It’s been a while since I shared an update on the new Module 1 piano course. After enjoying a proper summer holiday and kicking off a new semester, I’ve been busy with my 15 private students here in Bergen. They range in age and skill level, but I gave them all the same task: test the new Module 1.
I set up my computer in front of them to see how they interacted with the video lessons. I wanted to observe how they navigated the content, understood the material, and whether any lessons felt too easy, too difficult, or just plain boring.
Here’s what I discovered:
- All Lessons Passed the Test
Surprisingly, none of the lessons needed to be removed or changed. There were a few I was unsure about—they felt a bit dull to me—but some students ended up enjoying those the most. - Easy to Follow and Navigate
The students found it straightforward to follow along with the lessons. They knew exactly what to do without much guidance. - An Unexpected Challenge with Advanced Students
Some of my advanced students struggled to keep a steady beat when playing along with a track. At first, I thought the drum grooves might be too complex, making it difficult for them to hear the downbeats clearly. But that wasn’t the issue. In the video lessons, you can see the sheet music, and I’m now using Soundslice, which highlights the notes you should play in orange and includes a vertical line that moves across the sheet music to show your position. The problem was that their eyes were glued to the screen, trying to follow the vertical line, which affected their timing. I suggested they rely more on their ears than their eyes, and that helped a bit. Then, I printed out the sheet music and had them listen only to the audio of the video lesson while reading the printed notes. That completely fixed the problem.
After weeks of testing, I’ve uploaded all the lessons to the site and organized them in the right order.
What’s Next?
I have two tasks left:
- Adding Descriptions to Each Lesson
I need to write a description for each lesson—what it’s about, why it matters, and how to practice it. It’s tough to do this for eight hours straight. After about four hours, I notice the quality drops, and I end up rewriting it the next day. To improve, I read everything out loud to make sure it sounds like how I actually speak. I’m focusing on keeping it short and simple while including all the necessary information. - Creating a Workbook
Once the descriptions are done, I’ll create a pretty workbook that includes all the sheet music for the module.
I can’t wait for you all to experience the new Module 1. Stay tuned for more updates!
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