Online lessons with children

To kick off our partnership with the platform for children's programming wow-wow, Michael Städler told us in the last blog post on this topic what it means to him to teach children. Today, Benjamin Buettler shares how he goes about his piano lessons for kids.

Benjamin, you've been teaching piano to children and adults for 10 years. You lived in London for a long time and for several years you have been teaching online via Skype or Zoom in Switzerland. You have worked hard on how to make and keep piano lessons motivating and effective for children.

How do you design the piano lessons so that the children have fun playing the piano?

The lessons are very varied. We learn to play songs, read music and express ourselves musically by playing games on the piano.

Does online lessons work with children?

Yes. For children, this type of lesson is normal. They often come up with suggestions of songs they've found on YouTube or we use technology such as a video recording of a song for our lessons.

For parents, yes.

For the parents, this type of lesson is often new, so we always do a taster lesson together, where we get to know each other and the children can try everything out.

Why did you decide to teach online?

I like the benefits and challenges that come with teaching over a video call. The children can learn in their familiar environment at home and for the parents there is no need to travel. This saves time and money and we are more flexible in terms of time. Thanks to the technical possibilities nowadays, we can cover all the important elements of good music lessons. The challenge for me is that I have to explain to the children more precisely what I expect from them. This makes my teaching better and challenges me to always stay creative.

You mentioned earlier that the lessons are playful, what are those games?

Children are very creative. They love to invent games. My best games I learned from children and now use them myself in class. For example, the animal game for the younger kids or the music detective game for the older kids.

How does the animal game work?

The child thinks of an animal and then tries to make up a short song that sounds like the animal. I must then guess which animal it is. There are no limits to the imagination, the kids love it, and we practice several musical skills at the same time.

How long can children concentrate?

Most parents are surprised how long their children can concentrate when the lessons are varied. We focus on one topic for a few minutes and then immediately play something else. This way, we hop from topic to topic and have learned all the important points at the end without getting bored.

That sounds exhausting for you. How do you keep track of it all?

I like this kind of teaching. My many years of experience and my education degree help me not to lose the thread. With children, I notice immediately whether you are still on the point. I like this challenge of constantly providing new input.

You say that having fun playing the piano is important to you. What was the funniest experience in your lessons?

A child gave me a hint during the animal game so that I could better guess which animal he had made up and played. Quite convinced, he tells me that he played the only bird in the world that can fly backwards. I then immediately thought of a hummingbird and could hardly contain myself when he claimed, quite convinced, that it was a raven.

What does a typical lesson with a child look like for you?

Describing a typical lesson is difficult. The lessons are very individual and I try whenever possible to respond to the needs of the children and parents. That in combination with my goals such as technique exercises, note reading, ear training, etc. then results in the lesson. For example, we start with the animal game. In this we warm up the fingers, work on musical expression and encourage creativity. Then we check the homework from last time and the child is allowed to assess himself how well he learned the song. Then we play a detective game where the child has to find the mistakes in a song. In the process, the child develops his or her musical ear. Then we learn a new song together for the next time, and together we choose three points for the child to focus on as homework while practicing.

How do you communicate with parents?

The easiest way to communicate is via Whatsapp, email or phone. Sometimes we also have the opportunity to exchange right in the lesson.

Do you have a teaching tool and how do you cater to the children's musical tastes?

I use in each case teaching aids that correspond to the age of the children. We then combine that with the wishes and musical tastes of the children. They want to learn songs that they have found on Youtube or Spotify. I also always like to suggest a song from my repertoire, from which I am convinced that the child can learn a lot and that he likes it.

How can children and parents try out piano lessons with you?

It's very simple. We do a trial lesson together. In the process, we get to know each other and discuss the goals of the lessons and the individual wishes of the parents and children. After that, I always look forward to a positive feedback and a common start of the musical journey.

Find out more about Benjamin Büttler on Instrumentor.

If you have any questions, we look forward to hearing from you contact us.

Your Instrumentor Team