Skype Harp Lessons:
Tips for Success & Technical Details

How to Get the Most Out of Skype Harp Lessons

1. Make sure you have good light around you and the harp, so the teacher gets a clear picture. Usually, I ask the student to sit so I am looking at his or her right side, just as at a "real world" lesson, but it's helpful to have enough space to sometimes change that.

2. If you're using your regular mic and speakers, be sure the volume is not cranked all the way up, or there will be feedback. On the Mac, one or two boxes down from the top seems to work well. I also shield my mic with a sticky note to "buffer" it from the speakers. Of course, minimize the noise in your environment, too.

3. If there is static noise or an annoying sound/picture delay, I have found that hanging up and trying again usually solves the problem. Sometimes, just as with cell phones, the connection just isn't the best, and it's usually fine the second time.

4. Close down your other programs before "calling" with Skype or another program. Don't try to open anything during the call if you can avoid it. (I do keep Word open to take notes). Do everything you can, in other words, to let the connection have all the 'juice" it needs to work well.

5. Take notes (plan for this by having what you need ready and accessible) and use email to follow up with questions or ask in advance for things you'd like to discuss at your lesson. As long as you aren't peppering your teacher with questions and comments in between lessons, this is very helpful for both you and your teacher to make the most of your lesson time.

6. Given that a teacher can't put her/his hands on you to help reposition your hands, you need to make sure that you understand what the suggested changes feel like. I demonstrate for students, watch them carefully, and I also ask them to tell me how they'll remember what it feels like/looks like when they have the correct position. If you aren't clear, ask for another demonstration, or another metaphor, or another explanation, until you are confident you can recreate the hand position yourself. As with any harp lessons, correct hand position takes time and tweaking every week until it feels natural and automatic (but it will happen!).

Here is an article that my friend Alice agreed to share about Windows requirements for Skyping . . .

Can You Use Skype on Your Computer?
A Guide for Windows Users
by Alice Freeman

Harp teachers are offering lessons on Skype. Online CEUs for therapeutic musicians are being offered on Skype. Do you have the right equipment and connections to make this work for you? Here's what is necessary for a successful Skype experience.

The recommended system requirements for using Skype on a Windows XP or Vista computer are at least a 1 GHz CPU and a minimum of 512 MB of RAM.

So how do you find out this information on a Windows computer?
(1) Locate the icon for MY COMPUTER on your desktop or in the START menu.
(2) Right-click your mouse over MY COMPUTER. This opens the shortcut menu.
(3) Select PROPERTIES at the bottom of the menu. This opens the SYSTEM PROPERTIES window.
(4) The GENERAL tab will probably already be selected.
(5) Look for the word "Computer:" and read the lines under it.* You should see two sets of numbers.
* The first numbers following the CPU are the speed of this processor.
This number should be 1.0 GHz (GigaHertz) or higher.* The second number is the amount of RAM (or Random Access Memory) on your computer.
This number should be no less than 512 MB (Megabytes) and on newer computers may be 1.0 GB (Gigabytes) or higher.
(6) If the numbers are less than these, you will have difficulties with a Skype call on that computer.
(7) Click either OK or Cancel to close the SYSTEM PROPERTIES window.

Now we have to talk about the speed your computer connects to the Internet. A dial-up modem connection will NOT WORK. You must have a DSL or Cable-type modem to be fast enough. This test will tell you how fast you are downloading information from the Internet and how fast you are uploading it.

(1) Connect to this Web site (http://www.speakeasy.net/speedtest/)
(2) Click on the name of the server closest to you to start the Speed Test.
(3) Then just watch the screen as two tests are run.
(4) The first number is the download speed, the speed that you receive data from the Internet. I have a very fast connection using a Bresnan Cable Modem so my number is usually around 8400 kbps (kilobits per second).
(5) The second number is the one to be concerned about. This is the upload speed that you are sending data back to the Internet. Skype recommends that this number should be at least 380 kbps or higher for video calls and 256 kbps for audio calls. My download number is usually around 385 kbps.

Then the Skype software needs to be installed on your computer. It can be downloaded from this Web site (http://www.skype.com/download/skype/windows/). If you do not use Windows look on the right side for the Mac or Linux versions. This software is free and it has not resulted in any SPAM or other problems for me. You will be choosing a username for yourself when you set up your Skype account.

You will also need to have a microphone and either headphones or speakers attached to your computer. I have found that most computers’ internal speakers are usually not loud enough to be satisfactory for these calls. After you have installed the Skype software, they have provisions for making a test call. If you can hear yourself during the test call, then you have Skype set up correctly.

For online harp lessons, it is really helpful to have a WebCam, which is another piece of equipment to buy. I use a Logitech® QuickCam® Pro 9000, but there are many good brands on the market. Naturally, the more you pay for a camera, the better quality image you will transmit. Skype can be used for 1-on-1 calls or conference calls which is how the online classes are run. As of December 2008 Skype is currently not set up to allow for use of video during conference calls; WebCams can only be used for 1-on-1 calls. Thanks, Alice, for providing this clear explanation!

A Guide for Mac Users

According to the Skype site, the minimum system requirements for Skype 2.0 for Mac are a Mac OS X v10.3.9 Panther or newer, G4 800 MHz and above, any G5 or any Intel processor, 512MB RAM, 40 MB free disk space on your hard drive and a microphone. I use Skype on my eMac with less free disk space than that, however. You can check your computer's capacity by going to About this Mac on the Apple Menu and clicking on the "More Info" button.

I have found that my internal mic & speakers actually work better than the headset mic I bought, so if you have a Mac I suggest trying what's built in first. Also, if you have a MacBook or newer desktop Mac (like an iMac), you already have a built-in camera that will work beautifully. If not, I recommend the Ecamm Network iMage USB Webcam for Mac and Windows v 2.0.

It's also good to know that all the messenger services--Yahoo, AIM, iChat, etc--also offer video messaging anymore, so you have other software options besides Skype. That way, if you find you have problems with Skype, you can easily try something else.

So, there you have it, the lowdown on using Skype, whatever your platform!

Skype and other online conferencing technology is a wonderful tool and offers new and seasoned harpers in far-flung areas of the world a great opportunity they wouldn't otherwise find. Are you ready for twenty-first century harp lessons?

Ask a questions about Skype harp lessons