Tips for Success with Online Piano Lessons

Online piano lessons have surged in popularity, providing a flexible and convenient way to learn. You can be at your lesson in an instant, no need to drive anywhere, you can take a lesson from a teacher on the other side of the world, and you can attend from anywhere you have internet (useful if you are traveling for example).

And while there are definitely challenges that can come with virtual lessons, with the right equipment and set up they can work very well. In this guide I will share some tips to ensure you have the best experience with online lessons.

Are Online Lessons Right for you

There are a few things to consider when deciding whether online lessons will work for you. One of the most important factors is your internet. If you frequently have internet issues, online lessons can be very challenging.

The next consideration is the age of the student. Very young children can have difficulty with online lessons since they often need to be physically shown how to do something, however, if there is someone in the family who can attend the lessons with the child and help them out, it can work.

Choosing the Right Equipment

The right equipment can dramatically improve your online learning experience.

It is best if you can attend the lessons on a computer as opposed to a iPhone or iPad, mainly because you may have difficulty with microphones and with phones the small screen size can cause issues.

A microphone is essential for enabling your teacher to hear the piano properly. There are fairly inexpensive microphone options that work well. For ease of set up a USB microphone is best.

The camera on your computer may be sufficient, but if not, you can purchase a separate camera that connects to your computer.

Original Sound

Enabling original sound is essential, it stops the computer from cutting out any noise besides your voice. You have to enable it in the Zoom audio settings, but you may have to turn it on at the beginning of each lesson as well once you have joined the lesson. It will be in the upper right hand corner of your screen (see image below).

Choosing a Location

You will need to be able to play the piano for your lessons, so this can limit your choices on where to attend the lessons, but if possible, pick a location that is fairly quiet and free of distractions.

A few more tips...

• Be ready early

  Even though you don't have to go anywhere for the lessons, you should still try hard to be on time for your lessons.

• Speak clearly and not too soft

  Even with a microphone, it can sometimes be hard to understand what people are saying over Zoom if you aren't speaking clearly or are a bit quiet.

• Keep noises to a minimum

  Try to avoid unnecessary background noises during the lessons, such as a TV playing, or conversations nearby. Not only can these things be distracting to the student but they can also make it hard to hear the teacher.

• Raise your hand

  It can be very hard to tell over Zoom that someone is trying to talk to you if you are talking, so if you want to ask a question or make a comment, it is a good idea to raise your hand, either your actual hand or you can use the Zoom reactions to "raise your hand". We definitely want to hear what you have to say, so if the teacher just keeps talking and you want to say something, raise your hand!

Don't worry of you can't get everything sorted out by the first lesson, working with online lessons is almost a skill in and of itself, and I can help explain things on the lesson.