Is it possible to teach the piano online effectively?

piano online" width="449" height="235" /> The answer is yes, with some preparation and changes to the traditional methods normally used. Because of these most challenging of times, many piano teachers are taking their piano lessons online. To some, this may be a daunting prospect but remember, all you need to use is your eyes and ears to give the student your best support. Most of the methods you teach in-person can be replicated via video with a few adaptations.

Setup

  All you need is a computer, smartphone, tablet, or laptop with a built-in web camera set up securely, plus of course a copy of your student’s music. If you wanted to invest in additional equipment, a pair of headphones are useful, allowing you to hear more clearly; maybe a tripod so that you can use different angles to help demonstrate on the piano keys; an external microphone that might give your voice more clarity and any commonly used teaching tools – flashcards, whiteboard, instruments etc. Make sure the lighting in your room is bright enough.

 Then there are the various video platforms such as Zoom, Skype, Google Duo, FaceTime, Messenger, WhatsApp, Viber etc. It’s best to be familiar with a few different options in case one is preferred by the student or is the platform they're used to. It may seem obvious, but a strong internet signal is vital. Ask the student to do a speed test of their internet connection, so that you can determine if there might be connection issues or degradation in the quality of your video lessons. Anything below 6mbps could prove tricky.

Planning

 Take the time to plan together at the beginning of your student’s first lesson to help them feel comfortable. Advise them where best to place their device then show them how to use measure numbers and lines so that you can quickly help them find specific places in their music. You'll quickly learn how to rephrase instructions so that students can easily find where to go on the page or on the piano.

Essentially, listening is key. While you may not have an in-person view of your student’s playing, you'll soon be able to tell if they're playing incorrect notes. Show them as much as you can from your own piano, but it will be tricky playing in tandem, so you'll have to be creative with how you communicate.

 If teaching a young child, you may want to consider asking a parent or older sibling to be available so that they can help the child stay focused. It can be difficult for young students to stay in the same place for thirty minutes, so find activities or skills they can do away from the piano. It might help if you ask them to invite their favourite Teddy bear or toy to act as an audience member.

 Surprisingly, it can be the case that students who are easily distracted in normal circumstances, sometimes do better with an online lesson. This is because, with only the screen and their music to concentrate on, they can be more focused.

 For you, you may find that you have to speak up more and stay more focused yourself, so online lessons can be a bit more exhausting than regular piano lessons. You're likely to be used to getting up and moving around during a lesson. When teaching online, however, you're more confined, so it can be tiring to sit in the same place at a device for long stretches of time.

 One of the advantages of online piano lessons is that you'll find you've gained a particular insight into your student’s practice environment. You'll get to see exactly where and how your students are practicing and you might notice that your student has a lot of distractions where they practice. You’ll most certainly hear pianos that are completely out of tune – sometimes a student’s poor technique or messy playing is because of the piano they're practicing on. This is all helpful information for you, and it will equip you to set your student up for success.

 Also, don't be afraid to promote self-learning, so that in between lessons the student can practice. There are many resources available on YouTube for example. As teachers, we thrive on the relationship we have with our students, and seeing them in-person is energising and important to us, so this adjustment won't always be easy. Online lessons are a temporary solution but, while not ideal, at least provide an effective way of interacting.

We encourage teachers to give it a try – you'll be surprised how effective it can be, and children enjoy it. That way, they'll not have to change teachers if they or you move out of the area. It also gives you a wider national/global reach when advertising for new students.