How To Prepare For Online Piano Lessons

What to expect for your virtual piano lessons

This page gives a brief run down of how to make the most of your online piano lessons.

Since we won't be in the same room at the time of your lesson, it helps to run through this list ahead of time. That way we can make the most of our time together and focus on the music.

Video And Audio

For my lessons, I usually use Skype for the video calling software. If you're not able to use Skype and need to use an alternative such as Zoom or Facebook Messenger, please let me know ahead of time.

It is very useful to have a camera that you can move around during the lesson. If you have a laptop with a camera, make sure it has enough space around your piano so that the camera can see you and the keys, but also that you can see the computer screen as well. If you're using your cell phone, a phone mount such as the one in the picture above will allow you to point the camera hands free.

Whichever device you use, you will need to have the sound on and have the microphone free of obstructions.

If you are using an external mic or webcam, be sure that the wires are not somewhere that you will trip over. Bluetooth speakers are generally not recommended because they can cause interference.

Internet Speed

Following the video software, the next most important factor in a productive online piano lesson is internet speed. Without a good connection, our lesson may experience drops or distorted video and audio. Whenever possible, be connected to a reliable wifi network.

You can test your internet speed by clicking here or going to https://fast.com/

By navigating to fast.com, it should begin measuring your internet speed immediately. An internet speed faster than 30Mbps works best for video conferencing.

Location And Lighting

Being in a quiet room with good lighting is helpful. Not only will a quiet room help eliminate distractions, it will also prevent background noise that can prevent you or me from hearing each other and the piano clearly.

Lighting is also fairly important to reading sheet music and helping me see you and the piano clearly.

Reach out with any questions!