Making the Most of Your Video Lesson


It's inevitable that once in a while we will have a conflict with piano lesson schedules. When this happens, you can request a recorded video lesson to do at your convenience. 

And let me tell you, I love these as an alternative to missing lessons, because they keep your piano kid's progress and momentum going, PLUS it is one less thing for you to reschedule, and it takes so much the stress out of those "oh no, we have a conflict!" realizations knowing we have a solid backup plan.

So today's blog post is all about what's in a recorded video lesson, and how to make the most of it. 

First up, what do I put in a recorded video lesson? Well, using your assignments from the previous week, I will record a video that's about 15-20 minutes long, and typically choose:
  • an updated technical exercise
  • expand on our method book piece, or add a new one
  • same with repertoire
  • and if applicable, a theory game

Depending on your student & what they are working on at that time, this list may vary a little bit, but that is usually my basic lesson plan. 

So, what do you do with your video when you've received it? Here's what I recommend: 
  1. Choose a time when your student has a good 30-45 minutes free, and turn off all other distractions. Have an assignment sheet & pencil ready.
  2. Set up your computer, phone or tablet near the piano where the student can easily see it while sitting on the bench. (note: if using your phone, you will need to surrender it for the whole lesson time, so your piano kid can focus without interruptions)
  3. Hit play on the video and after each segment, your piano kid can pause the video to practice through what has been demonstrated a couple times and write it on the assignment sheet for that week.
  4. Feel free to rewind sections of the video to watch again as needed. And if duet parts have been recorded into it they can be used to practice all week. 
  5. Your piano kid will use the assignment sheet they made from the video to practice throughout the week until their next lesson.
So hopefully that helps anyone who might be intimidated by the idea of a video lesson. I know your kids are piano smart & screen savvy, so let's just treat it like a formal lesson with me, make notes on the new assignments, and keep that piano progress moving forward for the next week!
 
If you have a student in my studio & would like to see a sample of a video lesson, let me know, and I can share one with you. 
*Please keep in mind that these recorded video lessons are intended for the student's private use, and are not public, so links should not be shared beyond my discretion.