Are Online Music Lessons a Better Value than Taking from a Live Teacher?
Posted by steadmanklondike on June 4th, 2013
The proliferation of online services that are revolutionizing the way we do everything from shopping, to programming to finding a spouse is, of course, old news. This is the new normal and exciting world we live in and, it seems, it touches nearly every aspect of our lives in some way. So if a computer algorithm can help us find the right mate, maybe it can help us learn to play guitar – and perhaps save us thousands of dollars in the process!
First some clarification: I am only trying to decide which is the better VALUE, not whether in-person music lessons yield better results than online music lessons. Even most sites offering online guitar or piano lessons say right up front that the best way to learn an instrument is directly from a qualified music teacher. So it seems the argument as to which is BETTER is already conceded, but while many people might concede that a Mercedes is intrinsically a better car than a KIA, the question of which is a better VALUE is probably more to the point for most car-buyers. So the question here is which method allows you to gain the most musical skill per dollar.
Private music lessons on guitar, piano or violin can range from $80/mo. to upwards of $240 depending on lesson length, qualifications of the teacher and add-ons whereas online music lesson subscriptions usually range from free to $20/mo. In addition, there are many perks to online lessons that are not available from a private teacher:
Take your lesson whenever you like
Take lessons in your own home
Learn only what you want to learn
Hundreds or even thousands of accompaniment tracks to liven up your practice
With all of these advantages it may come as a surprise that I am going to recommend in-person lessons as the hands down winner in terms of actual dollar value when it comes to learning an instrument. Why? For the simple reason that teaching is an art form that, it it’s core, is based on intelligent and constructive feedback about how the learner is doing.
Teaching a complex skill like classical guitar or blues piano is much more than simply providing information – it involves hundreds of interactions in which the student tries something, get’s feedback, makes a small correction and tries again. Oftentimes this feedback isn’t even in the form of words: For example, if a student is dragging the beat the teacher may instinctively lay into the bass of the accompaniment a little harder giving the student the feedback that they need to pick up the pace. This is something even the most sophisticated online lesson system can never do. More importantly, a teacher can make small adjustments in your technique that might seem minor at first, but can save you from technique problems or even severe pain later on. A teacher might reach over and say, “Here, hold it like this,” or “You’re bending your wrist too much,” and solve a problem before it begins.
In addition, many of the “advantages” listed above are the very reason online lessons so often fail: For most busy people, having no particular schedule for a lesson and no accountability to practice means that practice will happen sporadically at best. The accountability of having an appointment with another human being (especially one you like) keeps you coming back and making progress. Similarly, getting to pick the songs and styles you want to learn assumes that you know exactly what you want to learn and what the next right step for you really is. Frequently a teacher who gets to know a student well and has spent their entire life studying music will be able to suggest musical paths that were unknown to the student, but are vastly more satisfying than that what the student already knew. Isn’t that one of the main reasons to seek out an expert in the first place? To learn what we didn’t even know we didn’t know?
Author Bio:
Klondike Steadman is a director at Orpheus Academy of Music in Austin TX.
Orpheus Academy of Music is an after-school music academy offering private lessons and Group Classes In Guitar, Piano, Violin and Voice to students of all ages.
