Online lessons work particularly well for students with packed schedules, those living far from a suitable teacher, and learners who want a specialist teacher who happens to be elsewhere. Some of our online teachers are based overseas: Anton teaches from Madrid, and Tina is studying in Cologne, which lets Sydney students learn from a teacher they could not otherwise meet.

Online is also a good choice for theory, voice, songwriting and music production in programs such as Logic Pro and Ableton, where the screen is part of the lesson. For very young children, in-person lessons at home or in a studio often work better, so we usually recommend a face-to-face option for kids to begin with.

• A stable connection. A wired or strong Wi-Fi connection avoids drop-outs.
• Good camera angle. Your teacher needs to see your hands and posture, not just your face. A laptop on a stand or a phone on a tripod helps.
• Sound. Headphones or an external speaker can make it easier to hear detail. Your teacher can suggest settings.
• An uncluttered space. Somewhere quiet with room for your instrument and music stand.

Online has real trade-offs: the sound over video is not perfect, and playing together in time is harder. Good online teachers work with this, and some of our teachers, such as Sofija, find their online lessons work just as well as in person.