Most Boston music schools answer this question with “it depends” and a contact form. Here are the actual numbers, both the going per-lesson rates in the city and what Musicians Playground charges, so you can compare like for like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Musicians Playground is an adults-only studio at 33 West Street in Downtown Crossing. We work on a membership model rather than a per-lesson model, which changes the arithmetic, so this guide covers both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The rest of this guide explains where those numbers come from and what each one buys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Across instruments, the per-lesson market in Boston looks like this. These are the ranges our guitar<\/a> and singing<\/a> guides publish, and they hold for piano, drums and bass too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Do the multiplication before you compare. Four 60 minute private lessons a month at those rates is $280 to $600 a month for the lessons alone, before you have found somewhere to practise, bought an instrument or met anyone else who plays. That is not a criticism of independent teachers, many of whom are excellent. It is the part of the price that a per-lesson quote leaves out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Intro Week is $100. It is a paid week, not a trial, and it is how almost everyone starts here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It includes a one hour private lesson on the instrument of your choice, seven days of unlimited group classes of 3 to 6 people, and open practice time. If you continue, the $100 applies toward a membership or a lesson pack<\/strong>, so the week is not a sunk cost. It is seven days inside the studio on the instrument you actually want to play, for less than the price of two lessons at the top of the Boston range.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Book your Intro Week<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A membership is monthly and runs $220 to $480 per month<\/strong> depending on how many private lessons you want. The tiers differ only in private lesson volume:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Every tier includes the same base:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Six and twelve month commitments are available and reduce the monthly rate, and lesson packs<\/a> exist for people who want to buy lessons in blocks rather than commit monthly. Current figures for both are on the membership page<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The membership covers whichever instrument you play. There is no separate guitar rate or piano rate. What changes by instrument is what is included and what, if anything, you need to buy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What it costs:<\/strong> the $100 Intro Week, then $220 to $480 per month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What is included:<\/strong> private lessons with a working Boston guitarist (every instructor here teaches their primary instrument only), up to 8 group classes a month, open practice time, and studio guitars and amps to use in lessons and classes, so you can start before owning one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you buy a guitar:<\/strong> a solid beginner acoustic runs $150 to $300 and a beginner electric $200 to $400 plus $50 to $150 for a practice amp, per our complete guide to guitar lessons in Boston<\/a>. Or see adult guitar lessons<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What it costs:<\/strong> the $100 Intro Week, then $220 to $480 per month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What is included:<\/strong> private lessons, up to 8 group classes a month in a silent keyboard lab on headphones, and open practice time on the studio’s Yamaha pianos, including a GC1 Silent baby grand, NU1x and CLP models.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you buy a keyboard:<\/strong> quality digital keyboards with weighted keys start around $300 to $500, per our complete guide to adult piano lessons in Boston<\/a>. Plenty of people take their first few lessons before deciding what belongs at home. See adult piano lessons<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What it costs:<\/strong> the $100 Intro Week, then $220 to $480 per month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What is included:<\/strong> private lessons with a working vocal coach, up to 8 group voice classes a month, and open practice time. Nothing to buy. For technique, repertoire and what a first year looks like, read the complete guide to singing lessons in Boston<\/a> or see adult singing lessons<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What it costs:<\/strong> the $100 Intro Week, then $220 to $480 per month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What is included:<\/strong> private lessons, up to 8 group classes a month, and the studio’s acoustic and electronic kits for lessons, classes and open practice, so you can start without owning one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Drums are where the membership model is least like a per-lesson model. Most adults in Boston live somewhere a full kit is impossible, so a per-lesson teacher gives you an hour a week on a real kit and a practice pad for the other six days. A membership gives you the kit whenever you can get in, which is the actual constraint on how fast you improve. Read the complete guide to adult drum lessons in Boston<\/a> or see adult drum lessons<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What it costs:<\/strong> the $100 Intro Week, then $220 to $480 per month. Same membership, same rates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What is included:<\/strong> private lessons on electric bass, up to 8 group classes a month, open practice time, and studio basses and bass amps for lessons. Bass is a secondary instrument here rather than one of the four core ones, which in practice means a smaller group class schedule, not a different price. Read the complete guide to bass guitar lessons in Boston<\/a> or see adult bass lessons<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What it costs:<\/strong> two routes, priced differently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What is included:<\/strong> Pioneer DJ DDJ-FLX4 controllers running Rekordbox at the studio, and practice time on them between lessons, so you do not need to buy a controller to start. A laptop with Rekordbox installed helps at home but is optional. Read the complete guide to adult DJ lessons in Boston<\/a> or see adult DJ lessons<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What it costs:<\/strong> the same two routes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What is included:<\/strong> instruction in whichever DAW fits your goals. Our instructors work fluently in Ableton Live, Logic Pro, FL Studio, Reaper and Pro Tools, and the studio has production workstations you can use before buying anything. Read the complete guide to adult music production in Boston<\/a> or see music production lessons<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What it costs:<\/strong> the same structure again. Private songwriting lessons on the standard membership, the $100 Intro Week then $220 to $480 per month, or the 8 week songwriting mini-course at $399 for active members and $599 for everyone else<\/strong>. See adult songwriting lessons<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not a lesson, but it is the other thing people ask the price of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n BAND+ is a selective, staff-guided 12 week program for intermediate-plus adult players. You are matched into a band, rehearse weekly with coaching, and finish with a public venue performance. Entry is by application and capacity per cohort is limited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What it costs:<\/strong> $99 per month for active members, $249 per month for non-members<\/strong>, on the 12 week commitment. More on the BAND+ page<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The comparison that matters is not price per month against price per lesson. It is price per month against price per lesson plus everything you would have to buy separately<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The worked example: four 60 minute lessons a month at Boston’s going rate is $280 to $600 before any of the rest. The Soloist tier at Musicians Playground is $480 with four private lessons, up to 8 group classes, practice time and the instruments. If you only want the lessons and you already have somewhere to practise and people to play with, an independent teacher may well be the better deal. If you do not, the membership usually is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How much do music lessons cost in Boston?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Private lessons in Boston typically run $40 to $75 for 30 minutes and $70 to $150 for 60 minutes, with group classes at $20 to $40 a session. At Musicians Playground, adult music lessons run on a monthly membership from $220 to $480 per month depending on how many private lessons you want, and every tier includes up to 8 group classes a month and open practice time. Most people start with the $100 Intro Week, which applies toward a membership or a lesson pack if you continue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How much do guitar lessons cost in Boston?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Per lesson, $40 to $75 for 30 minutes and $70 to $150 for 60 minutes is typical in Boston. At Musicians Playground guitar is covered by the standard membership, $220 to $480 per month, with up to 8 group classes a month, open practice time and studio guitars included. There is no separate guitar rate. Start with the $100 Intro Week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How much do piano lessons cost in Boston?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Piano lessons at Musicians Playground run on the standard membership, $220 to $480 per month, including up to 8 group classes a month in a silent keyboard lab and open practice time on Yamaha pianos including a GC1 Silent baby grand. The per-lesson market in Boston is $70 to $150 for a 60 minute private lesson. Start with the $100 Intro Week, which applies toward a membership or lesson pack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How much do drum lessons cost?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Drum lessons at Musicians Playground are covered by the standard membership, $220 to $480 per month, and the studio’s acoustic and electronic kits are included for lessons, classes and open practice. That matters more for drums than for any other instrument, because most Boston apartments cannot hold a kit. Start with the $100 Intro Week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How much do singing lessons cost?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Per lesson, Boston voice teachers typically charge $40 to $75 for 30 minutes and $70 to $150 for 60 minutes. At Musicians Playground singing lessons run on the standard membership, $220 to $480 per month, with up to 8 group voice classes a month included. Start with the $100 Intro Week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How much do DJ lessons cost?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Two options at Musicians Playground. Private DJ lessons run on the standard membership, $220 to $480 per month. The 8 week Intro to DJing mini-course is priced separately at $399 for active members and $599 for everyone else. Both include Pioneer DJ DDJ-FLX4 controllers and Rekordbox at the studio, plus practice time on them, so you do not need to buy a controller to start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How much do music production lessons cost?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Private production lessons at Musicians Playground run on the standard membership, $220 to $480 per month. The 8 week music production and EDM production mini-courses are $399 for active members and $599 for everyone else. Instruction covers whichever DAW fits your goals, and the studio has production workstations you can use before buying anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Are music lessons worth it for adults?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n They are worth it if you also have somewhere to practise and other people to play with. An hour a week with a teacher and six days of nothing is the pattern that makes adults quit. That is why a membership here includes up to 8 group classes a month and open practice time rather than selling them separately: the lesson is the smallest part of what keeps someone playing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The $100 Intro Week<\/strong> is the first step: a one hour private lesson, seven days of unlimited group classes and open practice time. If you continue, the $100 applies toward a membership or a lesson pack<\/strong>, so nothing is wasted deciding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Prefer to talk first? Book a free consultation and your first lesson<\/a> and we will help you choose the tier that fits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
Start Here: The $100 Intro Week<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Membership Model, and What Is in It<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
Cost by Instrument<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Guitar Lessons<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Piano Lessons<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Singing Lessons<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Drum Lessons<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Bass Guitar Lessons<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
DJ Lessons<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
Music Production<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
Songwriting<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
MP BAND+<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Per Lesson or Membership: How the Two Models Compare<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nReady to Start?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n