How to create a virtual music lesson system.

How To Create A Virtual Lesson System

Computers, Tablets, and an App:

Lessons are taught using a popular teleconferencing app installed on

PC/Mac Desktops, Laptops, or IPads (at the least). Desktops or Laptops tend to work the best for all-around lesson quality, but all require the use of a webcam. iPhones are discouraged because of the small size and intermittent bandwidth.

Also, the computer microphone needs to be placed to the piano as close as possible.

The only app that is required, is a downloaded, version of Zoom

software on any of the above devices.

Location:

The best place to set up for virtual lessons is in a quiet place, where

internet signals are strong, and room echo is low. Basements are a

poor location choice for this setup. Basements tend to block internet

signals making connections very weak. Also, large rooms generates

too much echo, and loud volume tends to reverberate, and saturate

audio, contributing to poor sound quality.

When near computer equipment, cellphones and other electrical

devices will cause electrical interferences in audio quality. Keep

these devices away or turned off near the lesson area.

Visuals and A Tuned Piano:

Whether you use built-in or external webcams, the video stream

should show clear positioning of the hands on the keyboard, and

student in the view.

Above all, lessons cannot be given if your piano is not in tune. I

depend on seeing hand position, seeing notes being played, and

hearing that the notes are played correctly. This is a must for virtual

lessons to be executed successfully.

Lighting:

If natural outdoor lighting comes from a window, light should shine

behind your computer. If possible indoor lighting should also come

from behind the computer, but not always possible to do.

If indoor room lighting is used, then low to average, 40 to 60 watt

bulbs can be used without overpowering the computer screen clarity.

Built in computer or external webcams always stream best in these

conditions.

What I Use For Virtual Lessons:

For teaching, I use 4 webcams to view sheet and interactive music,

and close ups of your hands and finger placements.

For internet connections, I use the latest Verizon Lan-Based, Hardwire, Ethernet Communications that transmits the fastest speeds of 1 gigabyte for downloading and uploading data to your system. What does this mean: if you experience any audio or video delay on your system, your internet router is transmitting and receiving intermittent, data bandwidth. How do you fix this… refer to ‘Location’ and ‘Computers, Tablet and an App’, above for most likely answers.

In addition to traditional teaching methods, several, interactive,

music apps are used to play along with song selections. This

includes the sites: Tomplay, Musescore, Musicnotes, and Chordu.

You can google these apps to view and play their demos.

Interactive Demonstration:

Finally, and to fully understand a virtual setup, I can give you a

complete interactive demonstration on how all this works using

my setup. This requires that you have Zoom loaded on one of the

devices with a webcam.

Below are sample, virtual lesson, interactive recordings:

(Double Click To Start Video; Double Click to Enlarge)

Learn Piano, Guitar, Music Theory at ’Piano-88 Virtual Music Lessons’