Do you want to get good at the piccolo? You may wonder if you should learn piccolo online.
Online lessons and other resources can be great for some players. But they aren’t perfect. Before you start learning online, consider if it’s the right choice for you.
Save Time
One of the best reasons to learn piccolo online is that it can save you time. You don’t have to spend time driving to and from lessons at a music school or a teacher’s house.
While you’ll still need to practice and prepare, not having a commute opens up your lesson availability. For example, you might be able to take lessons right after work instead of an hour later.
That can be nice if you don’t want to be out late every week. Plus, you won’t have to allow for extra time if your lesson happens around rush hour.
Access More Teachers
If you want to learn piccolo in person, you have to choose from local teachers. And if you don’t live in a major city, you might not have access to many, if any, piccolo teachers.
Sure, there may be flute teachers nearby. However, they may not have much training or experience playing the piccolo. But when you study online, you have access to every teacher in the world.
If you’ve already learned the flute, you may be able to ask your teacher if they also teach the piccolo. And if they don’t, they can direct you to people who do teach the smaller instrument.
Start to Teach Yourself
Another advantage of learning piccolo online is that you can quickly become your own teacher. Even if you take lessons, you will be responsible for monitoring your posture and airstream.
Your teacher can show you how to hold the piccolo. They can describe how much air you should use and where to direct it. But it’s up to you to make any adjustments you need based on your instrument.
That can help you a lot when it comes to practicing on your own. If you rely too much on your teacher in lessons, you might not make as much progress during the week.
Learn From More Than Lessons
It’s common to learn piccolo by taking private lessons. However, the internet offers plenty of other ways for you to study. You can read blog posts (like this one) to get some basic tips.
Another option is to find free videos on YouTube or social media. These can go in more detail and show you more than text alone. And you can even pay for piccolo courses or memberships.
This is great if you don’t learn the best in private lessons. You have a lot more options to help you succeed. And you can combine different options to learn as much as possible.
Study at Your Own Pace
Whether you take lessons or not, you can learn piccolo as slow or as fast as you want. It’s easier to set your own schedule for practicing and lessons when you study online.
If you take traditional private lessons, the expected schedule is usually weekly lessons. But if that doesn’t work for you financially or because of your schedule, that’s okay.
You can find a teacher who will work with you and your learning style. And as I said before, you have access to more teachers. That means it should be easier to find the right teacher for you.
Practice in Your Space
Another reason you may want to learn piccolo online is to keep everything you use to play the piccolo in one room. If you take lessons in person, you’d need to pack everything up.
When you’re in a rush, it can be easy to forget your earplugs or something else important. But if you study online, you can organize a room or a corner of a room just for music.
Then, you can keep your piccolo and piccolo accessories together. You won’t have to spend time packing or unpacking. And you don’t have to worry about forgetting anything for a private lesson.
Save Money
Investing in your musical education is important. But a lot of us (myself included) don’t have a ton of money. If you’re on a tight budget, you may want to learn piccolo online.
You can take the occasional private lesson. Otherwise, you may access free or affordable materials to teach yourself. Then, you will be able to improve your playing.
One of my favorite things about the internet is the fact that it makes things more accessible. So if you want to learn piccolo for free or cheap, you can do that.
Why Not Learn Piccolo Online
While there are a lot of great reasons to learn piccolo online, it’s not for everyone. Before you invest in an online course or subscription, you may want to consider the drawbacks.
Then, you can make the right decision for you, whether that’s learning online or finding an in-person teacher. Here are a few downsides to studying the piccolo online.
No Direction
Except for private lessons, most online learning options don’t provide much direction. You can follow a course or a series of videos on YouTube, but the videos can only go so in-depth.
As a creator myself, I make content for multiple people. If you need specific help, you may want to at least find a private online teacher. That way, you can get the guidance you need.
Having guidance is especially helpful in the beginning. But even if you’ve played for a while, you never know when you may need more help with something.
No Connection
If you choose online lessons over in-person lessons, you also have the issue of no connection to a teacher. You need to find a teacher who is very good at vocalizing concepts.
They won’t be in the room to feel your airstream or test your piccolo. If you need that connection to learn well, you should find a local teacher. That way, you’ll be able to learn how you learn best.
I’ve also had teachers help adjust my posture as I play. That can be a very efficient use of time in the lesson. If you learn piccolo online, your teacher would need to stop you more often to correct things.
Reliance on the Internet
Of course, no connection can also apply to the internet. If you rely on videos or other online content, you need WiFi or cellular data. You won’t have that problem with in-person lessons.
I know a lot of people have access to the internet. But things happen, and you may lose your connection. Maybe the power goes out, or your phone dies, so you don’t have data.
You can print things out to study later. And there are good piccolo books that you can buy to use offline. But it’s nice to access the internet for more study materials.
How Will You Learn Piccolo?
If you want to learn piccolo, you should consider how and where you’ll do so. In-person lessons can be great, but they also take time and money.
The internet can be a good alternative for many students. Just be sure you have a good connection and that you have materials to practice offline if something happens.
Will you learn piccolo online? Share your thoughts in the comments!