What do I charge for my service as a piano accompanist?

Question

Should I charge by song, length of song, or the number of hours put in? I've had bad luck finding anything on the internet about this, so any resources that can be found would be appreciated.

Answer 1

It really depends on how often you do it, and the length of time of your service each time you do it. I know of a voice teacher who hosts recitals that are about 1.5 - 2 hours long, consisting of multiple singers (about 10 - 12 performers). The accompanist charges $10-$20 per performer, depending on the formality of the occasion. If an individual performs a concert by themselves for ~1 hour, she asks ~ $50-75, maybe up to $90, depending on the occasion. If you're only going to accompany a performer for a few songs, I would charge by half hour, maybe asking the same as you would if you were to give lessons by the half hour. If it's only one or two songs, maybe $10-20 would suffice, depending on how well you know your performer.

Hope this helps!

Answer 2

I would charge by the amount of time you put in and by your level of experience. Depends on where you are doing it as well. In college, I paid an exceptionally good accompanist $300 by the semester (I am a vocalist and he was an undergrad piano performance major - you would pay more for a graduate student or professional), but that included a half hour of my lesson weekly, as well as a half an hour outside my lesson. Any more than that was extra. I think this worked well for him, he had less to keep track of and got a larger lump sum of money up front. However, he could probably have made more charging by the hour. Aren't there any colleges around or any piano teachers that could give you advice in your area? By the way, this was in the Midwest and I am sure it is cheaper there than on either coast.

Answer 3

Your price should revolve around these areas:

What is your playing ability? I would be willing to pay more for an accompanist that has experience and competence. It's worth charging a little more for.

Next I would factor in the difficulty of the song and the amount of practice time that you would have to put in. Solo's are generally rated based on their difficulty so you could assign different dollar amounts for different levels.

Lastly I include the number and amount time working with and performing with the soloist. You could establish a cost based on 2 or 3 rehearsals and 1 performance. Then have a charge for additional rehearsals and performances.

Answer 4

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RE:
What do I charge for my service as a piano accompanist?
Should I charge by song, length of song, or the number of hours put in? I've had bad luck finding anything on the internet about this, so any resources that can be found would be appreciated.

Answer 5

It all comes down to how fast it takes you to get the job done without mistakes in a recording studio.
If its not in a studio, but as a live accompanist, then about... 30-50 an hour for long performances or short solos probably a little less unless you're accompanying EVERYONE in a series of recitals kinda depends on how good you are.

Answer 6

I've hired piano accompanists in the past, and none of them have ever charged for the time it takes them to learn the part. I don't think that makes sense, anyway. If you hire a band to play at your wedding, you don't pay them for the time they spend rehearsing in their garage---you only pay them for the time they're there playing for you. You can charge per hour, but only for the time you spend with the soloist. Sometimes the hourly rate is different for rehearsal vs. performance. I would guess around $30-50 is reasonable, depending on your experience and where you live. Good luck!

Answer 7

As a piano performer, you should charge by the hour and by how experienced you are and the type of gig you are doing. I've been playing piano for 23 years and I charge about 150 per hour. If it's a small gig for a reception at like a senior center...i don't charge anything, it's becomes community service. but if you are a good player and you can learn music quick, start low like $80 per hour and then increase as you gain more clients. good luck remember...start low but not too low. I started charging $70 about 5 years ago. hope this helps.

Answer 8

The number of time you put in, and your skill as a teacher. If you're a professional you should charge about 45 dollars an hour, and if you aren't you should do about 30 dollars an hour. Just my opinion.

Answer 9

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Musicians get paid the same for difficult music as they do for easy. The percussionist who does not perform 20 minutes out of a 2 hour concert gets paid the same as the violinist who played thousands of notes throughout the entire concert. Insist on seeing the music before you commit. If something is extremely difficult you can explain why you will charge extra. Do not be surprised if they go elsewhere. Good Luck

Answer 10

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