Piano and Music Blog

Which is better, online or in-person lessons?

I have been a music teacher for many years and am experienced in online teaching, I will lay out the benefits and objections to each below.

Online teaching can be a benefit for families because you do not have to go to the teacher’s studio, which may be a distance from your home. You also may have someone in your home that has health issues and you don’t want to bring something home that would affect them. You can have a good experience while receiving online instruction, if you are motivated to get the most out of the lessons. For beginners or young students, it is vital that the parent be very involved in the lesson and each day of practice. That means reviewing the recording of the lesson and sitting down with the student and making sure that what the teacher said and did on the video is practiced at home. This is also a good practice for in-person lessons as well. For the experienced teen and adult, this can be a good option because you have access to technology and are motivated. The drawback for online lessons is that you do not build a personal rapport quickly like you can in person. You can build this, but it will take longer.

In-person lessons are the way people have been learning an instrument or singing for centuries. I realize that we may need to change some of our approaches and the way we do things. In the studio, I am able to control the environment and have no distractions. In-person learning has the advantage of being able to see the whole student and how they are sitting and how they are approaching the instrument that you can’t necessarily see with one camera aimed at the student and the keyboard. There is also the human element of being there to answer questions or to show proper technique and get instant response.

So, there are pluses and minuses to both online and in-person teaching. You will need to make the best decision for yourself or your family, but either way I believe that learning and enjoying music is still a great way to have music for life and to bring fine art into your home!

G. Richard Deal

I teach piano, voice, organ and clarinet. Contact me at http://www.RichardPianoStudio.com!

People ask if they can take lessons every other week or even monthly. Weekly lessons afford the student the opportunity to learn and the teacher to correct any mistakes or habits before they take hold. It also gives the student a short-term goal to present their progress to the teacher every week. The youngest students really need weekly lessons because they may have to relearn concepts if there is too much time in between lessons. If you are an adult student, are very motivated and practice daily, a biweekly schedule could work for you. I do not recommend monthly lessons. I would suggest that younger students stick with weekly lessons. Please post a comment or contact me if you have any questions. Thanks!

When is the best time to start a child with piano lessons? Generally, if they can concentrate on an activity for at least 15 minutes, they will be able to take lessons and be involved in learning. The key is to have a dedicated time every day to sit down with the parent and do the activity that the teacher assigns. Without parental dedication, the student will not be as successful as they could be or not at all.

G. Richard Deal, Pianist and Teacher, announces a new website called East County Piano Studio (grdpiano.wordpress.com) in the greater El Cajon, CA area.  Mr. Deal has been teaching for many years and has had students that have pursued music as a career, people that wanted to continue to learn piano after being away from it for awhile, and new students from 3 years old to 77 years old or beyond.  If you are interested in learning piano or coming back to the piano, please see my contact area and have a good day today!