How to accompany your child in virtual music classes

In a virtual class of music, your role isn't to give the class and to correct above the teacher, but to prepare the ground: that the instrument be tuned, that the camera show what the teacher needs to see, that there are no interruptions and that what you have learned be taught throughout the week. The smaller your child, the closer you have to be.

The guide is organized at three moments, before, during and after class with age and instrument adjustments.

To sum up

Ten minutes of preparation before class save many challenges: tuning, loading, connecting and quiet.
The camera should show what the teacher needs to correct: hands, posture or complete body, as required by the instrument.
During class, close but without intervention: the teacher leads and you help with his request.
The smaller the child, the more advanced the adult, with the older, it's enough to be available.
What happens after that, with his homework and his practice at home, defines how much his class gives up.

Before class: ten minutes that change everything

Connecting right at the hour with the dashboard instrument and a computer without a battery, you will eat a good part of the class. A short routine before each session:

To put an end to the instrument. In violin or guitar, a small child cannot tuning alone and uses [online tuning]](/herramientas/afinador) A few minutes earlier.
Loading device and, if you can, connect it close to the router or by cable.
To have the material at hand: scores, work paper, pencil, draft, atril and, if applicable, baquetes or colophenia.
Solve the basics earlier: bath and water and something to eat, so as to avoid interrupting.
Notify at home: No vacuum cleaner, television or blender at that time.
Silent notifications and connect to them five minutes earlier to have an audio and camera.

The space and camera, in quick version

Teacher can only correct what you see. Before first class, try together where to put the device:

Where to place the camera according to the instrument
Instrumento	Camera location	What to see about teacher
Piano	To a side and a little above the keyboard.	Both hands, posture and feet at the pedal.
Violin	From front and slightly from the side, at a distance that shows the whole instrument.	The complete arch, the left hand and the violin's position.
Guitar	Finger up, up to his chest.	Both hands and sitting posture.
Singing	Front, at the height of his eyes.	The face, neck, shoulders and breathing.
[Music initiation]](/clases/iniciacion-musical)	Further, an open plane.	The whole body, because there's movement and dance.

A technical detail that makes a difference: in the video call, activates the original sound or deactivates noise suppression, that usually cuts the instrument's sound. To go more deeply, check how to prepare your space for virtual classes and what equipment do you need.

During class: close but without intervention

How close you have to be to age:

Adult presence by age
Edad	Where to be	What to do
3 to 5 years	That's next to the child, inside the plane or just outside.	Participate in the games as soon as the teacher wants and help with the instrument and camera.
6 to 8 years	The same room or very close.	Observe, note the task and help only if the teacher so requests.
9 to 12 years	At home and available.	Enter to the start and end and let the child conduct his or her class.
Adolescentes	That's where they choose.	To respect his space and speak with his teacher from time to time.

What should be avoided, even with good intention:

To have his child run while his teacher's talking.
To answer for him when his teacher asks him a question.
Rejog about mistakes or discuss them with another person in the room.
Make other calls or watch television in the same space.
To repeat everything that the teacher says: the child needs to build that relationship directly.

When we have to get back to work

When there's a technical problem: the connection goes down, you don't hear or the camera moved.
When the teacher asks for your help: to accommodate the atril, to tuning a string, to hold the score.
When a child is very frustrated or tiresome: a short pause to drink water can save the class. If it happens after that, speak with his or her teacher.
When the instrument's at risk: a violin about to fall doesn't wait.
With the smaller ones, to help with motion games or to find a key.

A good practice is to agree with teacher, from the first class, what your role will be. Each teacher works differently: some prefer that you are very present and some demand more space for the child to gain autonomy.

After class: The week counts

The class lasts for a while and what happens the other 6 days defines progress.

Ask her to show you what she's learned. right after class or that night: teaching's the best way to review.
Write down the task in the notebook or asks the teacher to send them by message, with the aim of each exercise.
The practice of the week: regular days and time, short sessions.
Record a short video midweek practice, if the teacher agrees to review it.
Keep class recordings only if the teacher agrees with them and always asks before filming.

To organize daily practice, check how to practice music at home.

clear agreements with

A good communication with teacher is also a part of accompanying. It should be agreed from the beginning:

That's why they're talking and how soon they're talking.
What to do if the connection goes down: Reconnect, move to a call or reset minutes.
How soon a cancellation will be announced.
What's your role during class.
Each how much they talk about progress a few minutes.

Also tell him what's going on at home: a week of high school exams, a practice that didn't work or a song that your child dreams about playing. A medio tono The monitoring's weekly, so that information gets in time to set up the following class. If you're still deciding how to format, at [online music classes]](/clases-de-musica-online) We'll tell you how they work.

Frequently asked questions

How old can a child have virtual music classes?

From a small age, as long as an adult goes with them. Between 3 and 5 years old, the virtual class works best with the adult next to them and about 9 years old, many children have been managing the class with quite an autonomy.

What tools work well with children's virtual classes?

Piano, guitar, singing, violin and musical initiation are well adapted if the camera and audio are well placed. In very strong instruments, as the drums, we have to have an audio with the teacher before the first class.

Is it better to stay in class or leave my son alone?

It depends on age and child. Your presence with children is necessary and with older people it's enough to be available. The important thing is to agree with his or her teacher and not to be involved with his or her teaching.

What do I do if my child gets distracted a lot at the screen?

Remove other devices from space, close tabs and windows and place the screen so that the child sees his or her teacher well. If his or her distraction continues, talk about them with his or her teacher: shorter classes or with more movement activities can help.