“As fiddling is such a specialty, to find the very best instruction for your child or yourself, you will probably have to look outside of your local area. Skype allows us to give our daughter the very best fiddle teacher available – Ms. Donna Hebert. Lia is learning from such a well known fiddling expert on a weekly basis. The cost is comparable to our local violin teacher and I can be in the kitchen cooking dinner while a lesson is going on in the computer room. Donna teaches to our daughter’s level and then encourages her to progress with every lesson – I can’t even believe the improvement she has made! We love Ms. Donna and wish she lived next door – but since she doesn’t – online is the next best thing.” — Paula Hanes-Stetter, parent
“I’ve had Skype lessons with Miss Donna since 2009. Miss Donna is a magnificent teacher and not being by her side when I’m learning a song is not difficult for me. If you can’t learn a tune by ear, she can send sheet music and a recording of the tune by email for practice. Miss Donna is always patient and nice. I think more people would like Skype lessons because it is so easy to use and I can be right at my own house.” — Lia Hanes-Stetter, age 15
How SKYPE lessons work
- You send me an email outlining your skills, goals and interests.
- I answer your inquiry and we test the online connection, setting a lesson time. Lessons are available from 10am-7pm EST, with some weekend times available.
- I bill you and you pay online through PayPal or by check, if you live in the U.S.
- During the lesson, you can present tunes or lesson agenda items – techniques, rhythms or tunes you want to learn. I watch and listen to you play and offer suggestions. I teach bowings and rhythms or break down a tune, phrase by phrase, the same as if we were in a room together.
- I record new tunes and/or practice aids and exercises on my iPhone and email them to you before the lesson is over.
- If you read music, I also email you transcriptions for any new tune I present. You’ll want the chord chart even if you don’t need or read the music.
You will need
- A computer with a Skype or Gmail account (free)
- A webcam (internal or external) and a high speed connection. DSL can be tricky; a broadband connection is best. We test the connection before I bill you so we know everything works.
- Contact info in bottom right column.
Email me – donna (AT) fiddlingdemstified (DOT) com – to discuss your learning agenda today!
What it costs
Individual lessons are $65/hour, billed and paid before the lesson time.
Most students buy SKYPE lessons in blocks of ten hours for a substantial discount. Instead of $650 for ten lessons, you can pay $570 by PayPal (foreign students) or $550 by a check on a U.S. bank. This is payable before we begin lessons. I also don’t charge for missed prepaid lessons, but I do charge for single ones. Still, the real reason for the block-booking offer is that I prefer to work with committed students!
Students starting from ‘scratch’ need at least a year’s instruction before we can work online effectively together. If you’re a complete novice of any age, your skills will develop more quickly with a ‘hands-on’ teacher to guide you. They’ll help you get your fundamental techniques down so you can hold your instrument and and bow and move the bow correctly. Then we can work together online.
That pre-requisite applies to online lessons only. In person, I’ll put your hands in the right places and help you learn to self-correct your intonation and bow movement. I specialize in adult novice players – I send you home after each lesson with a clear practice routine and lots of encouragement!