Technology Tips for Online Music Lessons

By Robert Boer, Director of MusicTutorOnline.

Teacher of Piano and Music Theory at MusicTutorOnline.

Tips for the use of technology BEFORE and DURING your online music lessons.

BEFORE YOUR LESSON

It is helpful to restart your device before class.

1. Flushes RAM

2. Speeds up performance

3. Stops memory leaks

4. It resets the internet connection

Other recommendations to take into consideration before the start of your lessons.

1. Place your device as close to your WiFi router as possible.

2. If you ever experience connection problems during your online music lessons, try connecting your device directly to your router using an Ethernet cable.

Many outside factors influence WiFi connections, and even high-speed internet connections can lack the stability needed for video calling if external factors affect your WiFi signal. Therefore, we recommend using an Ethernet cable for a stable connection. Depending on your device, you may need an adapter. For example, an "Ethernet-USB adapter" would be the most common. Your Ethernet cable plugs into one end, and the other end goes into an available USB port on your device. Some devices already have an Ethernet port, so in that case, only an Ethernet cable would suffice. Lastly, there are different types of USB ports as well. If you are unsure about your computer's specifications, please refer to your computer manual or consult with your local dealer for guidance.

Not often talked about, but essential, is that your internet speed consists of two types of speed: the download speed (used in advertising by internet providers) and the upload speed. The upload speed is essential, as that is the speed used for video conferencing. You can check both speeds by doing a simple "internet speed test" and finding out if your upload speed is stable. The recommended minimum upload speed is 5Mbps. You can check your internet speed here: https://www.speedtest.net/

WiFi slows down your speeds. A cabled Ethernet connection is always faster and more reliable, and can help give you the best possible online music learning experience.

DURING YOUR LESSON

One final essential technology tip for your online music lessons is to close all unnecessary applications during your music lesson's video conference call. Open applications that you don't use during the lesson can slow down your device or cause other minor problems.

If you, as our valued student, at any time, have any questions regarding the use of tech, don't hesitate to contact us at support@musictutoronline.com

For further reading, please refer to our tips on creating an effective setup for online music lessons.

Read More

For more tips on learning music online, visit MusicTutorOnline's Blog at https://www.musictutoronline.com/blog (blog category "Learning Music Online.")

Robert Boer

Director of MusicTutorOnline

©MusicTutorOnline