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Music lessons from home
No master has fallen from the sky!
… who doesn't know them? The countless sayings, myths and barbs on the subject of "practice makes perfect". A very popular saying of this kind, which probably countless of you have already heard, reads: "Whoever practises stabs their fellow musicians in the back!" Of course, the reality is actually the other way around.
Because only those who keep at it and, through methodical repetition, preserve, improve or, as beginners, acquire their skills for the first time, will ultimately master their instrument and be able to play with joy.
So here's to everyone who can already play their instrument better than you can. Because it's only from ambitious musicians who already have more under their belt than you do that you can learn and pick things up. This role can be filled by your own bandmates but of course also by trained or freelance musicians and music teachers. Normally you meet your music teacher for a practice lesson in the rehearsal room, at the music school (e.g. the Bandschmiede in our courtyard) or even in your own four walls. But what do you do if a personal meeting is not possible, and the lesson still needs to take place?
With our guide "Music lessons from home", we want to show you today how you can use the internet via modern streaming options and chat programmes to hold your lesson even without direct contact with your music teacher and other musicians, and which practical equipment will support you in a cost-effective way. Our two Ollis have sat down due to your numerous requests and submissions on the topic "Online music lessons" and chatted about their own experiences. Click in and enjoy our video tutorial.
Before the first online lesson
As music teachers you should be suitably prepared before the first lesson from home. Nothing would be worse in this case than poor sound or an overall impression that reaches the person on the other end. Please note that the beginner may not yet be able to differentiate how the tone or the technique to be taught should ideally sound or look. Basically you only need a functioning laptop, a tablet or smartphone as well as a reasonably stable internet connection. Of course you could also simply hold your guitar in front of your smartphone's lens, but with this rudimentary solution the audio quality would noticeably suffer.
As a first step, as a music teacher you should look at which signals and image sections the person on the other end needs to receive in order to achieve an optimal practice result. Make sure that your guitar sound and the tone of your voice reach your student as well as possible. To be able to see any fretting techniques or other adjustments on the guitar, your instrument should be in the webcam's focus. Also please ensure sufficient lighting. Your students won't benefit if they have to guess the guitar chord shapes :)
Compact interfaces: The interface between human and machine!
We recommend mixing the audio signals to be transmitted as best as possible before forwarding them to the computer, tablet or smartphone. As in a classic recording situation, mixing desks are best suited for this purpose. As you can imagine, there are mixing desks and interfaces nowadays in abundance with different feature sets. For simplicity, today we'd like to recommend only compact and practical variants in the lower to mid price range.
The interfaces in this guide are about being able to mix several audio signals separately in volume and to transmit the result as a sum into the computer, tablet or smartphone so that the person on the other end — the student — receives a clearly differentiated audio signal and can form the best overall impression of the online lesson. All listed interfaces allow you to mix at least two signals and to send them into the computer with ease.
Microphone check: one, two – one, two
When it comes to microphones the choice — surprise — is similarly large as with mixing desks or interfaces. For an easy start to get both the voice and the acoustic guitar into the computer, tablet or smartphone, we have practical USB and smartphone microphones and adapters in our range.
We nevertheless recommend opting for the interface solution here and choosing a microphone with an XLR or jack connector. These can generally be connected to the interfaces mentioned above without complications and mixed in level accordingly and without additional software. We've put together a selection of microphones here that are reasonable in terms of quality and price.
Studio headphones to the rescue! The perfect listening experience!
To perceive your own sound, but also your student's, optimally and clearly, we'd like to recommend some affordable studio headphones. Studio headphones are designed to reproduce sound as uncoloured as possible. Professionals use these headphones to check their recording session mix for flaws in the sound image and to blend the different tracks and frequencies smoothly. Simple hi‑fi or smartphone headphones will certainly do at first, but if you're already adjusting your setup we'd recommend these models for an optimal monitoring situation.
Something more than you need for online lessons, but perfectly matched!
One, two, three – recording! With these handy complete kits the entry into the world of online music lessons and the first recording sessions is only a click away. These recording bundles combine an audio interface with multiple inputs and outputs, a solid studio microphone including headphones for monitoring as well as simple recording software in one. Additional accessories may be included depending on the configuration. With these complete recording sets you'll be well equipped beyond the online lesson to record demo songs and so‑called play‑alongs for your students. So why not kill two birds with one stone and take your setup to the next level.
Are you ready for the first online music lesson?
If you have any further questions on the subject, don't hesitate to contact our specialist departments in Walldorf and Frankfurt or to post your questions under our tutorial video. In our Guide on podcasting, gaming and video production you'll surely find one or two more useful tips for your online music lessons.
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