Student Setup Guide — Lessonspace

Camera Setup
for Piano Lessons

A clear guide to setting up a second camera view so your teacher can see your hands clearly during every lesson.

Platform Lessonspace
Options Two methods
Setup time 5–10 minutes
Support Digital Music Tutors

Why a Second Camera?

One of the most important things your teacher needs to see during an online piano lesson is your hands, including your finger position, wrist height, and technique. A single front-facing camera showing your face doesn't give enough detail for effective teaching.

There are two straightforward ways to add a dedicated hand camera to your Lessonspace lesson. Choose whichever suits your equipment and setup best. Both are described in full below.

Before you begin
Your teacher will send you a Lessonspace room link before your lesson. You will need this link open and ready. Make sure your primary device (the one your teacher sees your face on) is already working with your camera and microphone before setting up the hand camera.

The Two Methods

Option A
External Webcam on a Stand
Recommended — Single device, cleanest setup
Connect a USB webcam to your primary computer and position it on a flexible arm or camera stand so it points down at the keyboard. This avoids any audio feedback issues and keeps everything on one device.
Step 01
Position your webcam
Mount the webcam on a stand or flexible arm approximately 50–70 cm above the keyboard, angled down to capture both hands across the full width of the keys.
Step 02
Connect via USB
Plug the webcam into your computer. Wait a few seconds for it to be recognised. No extra drivers are usually required on modern systems.
Step 03
Join your Lessonspace room
Open your lesson link and join the room as normal. Grant camera and microphone permissions if prompted.
Step 04
Switch your camera source
In Lessonspace, click the camera icon or settings menu and select your external webcam from the list of available cameras. Your hand view will now be your primary video feed.
Step 05
Check the view
Ask your teacher to confirm they can see your hands clearly before the lesson begins. Adjust the angle or height of the stand as needed.
Step 06
Keep your face camera active
If your device has a built-in webcam, your teacher will see your hands via the external camera. You may wish to keep communication flowing through your microphone as normal.
USB Webcam No feedback risk Single device Recommended
Option B
A Second Device
Tablet, phone, or spare laptop — using the built-in camera
If you don't have an external webcam, you can join the Lessonspace room a second time on a phone or tablet, position it to show your hands, and disable its microphone and speaker to prevent audio feedback.
Step 01
Prepare your second device
Use a phone, tablet, or second laptop. Place it on a stand, wedged against books, or use a phone holder so the camera points down at the keyboard. Landscape orientation usually works best.
Step 02
Open the lesson link
On your second device, open the same Lessonspace room link your teacher sent.
Step 03
Mute the microphone immediately
As soon as you join on the second device, mute its microphone. This is critical — two active microphones in the same room will cause echo and feedback during your lesson.
Step 04
Turn the speaker volume to zero
Use the physical volume buttons or in-app audio settings to reduce the second device's speaker output to zero. Audio should only come from your primary device.
Step 05
Switch to the rear camera
In Lessonspace on the second device, select the rear-facing (back) camera if available — it typically offers better image quality than the front-facing camera. Point it down at your keyboard.
Step 06
Confirm with your teacher
Your teacher will now see two video feeds in the Lessonspace room, your face from the primary device and your hands from the second. Ask them to confirm both are visible before you begin.
Important — Audio Feedback
Audio feedback happens when a microphone picks up sound from a nearby speaker. On your second device, you must mute the microphone and silence the speaker. Check both settings every time before the lesson begins. If you notice echo during the lesson, this is usually the cause.
Phone or tablet No extra hardware Mute mic & speaker Two feeds

General Tips

Lighting
Position a lamp to the side of the keyboard to illuminate your hands without causing glare on the keys. Avoid placing the camera so that a window is directly behind your hands as backlight makes the image very dark.
Height
The camera should be high enough to show both hands at once across the full keyboard width, but close enough that finger detail is visible. A height of around 50–70 cm above the keys works well for most setups.
Angle
Pointing the camera slightly from the side (rather than directly overhead) can allow your teacher to see both the fingers on the keys and the curve of the wrist and forearm which is useful for technique feedback.
Connection
A wired internet connection is always preferable to Wi-Fi for video lessons. If using a second device on Wi-Fi, keep it close to your router. Lessonspace generally performs well even on moderate connections.
Test first
Run a quick test before your first lesson using your chosen setup. Open the Lessonspace room a few minutes early and check that your teacher can see a clear hand view before the lesson time begins.
Stand options
A flexible gooseneck phone holder, a microphone boom arm with a phone/camera adapter, or a small desktop tripod with an extension arm all work well. These are widely available and inexpensive online.
Other apps
If your camera or microphone is not being detected correctly, check that you do not have another conferencing application open — Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and similar programs can hold exclusive access to your devices and prevent Lessonspace from using them. Close any such applications before joining your lesson.
Permissions
When you first join a Lessonspace room, your browser will ask for permission to access your camera and microphone. Please ensure you grant both. If you declined previously, you can reset these permissions in your browser's settings and then reload the page.
Browser
We recommend using Google Chrome for the smoothest experience. Safari can occasionally be unreliable with camera and microphone access, so if you encounter any difficulty on an Apple device, switching to Chrome will usually resolve it.
Check in advance
We will send your lesson room link at least one week before your first session. We encourage you to open it on your device ahead of time — ideally testing from a second device too — so you can confirm everything is working well before the lesson itself.
Need help?
If you are having trouble with your setup, please get in touch before your lesson and we will help you get everything working. You can also ask your teacher at the start of a lesson and they will guide you through it.

Get in Touch

Questions about your setup? We are happy to help before your first lesson.

chris@digitalmusictutors.com