Many adults say to me “I wish I still played music. I learned for a while when I was young but had to give it away”. Well I completely understand that there are time (and money) issues when it comes to learning music. 1:1 learning with a respectable teacher will cost between $25-$35 per half hour and will generally be conducted on a weekly basis with the exception of school holidays. This equates to around $1000 per year. The question is… Is it still worth it to learn in the traditional format when we now have online alternatives?

The answer to this question is becoming more and more blurred as time rolls on. Without question it is most beneficial  to have access to your own tutor who can watch you, assess you and work with you on your own level. However situations on the internet are such now that students can have access to many resources and the once large difference between learning in a live situation to that of a ‘virtual’ nature are being bridged at alarming rates.

The reality is that students in many ways can get a more thorough learning experience from the use of the internet if the tuition is delivered in an appropriate way. Given that learning music is not as simple as picking up an instrument and being shown how to execute sound using a certain technique, it is now in a student’s interest to utilize the resources available on the internet by gaining appropriate tuition in video format covering the various theoretical components. Remember… Music is a language that has many layers. Many of them need not be taught by one person alone. In fact learning all of your ‘tricks’ from one person alone is essentially limiting by today’s standards. Why not use both private tuition and online tuition. This may appear to cost you more but it will actually cost you quite a bit less. Let me explain: When you have access to online video information, you won’t actually need to see a regular teacher every week. Of course you can if you prefer but the reality is that you will become a lot more self sufficient and as such you should only need lessons on a more periodic basis. That needs to be determined by you. It is also worth mentioning that you can also get live lessons online and you can book those in just as you need them. All you need is a camera with sound options and it can be done using Skype.

My suggestion for adult students is to go one of two ways:

1. Gain access to a teacher that can be visited on a regular or semi-regular basis and use those lessons in conjunction with a quality online course covering the technical workouts of music. The technical workouts will maximise the live sessions and allow the student to get more mileage from the lessons.

2. Try out an online only course to get started. Make sure it comes from a source that not only covers the live playing in full detail, but also covers the theoretical components that are essential in bringing the live aspects together.

Consider this analagy:

Look at a bodybuilder. They have a balanced workout routine that covers all areas of their body each week. With persistance they will eventually bring about a fine body sculpture. They also eat a specific diet that works in accordance with their desired outcome.

A musician needs to work through the various aspects of the musical language each week. This will allow them to grow and develop consistantly to become a fine musician with broad understanding. The ‘musical diet’ comes in the form of the music that you will aspire to play. Only by drinking in the sound will you hone and fine tune your skills to that level.