Any acoustic upright or grand piano that is tuned and well maintained or a digital 88-note keyboard that is touch sensitive and has weighted action would be suitable.
Any newer computer or tablet with high-quality built-in webcam, microphone and speakers would be suitable. Your device will need to be plugged in during your online sessions. Phones are generally not suitable, as their screens are too small for this purpose.
Use the highest-speed internet connection you can get. Hard-wired internet connection on both ends would be the best option, and it would help your audio and video to be as clear as possible. Use an ethernet cord to create a hard-wired internet connection.
You can check your internet speed at https://speedtest.net.
The most popular video-chat apps are Skype, FaceTime and Zoom. We prefer to use Zoom. It’s very powerful and has a lot of useful features, for example screen sharing.
Good lighting can considerably enhance your viewing experience. It’s best to have the lighting source behind the webcam, shining on your face. You can just use a desk lamp and position it behind your webcam. Better lighting produces a better visual experience and gives both, student and teacher clearer views of one another.
Not to worry! Please call us on 020 3745 2868 and we will help you to set up. We will also answer any questions that you might have.
We will walk you through the basic setup to have you up and running in no time.
Absolutely. Since 2012, we’ve successfully provided online piano instruction to 924 clients across 19 countries. Currently, 19 online clients are preparing for ABRSM piano exams, consistently achieving outstanding results with a remarkable pass rate of 100%.
Our online teaching process is actually very similar to our face-to-face teaching process. There can be a few small differences to which you can easily adapt after the first couple sessions.
There can be sound delays from either end of the call. Occasionally these delays can be quite noticeable, but on a day-to-day basis, unless you are playing duets, it’s not an issue.
For best results, teacher and student should speak or play in turn, not simultaneously, when learning online. Playing or speaking at the same time, can affect the sound.
Internet bandwidth can cause audio and video issues, especially when the teacher or student has a poor internet connection or a slower speed. This can easily be improved by purchasing a faster internet package from your internet service provider.
This can happen sometimes, but we find it to be relatively rare. However, if it does happen, please wait for us to reinitiate the connection, so we can continue the lesson.
We have learned that iPads and computers should be restarted from time to time, or else the screen can freeze during an online lesson. Please restart your devices regularly to help to prevent this from happening.
This rarely happens, but when it does, it often corrects itself within a few seconds. For those occasional times that it doesn’t correct itself, ending the call and restarting the device often does the trick.
It depends on the quality of your connection. If your connection is not great, it would be better to use a hard-wired internet connection. Use an ethernet cord to create a hard-wired internet connection. If you need any help, please call us on 020 3745 2868.
Since 2012, we’ve successfully provided online piano instruction to 924 clients across 19 countries. Currently, 19 online clients are preparing for ABRSM piano exams, consistently achieving outstanding results with a remarkable pass rate of 100%.
It’s very similar to the way you prepare for your face-to-face lessons. Please have your books, erasers and pencils ready and your computer plugged in and ready to go!
If you are an advanced student and your score doesn’t have bar numbers printed, please write them in yourself. This would help you find the precise place in your score quickly.
