Are Online Piano Lessons Any Good? 5 Data-Backed Observations
If the broader educational community is any indication, online piano lessons are both effective and increasingly popular.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), for instance, reported that most students in a 65-class test group learned more than their traditionally educated counterparts, and that those positive results applied to both students who were top in their class, and those who had struggled before enrolling in online learning.
While these results were not tested on private music lessons, and while I wouldn’t necessarily recommend taking online lessons instead of meeting with a teacher in person, virtual piano lessons have plenty of unique appeal; here are 5 incentives.
Are Online Piano Lessons Any Good?
Get More Demonstration from the Teacher
If you take piano lessons at a music school, in a teacher’s studio, or if your teacher is coming to your home, you most likely have only one piano between you and the teacher. This means that you (the student) will sit at the keyboard, while your teacher stands or sits alongside. If the teacher needs to demonstrate something, you’ll need to stand up -- not the most efficient system.
When you take online lessons here at Erika Gingery Music, you’ll be in your home with your piano and keyboard, and I’ll be in my studio at my piano.
I can communicate either through words or demonstration, and we can both be at the piano throughout the entire lesson.
Enjoy Professional Lessons, Even When Qualified Teachers are Scarce
Do you live in a remote area short on qualified piano teachers? More ambitious students struggle with this than you would think.
According to the Pew Research Center, 46 million Americans live in rural communities. When you consider severe winter weather (northern Maine, for instance) as well as the lack of qualified teachers, you may decide that virtual lessons are the right choice for you.
I’ve received a number of inquiries from international students as well, and whether the prospective student is simply an American expat living in Germany or an individual living in a remote part of Canada, lessons are just an internet connection away.
Enjoy Scheduling Flexibility Across Time Zones
Do you have an unconventional schedule? If you’ve found that your availability for lessons never lines up with that of local teachers, you may need to consider a teacher outside of your timezone.
For instance, if you are a Californian who would love to take lessons at 6:00 am, you may have to sign up for lessons online with a teacher on the east coast (unless you can find a local teacher who likes to get started that early!).
Get Recordings to Use While You Practice
I can’t speak for every teacher, but I am always happy to provide a lesson recording to students who are interested.
It’s simpler for the student than taking notes, and if you have any questions about technique, rhythm, or anything else, you can just refer to the recording of our lesson together.
Use Any Instrument or Keyboard
If you can’t travel to a teacher for lessons, but you aren’t comfortable having a teacher come to your home to teach you on an electric keyboard, you can take electric piano lessons online.
Since online lessons allow an instructor to demonstrate proper technique from her own piano, it doesn’t matter if you own a small or rudimentary electric keyboard -- the lesson can still be productive and worth your time.
Do you have any questions about lessons, or would you like to chat about the possibility of working with me on piano lessons in Philadelphia? Please get in touch -- I’d love to hear from you.