Getting the most out of your online lessons

📆

Set a recurring calendar event or alarm

Make sure you don’t miss your lesson: get an alert earlier in the day.

🎧

Practise regularly through the week

Aim to do at least 10 minutes every day.
The more times you practise through the week, the more new material you can learn during your lesson.

Use all of the resources you’ve been given (e.g. written music, audio files, videos, etc.)

🖨

Have access to a printer or second screen

You will need this to see any new music sent to you during your lesson. Make sure you are ready!

🕰

Get the most our of your time

  • An hour before your lesson:

    • Check that your device is fully charged, and leave it on charge as much as possible during this period

    • Make sure you have paid for this week’s lesson

  • 15 minutes before your lesson:

    • Have your music ready and in place

    • Have your instrument ready to play (on, in tune, etc.)

    • Wait in the Zoom waiting room.
      The lesson may be up to 15 minutes later than scheduled. Don’t panic!
      Why not fit in some bonus practice time whilst you wait?

  • During your lesson:

    • Listen carefully to every instruction and follow it to the best of your ability

    • Be patient. Sometimes, video conferencing software can affect how the music sounds and we may need to repeat a piece or a phrase several times for it to be heard correctly at the other end.

💡

Get the most out of your space

Your space should:

  • allow for a clear view of both your hands on your instrument

  • have plenty of light

  • have strong, consistent wi-fi signal — closer to the hub/hotspot is best

  • not have much reverb (“echoey” sound), so avoid:

    • hard floors

    • empty rooms

    • bare walls

    • corners

    • large distances between you and your device

  • not have light sources in frame — this darkens the picture overall!

  • not have distractions or other sounds (e.g. TV, games console)

📱

Get the most out of your device

  • Make sure your device is fully charged before your lesson. If possible, keep it plugged in during your lesson, too.
    Most modern devices reduce performance as the battery gets low. While this helps to keep your device running for a little longer, it is not good for video calls.

  • If possible, have your device on a table or a stand, positioned to give a clear view of both your hands on your instrument

  • If you are on a laptop, you will get the best performance by connecting directly to an ethernet port on the back of your home router

  • If you are using wi-fi, get your device as close as possible to your wi-fi hotspot

  • Reduce the number of devices at home using wi-fi or the internet at the same time as your lesson (e.g. sibling on a games console, parents watching Netflix)

  • If you have experienced a poor connection, try putting non-essential devices in flight mode and ensuring wi-fi is disabled (not just disconnected). This can be achieved in your device’s settings.

🔬

Test your setup

Have a friend install Zoom too and test it with them. Make sure you can:

  • Get into a meeting with them

  • See and hear them clearly

  • Have both your hands be seen clearly

  • Switch between front and rear cameras

  • Have your instrument sound clear to them and their speech sound clear to you

💡 Tip: Try putting on a Spotify/YouTube song and make sure it comes through clearly, not changing in tempo or pitch, not going silent and not sounding garbled. Other drops in quality (temporary underwater sound, for example) shouldn’t interfere with your lesson so long as you can still understand what is being said.

➠ If you have issues at this stage, please get in touch with me well in advance of your lesson to discuss solutions.

📧

Get in touch if you need help!

Email: rs@rsmts.com
Text: 07712646070
Facebook messenger: facebook.com/richardsmithmusic