Both formats can work well — the right choice depends more on your goals and learning style than on one format being objectively “better.”
Private lessons: individualized pace
In a private lesson, the entire session is dedicated to one student. Pacing, repertoire, and focus areas adjust in real time based on how that specific student is progressing. This tends to produce faster, more consistent technical development, since nothing is paced around a group average.
Group lessons: shared energy and lower cost
Group classes split instructor attention across multiple students, which typically lowers the per-student cost. They can also add a social, collaborative element that some students find motivating — playing alongside peers, or performing together.
Where private lessons tend to fit better
- Students with specific technical issues that need individualized correction
- Students preparing for a specific audition, recital, or competition (see Performance Preparation)
- Students who progress unevenly across skills and need lesson pacing to adjust accordingly
Where group lessons can work well
- Younger children who benefit from peer modeling and social motivation
- Families prioritizing lower per-session cost
- Students in early exploratory stages who aren’t yet committed to a long-term individualized track
MajorKey’s approach
MajorKey teaches exclusively through Private Piano Lessons — one-on-one instruction across every program, from Beginner Piano Lessons through more advanced tracks. This is a deliberate choice: it allows lesson pacing to adapt fully to each individual student rather than a group average.
If you’re weighing cost as part of this decision, see our overview of what determines piano lesson costs.