Zoom or Skype Online Piano Lessons
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Yuki’s Piano Studio in West Vancouver has been giving online piano lessons over Zoom or Skype since March 2020. Since the end of August 2020, face-to-face piano lessons resumed. However, online piano lessons will continue to be offered to any piano students wishing for this service using online platforms Zoom or Skype for the 2020 to 2021 school year.
Two Webcams
Two webcams are used during the online piano lesson. One webcam is placed to piano teacher’s right so that you can see how she sits at the piano and moves her fingers on the keyboard. The piano teacher can easily face you as she teaches. Another webcam is placed right above her so that you can see how her fingers move on the keyboard.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic started, Yuki upgraded her laptop with a built-in webcam. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, she upgraded one of her webcams to a 4K webcam. She has a high-speed internet connection.
Online Piano Lessons Or Face-to-Face Piano Lessons
Should your child take online piano lessons or face-to-face piano lessons? It depends on your child. But online piano lessons work just as well as face-to-face piano lessons. After giving online piano lessons for almost a year, Yuki has noticed some pros and cons of both online piano lessons and face-to-face piano lessons which she would not have noticed if it was not for COVID-19.
Yuki teaches some piano students online and some piano students face to face. Online students’ parents tend to be more concerned about social distancing and COVID-19 infections. On the other hand, the face-to-face students’ parents tend to be more concerned about providing valuable hands-on experience, which online lessons cannot provide.
Yuki never thought that she would teach some piano students overseas online. She teaches some students in China. Timezone difference needs to be taken into consideration. If she is going to teach some piano students in Shanghai, China and if they want lessons starting at 8:30am on Saturday, for example, then Yuki needs to be ready to teach at 4:30pm on Friday in Vancouver.
Online Piano Lessons: Zoom or Skype
So far, Yuki tried Zoom, Skype and GoogleMeet. Yuki tried GoogleMeet because a family requested it. But her preference is Zoom or Skype. Yuki was used to Skype as she always communicates with people in Japan. The advantage of using Skype is that Yuki does not have to set anything up beforehand as long as you are already one of her contacts. Let her know your Skype name. Then she can call you whenever she is available right away.
The advantage of using Zoom is that piano students can set everything up before their piano lesson. Once Yuki sends you a Zoom link, you can access the Zoom waiting room before the lesson. Then Yuki and you can start the piano lesson at the designated time.
Another advantage of using either Zoom or Skype is that they enable you to record and share screens and sound.
Is Online Piano Lessons Worth It?
Yuki is frequently asked if online piano lesson is actually worth it and if there are benefits to taking Zoom or Skype online piano lessons in comparison to face-to-face piano lessons. After all, online piano lessons over Zoom or Skype are becoming increasingly popular.
If the piano student is willing to take the online piano lessons, then it is worth giving it a shot. As long as the instrument, devices and high speed internet are all set up correctly, the online piano lessons are just as good as the traditional face-to-face piano lessons or even better.
Yuki does not think that the online piano lessons will ever replace the face-to-face piano lessons completely. Some hands-on experience can never be replaced by technology. But she does admit, with the advance in technology, i.e., quality of webcam is improving and internet speed is increasing, she has come to realize how beneficial it is to have the option of being able to provide online piano lessons. Even piano teachers will need to become technologically savvy.
Preparations Needed for the Zoom or Skype Online Piano Lessons
Zoom and Skype online piano lessons can be set up easily. The following is a list of what you need to prepare for the online piano lessons:
- The Student: Be ready in front of the piano. Believe it or not, some piano students are not ready! An adult piano student has no problem with it. But if it is your young child (usually 5 to 9-year-olds), who is taking the piano lesson, make sure that she is ready to start at the designated time. Is your child not hungry anymore? Does your child need to go to the bathroom? Is her mind ready?
- The Parent: If the piano student is young (usually 5 to 9-year-olds), a parent needs to help the child, who is taking the piano lesson.
- Pencil: To mark instructions and to take notes during the piano lesson. Some piano students take forever looking for a pencil.
- Sheet Music: Have the music ready. Make sure that you do not have to start looking for your piano books after you start your online piano lesson. Yuki has a copy of her own piano books as her piano student plays her pieces.
- Instrument: an electric keyboard or an acoustic piano
- Device: As your device for the online piano lesson, you need a laptop, a tablet or at least a cell phone. Yuki likes to use a laptop because she can easily change the angle of her built-in webcam. Some of her piano students use a tablet, which would work fine if you can steady it. Yuki does not think that you should rely just on your cell phone. The screen is too small for you to see your piano teacher. If you are using your cell phone as an additional device with your laptop or tablet, then she thinks it is okay.
Make sure you charge the device you choose prior to your piano lesson. Place your device on a stand at the side of the piano so that Yuki can see your keyboard, your fingers and your general posture. - High Speed Internet
- Video-Call Software: You need to choose Zoom or Skype.
For Zoom piano lesson, you need to download the application, which can be found at
https://zoom.us
Once you successfully download the Zoom application, then Yuki will send you a link before your lesson so that you can access the online platform.
For Skype piano lesson, you need to download the application, which can be found at
https://www.skype.com/en/
Once you successfully download the Skype application, then please add Yuki as a contact. Then she can call you at your designated lesson time.
Benefits of Zoom or Skype Online Piano Lessons
The following is a list of some benefits of taking Zoom or Skype online piano lessons:
- You Play Your Own Instrument To Which You Are Used To
If you play other instruments like a violin or a cello, you can always bring your own instrument. But that is not the case with the piano. If you go outside of your home to play the piano, you have to play on the piano, which is provided to you at your venue. With your online piano lesson, you can play on your own piano. You will feel comfortable knowing that you already know what your piano sounds and feels like with and without the pedals. - You Do Not Need to Travel to Get to the Piano Teacher’s Studio
Peak-hour traffic congestion in metropolitan regions around the world is here to stay. Yuki feels that traffic is getting worse every year in Vancouver. It is very frustrating for piano students and parents to travel and being stalled in traffic. Piano students feel rushed as they get to their piano lesson and need some time to calm down as they start to focus during their lesson. Without having to travel to the piano teacher’s studio, the piano student can relax and even warm up for their piano lesson. - Other Family Members of the Piano Student Do Not Need to Wait in the Waiting Area
Traditionally, the parent and the younger siblings of the piano students waited in the waiting area of the piano teacher’s studio as the piano student took her piano lesson with her piano teacher. If the piano teacher did not have a waiting area in her piano studio, then the siblings had to sit in the car with the parent. With the online piano lesson, the younger siblings do not need to come with the piano student and wait until the face-to-face piano lesson is over. The parent do not have to worry about dropping off and picking up the piano student from the piano teacher’s studio. They can continue doing their own activities in the comfort of their own home or elsewhere. - Piano Student Can Still Take A Piano Lesson When She Cannot Take A Face-To-Face Lesson
Occasionally, a parent cannot drive a car to take her child to the piano teacher’s studio. Or a piano student may have to stay at home due to recovering from a mild cold but feel well enough to take a piano lesson. Even if you cannot take face-to-face piano lessons, you can still take online piano lessons without having to worry about cancelling the piano lessons. - Piano Student Can Record Her Piano Lessons
Zoom and Skype have the option to record online piano lessons. The piano student can watch and listen afterwards to find out how she had behaved and performed in her piano lesson. She can also review her piano teacher’s demonstration of the piano pieces, etudes and technical requirements, which are assigned for homework.
Email Yuki for Piano Lessons in West Vancouver
Click on the link below to email Yuki’s Piano Studio for piano lessons in West Vancouver.
Call Yuki for Piano Lessons in West Vancouver
Click on the link below to call Yuki’s Piano Studio for piano lessons in West Vancouver.