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ONLINE LESSON PORTAL

Welcome to "The Guitar Dojo Online"!  This is a service that we didn't know was going to exist just a short few weeks ago, as I write this in early April 2020.  We hope you enjoy what we have in store for you with online lessons and trust that we can be a source of normality/continuity in these unique times. In some ways this is a time when aspiring guitarists may have more time to practice and make their best gains ever ! The technical work at our end is largely done - the key priority here is to get things set up well at your end so that everything runs smoothly!

 

This page will provide you with the info you need to make the most of the equipment you have at your disposal . Once you are ready to go , all you need to do is click on the link at the top of this page (or the one you see in Tonara if using a tablet or phone) and you will be admitted to our Zoom waiting room.  From there you will be let in to the main teaching room for your lesson just as you would if you were waiting at your usual location!

WATCH YOUR GUITAR PLAYING

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Corny, right?  After plenty of research and consultation with online teachers wordwide we have decided to run with Zoom as our teaching platform.  As a platform designed to carry voice only , it is certainly more complex to set up and operate at our end than Skype/Facetime but we believe that the extra features such as the Waiting Room, lesson recordings , multiple camera angles etc......are worth it.  We have tried hard to make the process of setting up Zoom at your end as easy as possible and have a page dedicated to Zoom right here.

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If for whatever reason we find that Zoom doesn't work for you then we can arrange lessons via another platform as required.

WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED?

- a computer , tablet or smart device with a camera.  A computer/laptop is better than a tablet , which in turn is better than a phone.

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- a high speed broadband internet connection

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- we often use backing tracks in our lessons , so ideally you will have another device (phone) on which you can access Tonara using your mobile data .  If this doesn't work for you, then let us know and we will send you mp3s via email that you can then use on a PC/Mac or get onto an mp3 player.

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- an external microphone or headphones with a built in mic are optional but can be useful as long as you don't get yourself in a tangle!  Otherwise just use the in-built microphone on your device

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- electric guitar players will need an amp at a volume that doesn't overwhelm your microphone

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- any books or musical pieces we have been working with + your metronome , tuner and a notebook

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- a glass/bottle of water..........or access to a waiter who will bring you some when required!

TECH TIPS

Putting some thought into your location and the quality of your internet connection is an important part of having a good lesson.  Here are our recommendations:

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- test your internet connection using an online speed test and aim for at least 10Mbps down/5Mbps up.   It is possible to improve the internet speed on your device by connecting to your router via ethernet cable or moving to a location that is closer to your router.

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- optimise your access to internet bandwidth by asking family members to avoid streaming video via Youtube/Netflix etc.....during your lesson

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- close down all other programs on your device.  A reboot of a computer/laptop before the lesson can also be helpful

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- make sure your device is either well charged or connected to a power source for your lesson

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- find a spot for your device that is directly opposite your seated position and where it is possible for your teacher to have a good view of your posture and playing , and especially your face + both hands on the guitar/ukulele.  Use the "front camera" on your device to test, so that you have an idea of what we will see.  You might need to get creative - we certainly have with our cameras!

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- find a location where there is not a lot of background noise as this can interfere with what we hear

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- do not set up your device with the camera facing a window during daylight hours.  It should be fine if the window is facing you!

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