Resources for Online Teaching
Check out this list of resources, free lesson plans and more to help music educators as they tackle and embrace online teaching.
Updated 5/10/2022 at 9:20 a.m. PDT
We want to do our part to help music educators as you explore options and search for resources to facilitate online teaching.
Since teaching face-to-face is not possible, our educational partners and other companies are offering resources and solutions, including free lesson plans and subscriptions, to help you navigate these unchartered waters to teach music in new and creative ways.
As always, the music education community is showing its strength and supportive nature — this time by tackling online teaching and online learning together.
AmazingEducationalResources.com lists hundreds of sites that cover all subjects, including students’ social-emotional well-being. This list is updated regularly. Please be prudent and thoroughly research each company before signing up.
Below is a list of music-specific sites and sources. As more artists and educators post and create resources, we will update this list . Email us at educators@yamaha.com with questions or to submit a site to be included.
NAMM and Save the Music have similar lists of online resources for teachers.
Resources from Our Partners
- Disney’s Imagineering in a Box
- Music for All Educational Resources
- National Association for Music Educators (NAfME)
- Fall 2020 Guidance for Music Education (PDF) from NAfME and National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS)
- Music Ed Policy During a Global Pandemic webinar
- Music Teacher Resources for School Closures
- COVID-19 Instrument Cleaning Guidelines by NFHS, NAfME and the NAMM Foundation
- COVID-19 Resources and News
- Free NAfME Academy Webinars
- NAfME Teaching with Primary Sources Curriculum Units for High School Music Theory/Composition, Chorus, General Music, Orchestra and Band
- National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM)
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Bridging the Gap: Teaching and Learning Music Online webinar
- Making Music Online: How-Tos for Private and Group Lessons webinar
- Making Music Online: How-Tos for Ensembles webinar
- Online Learning: It Can Be More Than You Think webinar
- Back to School: Access and Equity in Online Learning webinar
- Virtual Fundraising webinar
- Resources for Educators
- COVID-19 & Social Distancing: Music-Making Resources
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- American String Teachers Association (ASTA)
- Jazz Education Network (JEN)
- How to Teach Instrumental Lessons Online webinar
- Online Teaching for the Non-Online Teacher webinar
- Guided Online Listening for Secondary Classes webinar
- What Now? Music Ed After COVID-19 roundtable discussion
- Percussive Arts Society (PAS)
- Managing COVID-19 Protocols in Administering Percussion Performance Curriculum
- PAS Resource Library
- 40 Percussive Arts Society International Drum Rudiments
- Essential Listening for Drum Set
- Percussion Compendiums
- PAS Educators’ Companion
- Rhythm Scene – The Official Blog of the Percussive Arts Society
Music Theory, Music Lessons, Games
- All Digital School
- Artusi
- BandLab
- Beginning Band Bootcamp
- Breezin’ Thru Theory and Composing
- Carnegie Hall: Musical Explorers
- Chrome Music Lab
- Classics for Kids
- Columbus Symphony Orchestra‘s Kids Korner and Symphonic Teens websites
- Cornerstone Confessions: The Ultimate List of Online Music Education Games
- The Domestic Musician: How to Teach Elementary Music Remotely: Ultimate Resource Round-Up
- Education & Bass‘ Ultimate Beginners Course (membership required)
- Essential Elements Interactive
- Little Kids Rock: Free Music Resources
- Music First
- Music Theory
- Music Workshop
- Name That Note
- PBS Kids Music Games
- Preservation Hall Lessons
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Free Online Learning
- San Francisco Symphony’s Keeping Score
- The Shed
- Sight Reading Factory
- SmartMusic
- Solfeg.io
- SoundSlice
- Teaching with Orff: Distance Learning Resources for Music Educators
- Teach Rock
- Teoria: Music Theory Web
- Tone Savvy
- WURRLYedu
Music Library: Books, Apps, Virtual Tours and Notation Software
- Acapella: Record, edit and share music videos
- Dorico (notation)
- “Everyone Can Create Music” (free)
- Flat (notation)
- Museum of Making Music
- Musical Instrument Museum galleries
- Noteflight (notation)
- Steinberg
Percussion
- 4 Mallet Exercises without a Marimba – Justin Douté
- C. Alan Percussion Home Study Packet Snare Drum
- What a Metronome Can’t Teach – Matthew Black
- DrumEd Podcast with Joe Mengis and Mark Powers
- Drum Helper: Beginner’s Guide to Recording Drums
- Vic Firth Snare Drum Rudiments
- Gary France Video Series (Snare Drum, Cymbals, Gongs, Keyboard)
- Steve Graves Beginning Percussion Videos
- Cory Hills’ Percussive Storytelling and live-stream videos
- Ox and Lamb Percussion Publications — Free Resources
- Percussion Education Video Playlist
- Percussion Lounge with Pablo Rieppi
- Rhythm Randomizer
- Shilo Stroman Percussion Videos
Strings
- Tina Guo: Videos, Tutorials and Live-Stream Concerts via Patreon (subscription fees)
- Christian Howes’ Creative Strings
- Andy Reiner Fiddle/Violin Method
- Andy Reiner: Music, Podcasts and Lessons via Patreon (subscription fees)
- Jacob Szekely’s Improvisor’s Guide to the Cello
- Tuning Your Instrument
- Violinist.com
Winds
- Tom Bough Music — Tuba
- Jeff Coffin — Saxophone, Jazz
- Sean Jones — Q&A on Mastering Your Practice in the Shed
- Steve Kortyka — Jazz Transcriptions videos and Bebop Etudes
- Cally Laughlin — Clarinet
- Jay Metcalf — Better Sax
- Nathan Nabb ‘s Saxophone Studio Class Online
- Daniel Pardo – Flute for middle and high school students
- Christopher Still’s Honesty Pill — online courses for musicians
- Trombone 101
Piano
- The Frances Clark Center for Keyboard Pedagogy and Piano Magazine
- Group Piano in the time of COVID-19 (Facebook group)
- JazzPianoOnline
- Piano and Instrumental Teachers with Coronavirus Concerns (Facebook group)
- Teach Piano Online
- WikiHow: How to Practice the Piano without a Piano
Guitar
- GuitarChordsDictionary.com
- Guitars in the Classroom
- Music Prodigy with Bill Swick (3-month subscription for $40)
- School Guitar Teachers (Facebook group)
Various
- Mariachi Resources from Music Education Consultants
- Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Practice! Practice! Practice! video series
- Snarky Puppy webinars (fees)
- Rodolfo Gonzalez, a Texas music educator, offer sheet music for beginner ukulele, bajo sexto, first studies for mariachi, elementary mariachi, guitar solos, basic music theory and basic arranging for mariachi, beginner melody books for strings, classical guitar and more.
University of North Texas: We Mean Clean project, which includes instrument hygiene and overall healthy behaviors for performing artists
Choral
- American Choral Directors Association (ACDA): Pandemic-Focused Resources
- Chorus Connection: Taking Your Choir Rehearsals Online
- Midnight Music: Please Stop Asking How To Create A Virtual Choir Video
- National Association of Teachers of Singing: What Do Science and Data Say about the Near Term Future of Singing webinar (co-hosted by American Choral Directors Association, Chorus America, Barbershop Harmony Society and Performing Arts medical Association)
Performances
- 92nd Street Y Live Streams and Past Performances
- Mindi Abair live-stream performances on Facebook
- Boston Brass live-stream performances on Facebook
- Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Performances
- Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s Past Performances and Educational Concert Series
- Steven Feifke and Alexa Tarantino (fees for each performance)
- The Kennedy Center Digital Stage
- Lincoln Center at Home
- Live with Carnegie Hall
- London Symphony Orchestra Performances and Playlists
- The Metropolitan Opera
- North Carolina Symphony — education concert and lessons (password is 1932)
- The Philadelphia Orchestra
- Mimi Stillman live stream performances on Facebook
- The U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own”
- Vancouver Symphony Orchestra Online
- NPR Music: A List of Tiny Desk Concerts (intimate video performances)
Student Musicians with Special Needs
- Check out United Sound‘s program
Select TED Talks for Music Educators
- How Brass Instruments Work
- How to Practice Effectively … For Just About Anything
- The Physics of Playing Guitar
- Music and Math: The Genius of Beethoven
Instrument Disinfection Safety
- Guide for Disinfecting Musical Instruments and Professional Audio Equipment from Yamaha Product Desigers and Engineers
- COVID-19 Instrument Cleaning Guidelines by NFHS, NAfME and the NAMM Foundation
Professional Development
- American Band Association: COVID-19 Student Safety and Music Program Continuation Ideas for Consideration
- American Enterprise Institute: A Blueprint for Back to School
- AMRO Music
- After Hours: Conversations to Help Directors Thrive in the COVID-19 Era
- 10 Recruiting Ideas to Grow Your Program
- Accessing COVID Relief Funds for Your School Music Program
- Advocating for Music in Our Schools
- Assessing Your Program and Students’ Needs
- Assigning Beginning Band Students by Facial Structure
- Beginner Activities Before the Rental Meeting
- Building Relationships with Your Principal, Superintendent and School Board
- CDC Guidelines for Music Educators
- Connecting with Your Students Online with Essential Elements Interactive
- Considerations for a Safe Return to the Instrumental Music Classroom
- Developing Student Leaders
- Hacking Music Practice with Dan Emery
- Hosting a Beginner Concert In-Person or Online
- Improving Student Morale and Engagement during COVID-19
- Kick-start Your Recruiting for Fall 2021
- Lessons Learned from Successful Marching Band Camps
- “Living Your Best Life” with Scott Lang
- Make 2021 Your Best Year Yet with Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser
- Maximizing the Relationship with Your Local Music Store
- Middle School Classroom Procedures During COVID-19
- Online Resources with the “Habits of a Successful Musician” series with Scott Rush
- Preparing for the Marching Band Season
- Preparing Yourself, Your Curriculum and Your Resources for Online Teaching with John Mlynczak
- Recruiting and Retention Ideas with Marcia Neel
- Recruiting Resources from Yamaha and Disney Pixar’s Soul
- Recruiting without a Classroom
- Relentless Positivity while Facing Reality with Bob Morrison
- Retention Ideas for Music Educators
- The State of Music Education and Where to Go From Here
- Student Engagement Activities and the Challenges of Teaching Off and Online
- Tech Solutions for Music Educators
- Google Drive Documents: COVID-19 Music Educator Resources
- Google Drive Document: Considerations for a Safe Return to the Instrumental Music Classroom
- After Hours: Conversations to Help Directors Thrive in the COVID-19 Era
- Arts Ed NJ
- Baylor University: How to Prevent and Repair Vocal Damage
- Black Violin Masterclass SeriesBlack Violin Masterclass Series
- CASEL: An Initial Guide to Leveraging the Power of Social and Emotional Learning as You Prepare to Reopen and Renew Your School Community
- College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA) COVID-19 Response Committee Report
- Earspasm Music: Music Lesson Tips for Remote Learning
- Music Education Consultants’ Reopening Recommendations
- Music Habit: Online Teaching for the Unexpected Online Music Educator
- Post-Pandemic Planning Guide from MusicEdNow, a cross-industry committee that includes representatives from Amro Music, the National Federation of High School Associations, Arts Ed NJ, Yamaha and select music educators
- Scott Lang Leadership
- VanderCook College of Music: CARES Act Information (fee)
- Yamaha Audioversity Webinar: Remote Education and Live Streaming
Social Media
- Yamaha Music Educator Community
- Higher Ed Music Lessons in the Time of COVID-19
- Music Educators Creating Online Learning
- Music Teachers
- The Singing Space
Email us at educators@yamaha.com to submit a site to be included.
Yamaha is an active advocate for music education. We want to empower you as music educators to strengthen your programs in any way we can. Please register for the Yamaha Educator newsletter to read up on advocacy, professional development, information about instruments, resources, partnerships in education. Join the Yamaha Music Educator Community on Facebook.