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The Pros and Cons of Online Guitar Lessons

Online technology has provided almost unlimited access to musicians and music education that was not available even a few generations ago. Currently, there is a wealth of information literally at each person’s fingertips. One such opportunity is the availability of online guitar lessons.

As with almost any option, there are advantages and disadvantages to consider. For the purposes of this discussion, the focus will be on the pros and cons of taking private online lessons with a guitar instructor (as opposed to an in-person private lesson and/or a group session).

Before discussing the most important aspect, which is the quality of the guitar lessons, let’s discuss some logistical benefits of online lessons. Two immediate benefits pertain to both time and travel. As the lesson is being conducted electronically, travel and the time to commute to the lesson have been eliminated from the equation. If a student was taking lessons at a teaching facility, in addition to the length of the lesson, additional time is necessary to travel both to and from the teaching facility. There are also additional costs associated with commuting, such as gas, and in some cases, parking fees. Other than the time used taking the lesson, all other time and travel costs have been eliminated.

In most instances, another benefit of online lessons is the convenience of being able to take each lesson from the comfort of your own home. The reason this is a benefit “in most instances” is because there may be the possibility of unwanted distractions occurring in the home environment. In most cases, however, the student should benefit from taking lessons in their comfortable home environment.

Another perk of taking online lessons is the healthy learning environment. Pandemics aside, under normal conditions, music instructors do interact with multiple students throughout each day. It is not always readily apparent if one or more students are not feeling well and attend their in-person lesson. The instructor may not be aware that they have been exposed to anything from a cold on up and will inadvertently expose the next student(s) to an unpleasant situation. Online lessons eliminate this risk to both the teacher and each student.

Typically, online lessons are less likely to be cancelled. Common reasons for last-minute cancellations are usually related to illness, inclement weather and/or travel issues. These instances are greatly reduced with online lessons.

Now it’s time to get to the meat and potatoes of this discussion, items specific to the quality of the lessons. As the student no longer has to worry about commuting to their lesson, a major perk is that the student can practice/prepare for the lesson right up to the lesson start time. The student will be sufficiently warmed up for the start of the lesson.

Additionally, once the lesson has ended, the student is able to continue practicing and immediately apply what they have just learned during the lesson. Being able to practice while the lesson is still fresh in their mind is an important perk that isn’t usually available when a student has to commute home post lesson.

Although in most instances a private in-person lesson is more advantageous, a major upside to online guitar lessons is that a student is able to have a private lesson whereas it may not have otherwise been available. For example, the student may not have access to transportation or the teacher’s location is too far away. Previously, this would mean that the student would not have access to private lessons. With technology being what it is today, the opportunity to take lessons would still exist. On a grand scale, students from all over the world can have access to the teacher of their choice.

Another positive of online private lessons is that it allows each student to receive the instructor’s undivided attention. This benefits the student greatly (as opposed to group lessons and or student self-learning). The student is in a learning environment where their development is the primary focus of each lesson.

Lastly, here are a few remaining logistical items relating to online lessons. Although this may be available in other learning situations, lesson materials, such as an mp3 file or sheet music, can be provided electronically. Additionally, as payment will be performed electronically, the student doesn’t have to worry about running to the bank for money prior to heading to their lesson at the teacher’s location. Electronic payment is convenient for the both the teacher and the student.

Now it’s time to look at some of the less advantageous aspects relating to online guitar lessons. Most guitar instructors likely prefer to be in the same location as the student. It is the best method for both observing and listening to the student as they play their instrument. Many of the disadvantages of online lessons relate to the teacher and student being in different locations.

As the teacher and student cannot observe each other as clearly as they would if it were an onsite lesson, this can make it somewhat difficult for the instructor to observe the student and assist the student in proper adjustments. Examples of this include:

The student’s playing posture
How the student is holding their pick
Thumb placement of the fretting hand on the guitar neck
The student’s hand position
The students finger placement on the fretboard

To summarize, some instructors have been known to stand up and walk around in order to observe the student’s playing mechanics (as well as physically assisting the student with necessary adjustments). This is not possible using online lessons. The teacher can only guide the student and/or demonstrate proper technique, but is reliant on the student being able to make the adjustment(s) based on the teacher’s instructions.

Although many guitar tuners currently exist, beginning students sometime have trouble being able to tune their guitar. As they are at different locations, the instructor cannot assist the student by manually tuning their guitar for them. A properly tuned instrument is important so that performances will sound correct and so that the student can develop their musical ear.

The remaining issues are more technology-related. As the lessons will be conducted via the internet, it may be difficult for the teacher to play along with the student. Each person would have to get their playing volume just right. Additionally, in some instances, this may not even be possible. This is all dependent on the site being used to conduct/view the lessons, the speed of the computer in use on each end, computer latency, modem/cable speeds, speakers in use on each computer, and possible other factors. Lastly, there are instances when the internet just isn’t available at the scheduled lesson time.

While there clearly are advantages and disadvantages to taking online private guitar lessons, this is a viable option that should be strongly considered. The main points to consider are the added value of the teacher and student being in the same location for each lesson versus the convenience of being able to learn from the comfort of your home, not having to deal with commuting issues, and having access to a more qualified instructor that may not being available locally. The most important thing, though, is for you to find a teaching situation that fits your needs.

Why Choose Ron Parent?

Ron Parent offers quality lessons at a reasonable price. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music, teaches superior guitar technique, and is able to provide additional music theory that equals or exceeds other teaching facilities. Teaching lessons at his home studio allows for a cost savings equivalent to students getting a free lesson each month as compared to the prices charged at other teaching establishments.

Ron is also available to provide off-site teaching and welcomes the opportunity to teach students who receive their education in a home-schooled environment.

Ron provides each student with the proper level of music theory to help them achieve their goals and objectives. A goal for all students is to develop into a well-rounded musician who learns not only proper playing technique, but also obtains a valuable working knowledge of music and music theory.

As a result of Ron’s personal experience playing with bands from various music genres, he has an excellent understanding of various styles of music. He has an expanded perspective of stringed instruments based on his experience playing lead, rhythm, and acoustic guitar, as well as some slide guitar and bass. Ron’s keyboard abilities also enhance his understanding of each instrument’s role in ensemble playing.

Ron is also experienced in songwriting and home recording.

Taking Guitar Lessons with Ron Parent

Ron Parent’s lessons are designed for students of various levels, from beginners interested in learning how to play the guitar to more advanced players interested in improving their guitar-playing skills. Regardless of skill level, every student can benefit by taking lessons with a guitar instructor like Ron as opposed to self-learning using a lesson book, CD, or DVD. Personal guitar instruction prevents the development of improper guitar technique and bad habits.

There are pros and cons to both group and private lessons. To progress as a guitar player, students should attend lessons on a regular, consistent basis, regardless of whether it is group sessions or private lessons.

What is expected of you:

Be open and honest about your playing level and current skills. If you’ve never attempted to play, that’s fine. That’s what guitar lessons are for!

Have an idea of your initial focus. If you are a beginner, you’ll want to learn the basics and how to get started.

Understand that there is no prescribed rate of learning. You will progress at a pace that is comfortable for you, understanding that it takes time and practice to learn how to play the guitar and to improve your guitar-playing skills.

Over the course of sessions, some music theory may be necessary. Like many other things you’ve learned in your past experiences, everything may not make total sense right away. Eventually you’ll experience the “a-ha moment.”

Please be considerate of your instructor’s time. While everyone understands that life happens, if something comes up and you will not be able to attend a session, please inform Ron as soon as possible.

If the lessons are not meeting your expectations, please inform Ron so that he can realign the lessons to meet your needs.

The Pros and Cons of Group Guitar Lessons

There are many advantages to taking group guitar lessons. First of all, learning together is fun and can build camaraderie, plus questions posed by students can provide additional insight to the other students in the group session. Students can discuss topics with each other outside of the sessions and even get together to play and practice. Friendly competitions may develop in group sessions, resulting in students practicing more diligently in an effort to play as well or better than others in the group.

Students who participate in group sessions will also be more comfortable playing in front of other people when the opportunity arises. Having already played in front of other students, solo performance should come easier to a group session participant than one who has never performed in front of others.

Additionally, group lessons are offered at a lower price, so the initial investment is less than private sessions.

While there are many benefits to group lessons, there can also be drawbacks. For example, because each session serves the group as a whole, the sessions progress at the best pace for the majority of the students, which may cause a student to feel that the class is either too fast or too slow for them. Although some individual attention is provided, each student does not receive the personalized instruction in a group session that they would receive in a private lesson. It is also possible that shy students may feel intimidated by the presence of other students and may not participate as fully in the group environment as they would in an individual session.