The Benefits of Learning Online Piano

The benefits of online piano lessons, like being able to have a flexible schedule, being able to play on your own piano, and gaining access to high-quality teachers that aren't in your area, make them a perfect option, especially in times of pandemic.

If you're considering taking online private piano classes, you're going to want to consider a few things before you start. First, how will you be recording the classes? Will you be using separate video and audio, or using just one input?

In my experience teaching online piano classes, the best method is to buy a separate USB microphone such as the Blue Yeti, or any microphone that can be connected with USB. The benefit of a USB microphone is that you will have much higher audio quality to share with your teacher, and unlike higher-end microphones, you won't need a separate audio interface to connect to your computer. If you want a higher-end microphone, you will probably need an audio interface and an xlr cable to connect the microphone to your computer. However, I think a USB microphone is the easiest solution and sounds great.

The other thing you will need is a video capturing device. A smartphone, tablet, or laptop works great. Just be sure you have a good recording angle so that the teacher can see your technique and posture. Here is an example of a good setup. It allows the teacher to see both your posture and your playing.

Lastly, I personally like to use apps to share music scores with my students. The app I prefer is called forScore. If you have an iPad, this is a fantastic way of communicating about the music, because your teacher can make notes and annotates that you can view instantly. After the lesson is over, you can save the score with all the notes to use in your practice.

Ultimately, I found the only downside to online piano lessons is that I can't play along live with my students to demonstrate expression or rhythm. However, this is overcome by simply playing back examples and having students listen. I believe that the benefits of online lessons far outweigh the downsides. And if you are able to prepare with the tips I've laid out in this article, you will maximize the effectiveness of your online piano lessons.

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