Online vs in-person piano lessons: What’s the difference?

Before Payam Music started teaching piano online, we asked ourselves: can the quality be as high as in-person lessons? Can students progress at the same pace? After running online classes over the last 5 years and having our students still graduating with Diplomas, the answer to both questions was a resounding “yes!”. If you’re choosing between in-person or online lessons, this guide should help inform your decision (if you’re lucky enough to live near one of our schools).

Online and in-person lessons: What’s the same

Private, live and 1:1

Similar to in-person classes, online lessons have one student and one teacher. We believe that the relationship between the student and teacher is what inspires learning, and therefore all lessons are 1:1. Online classes are also live, not pre-recorded or through an app. Again, the relationship and sense of accountability is why our students fall in love with piano. In terms of logistics, classes meet on Zoom at the same day and time weekly. Similar to in-person, classes are 50 minutes.

Curriculum

We use the same award-winning, patent-pending curriculum in our online lessons as we do in our schools. Our curriculum uses alphanumeric notation to make piano accessible and custom arrangements to teach any song. The only way to learn the Payam Method is through our teachers. If you don’t live near a school, online lessons will be the best option to learn at a rate 3x faster than traditional lessons.

Teachers

Many of the same teachers who teach in our schools also teach online. Our teachers range in expertise and we match students with the teacher that best suits their level, interests, curriculum path, and needs. All teachers are trained in the Payam Method and follow the same curriculum as our in-person classes.

Rate of progress

To be honest, we were pleasantly surprised when our online students progressed at the same rate as our in person students over the last 5 years. We’ve had our students graduating at reaching Diploma level in the same 4 year average that we see take place in our schools. The results confirm that the Payam Method is just as effective over Zoom as it is with a teacher sitting in the same room.

Online and in-person lessons: What’s different

Minimum student age

In-person lessons start at age 4, but online lessons start at age 7. Why? Our teachers are literally hands on with our youngest students (age 4-6), teaching them where to put their fingers on the keys. Even during in-person lessons, the teachers don’t place older students’ hands on keys because they’re able to do it successfully with simple instructions. The other reason online lessons start at age 7 is we’ve found that older students stay engaged without a grown-up in the room to redirect their attention.

Tech set up

Students will need a few things to make their online lessons a success:

• Keyboard or piano: See our recommendations
• Tablet (preferred) or laptop: You’ll be propping the tablet on your piano where sheet music normally goes so the teacher can both talk with the student and share music.
• Cell phone: We’ll be using the phone’s camera and audio for the lesson. A parent’s phone is fine!
• Cell phone stand: The stand will make sure the teacher has a clear view of the student. Feel free to use a tripod you already have that’s about 60”.
• Dry erase marker: Used to mark up keys (optional, but great to have)‍
• Keyboard stickers: Another way to label keys (optional)

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More flexibility

Online lessons allow for more options than in-person lessons. First, you can take your lessons from anywhere you have access to a keyboard. Some students take lessons from a grandparents home or a friend’s house. Additionally, there are typically more time options for students with scheduling or commuting constraints.

The most important thing when it comes to piano lessons is just getting started. We offer a free first lesson for both school and online classes. If you’ve been thinking about learning to play, there’s no time like the present! Sign up for a free lesson.

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