Delivering Successful Online Music Lessons

Online music lessons can be as interactive and fun as face-to-face lessons. Also, they empower students to access tenured instructors from around the world. If you are a music teacher who is ready to add online lessons to the mix, these tips will ensure you are set up for success.

Upgrade Your Microphone

Your students need to be able to hear you play your instrument with crystal-clear sound quality. Your set-up also needs to ensure that students can easily hear you while you speak and while you play.

Start by investing in a USB microphone. These look a lot like a stage microphone but are designed specifically for music lessons and self-recording. For superior sound quality, utilize an audio interface that connects your instruments and microphones to your laptop or computer. Then, process your audio using a Digital Audio Workspace (DAW).

Connect Through a Digital Audio Workspace

A DAW doesn’t just improve sound quality but eliminates latencies for both the student and instructor. This ensures flow and effective instruction during your lesson. There are countless DAWs to choose from, including GarageBand, LogicPro, Pro Tools, Cubase, and Reason. Test at least two to see which one you prefer. Then all you need is audio routing software.

Audio Routing Software

The last step in ensuring sound clarity, quality, and consistency is to route your music through audio routing software. Rogue Amoeba is a top pick for online music instructors. It is a versatile software that integrates with your preferred internal apps and physical audio sources. Beyond ensuring your student can hear your instrument, it can deliver the audio of apps such as Spotify and YouTube.

Once you’ve set up your Audio Interface and your DAW, select the Audio Interface as your microphone in the browser’s audio settings.

Finally, select the Audio Interface as your computer’s sound input and output.

Headphones Or Speakers

Your sound is now set up to transfer with clarity, so it’s time to decide how you want to listen. Your computer speaker may be sufficient, but the volume can only go so high. Consider investing in earbuds, headphones, or wireless speakers. As a musician, you likely already have quality headphones and speakers. Not all wireless speakers are created equally so consider a mid-range option. Beats headphones and Bose products are top picks.

Consider Adding Cameras

Your primary computer or mobile device has a camera built-in but consider adding an extra camera or two for additional angles. This is particularly important when visually demonstrating new techniques and complex passages of music. For example, one camera is not enough to adequately display a keyboard. Or maybe you want a camera that zooms in while you demonstrate a guitar passage.

General Online Instruction Tips

• Consider using an online whiteboard so that you can upload music sheets and annotate over them. For music lessons, a white board that allows you to play YouTube videos works wonders in keeping your students engaged.
• Select an all-in-one video learning platform that allows you to schedule lessons, upload resources, and create tasks.
• Record each lesson so that your students can master the techniques you teach each week.
• Set up for each session at least 15 minutes early to test the audio, angle the cameras, and review last week’s lesson.
• Take personal notes after each session to ensure you stay on track of each students’ progress.
• Send a follow-up email, audio clip, or resources to your student after each class.

Searching For An Online Tutoring Platform?

We invite you to consider LessonWise as your all-in-one interactive online tutoring platform. While we don’t provide the audio and instrumental essentials, we provide the tutoring essentials. This includes:

• Video conferencing
• Course scheduling
• Tasks & assessments
• Reports creation
• Resource sharing
• Payment processor
• Auto-recording of all lessons
• Direct messaging with students
• Public listings to advertise your services
• And more!

We hope these tips help you deliver engaging and interactive online music lessons!