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Piano and Bass Lessons via Skype
Overhead view of the keys during an online lesson
Below, you can read about online lessons. Understanding that some may be skeptical, I am offering a 15 minute free trial "mini lesson" that will allow you to try this technology and see if it will be a good fit for you. Contact me to set up a time.
A couple of years ago, I had a student who was taking piano lessons with me in Wichita when his schedule would allow. His family was living in England, and they would come back to Kansas two or three times per year....staying for a month to six weeks at a time. While in town, the boy took piano lessons. His mother asked me if I had ever used Skype, and I had to confess to not knowing anything about it. She actually bought me a nice little webcam, with the sole purpose of having a piano lesson using Skype, which is free video conferencing software that allows video calls to be made on the internet. This is an example of how far technology has carried us: I was able to successfully coach a student in England while seated at my piano in Wichita, KS, USA.
It couldn't have been easier to download and install the Skype software....in just a few minutes it was up and running. More difficult was coming up with a good camera position so the student could see my hands. I finally went with a "directly over the piano keys" approach, looking straight down from above. The microphone in the webcam picked up my voice and the piano extremely well. The Skype software digitized the audio and video and sent them (in this case, about 4,500 miles) in a matter of milliseconds. I was able to listen to my student, catch wrong notes and rhythm difficulties, watch his hands, correct fingering, monitor technique and demonstrate all of the same from my end. Presto.....a piano lesson across the "big pond".
Understand, the technology has its limitations. Duets are out of the question, due to the slight delay as the audio and video information travels through cyberspace. I can't correct a fingering or wrong note by physically moving a student's finger or hand on the piano. Student and teacher can't speak to each other simultaneously, or play simultaneously, because the two sounds cancel each other out. There is also that quirky internet to deal with. Some days, transfer of bytes is faster than others. I have had the situation, where the signal completely dropped and we had to reestablish the connection. The use of this technology, therefore, is not without its shortcomings and difficulties. However, it may be a perfect fit for some students....read on.
If you find yourself wanting piano lessons, but live in a rural area far away from the nearest teacher, piano lessons over the internet may be a great option for you. It is highly conceivable that your schedule doesn't allow traveling even a short distance to see a teacher. Perhaps you simply feel more comfortable having the lesson in your home. Maybe you travel a lot, like my student in England. Anyplace you can have a keyboard and internet connection instantly becomes your lesson space. I have even used it as a back up for inclement weather with my local students.....can't travel due to adverse weather conditions? We can do a Skype lesson. I've had students who, after getting used to the technology, have stated that "It's as if you're in the room". Another interesting aspect of this technology is that it allows me to teach "across time zones". Here in Wichita, my schedule can get very tight in the after school hours....sometimes completely filled from 4 until 7-8 PM. With online lessons, I can set up a lesson or two with students in the next time zone and get another hour of teaching in before my physical students start arriving. In the case of my student in England, I was able to teach him at 8 AM....I think it was 2 PM his time.
I have not, as of yet, taught a double bass lesson in this manner. There would be some roadblocks to deal with....I'm sure. Most everything that happens with piano playing is at the keys or within 6 inches of the keyboard. The bass has a lot of things going on that would require different camera angles, and at different parts of the instrument. I would be game, if someone wants to give it a go and see how it works out.
Online lessons are a possibility for you to consider...if it's too creepy for you, seek out a physical teacher nearby.....just find a way to get lessons. Also consider the other uses of the excellent Skype software....I used it to have a video talk with my little brother when he was serving his country in Kosovo. It's a great way for the kids to see grandparents who live far away, etc, etc, etc. Skype apparently has 929 million registered users, as of Sept 2011.
A couple of years ago, I had a student who was taking piano lessons with me in Wichita when his schedule would allow. His family was living in England, and they would come back to Kansas two or three times per year....staying for a month to six weeks at a time. While in town, the boy took piano lessons. His mother asked me if I had ever used Skype, and I had to confess to not knowing anything about it. She actually bought me a nice little webcam, with the sole purpose of having a piano lesson using Skype, which is free video conferencing software that allows video calls to be made on the internet. This is an example of how far technology has carried us: I was able to successfully coach a student in England while seated at my piano in Wichita, KS, USA.
It couldn't have been easier to download and install the Skype software....in just a few minutes it was up and running. More difficult was coming up with a good camera position so the student could see my hands. I finally went with a "directly over the piano keys" approach, looking straight down from above. The microphone in the webcam picked up my voice and the piano extremely well. The Skype software digitized the audio and video and sent them (in this case, about 4,500 miles) in a matter of milliseconds. I was able to listen to my student, catch wrong notes and rhythm difficulties, watch his hands, correct fingering, monitor technique and demonstrate all of the same from my end. Presto.....a piano lesson across the "big pond".
Understand, the technology has its limitations. Duets are out of the question, due to the slight delay as the audio and video information travels through cyberspace. I can't correct a fingering or wrong note by physically moving a student's finger or hand on the piano. Student and teacher can't speak to each other simultaneously, or play simultaneously, because the two sounds cancel each other out. There is also that quirky internet to deal with. Some days, transfer of bytes is faster than others. I have had the situation, where the signal completely dropped and we had to reestablish the connection. The use of this technology, therefore, is not without its shortcomings and difficulties. However, it may be a perfect fit for some students....read on.
If you find yourself wanting piano lessons, but live in a rural area far away from the nearest teacher, piano lessons over the internet may be a great option for you. It is highly conceivable that your schedule doesn't allow traveling even a short distance to see a teacher. Perhaps you simply feel more comfortable having the lesson in your home. Maybe you travel a lot, like my student in England. Anyplace you can have a keyboard and internet connection instantly becomes your lesson space. I have even used it as a back up for inclement weather with my local students.....can't travel due to adverse weather conditions? We can do a Skype lesson. I've had students who, after getting used to the technology, have stated that "It's as if you're in the room". Another interesting aspect of this technology is that it allows me to teach "across time zones". Here in Wichita, my schedule can get very tight in the after school hours....sometimes completely filled from 4 until 7-8 PM. With online lessons, I can set up a lesson or two with students in the next time zone and get another hour of teaching in before my physical students start arriving. In the case of my student in England, I was able to teach him at 8 AM....I think it was 2 PM his time.
I have not, as of yet, taught a double bass lesson in this manner. There would be some roadblocks to deal with....I'm sure. Most everything that happens with piano playing is at the keys or within 6 inches of the keyboard. The bass has a lot of things going on that would require different camera angles, and at different parts of the instrument. I would be game, if someone wants to give it a go and see how it works out.
Online lessons are a possibility for you to consider...if it's too creepy for you, seek out a physical teacher nearby.....just find a way to get lessons. Also consider the other uses of the excellent Skype software....I used it to have a video talk with my little brother when he was serving his country in Kosovo. It's a great way for the kids to see grandparents who live far away, etc, etc, etc. Skype apparently has 929 million registered users, as of Sept 2011.