Top 5 tips for starting remote piano lessons (for teachers)
If you don’t have a video-conference platform account, create them. Having more than one platform may be easier, as students may not feel secure with platforms that differ from their regular use. The most popular apps for remote lessons are:
Zoom- https://zoom.us/signup
Skype- https://www.skype.com/en/
Facetime- for Apple product users
(Note, free Zoom accounts don’t allow for unlimited-time calls with multiple users. If you plan to use this platform for studio classes or class concerts, upgrade to a premium account!)
My preferred method is Zoom as it has a chat function, whiteboard, screenshare (with sound & video share), ability to switch between cameras and mics, and an original sound option that betters sound projection through headphones.
If you don’t have a webcam on your computer, you will need to purchase one. If you don’t have a built-in OR good quality mic on your computer or in possession, you will need to purchase one as well.
I recommend using a computer as your main device over an Ipad or phone, as you have many more possibilities e.g. connection ports to other devices, and better access to files and programs you can screenshare.
I have two devices setup, one on top of the piano, and the other on my side. One of the biggest problems of remote lessons is that it hinders both our and the student’s views of the keyboard and hand/fingers. Your second device for keyboard view could be a phone, ipad, or document camera! Look online for a device-holder clip/stand that can be placed on top of a piano or on the music rest for the phone/ipad. By connecting your secondary device to your computer via usb, you can switch back and forth between cameras during the lesson (Zoom has audio and video preference buttons accessible on the call screen).
Ask your students to send you scans of their repertoire that you can download to your files. Hard copy music is most comfortable for in-person lessons, but showing them parts of the score or giving them fingerings (among many other things) will prove to be difficult.
Open the score and use the screen-share feature to point out sections in the score, and use the annotate function to write in fingerings and markings!
If you have your own score that you will use, make sure you have them scanned and saved on your computer as well!
Remote lessons, although easier from the comfort of your home, requires a longer time of preparation on the teacher’s part. Ensure that all your doc files are well-organized on your computer for easy access during lessons.
Zoom scheduling can be linked to your google calendar, and if linked access to the call-links are much more accessible. If your students are on a regular schedule, use the “repeat” option on the scheduling page. This way, they can have the same link to access every week, and the same for you!
From many months of remote teaching and speaking to music teacher colleagues, we have fast realized that keeping the attention of younger students on a remote platform is difficult.
They feel comfortable in their home environment, and feel exhausted from remote classes/lessons. I’m sure you will feel the remote-lesson burn as well! It is so important to keep them actively engaged and enthusiastic. Incorporate games and fun elements into your lessons! There are many online music games, quizzes available - or come up with them yourself! Theory books in lesson books series e.g. Faber, can be helpful as well. You can also incorporate physical activity to keep the moving e.g. rhythm games, tapping exercises etc.