Classes of music at home or virtual: how to choose
The two modalities work with good faith and constant practice. We help you choose by age, instrument and routine.
The two modalities work if the teacher is good and there's constant practice. Home classes are ideal for young children, absolute beginners and instruments where the posture is better corrected with the teacher next door. Virtual gain flexibility, save displacement and give you access to teachers that aren't close to your house.
The best choice depends on who to learn, what instrument to play and how its week is. Here we compare both options, we tell you what tools best suit the screen and how to prepare your space so that the virtual class really gives up.
To sum up
- Home classes come with young children, beginners and those who require close and technical correction.
- Virtual classes work well for singing, piano, guitar, music theory and students with some autonomy.
- For a good virtual class you need stable connection, a camera with hands and instrument and an audio with no aggressive noise filters.
- A video call cannot be performed in sync with the teacher by late sign and class is organized by shift.
- Combining modalities, for example start at home and stay online, is a useful and valid choice.
At home or virtual: quick comparison
| Aspecto | At home | Online |
|---|---|---|
| Retirement | The teacher sees from all angles and can guide the place of hands and body at the moment. | It depends on the angle of the camera and the teacher fixes with indications and demonstrations. |
| Desplazamientos | Don't move. Teacher gets to your place. | No one moves and you just need a connection. |
| Horarios | Subjects to the area and to the time of the movement of teacher. | More flexible and easily adjusted to tight agendas. |
| Young children | Ideal: direct contact holds attention and play. | Possible with an adult close by and with his and her best care and assistance. |
| Sound quality | The teacher hears the true sound of the instrument and its nuances. | The audio goes through a bug and an internet and some nuances get lost. |
| Play together | It can be duet and accompanied in real time. | The delay of the sign prevents them from playing in sync and jobs are performed by shift. |
| Teachers options | Limited to those who can get to your area. | You can choose from more teachers, regardless of where they live. |
No "wins" column at all. The useful question is what weighs most in your case: closeness and physical correction, or flexibility and access to more options.
When class at home best
- Children from 3 to 7 years old, especially at musical initiation, where play, movement and visual contact are part of the class.
- Absolute beginners who need to build up their posture from the start.
- Rope instruments as a violin, viola or cello, where the arch grip and the instrument's position are better corrected in person.
- Winds at their initial stage, when the purport needs close observation.
- Families who prefer that the child will learn in his or her own space, with no moves.
An advantage that sometimes goes missing: the teacher knows where you practice and can give you concrete recommendations about the chair, height of the atril or location of the instrument.
When virtual classes best work
- Young and adult with changing or often travelling agendas.
- Students who have a base and have an independent way with them.
- Those who seek a teacher with a specific profile or style that isn't close.
- People living outside the area of cover of face care classes.
- Themes where the screen isn't an obstacle, such as theory, harmony or repertoire preparation.
What tools best suit the virtual class
They adapt very well
[Singing]](/clases/canto)[piano]](/clases/piano), acoustic and electrical guitar, low electrical and [musical theory]](/clases/teoria-musical)In them all, teacher can see what's essential with a good camera and listen with clarity to what you play or sing.
They work with something more care.
Violin, viola, cello and wind as traverse flute, clarinet, saxophone or trumpet. They can be worked in virtual, but the camera should show well the bow or the embocture, and fine tuning best hears with a good microphone. Many students prefer to start presentially and move to virtual as the posture is already established.
Better with face support
Music initiation with young children and percussion. At first, direct contact holds attention and at second, microphones often distort or cut back on high blows. Still with an adult accompanying and good audio tuning, virtual classes can also be made.
How to prepare your space for the virtual class
- Connecting: If you can, connect by cable or close to the router and ask at home that they do not download heavy files during class.
- A side or diagonal camera: The teacher needs to see your hands and instrument. Piano, place them at the side and at the height of the keyboard so that both hands can be seen, guitar and diagonal to see his right and left hand and violin to see his bow and his fingers.
- Audio: disabling noise suppression from video-laminated application and, if available, activates the original sound mode or for musicians. Those filters are designed for the talking voice and can cut long notes or soft sounds.
- Microphone: The computer or cell phone will start with a simple external microphone that greatly improves clarity, especially in singing and wind.
- light: from the front or from the back, never at your back, so that the teacher will see your hands well.
- Hand-held: tuning machine, methonomer, scores or notebooks, pencil and water.
- With children: an adult close at least at first to help with the camera and strengthen indications.
When to combine both modalities
Do not have to choose forever. Many families and students mix both according to the stage of the process:
- Start at home to build posture and habits and move to virtual when there's autonomy.
- Maintain virtual classes while travelling, passing or working weeks, so as to avoid losing their pace.
- Alternate an face-to-face class of technique with virtual sessions of theory or review.
In A medio tono there are virtual and at home classes in and around Bogotá, depending on the availability of each teacher. Teachers directory and if you have some questions about them, questions to choose music teacher They help you to decide. Whatever the modality, what makes the difference most is practice at home with a short routine.
Frequently asked questions
Do virtual music classes serve children?
Yes, especially after age 7 or 8 or after a child has something of his or her base. with the youngest they work best if an adult goes with his or her class, helps with his or her camera and strengthens what his or her teacher says.
Can you play at the same time as teacher in a virtual class?
Even with good connection, the sign comes with a small delay that makes it impossible to play together in time. That's why class's organized by shift: teacher shows, you play and he gives you indications.
Do I need to buy special equipment for virtual classes?
A computer, tablet or mobile with a camera, a stable connection and a support to place the device from the side are sufficient. A free external microphone is a good improvement if you are to continue with virtual.
Where do you offer A medio tono Home class?
In and around Bogotá, depending on the availability of each teacher. The best thing to do is write about WhatsApp with your area, instrument and schedule.