Skype and FaceTime lessons are a great way to get private one-to-one tuition from the comfort of your own home.
I started teaching via Skype/FaceTime when I moved from Greater Manchester, England to Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland and some of my students wanted to continue their lessons with me. This has been extremely effective, and I have prepared students for graded exams for Rockschool and ABRSM up to grade 8. I also teach many students that want to learn just for the fun of playing.
Over the past 5 years of teaching Skype guitar lessons and FaceTime guitar lessons, I have created a large catalogue of online lessons that I provide to my online students via my private student area. Each student has access to their own bespoke private practice sheets, scale sheets and chord sheets. As students progress they get access to more lessons with detailed information about what to practice during the week in their practice logs. Students can download sheet music, chord sheets and audio files. Videos are also used and can be accessed online at any time. Students can also contact me through their practice logs if they have any questions about their practice. Why not have a peek at the student area?
When it comes to online one-to-one music lessons the two main players are Skype and FaceTime. Which one you use is dependent on what computer or tablet you are using (or even your TV!), which is easiest for you to use and sometimes just which one is working! I’ll run through some of the pros and cons of both and you can decide which is best for you. If you need any advice, please feel free to contact me.
Skype
Pros
- I can send you files and links directly in the app. There is no need to open your mail to retrieve any files I send during your lesson.
- I can share my screen with you so you can see what I see. This comes in handy if I am showing you how to use some cool music software to make your learning more fun.
- You can use it on both Windows PCs and Macs.
- You can use it on your TV if you have a smart TV and webcam or your Xbox if you have a Kinect installed. I look great in high definition on a 50-inch screen! 😉
Cons
- It needs installing on your PC, Mac or tablet/iPad. It’s fine if you know how to do it, but not if you don’t!
FaceTime
Pros
- It comes pre-installed on all Mac devices so no need to install or configure it. In the words of Steve Jobs, “It just works.”
- It’s easy to use.
Cons
- It only works on Macs. If you have a Windows or Android device you can’t use it.
- I can’t share files with you in the app. I have to send them via email meaning you need top open another app to get any files.