LEAH KRUSZEWSKI

Online Guitar Lesson FAQ

I teach private guitar lessons online to students anywhere in the world from my home studio in Seville, Spain. Students book via Lessonface, a platform designed especially for live online music lessons. Check out my availability and schedule your classes here, or keep reading.

What is Lessonface?
Lessonface is an online music lesson platform that organizes booking, payment, and live video chat all in one place. We use the video conference system Zoom, which works wonderfully for music lessons online and allows us to share audio, video, and image files. That means we can be looking at the same page of music on both our screens.

What kind of students choose online guitar lessons?
Online music classes are really convenient for anyone who wants to save time and money on transportation, or who simply wants the ease of taking lessons from their own home. Online lessons are also great for guitar students who have limited access to good guitar teachers for reasons of location or scheduling. Many online students live in a remote location, have a busy schedule, or travel frequently. Other students have reached a level of playing beyond local expertise and turn to online lessons to help them continue their musical advancement.

What styles of guitar do you teach via internet?
Flamenco guitar
Online lessons are really useful for students interested in flamenco guitar, a very specialized art form that thrives in Andalucia, Spain, but is non-existent in many U.S. cities. For a genre that is taught primarily by rote (ie, the teacher demonstrates and the student copies), internet lessons are very effective. I focus flamenco lessons on learning the basics of flamenco technique, understanding flamenco compás (rhythm), falsetas and solo material, and the basics of accompanying cante (flamenco singing). In addition to personal instruction during lessons, I will guide your self-study of flamenco outside the lesson by suggesting videos, recordings, or printed material that will help round out your flamenco experience.

Classical Guitar
Online guitar lessons are a great idea for serious classical guitar students, either beginners who want to ensure a solid foundation from an experienced and qualified teacher, or intermediate/advanced students who can't find a teacher at their level in their area. I can help you master advanced techniques, explore music from different styles and eras, refine your interpretations, and round out your repertoire. After a few introductory lessons to assess your level, I will recommend a book or sheet music. Advanced students may choose their own repertoire and purchase sheet music for individual songs, but I will need them to send me a scanned (or photo or even screenshot) copy of this for reference.

Guitar for Teenagers and Adults
For older students, I arrange a flexible curriculum that follows the student's interests. Lessons for adults can include music theory and learning to read music, but that is entirely up to the student. I will usually dedicate half the lesson to topics of technique and theory that apply to their interests, and the other half to learning songs of their choice. The songs that the student chooses can be from any genre - classical, flamenco, pop, rock, folk, jazz, etc.

Guitar for Children
I relate well to children ages 6 through 12 and adapt my teaching to give individual students what they need to learn best. For example, some young students need extra praise and positive feedback to help them feel comfortable expressing themselves musically. Other students feel naturally comfortable and creative, but need help playing and practicing with discipline to reach their full potential. I make lessons positive and productive and lay out very clear goals both within the lessons and for practice time between lessons. I teach all children how to read music notation, and also the basics of music theory. Reading music will prepare children for any style of music that they want to pursue later in life, on any instrument. When children have mastered a few basics, I help them chose songs that interest them from a genre of their choice.

Can children learn guitar online?
While I teach in-person guitar lessons to students as young as six years, computer lessons are not ideal for very young students (under age eight or so). Younger children need more manual, hands-on instruction methods. When teaching via computer, I rely on explaining and demonstrating visually to teach and correct. Thus, for students under eight years, I recommend a few trial lessons where a parent is physically present and can help interpret my instructions if needed. The upside of online lessons for children is that most kids today are naturally skilled at using computers, focus well online, and enjoy technology. In general, if a young student is enthusiastic and motivated to learn guitar, lessons via computer can work just as well as in-person lessons.

Loog guitar lessons are often most appropriate for very young beginners. Loog guitars are child-sized, three-string guitars designed to ease learning and maximize fun.

Check out the articles I have written to help parents of young musician students get the most out of their lessons.

FYI for parents, Lessonface requires all instructors who teach children to pass a background check in order to teach students under 18 years of age. Parents are also welcome join the video chat and observe the live lessons from wherever they are.  Read more about Lessonface classes for children here.

What technology do I need to take lessons online?
You need:
A computer, laptop, or tablet with a camera and microphone. Most new devices have built-in cameras and microphones, so you probably already have all the hardware you need. In some cases, using external mic and/or headphones can boost the sound quality.

Internet. A high quality broadband connection works best with video calls. Connecting to your router via ethernet cable often provides a stronger connection than wifi.

How does payment work?
Students (or their parents/guardians) pay through Lessonface when they book their lesson. The lesson must be paid in full to be considered booked. Once booked, a class can be rescheduled up to 24 hours before the class.

What advantages do online guitar lessons offer?
Scheduling and convenience - learning guitar from your own home is easy and convenient. There is little or no set-up and travel time, and you don't need to bring your instrument anywhere. Also, scheduling for online lessons is much easier. Not being limited to the typical after-school hours of a typical music academy, we can schedule a lessons first thing in the morning, on your lunch break, or late at night. Also, we can continue with lessons even if one of us is traveling. Consistent lessons are extremely helpful in progressing musically, and online lessons make consistency easy.

Your own personal video library - this is a really great advantage to online lessons! After each lesson, I will record a few short videos to help you remember and study what we covered in the lesson.   Videos material can include exercises, new music material (for flamenco and other genres where I teach by rote), and demonstrations of key concepts. After a few months of lessons, you will have your own personalized library of videos to help you study. You can refer to it at any time to review old material and key concepts.

What challenges can online lessons pose?
Technology issues - There are occasional technical issues with video conferencing. This can be largely avoided by using an ethernet cable connected to internet router in place of wifi. If technological difficulties on my end ever interfere with your lesson time, I will either extend or reschedule the lesson without charge.

Logistical issues - Because of the way audio exchange works in video conferencing, it can be difficult for teacher and student to play music together simultaneously, like in a duet or teacher accompaniment to a melody. I work around this by sending recordings of my part to the student, and then explaining and demonstrating how to play with the recording.

When do we start?
Click here to go straight to my Lessonface profile and schedule!  You can check out my availability, select a time that works for you, and book your lesson with just a few clicks.

Accompanying flamenco cante (singing) in Arles, France, and baile (dance) in Seville.

Flamenco thrives in southern Spain, but teachers and flamenco communities are hard to find in many areas. Online guitar lessons make flamenco accessible to students in all corners of the world.

I give online lessons from my home studio in Spain, but I set my hours with US students in mind. Scheduling availability appears according to your time zone.

Message: *

Online Guitar Lessons: Frequent Questions

Subject: *

Loog guitar lessonsare a great option for very young beginners. Loog guitars are child-sized, three-string guitars designed to ease learning and maximize fun.

Contact

Ready to schedule your first lesson?

Book here on Lessonface