If you and your child have a busy schedule or you’re on a tight budget, piano classes online might be the right option for you both. But how do you keep your kid engaged in music lessons from home?! While it can be tough for children to focus during online music lessons, the secret is making it fun and engaging for them. Read on to learn our top 5 tips to making piano lessons online more fun for your child!
1. Create A Dedicated Space
To get the most out of their piano lessons online, your child should have a dedicated space in your home where they can take their courses and practice. Because they will be practicing every day and taking a lesson at least once a week, a space specifically for their music can make all the difference.
Choose The Right Space
You don’t need to have a spare room to create a music space. Even a small corner of a room can work just fine! Do keep in mind that they will be creating noise so whatever space you choose should allow that.
Remove Any Distractions
Ideally, your child’s music space will be as free of outside distractions as possible. This means a less-trafficked area where they won’t hear any noise from the TV or people talking.
Make It Fun!
Music is meant to be fun which means their space should be too! Collaborate with your child on what they want their music space to look like. Whether it’s filling it with posters of their favourite musicians, making it colourful, or even adding in a record player–help them make it their own space to focus on the beauty of music-making.
Once your child has a space they can feel comfortable to take their online piano lessons and practice in, they’ll be able to focus on building their skills and having fun playing music.
2. Take The Online Piano Lesson With Them
If your child is under the ages of 8-10 years old, it can be both fun and beneficial for them to have you take their online piano lessons with them. Children are very good at learning and taking on new skills but they may need help focusing and putting their skills into practice. This is especially true with virtual piano classes where the instructor isn’t in the room with them. Being near to your kid during their lessons will help keep them focused, motivated to learn, and entertained when you’re involved!
Being present during their online music lessons can also help younger children break out of their shell quicker. Oftentimes, young children get shy and are reluctant to try something they’re unfamiliar with. Taking piano lessons online with your child will make them feel more comfortable to try new things and take risks!
3. Pick The Right Music
The type of music your child plays is everything. If your kid is learning music that they don’t like, they will most likely become uninterested in playing and distance themselves from their lessons and practice. Before starting their virtual piano lessons, sit down and talk with your child to see what type of music they want to play. While not everything will be available to them from the very beginning, you can let their instructor know what they’re interested in so they can customize their lesson plans. Here at Greater Toronto Music School, we always take personal music preferences into account when creating the perfect lessons for each person.
And this goes for practice time too! We’ve rounded up the top 10 beginner songs for kids to play on the piano here. If they are a little older or have a more mature taste in music, check out these easy popular songs to play on the piano for both children and adults alike!
4. Interactive Games Away From The Piano
Just because they’re learning the piano doesn’t mean they have to sit at one for their entire lesson and/or practice time! Engaging in physical activities away from the piano can be just as helpful and even more entertaining than actually playing it. Creating an out-of-the-box and creative experience for your child will help keep them engaged and excited when it’s time to sit back down at the piano. For example, you can incorporate a hand exercise routine into the lesson plan to strengthen hands before jumping in. You can also engage them in fun speed and agility exercises that make learning and developing new skills into a game. And of course, you could also encourage dancing! Dancing is such a fun way to release any negative feelings or pent up energy. Play their favourite music before or after their online piano lesson to keep the fun going!
5. Rewards For New Skills
Many parents will reward their kids for achievements in their schoolwork but achieving new goals in their music lessons is important and should be rewarded too! Learning how to play the instrument has such a huge impact on their brain development and social skills. Encouraging your child through rewards will help push them forward to keep attending their online piano lessons and practicing. And rewarding them doesn’t have to be expensive! It could be as simple as watching their favourite movie after a lesson, indulging in their favourite snack after a great practice or taking them for a fun day at the park. At the end of the day, children just want to have fun and the combination of an interactive lesson plan and fun rewards after is the ideal situation for them!
Think your child is ready to take piano lessons online? Reach out to us today at Greater Toronto Music School where we offer top of the line virtual piano lessons! We personalize our online piano lessons to each student to accommodate their music preferences, needs, skill levels, and learning style. We offer piano lessons for people of any age and skill levels from beginner to expert! Our piano lessons online are extremely engaging and allow students to connect with their instructor when needed. Call us today to learn if virtual piano lessons are right for your child!
