| Lesson Length | 30 mins | 45 mins | 60 mins |
| Price | $20 | $25 | $30 |
This website does offer a trial lesson, but before you book this, you can take a short survey that aims to match you with an ideal piano teacher. The survey asks you basic questions such as your timezone, the style of music you want to learn, your contact information, and your experience level.
You can still search for piano teachers that you like the most and pick them, but this site has a basic layout without any filtering options, so you need to do your searches manually.
A quick glance at any teacher’s profile shows you their bio, along with an example video of an online lesson so that you can see their style of teaching.
In regards to payment, after your trial lesson, you will be required to pay for lessons in one-month blocks. If you are unhappy with your teacher, you can ask for a refund given that you are providing seven days of notice before your next lesson. It is also possible to reschedule a class provided that you give at least 24 hours’ notice.
You can find out more from Piano Teachers Connect here
Class Gap
Class Gap has a layout a lot like that of TakeLessons. Here are some of the parameters available for your search:
- Level: By choosing your degree of experience with a piano, be it beginner, intermediate, or advanced, you will be able to pick a teacher uniquely suited to teaching you.
- Availability: Instead of days, Class Gap divides availability into periods for students to pick. This can be morning, from 7 am – 2 pm, afternoon from 2 – 8 pm, or evenings after 8 pm. There’s also an option aptly titled Weekends for the busy bees.
- Teacher’s Country: You can pick a country that you’re familiar with or a tutor from the same country as you.
- Rate per hour: Class Gap has a maximum rate of $50 per hour, though you will be able to find alternatives as cheap as $15 an hour.
- Language: You can search the site to find a tutor who speaks your mother tongue. However, the site only offers tutors who speak a handful of the more popular European languages like French and Spanish. You won’t be able to find any tutors who speak Chinese or Hindi on this site.
- Keywords: If there are any aspects that you want your tutor to have, you can try searching for them by typing in relevant keywords.
The tutors on this site offer 20-minute free trial lessons so that you can get a feel for the teacher. Once on the site, you can witness a basic teacher’s profile, an introductory video, extracurricular hobbies, and interests, along with their schedule where you can book slots as desired.
Most teachers charge less per lesson if you decide to book lesson packages of 5 or 10 lessons instead of just one, so if you’re serious about your desire to learn the piano, go for those options.
Class Gap has special video conferencing software that it uses to create an educational virtual classroom environment. With this software, you can send messages to your student or open documents in various formats – be it a whiteboard or an excel spreadsheet.
You can learn more by watching this video:
Lesson Plans
If you’re unhappy with your teacher and wish to discontinue lessons, you can cancel a booking as long as it’s done 8 hours before the class starts. Each case is looked at individually, and if you have a good reason for a refund, you will get your money back.
In regards to changing a class time, you can do this at any time through a handy button titled “Change date” in your area of Scheduled lessons. Simply pick a time in the instructor’s schedule where they are free.
You can find out more about Class Gap here
Play With a Pro
Play With a Pro contains some of the best teachers that you will find online. These teachers are usually world-class pianists with years of performative experience, and as a result, their prices will not be cheap! If you are a complete beginner, I would strongly advise seeking another site with more affordable prices because the financial investment may not be worth it.
However, suppose you’re an intermediate or more advanced pianist looking for expert advice on tone, breaking down theoretical form, learning how to analyze sheet music with minimal markings to reflect period-appropriate changes. In that case, this is the site for you.
Depending on the teacher, you might be able to get a free introductory lesson, but this is not always the case. Prices can go anywhere from $23 to $90 for thirty minutes based on the teacher.
As is usual, if you book multiple lesson packages, you can get discounted prices instead of just booking one.
The layout of this website is relatively simple to use, featuring an elegant interface. It also uses the following filters to make your search for the perfect teacher easier:
- Price Range
- Language
- Experience
- Instrument
- Name
Along with piano lessons, the site also hosts Masterclass videos from some of the best in their field so that you can improve your technique. Currently, they feature two of the most prominent pianists alive:
- Andras Schiff: Renown for his study and performances of J.S. Bach and renowned Romantic composers like Schubert, there are currently two-hour-long masterclasses available for lifelong perusal at only $15.00
- Emmanuel Ax: Famous for his performance of Haydn works, let this Juilliard professor guide you through Beethoven sonatas for only $9.99
You can visit Play With A Pro here to find out more
London Piano Institute
The London Piano Institute is considered one of the best piano academies in the UK and offers adult students both local and online classes in different styles to suit their requirements. These remote piano lessons are available over either Zoom, Facetime, or Skype. You can either apply for standard one-to-one courses or group lessons.
They offer instruction in a vairety of musical styles, be it rock, pop, blues, jazz, and of course. classical., In these lessons, you’ll be learning at a level suitable for your amount of knowledge. This institute operates like a school, where you are assigned an appropriate teacher and learn under them. Before beginning, you have an option to book an introductory taster lesson!
Group lessons are suitable for beginner students, conducted in classes of three to five students. These lessons are usually available in standard thirty, forty-five, or sixty-minute lessons, although if you want longer lesson times like 90 minutes, that can be arranged as well. These lessons follow a monthly basis, so if you want to stop lessons, you need to give a month’s notice.
| 1 to 1 lessons – 4 x 30 mins | £145 |
| Group lessons – 4 x 60 mins | £125 |
Upon request, your instructors will even record the lesson for you! If you’re unable to make a class and need to cancel for any reason, make sure you give 24 hour’s notice to reschedule.
You can find out more about the London Piano Institute here
Philadelphia Piano Academy
This prestigious academy offers both in-person and online lessons with their dedicated teachers to both adults and children. You will get the best piano foundation from classical teaching but they can teach a variety of musical styles.
Prices are fixed for online classes and charged monthly (x4 weekly lessons). Here’s a price schedule for each lesson:
| Lesson length | Price/lesson | Cost/4 weeks |
| 30 mins | $37.25 | $149 |
| 45 mins | $52.25 | $209 |
| 60 mins | $69.75 | $279 |
You can find out more about the Philadelphia Piano Institutes from their website here.
Conclusion
There are many piano websites available for those seeking online live piano lessons, and these are just a few. Each of them has its strengths and weaknesses, and once you’ve established what you’re looking to achieve, they will be a great place to start. Prospective students should list other factors they are looking for, like affordability or reputability, and then find a teacher based on these additional factors.
No matter what you are learning, having a teacher that can give structure and guidance in real-time will help you achieve your goals faster. Of course, the lesson is just the start, and you will need dedication and perseverance to become a great piano player.
