Resources for Online Teaching

Updated 4/8/2021 at 10:31 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 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with questions or to submit a site to be included. 

NAMM, GRAMMY® Music Education Coalition 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)
  • 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: NAMM News, Resources and Events
  • COVID-19 & Social Distancing: Music-Making Resources
• American String Teachers Association (ASTA)
  • Resuming Instruction During COVID-19: Classroom and Studio
• 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 

• Acapella: Record, edit and share music videos 
• Dorico (notation)
• "Everyone Can Create Music" (free)
• Flat (notation)
• "Learn Pharrell Williams' Happy: A Modern Method for Writing, Recording, and Producing Music" ($4.99) 
• Museum of Making Music
• Musical Instrument Museum galleries 
• Noteflight (notation)
• Oxford University Press: "Teaching Music Appreciation Online"
• Steinberg #StayHome Elements Collection

 

 Percussion

• 4 Mallet Exercises without a Marimba – Justin Douté
• C. Alan Percussion Home Study Packet
• Matthew Black -- What a Metronome Can't Teach 
• 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
  • How to Flip your Classroom 
  • Free Online Lessons for Orchestra and String Teachers — all levels 
• 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
  • How to Tune Your Violin (for kids and parents at home)
  • What Your Teacher Is Doing In Your Music Lesson, and How to Adapt Online
  • Practicalities of Online Lessons for Teachers, Students and Parents
  • The Learning Potential of Online Lessons

 

 Winds

• Tom Bough Music -- Tuba
• Jeff Coffin -- Saxophone, Jazz
• Sean Jones -- Q&A on Mastering Your Practice in the Shed
• Steve Kortyka -- Jazz Transcriptioins 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
• Group Piano in the time of COVID-19 (Facebook group)
• JazzPianoOnline
• Piano and Instrumental Teachers with Coronavirus Concerns (Facebook group)
• Piano Magazine: Teaching Piano in the Time of COVID-19
• 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 Symphone 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 includesinstrument hygiene and overall healthy behaviors for performing artists

 

 Choral 

• American Choral Directors Association (ACDA): Resources for Choral Professionals During the Pandemic
• 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 every Tuesday
• Berlin Philharmonic Virtual Concerts
• Boston Brass Happy Hour "Live" videos
• 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; 25% of ticket prices will be donated to various arts organizations)
• The Kennedy Center Digital Stage 
• Lincoln Center at Home 
• Live with Carnegie Hall 
• Live from Our Living Rooms -- online music festival and fundraiser
• 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 (Tuesdays at 4 p.m. EDT)
• The U.S. Army Band "Pershing's Own"
• Vancouver Symphony's Final Performance from BeethovenFest
• Wigmore Hall's Past Live Streams 
• NPR Music: A List of Live Virtual Concerts to Watch During the Coronavirus Shutdown 
• NPR Music: A List of Tiny Desk Concerts (intimate video performances)

 

 Student Musicians with Special Needs

• If your program works with United Sound, check out these distance learning resources
  

 

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

• Yamaha-sponsored Virtual Music Business Education Launchpad -- A Summer Institute for Music Educators at the University of Texas at San Antonio, July 6-8. Featured speakers include Yamaha Master Educators Dr. Stan Renard, Dr. David Cutler, Serona Elton, Dr. Donny Gruendler, Marcia Neel and Dr. Jeffrey Nytch.   
• Ameican 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
    • 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
    • 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

• Arts Ed NJ
  • Distance Learning Resources
  • September Ready Guidance for Arts Education
• 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
  • CASEL CARES weekly webinars
  • The Case for SEL Powerpoint template
• College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA) COVID-19 Response Committee Report 
• Earspasm Music: Music Lesson Tips for Remote Learning
• Music Education Consultants' Roundup of Reopening Recommendations
• Music Habit: Online Teaching for the Unexpected Online Music Educator 
• Scott Lang Leadership
  • COVID Webinars 
  • Music FUNdations and other programs
• VanderCook College of Music: Distance Learning with Google Classroom for Music Educators (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 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 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, instruments, resources, partnerships in education. Join the Yamaha Music Educator Community on Facebook.