Do online piano lessons really work?
If you are apprehensive whether online piano lessons are something for you – fear not! In this blog post, we will take a closer look at whether online piano lessons really work or not.
I guess I should start by admitting that this is a bit of a biased post to write since I teach online! But think of it this way: if I didn’t think online lessons were a viable option, I wouldn’t consider offering it. Why would I compromise on my students’ education when I could just as easily teach in my home?
In truth, I believe that online lessons are an incredibly underappreciated medium for music lessons. I suspect that it will become a lot more popular in the future. Online lessons offer some unique benefits that make them very appealing to certain demographics.
Take for instance the time benefit: no more wasted time traveling to your teacher. At first glance, this seems a minor thing. I mean, can it really be that bad to commute to your lesson?
Well, let’s think about it. If your teacher lives 10 minutes away then no, travel probably isn’t a big deal. But for adult students, there aren’t a lot of teachers around who know how to teach this demographic.
Often students have to drive 20-40 minutes (or longer!) to their teacher’s studio. That’s anywhere from 40-80 minutes on top of the 60-minute lesson you will need to block out in your schedule!
Now I don’t know about you, but for someone working full time, perhaps with a family to care for, that’s a LOT of time to give up for a lesson. No wonder so many adults can’t make piano lessons work!
With an online system, you don’t have to travel. You simply jump online at your lesson time and 60 minutes later, when your lesson finishes, you’re already home!
Of course, if you manage to find a traveling teacher, they can offer this benefit too! But traveling teachers are often more expensive and are a lot less flexible due to their own travel requirements.
Another unique benefit of online piano lessons is that you get to warm up right before your lesson. And because you’re already at the piano when you finish, you can practice right away too.
Did you know you only retain a fraction of what your teacher tells you in a lesson if you have to drive home before you get to practice? Not so with an online format! You can implement what you learned straight away, optimizing retention and getting more out of your lessons.
This brings us to yet another benefit: the teacher can see your practice environment and, if required, make adjustments. For instance: in a one-on-one lesson at a studio, the teacher may tell you how to position yourself while seated at THEIR piano, but your own piano or keyboard might require a different position.
At home, your stool might need a different height setting, or you may be sitting incorrectly at your own instrument without you realizing and your teacher will never know!
Online, however, the teacher can see you and tell you exactly how to sit and move at your own instrument. Furthermore, the teacher also gets a glimpse of your practice environment and can make suggestions to help you establish routines based on your actual life circumstances!
Finally, the ultimate benefit of online lessons is that you can choose your teacher, not having to settle for one that is near. You can find a teacher you truly connect with and who teaches the way you like to be taught. No longer will you have to settle for the teacher around the corner! Go further afield and find someone who matches your learning style and your schedule.
So this brings us to the final question: do online piano lessons really work?
Well yes, of course, they do! When it comes to private music tuition, EVERYTHING depends on 2 factors:
- The quality of instruction
- The quality of the student follow through
The medium with which this is provided is only of secondary importance. We’ve discussed some unique benefits to the online format, and while there may be some drawbacks (food for the next blog post) they are not insurmountable.
In the end, what matters is the quality of the teaching and effort the student puts in. A diligent, hard-working student will progress much faster with an amazing online teacher than with an average in-person teacher. And you can be an amazing teacher either online or offline, but if the student doesn’t put in the work, the results will not follow.
I hope I have been able to provide some answers to the question whether or not online piano lessons really work. If you’re curious and want to give it a try, I offer trial lessons to prospective students so you can take a few weeks to test out the format and decide whether it works for you.
