Lessons on Skype

Caimanson · #1 02-11-2008, 01:03 PM

Hi,

Has anyone tried online lessons through Skype or a similar interface??? (either teaching or taking lessons)

I want to do something about my musical stagnation but I haven't had lessons for a long, long time, and this looks like a good way to start.

I like the idea of not having to travel and the big choice of instructors living in other areas or countries, I can even have them in English or Spanish!

Do you have any experience with this?

hunta · #2 02-11-2008, 01:35 PM

I haven't but that's an interesting idea. The only limitation would be the sound quality I think. You could certainly teach a lot of things this way, but subtleties of tone and more advanced techniques it would be tough. If either end has a bad internet connection it might be really tough.

meev992 · #3 02-11-2008, 01:46 PM

I played for my friend the other day via MSN, he was giving me his knowledge about the fretboard.

Then again, I'm already well versed about bass, so I only think this works with two people who have been playing for a while.

Deacon_Blues · #4 02-11-2008, 02:03 PM

Complete vocal institute in Copenhagen offers lessons over skype to singers all over the world for €65. I would hesitate to have a lesson over skype though, unless I had a faster and more stable internet connection. A few times when I have been talking to a friend of mine, his voice has become pitched up a little - not very much but the difference was clearly audible. Sounded pretty funny.

After a while it got back to normal and then again it speeded up, went back and continued in the same way. Funny thing is that we both lived in the same town when that happened. Perhaps it was his computer....

I've actually once given a guitar lesson by chatting on msn. It was just for fun for a friend in Swede.n

We didn't see or hear each other, I just told her what to do on with her hands. I think she learned something..

hunta · #5 02-11-2008, 02:25 PM

Wow, vocal lessons over skype? Does that go something like this?

Teacher: Ok, sing at measure 58 please.
Student: Aaaaa *crackle* *pop* aaaaaaaaa *distort* *crackle*
Teacher: Terrible! Again.

damianerskine · #6 02-11-2008, 02:30 PM

I've given quite a few lessons via Skype to folks all over the world. It works well. I invoice via paypal prior to the lessons. I've only lost connection once or twice, but it's easy to reconnect. The hardest part is getting a quality perspective from the webcam so you can really see what one is doing, but it's definitely a decent way to go!