7 Reasons Online Piano Lessons Work
About 11 years ago, a few parents of terrific piano students asked me if I could teach their children online. Each family valued their lessons, but for various reasons they could not drive to my studio. I had been using Skype and FaceTime for the occasional make-up lesson, so this began a crazy journey into the world of online piano teaching. Then I needed to travel, which elevated the importance of making digital lessons effective.
At first, we had lots of barriers and tech issues. But I could not argue with the convenience and accessibility of this teaching method. As a traditional teacher, I was frustrated at what I could not do, so I researched...and researched. There was not much information available at the time; maybe a few tech forums, that’s all. When I first offered the option to students, there was definitely skepticism and only a few would try it.
Now, I have students and families who regularly request online lessons-both as a part of their schedule or last minute, due to illness, appointments, etc. Some have never even been to my studio, and their progress has been amazing. I no longer use Skype or FaceTime, because I want to analyze music and review theory with a shared screen, have multiple camera angles, and virtually mark our music scores. This is thanks to amazing input from experts such as software engineers that have worked in developing online medical collaboration techniques, in addition to assistance from trainers with Artificial Intelligence programs and videoconference professionals.
So what have I learned in this process? Why do online piano lessons work? Especially now, when businesses and schools are scrambling to convert to distance learning, this post can be inspiring to students and educators alike. Please remember that this post relates to live, online piano lessons with a teacher, not recorded lessons.
Convenience: After school and work, we all have a limited amount of time to have dinner, do homework, pay bills, run errands, and on and on it goes. This multiplies exponentially with each child! Kids and teens (and parents) have schoolwork and/or work tasks that fill the evenings. Imagine piano lesson day being a quiet time at home to catch up on life while your child is learning, instead of another after school activity to drive to and wait to be completed. Or as an adult, it can be a time to recharge and focus on something you enjoy without leaving your home.
Efficiency: When students are prepared, transition time is greatly reduced. For families, there is no travel or parking time, no packing books or activities for siblings. For students, if the warm-up is complete, the lesson can begin right away, and teaching time can fill the entire session.
Consistency: Life happens no matter how we try to plan - we get sick, have car trouble, an appointment takes longer than expected. When lessons can be online, the need for a lesson to be rescheduled is less frequent. Lessons are more consistent, and this allows students to progress more quickly.
Insight: When teachers have a window into the practice environment, they can more readily help students succeed. Why? A piano that needs tuning, a student who may need some adjustments in technique or position at the piano while practicing- these issues are more apparent and can be readily corrected when the teacher observes the practice environment. Online lessons are like having a piano teacher come to your home, but without the extra cost and impact on the family’s routine.
Digital Collaboration: More and more business and educational institutions use online collaboration to meet and complete projects. Students who become fluent in using this method to accomplish goals will have an edge in virtual communication and productivity.
Focus: Learning to play is not just about output at the instrument -it requires developing the ear and music reading skills. Learning piano online automatically enhances focus due to the lesson being on a screen, and improves ear training when imitating the teacher. When music scores are analyzed, only the music is displayed. Zooming in on individual sections and marking the score highlights key points in a way that cannot be achieved in studio.
It’s fun: Music games, imitation, screen markups- an online lesson by a skilled and creative teacher can still include engaging activities that promote active learning.
The takeaway - online piano lessons do work, but only if the teacher has the skill set, technology, and creative teaching elements to make this learning choice both effective and enjoyable.
Do you have questions about online piano lessons? I would love to hear from you! Feel free to complete the inquiry with any questions you may have about live, online piano lessons. My goal is to respond to all inquiries within 24 hours.