Are Online Piano Lessons An Effective Source For Learning How To Play The Piano?

What exactly to do online piano lessons consist of?

Online piano lessons usually consist of a series of video tutorials, written guides, & basic diagrams that can be easily accessible from your computer.

Sometimes, fancy software will be included that will supposedly skyrocket your skills to levels beyond your wildest dreams. However, there's no such thing as a push-button software when it comes to learning how to play the piano.

The piano is very simple to learn once you fully understand 3 basic principles:

Chords, Chord tones, & Basic Rhythm

The good news is these are very simple concepts to wrap your head around. The bad news is that it's going to take practice before your fingers will be able to play them.

Are online piano lessons effective?

Think of it this way. You can either take private lessons for $40-$100 an hour, or you can get instant access to a set of videos that will teach you the exact same thing for 1/10th of the price.

If you're highly motivated and are prepared to teach yourself then online lessons are just for you. You will be surprised at how quickly and easily you will progress all on your own. You'll never have performance anxiety because all your practicing and learning will be on your own at your own time. You can secretly learn the piano in your free time, then out of the blue, impress all your friends and family!

If you are the kind of person that needs constant feedback and custom tailored lessons, then you may want to look into private lessons (if your budget allows it). This is also an intense process. Private lessons are not always necessarily better. Sometimes you will have to go through several teachers before you find the one that suits your needs. More importantly, you'll have to set aside specific hours of the day to meet with your teacher.

How to get feedback when learning on your own

Although it's fun being able to learn on your own and seeing yourself improve, sometimes you will need a motivational lift to keep practicing or some practical criticism. Here is what I recommend you do:

First of all, find an effective online piano program that suits your needs (pop, jazz, classical, etc.)

Stick exactly to the program. As you begin to see yourself improve and are able to play full songs, RECORD yourself!

Take your recordings and post them on YouTube. Join some piano forums and link them to your YouTube video to get some feedback and criticism. Not only will this be extremely helpful in telling you what you should adjust in your playing style, but it's also really exciting and motivating. I guarantee you will notice that you're a lot better than you think are. Plus, as you get better, you will be able to go back and look at your first few videos. That's the most exciting part. To see noticeable results.