In this article I will discuss the best equipment and software to use for online piano lessons. While the ability to take piano lessons online can be useful, especially for busy people, it is important to make sure that the equipment, software, and setup are suitable, so that we can get the best possible experience.
How to set up the equipment for best results
First and foremost is the setup. To get the best results from online lessons, the teacher needs to see your hands, your posture, and the keys from your keyboard or piano. This is so that they can ensure that you are sitting and playing correctly from the start. If the teacher cannot see your hands, for instance, they cannot tell if you may be using the wrong fingering to play scales or whether your wrist may be slouching.
To succeed in piano lessons, we must establish good technique from the very beginning. If basic problems are only discovered later, after they become a problem, it can be very difficult to put them right. Bad habits can become ingrained patterns of behaviour; when this happens, we may have to spend many months working on correcting these issues. For this reason, set up the webcam so the teacher can see your hands and wrists and, thereby, make sure you are using proper technique from the start.
What equipment works best for lessons
So, having decided on the setup, what equipment do we need? And which specific brands would work best for online piano lessons? Let us have a look below.
Here, we will discuss the ideal setup. Clearly, there may be other factors, such as budget, availability, and space. But, in general, this description will provide an idea of the sort of equipment that will work for online piano lessons.
The first thing any student needs is a separate webcam. It is possible to use devices such as tablets and phones with or without a detached webcam, which we will cover below. For this section, however, let us assume you have a laptop with an available USB port. The best webcam that will not stretch your budget is: Logitech C920S HD Pro Webcam. This camera offers a good, clear and wide image. It also comes with a physical cover, which will reassure you that no one can see anything through it when you do not want them to. This item can be found on Amazon here.
Logitech C920S HD Pro Webcam A tripod. Depending on your personal set up, you may or may not need a tripod. It is possible to attach the C920S to the top of a laptop screen if you can position the laptop correctly. But if not, you may need a tripod. There are two options I will suggest here, since the size required will depend on the space available. The first is the Joby GorillaPod. This small tripod is a versatile piece of equipment that can stand on a table-top, be wrapped around a music stand or other prop, or be situated to suit any other irregular requirement. Its legs can be shaped to suit any angle. This item can be found here on Amazon.
Joby GorillaPod The second option is any full-size tripod, if a small one just will not do the task. These can be obtained without much greater cost, just ensure the attachment head uses a standard screw size.
Next, we need a laptop. Any laptop with at least 8GB of RAM and Windows 11 compatible should do. But for the specific options above, a tablet, iPad, or phone will not work. If you look at this example from Amazon, you can see the type of computer that would work.
HP Windows 11 laptop with 8GB RAM and Intel Core i5 Finally, I use Zoom for my online piano lessons. This software is relatively stable and has a number of useful features. It is best to download the software rather than relying on links and an internet browser. The reason for this is that the browser version of this software does not offer the full range of customisable features. In particular, it is much more difficult to turn of the noise suppression feature in the browser than on the desktop app, which you will want to do for online lessons as it frequently filters the piano sound otherwise.
How to set up an iPad or phone for online piano lessons
To set up your phone, the GorillaPod mentioned above is your best option. This comes with a detachable bracket for holding phones and iPhones. The flexibility of the tripod will allow you to choose the best angle to keep your hands and wrists in frame for the whole lesson.
For iPads and tablets of similar size, there a two good options available.
The first option is to use a boom arm that can be attached, by screw-mount, to any table, shelf, or suitable surface. The following example, linked here, from Amazon should give you a clear idea.
Boom arm with iPad adapter. The second option is to use full-size tripod with a suitable iPad adapter, or one specifically designed for iPads. This example should offer you a good idea of what to get.
"Gooseneck" Tripod with iPad stand.
With both of these options, you will have sufficient flexibility to ensure a good camera angle for piano lessons carried out online. These ideas are intended only to guide you in the correct way to setup your equipment; variations on these would be perfectly fine. Ultimately, the one thing that matters is that the piano teacher can see your hands, wrists, posture, and the piano/keyboard keys.
Conclusion
As you can see, while in-person piano lessons are always preferable from a learning point of view, online lessons can also offer great advancement for pianists of all skill levels if everything is set up correctly. It is worth noting that while Zoom is available on Android and OSX, the options for turning off the noise suppression system are more limited. So that would be another thing to bear in mind.
If there is one thing you take away from this article, it should be this: sign up for lessons. If you can, sign up in-person with a local teacher. If that is not possible, sign up for online lessons. To borrow from the title of a popular piano method: it is never too late to learn piano!
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