the Price of Trumpet Lessons

The $100.00 amount is for a typical month of four lessons. Some months have five lessons and therefore cost $125.00. I get a half hour lesson for this price. I'm mostly learning the real basics like the lowest (and therefore least painful) notes on the trumpet, major scales in a couple keys, and how to sight read simple songs. The lesson takes place at the teacher's home which is in a nice neighborhood, and he has a relatively sound-proofed studio so I'm not worried about other people hearing me. I pay by either cash or check, and as far as I know there are no taxes included in the price. I do not know if he reports his teaching income to the IRS or not. He uses a specific curriculum, and I pay him for each new book. He also has a piano in the studio and uses it sometimes to accompany my playing or to help me visualize a musical concept (this works for me because I do know how to play the piano.) There have been times when we have exceeded the 30 minutes alloted to the lesson, and I just assume that this is a "freebie," and probably happens only because his next student is a no-show or is late.

I really like taking lessons from this teacher. It's interesting, but I really don't know if he's an incredible player in his own right because he never plays things in front of me that are too far ahead of my current level. I think this is intentional. I appreciate that he doesn't show off when I'm trying to learn just the basics. He's a very good teacher - he has a lot of patience for the squeaks that sometimes (OK, most times) come out of my instrument. He also asks about me personally, but we don't spend too much time talking about that kind of stuff which I am glad for because it eats into lesson time. I don't especially like the songs that are in the beginner level books because they make me feel like a toddler, but I've been assured that we will move on to more advanced pieces later. Surprisingly, he doesn't charge more than the cover price for the music books that he sells. Maybe he gets them at a bulk discount and makes some profit on them, but I'm glad not to feel that I'm being ripped off. His music room is also always really organized, which strikes me as unusual for a musician.

I'd say that word of mouth is one of the best ways to discover a good and effective trumpet teacher (this is true when searching for instruction in any instrument.) The problem is that sometimes you won't know anyone who actually plays the instrument you're wanting to learn. I'd suggest going to music stores that sell your instrument and talking to them about the local teachers. Of course, you have to be careful because often the person you're talking to will offer lessons themself or the store you're in will offer lessons so they will naturally want to steer you to their own teachers. The internet is not generally very helpful in this kind of search; at least it wasn't for me. Still, it's probably worth doing some online research just to be sure. Ultimately, you'll probably end up having to call several instructors and getting a feel for them over the phone. Some may offer free introductory lessons, and this is ideal because it gives you a chance to actually observe them in action. Don't be afraid to take control in these introductory lessons by asking all the questions that are important to you, and trust your instincts if you don't feel right about a particular instructor.