Can Online Piano Lessons Really Work?

I am the daughter of a piano teacher, and I studied piano for many years myself. I have many fond memories of the time spent on the piano bench, listening to and learning from my piano teacher. This image evokes memories of the paintings on her walls, her grand personality, and the world I entered when I crossed the threshold into her home. So when I first heard of online piano lessons, I was skeptical. How could they be the same experience as what I had growing up? And more importantly, would they work?

When I had the opportunity from Multicultural Kid Blogs to review an online piano program, I jumped at the chance – partly out of curiosity and partly to motivate my son to learn to play the piano, but also because I knew Carly, the creator of the piano program, and was already impressed by her work in other arenas.

I knew that if she stood behind it that the program would be good quality, but even so I was pleasantly surprised by how much my son has liked them. Now that we have three weeks of lessons under our belt, I can’t wait to share with you how it went!

Disclosure: I received a complimentary subscription to Busy Kids Do Piano for review purposes; however, all opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I receive a commission at no additional cost to you.

Can Online Piano Lessons Really Work?

Rather than keep you in suspense, I will answer my two initial questions right off the bat:

Is the experience of online piano lessons the same as the lessons you had when you were a kid? No. Absolutely not. But chances are that even if your child took traditional piano lessons they wouldn’t be quite the same as what you had when you were a kid because things are never really the same as you remember them: Your child’s teacher would do things differently than yours did, the pieces they learn to play would be different, and so on.

But more to the point, different isn’t necessarily bad. Would you want your child using dial-up internet or a clunky phone attached to the wall just because that’s what you had when you were a kid? Times change, and often to our child’s benefit. Technology can be our friend, we just need to know how to use it wisely.

Can online piano lessons work? Yes! We have had a wonderful experience. Now of course, whether it works for you depends on your child’s temperament, your family situation, and the program you choose. My son is in 1st grade, so he is ready to sit down for piano lessons, whether traditional or otherwise. And with three young children, an online program is much easier to fit into our family’s schedule right now. We can do it when it is convenient for us and when my son is ready to sit down and learn.

And honestly, my tech loving son was much more interested in piano lessons when I told them they would be on the computer. In his eyes, anything on the computer is fun!!

As for which program to choose, my son and I both really love the Busy Kids Do Piano. Each module is broken down into several lessons, each of which has a video lesson and printable materials. The program is very well laid out in terms of the pacing of the lessons. Each is just the right length to keep my son’s interest, and he is able to easily able to absorb the information presented. And if not, we have the flexibility to spend more time on it if needed.

What really makes the videos work is the teacher, Carly. She has just the right personality for this type of program – very engaging, with a gentle presence that puts children at ease doing something they may at first find intimidating. And she is also very creative in her teaching methods, giving them great tips on how to remember concepts that may be difficult. The first lesson doesn’t even take place at the piano!

I love the parent checklist at the end of each lesson, which helps me stay on top of what he is learning and see if he is ready to move on to the next lesson. (And yes, there is an adult program as well! You get a discount if your child is also enrolled). If you have any questions along the way, the teacher is available via email and in her private Facebook group.

The pricing is also very reasonable: $49.95 for the course (which breaks down into $2.50/lesson) puts piano lessons within reach of many families who would not otherwise be able to afford it, especially when you add in the bonus materials and the access to both the teacher and an online community.

My son really looks forward to his lessons, and often asks when it will be a time to do another! I’m so happy to see him enjoying piano lessons, as we were not so successful when I tried teaching him myself last year. Busy Kids Do Piano is a program of online piano lessons that really works!