Are Online Lessons Worth It?

So you thought long and hard about it, you have finally decided to go for music lessons. The only problem is, a lot of music teachers now are offering online lessons only.

So you ask yourself: "Are online lessons really worth it?"

Maybe you have tried online lessons before and they didn't work out so well. So understandably, you are viewing online lessons with a very negative mindset.

"They don't work," you tell yourself. "It's not the same as an in-person lesson."

But is that really the case?

Why do so many people have a negative view of learning music online? Put simply, a lot of people have tried learning how to play music online through YouTube. The only problem with YouTube, is that YouTube is not very structured. It's not easy to find the next bit of information that you need to learn before moving on to the next phase of your learning. You therefore spend hours hunting for the next lesson, or hours being directed to random videos that touch on different topics, confusing you further.

Another form of online learning involves people paying for an actual music course (usually by a teacher overseas). While you're definitely going to get an experienced teacher in that course explaining to you how to play your instrument well, multiple different camera angles of their hands and a picture of the music on your screen, the problem is most of these online courses are very expensive.

In most cases, lessons are pre-recorded. So when you are busy playing something, there is no way that somebody can tell you whether you're going wrong. You could be placing your hands incorrectly on your instrument, hindering your progress later on and there's no way for the person on the other side to know because it's a video. Also, there is no way that a pre-recorded video can help you develop discipline when it comes to regular practice, as you are not accountable to someone every week.

Needless to say, a lot of people end up being very frustrated trying to learn online and as a result, they give up, or they prefer to look for somebody who can actually teach them face-to-face.

Let's be honest; in-person lessons have been one of the primary ways we've learnt music over the years, so a new way of learning seems daunting, even impractical. A lot of people also are under the impression that an in-person lesson will be better because there's somebody right there with them. 

Because of this, you may feel that since the teacher is in the same room with you, if you make a mistake, the teacher can correct you more quickly, maybe move your fingers on to the right notes, or the teacher can demonstrate on their own instrument what you need to do. Also, you can ask in between songs any questions you have on the subject and can get an answer almost immediately.

But who says you can't get the same thing online?

The truth is, online lessons with a live music teacher can be just as effective! The teacher is still right there with you and is able to give you help immediately. Everything is the same. The only difference is what you are using to communicate with: An electronic device, like your laptop, smartphone or tablet.

Since South Africa went into lockdown in March of this year, I have been teaching online successfully! My students continue to progress and I have received positive feedback from students and/or their parents!

Here are some messages that have been sent to me about what people think about online lessons:

Why not join them and find out what makes learning online with me so enjoyable?

Visit the Contact Us section of the website to get in touch!

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