So you’ve decided to sign up for online clarinet lessons! Great! Having a good setup for your lessons can be immensely helpful in order to get the most out of lessons. Here are 5 of the most important things to have in place for your lessons.
Audio Settings
Before your lesson, be sure to learn about and check your audio settings on the platform you plan to use. For example, if using Zoom for lessons, you’ll want to make sure you spend some time adjusting your audio settings to allow for the “original sound” to come through. Here is a great article that walks you through this step-by-step.
Lighting
The better you can be seen, the better the feedback you’ll receive. (*This applies to the next item below as well!) One very simple thing you can do is turn the lights on in the room you’ll be doing your lessons in. This might sound straight forward, but there are students who like to keep the lights dimmed or off and as the sun sets, their room gets completely darkened as the lesson is taking place.
Also be careful about being backlit. If you have a strong light behind you, you will look like more of a shadow on screen.
You can enhance the lighting in your space by getting a ring light or computer light.
Camera Angle
Setting up your camera so that your face and both your hands can be seen is one of the best things you can do for your online lessons! Do your best to make this happen. It’ll make it so you get even more detailed feedback on your playing, which can lead to faster progress.
Seating
Sitting in the wrong type of chair can lead to improper playing posture. When we sit in front of a computer many of us have a computer chair with arms. For your clarinet lessons it’s best to opt for a chair without arms. This will allow for more freedom in sitting with the correct playing posture. It’ll also keep you from wanting to lean on the arm rests when you get tired!
Communication
Establishing good means of communication from the get-go with your teacher is important whether you’re doing lessons in person or online. But I would say it’s even more important online since the online space is where all of your interactions will happen. Figure out what’s going to be the best way to keep in touch once you’ve gotten lessons started. I like having at least 2 ways of getting to each of my students.
What are some things that have helped you make the most of your online lessons? Comment below and feel free to reach out with questions. Looking to sign up for one-on-one lessons? You can book a lesson with me here!
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