Are you staying close to home during the Corona Virus? Online lessons are easy to set up and are an effective substitute for in-person classes. You already have everything you need for online lessons-a smart phone will work, but a tablet or laptop is even better.
Place the device near the end of the piano so that the student’s hands and face are visible. I need to be able to see the hands so that I know they’re placed correctly on the keyboard, and the student and I want to see each other’s faces just as we do when we’re sitting next to each other! We want the experience to be as normal and natural as possible. Below are pictures of a student at her piano and one of the set up at my end. You can place your device on a nearby table, bookcase, or even a stack of boxes or books on a chair. A bar stool is the right height, too.
What else do you need for your online class? The same things you’d bring to class in my studio. Make sure all of the books and the music binder containing the assignment sheets and digital music are within reach. Be sure to have a pencil, too- the student will need to write down assignments and make notes about current work.
What can we do in an online lesson? Pretty much every that we do in person. Because we can see as well as hear each other, I can listen to the student and watch him play, and make corrections or demonstrate proper technique. We can do flash cards and workbook pages in the students lesson book, and I can send PDF’s of worksheets or new music ahead of time for us to do in class.
What applications can be used to conduct the lesson? So far, I’ve been using FaceTime because my students have all had some sort of Apple device. But recently, like many other music instructors, I’ve tried out a widely used business meeting app called Zoom with success. Many of you probably use it at work for meetings and seminars. It’s available for both Apple and Android as well at Zoom.com on computers.
What else can we do if online lessons aren’t an option and you can’t make it to class? Video lessons are another option. The student or parent makes a short video of each piece that was assigned, and emails it to me. I’ll send a video or email back discussing the performance as well as instructions for the next assignment.
If you think online lessons would work best for you in the coming weeks, or at any time when getting to the studio is difficult, let me know, and I’ll help you get prepared. We have plenty of options!
iPad set on students end.
My set up.