Comparison chart of “live” and video piano lessons
| Traditional “live” lesson | Video lesson by internet |
|---|---|
| 1. At the beginning of a lesson, you play a piece / a program you have prepared. The image of this performance - better and worse passages - remains in your memory only. | 1. You record a video of the piece / program you have prepared and send it to me. You can view this recording at any time, which is particularly useful after receiving my instructions! |
| 2. You play on a different instrument - usually better than the one on which you practice every day. | 2. You always play on the same instrument. The solution - read the last paragraph. |
| 3. The professor explains how to correct the passages that must be improved. Most of his instructions remain in your memory only. To note them, you will probably make signs in the score only - taking detailed notes would disturb the lesson. | 3. All explanations on the elements to be corrected or improved are sent to you by email (and also by video if necessary). You can return to these tips as often as necessary. |
| 4. When you try to apply these changes, your time is limited by the duration of the lesson. With a longer program (10-15 min.) and especially with many technical problems, you will not have enough time to work and consolidate all the details. | 4. When practicing these changes, you have unlimited time to test new options. |
| 5. You get back home and practice. If you have not understood some advice or missed some important detail, you will carry out the professor’s instructions incorrectly and you will find it out during the next lesson only. By that time, you will already have memorized and adopted these errors and their correction will require additional work (not to mention the loss of time during the next lesson). | 5. By sending your questions within about 24 hours, you can check if your work is progressing correctly. In response, you will get either my confirmation or additional instructions to resolve the problem. |
| 6. Recording your own playing - both audio and video - is a very useful way and will enable you to obtain optimal results sooner. It is recommended in each musician’s individual work. | |
| RESULT: 1 pro 4 cons |
RESULT: 5 pros 1 con |
In my system, each lesson is recorded and archived - the student’s videos and all of my advice. Thus we can come back to them frequently, replaying former videos in order to judge our progress. The principal inconvenience of traditional live lessons is their fleeting nature - during such a lesson it is not possible to remember all of the teacher’s comments. It is not possible to make a video or record a sound track. The teacher’s advice remain only in the student’s memory, which cannot always be relied upon sufficiently.
The only inconvenience of online lessons is that the student is always alone and he always plays on the same piano. To get around this problem he must practice or play on various instruments, for example in a near-by music school or in a piano store. He can also organize public “concerts” - at least in the family circle or with friends. With the same objective, he can also participate in piano contests adapted to his current level.
On page Example: how do my lessons by video take place?
you will find more details on my method and lessons.