Keyboard Teaching: The Online or Offline Debate

If you are someone looking to learn the keyboard, then you have 2 main options to go to. You can either go through the offline means, which includes attending classes in a music school, or looking for a private instructor who specializes in keyboard teaching; or you can purchase the online home study courses. Opinions are generally divided about the two available options, so let us compare the pros and cons of them respectively.

Online Keyboard Teaching

Main Benefit – Cheap and good Most online keyboard courses require just a one off payment, as compared to the hourly rates charged by private keyboard teachers. This single purchase often includes all the necessary learning materials a keyboard player needs rather than a continuous process of buying. Online courses are also known for their comprehensive materials, that ensures progress across all levels. Secondary Benefit – Convenience Online keyboard courses make their materials available through the internet, so that people do not need to travel out of their house to have access. It allows flexibility for those on a tight schedule as well. Weakness – Lack of interaction and

direct guidance

As most materials were prepared and recorded beforehand, learning from the online courses means that you cannot interact with the teacher as promptly and freely. You also have to look out for yourself most of the time as you will not have a teacher sitting next to you to correct your mistakes readily.

Offline Keyboard Teaching

Main Benefit – Attentive guidance The hand-holding approach applied by most offline teachers is popular because it provides security for the beginners who are afraid to make mistakes. Getting first hand attention and guidance can also accelerate improvements as students are taught in real time.

Secondary Benefit – Focus on learning only

If you learn from keyboard from offline classes, you can rely on the teacher to plan your syllabus and help you track your progress. Basically, all you need is to focus your efforts on practicing and playing.

Weakness – Extremely expensive

The rates for group lessons are around $30 per hour, and $90 to $100 an hour for private instructors. This is a huge amount to pay for considering that most people require more than hundreds of hours to be really adept on the keyboard.

The jury is still not out on which is the better option of keyboard teaching for beginners. In my opinion, it is entirely personal and heavily dependent on what you actually seek from your education. The most ideal scenario is of course, combine both options together and use the online course as home study materials while attending keyboard lessons at the same time.