The music magazine for musicians and bands. Daily news from the world of music.
  • Menu
    • Categories
      • Concert reviews
      • Features
      • Music production
      • Books & Movies
      • Interviews
      • Rezensionen
      • Mia's Top 10 (KI)
      • Marketing
      • Music business
      • Music instruments
      • Songwriting
      • News & more
      • Coaching
    • Deep Dives
      • Everything New
      • Column
    • Podcast
    • FAQ
    • Musician search
  • Current
  • Topics
  • Popular
  • Team
  • musician search
  • English
    • Deutsch
  • Kostenlos registrieren und neue
    Musiker*innen finden
  • Kategorien
    • Zurück
    • Books & Movies
    • Interviews
    • Mia's Top 10 (KI)
    • Rezensionen
    • News & more
    • Music business
    • Concert reviews
    • Music production
    • Marketing
    • Music instruments
    • Play piano
    • Play guitar
    • Songwriting
    • Features
    • Coaching
  • Deep dives
    • Zurück
    • Everything New
    • Column
  • Podcast
  • FAQ
  • Sprache wählen
          • English
          • Deutsch
musician search
Here you will find exciting, up-to-date and interesting articles about the world of music.

News & more8 Min. Reading time

Music school or private lessons? Here's what you should know!

Written by Philipp Steigner

Musikschule oder privater Musikunterricht? Musiklehrer erklärt Circle of Fifths in moderner Umgebung
Foto von Mikhail Nilov von Pexels

After many years of the coronavirus pandemic and other social problems, musical education is increasingly becoming a source of relaxation in our hectic everyday lives. Therefore, it is all the more important to offer children and young people the opportunity to develop musically and to learn how to play a new instrument from the  beginning. Often the question arises as to which format is best suited for learning. Both music schools and private lessons are often considered, and should be carefully examined. But what are the respective advantages and disadvantages?

This is how learning instruments at a music school works

At ordinary music schools, the focus is on learning an instrument. As a rule, it is primarily children and young people who attend music schools, but the facilities are generally open to adults as well. Nevertheless, in most cases the music schools are very closely oriented to the school requirements of the children and to other special features of everyday life. For example, music schools are usually closed during holidays, which is of course consistent with a traditional school.

mukken banner

Because demand far exceeds the available space in many music schools, the demands on the students are often high. Thus, children are directly divided into several groups based on their abilities, and the chances of securing a spot at a music school depend on demand. Wait lists are not uncommon.

Especially for popular instruments like the piano or the guitar, spots are limited. Should you still find a place for you or your children, take a closer look at the music tuition costs of the schools. There’s a noticeable price difference when compared to lessons with a private teacher, who charges significantly more per hour.

Communication, team skills, and recurring routines

With larger groups, lessons in music schools do not offer as much personalized instruction as with the classic individual lesson. As a result, aspects such as communication and teamwork also play an important role in benefiting from consistent routines. Thus, although music schools are much more relaxed than normal lessons, social behavior plays a major role. This is the only way to make music together with others.

Because of this structure, playing in the music school becomes a good introduction to the world of instruments for many children and young people. Of course, it is clear that the motivation to play can only be maintained if the lessons at the music school also make a good impression right from the start. If you don't enjoy music, you won't like music schools either.

Young musician learning piano in music school - music teacher explains notes privately
Photo by Yan Krukov from Pexels

These procedures can be expected when learning in private lessons.

In many respects, therefore, music lessons with private teachers turn out differently. Thus, both children and teenagers, as well as adults, have the opportunity to take advantage of help and learn to make music over time. Private lessons are often paid for hourly or upfront in bundles of 5 or 10. The rate for private lessons will vary depending on individual agreements. Another advantage is that in many cases private lessons take place at the student's home, which further increases flexibility.

In addition to individual, tailored lessons, it is also much easier in terms of timing. It does not always have to be a fixed day of the week, which means that the music-learning can be adapted even better to private planning. It also becomes possible to learn in private music lessons during holidays and avoid the break that would occur with a music school.

For private music lessons to be successful, there must also be a certain sympathy between teacher and student. Unlike in music schools, the lessons do not have to be so distant, but can instead be conducted on a friendly and personal level. This also makes the atmosphere during lessons much more relaxed and quickly contributes to the fact that the students can bring more motivation to the private lessons.

Individuality, self-determination, and seeing progress

Thus, it is above all the individual design of the lessons and the associated freedom that makes private music lessons so exciting. Even if the costs are at first glance somewhat higher than at a music school, the focus of private music lessons is much more on practical music making. At the same time, students always have the option of being included in the planning of further lessons themselves and, for example, requesting their own pieces.

mukken banner

Since private lessons are not prepared for a large group of students, but are always planned individually and fully, the possibilities are much more varied. This guarantees that learning an instrument is a good choice for children and teenagers as well. There are many ways to find a provider, whether through notices, by acquaintance, or digitally.

Why musical education also remains a question of cost

In direct comparison, the lessons in a music school are cheaper than professional and structured private lessons. The more students being taught at the same time, the lower the respective course fee. With private lessons, costs of 20 to 60 euros per hour are not uncommon. Depending on the frequency of the lessons, this adds up to a considerable sum at the end of the month, which must be worth the musical education in the first place.

Are online music courses already a substitute for face-to-face education today?

One of the more modern forms of music making are online music courses, from which content for both theory and practice can be taken. For example, there are many apps for learning the piano that certainly promise progress in playing. While digital tools may be relevant for some students, this is not always the case. Those who prefer personal contact with individual tips will not be satisfied with online solutions.

For learning between lessons, however, digital apps and programs can still be used to good effect. In my view, however, they never completely replace the instrument, which is why there should also be access to an instrument for learning. The weekly session at the music school is not enough to make further progress over the years.

Learning the cello in music school, private music teacher shows how to do it
Photo by Yan Krukov from Pexels

An overview of the advantages of each form of instruction

Based on this article, there are advantages and disadvantages for both music school and private lessons. In the following, we would like to clarify these in more detail to support you in choosing the appropriate form of instruction. The following aspects play an important role at this point in order to connect your interest in music with suitable lessons:

Advantages of music schools

  • Reliable planning of lessons
  • Professional infrastructure
  • Promotion of social behavior
  • Trained teaching staff

Disadvantages of music schools

  • Less room for individual goals
  • Typically no lessons during holidays
  • Dependence on other students
  • Stricter course schedules despite lower costs

Advantages of private lessons

  • Personal relationship while learning
  • Individual lesson planning is possible
  • Lessons take place conveniently at home
  • More flexible scheduling and implementation

Disadvantages of private lessons

  • Higher cost per hour
  • Often no professional environment
  • Work without a fixed curriculum
  • No guaranteed teaching competence

Finding a middle ground for a quality musical education

Whether music school or private lessons are more suitable in your case, you have to find out for yourself. Both forms still offer great potential and in the end are often a matter of personal taste. If you like to make music together with others, you will certainly not be satisfied in private lessons. On the other hand, private lessons offer much more potential for individual progress, as learning goals can be flexibly adjusted. Thus, it is always possible to improve the skills around the instrument and to ensure good progress.

mukken banner

Since both private lessons and music school lessons take place on a weekly basis, the proper organization of learning is also of enormous importance. Digital programs and apps can help ensure that interest in music is not lost as quickly. This makes it easy to reinforce what you've learned in music lessons online during weekly sessions and tackle new pieces.

Learn more about educational opportunities for kids and teens now!

We are happy to help you find suitable music teachers or music schools with our platform for musicians. Here at mukken, we are committed to making our own contribution to more musical education and increasing interest in music. For this reason, you are welcome to take a look at our other articles here on the blog and learn, for example, how you can learn to read music. This is the best way to combine theory with music lessons.

Originally published on November 13, 2022, updated on November 13, 2022

Main topic: Belting - a singing technique with two medal sides

Share this post
Here you will find exciting, up-to-date and interesting articles about the world of music.
Recent Posts
Noten Blätter vom Musik komponieren

Start composing your own music—here's how

25. May 2023

Katy Perry stimmt ihre Gitarre - Getting Intimste

Katy Perry: Getting Intimate - from priest's daughter to pop icon

20. May 2023

Ein Portrait der Band Kalandra

Kalandra - mystical sounds from the far north

20. May 2023

Die Orgel in einer Kirche

The organ - this is how the largest instrument in the world works!

19. May 2023

Mundharmonika uf Tisch mit Mikrofon

Learn harmonica - the first steps to success!

19. May 2023

mukken banner
Hello World!
Our app is here - We are online!
Google Play App für Musiker
App Store App für Musiker
Musician Search & Community
Recommended by mukken

Post-punk-catharsis - this rage is real

News & more5 Min. Reading time

Belting - a singing technique with two medal sides

News & more9 Min. Reading time

How to export single tracks from Logic Pro for external Mixing?

Music production9 Min. Reading time

Looking for a band 
or musician?

Musician search
Looking for some more?
Subscribe to our newsletter and let us provide you with the latest news, tips & tricks and everything you need to know about the music scene.
Don't worry, we don't spam - we promise!
loader

Your data protection is important to us. We used your email address to contact you about relevant and new content. You can unsubscribe from any communication at any time. You can find more information in our privacy policy.
Discover more topics
DIY Audio Projekte
Marketing
Music business
Music instruments
Songwriting
News & more
Coaching
Concert reviews
Features
Music production
Books & Movies
Play piano
Interviews
Rezensionen
Mia's Top 10 (KI)
Play guitar
mukken banner
mukken shop
Shop now
Alles NeuKolumnePodcastMusiklexikon A-Z
Back to overview

Looking for a musician?

Your data protection is important to us. We used your email address to contact you about relevant and new content. You can unsubscribe from any communication at any time. You can find more information in our privacy policy.
Register now
Europas große Musikersuche. Finde Musikproduzenten, Musiklehrer, Rockbands und viele mehr.
We bring musicians, bands, music teachers and producers together. Register for free.
Follow us
TikTok
Twitter
LinkedIn
YouTube
Pinterest
Instagram
Regionen & Städte
Baden-Württemberg
Bayern
Berlin
Brandenburg
Bremen
Hamburg
Hessen
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Niedersachsen
Nordrhein-Westfalen
Regionen & Städte
Rheinland-Pfalz
Saarland
Sachsen
Sachsen-Anhalt
Schleswig-Holstein
Thüringen
Frankfurt
Essen
Dortmund
Stuttgart
Städte
München
Potsdam
Wiesbaden
Schwerin
Düsseldorf
Mainz
Saarbrücken
Dresden
Magdeburg
Kiel
© 2023 mukken, a brand by simplefox GmbH
Privacy policy
Imprint
Noten Blätter vom Musik komponieren

Start composing your own music—here's how

New post

twitterlinkedinyoutube-playinstagrampinterest-p
Your cookie settings
Wir verwenden nur technisch notwendige Cookies und nutzen ein hauseigenes Analyse-System. Welche Daten durch die essentiellen Cookies erfasst werden und wie Du die Nutzung von Cookies unterbindest, kannst du in unserer Datenschutzbestimmung nachlesen.