New to online lessons? Never fear, Mr Shaun is here! By the end of this post you'll have some tricks and tips to help you be successful in your lesson.
1) Practice
Prepare for a virtual lesson the same way you would prepare for an in-person lesson. Daily practice is crucial. Most students need friendly reminders to practice. Make a daily practice routine for you or your child that takes up time in your calendar.
2) Setup The Lesson Area
Treat an online lesson like an in-person lesson. Do things like:
Minimize noise and other distractions in the lesson area
As few people as possible should be in the lesson space unless a younger student needs help with technology.
Turn off notifications on the device being used for the lesson.
Some students find success using smartphones, but I feel iPads and laptops work best
3) Camera Angle For Pianists
Here is one piano student's setup. It's more important for your teacher to see your feet, body, and hands, than it is to see a your face.
If you want to see your teacher, you can easily lean into the frame.
4) Camera Angle for Wind Instruments
Your teacher needs to see your embouchure, body, and fingers if you play a wind instrument.
Careful not to place a stand between you and the camera. For that matter, we never place a music stand directly between us and an audience when we play live either.
I'm sure the same is true for other instruments, but my expertise is in piano and woodwinds!
5) Mount Your Camera
Grifiti makes a great telescoping tripod that will work for your iPad or other tablet. It's called "nootle."
The photo to the left shows the universal mount which even works for the large iPad pro.
You can order this tripod on many websites.
Grifiti makes all kinds of mounts for mobile phones as well as tablets.
Wire Music Stand Hack
Music students usually have a wire music stand laying around somewhere. Use it like this to angle a smartphone or tablet.
Take note, pun intended, of the camera lens view. Carefully place the device so the lens is not covered and the view is not obstructed.
6) Check The Time Zone
If your teacher is in a different Time Zone, be mindful when scheduling.
7) Enable Original Sound on Zoom
Students using Zoom should figure out how to enable original sound on their device before their lesson. The process to enable original sound varies depending on which device you are using.
Instructions on enabling original sound on a laptop are as follows:
Click on the dropdown menu associated with the microphone icon in the bottom left corner of the zoom meeting window.
Click audio settings... > under Audio Profile click "enable original sound for musicians"
In the Zoom meeting window move the cursor to the top left hand corner of the screen by the Green shield with check in it. Toggle "Enable original sound" to the "On" position.
Bonus Tips
Lighting- Be sure light shines on you, not into the camera.
Charge your devices
Update your devices
Check your internet connection before the lesson.
If internet connection speeds are slow, try turning the video off. Sending video takes a lot of bandwidth and teachers/students don't always need video.
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