Is Pianoforall any good? I had to find out for myself and share my impressions in the following review.
Pianoforall is very bold in their statements. They claim that anyone can learn Piano or Keyboard.
With 300,000 students and outstanding reviews, I knew I had to give PIanoforall a try. Robin Hall’s approach to teaching piano intrigued me, and I wanted to know if it’s truly possible to start playing after a few days of following this course.
Our Top Method for Learning Piano Online Today!
- Revolutionary program for learning piano and keyboard fast.
- Over 250,000 Students Worldwide
- 200+ Video Lessons
- 9 interactive Ebooks
After comparing all the top programs and their pros and cons, I feel confident about recommending Pianoforall as one of the best options out there. The structure allows you to master all the key skills you need to keep progressing. There is a focus on hands-on practice to get you playing as quickly as possible, and we like the fact that you can get results with only 20 to 30 minutes a day.
Here’s our Pianoforall review with more details about the features of the program and reasons why you should consider it. Keep reading to find out more!
Pianoforall Overview
Pianoforall is an online piano course that includes nine eBooks and some audio and video lessons.
How Does the Course Work?
Pianoforall is a course designed to teach you the basics of playing the piano. You can apply these core skills to play many genres, including jazz, pop, rock, blues, and more.
The pace of the course and self-directed learning is best for adults and motivated teens.
The program uses bite-sized lessons. All you have to do is commit 20 to 30 minutes of your time each day, and you’ll keep progressing at a fast pace. The course uses a mix of eBooks, videos, audio lessons, and exercises.
There are a total of nine eBooks with a logical progression. We’ll discuss these books in more detail later in our Pianoforall review. The purpose of these eBooks is to lay out a strong foundation. You can build on this foundation and keep learning once you complete the course.
There are over 500 tunes and exercises. These activities allow you to hear tunes that illustrate the concepts you’re reading about, and they will help you get some daily practice.
The 200 videos show you things like hand placement on a keyboard, and you can play along with the videos. The videos are an interesting feature of the course. Robin Hall recorded these videos, and you can see an experienced piano player demonstrate important concepts and play through rhythms, chords, and melodies.
What Makes Pianoforall Good?
Pianoforall is an interesting program because it takes a different approach to teaching an instrument.
Meet Robin Hall
Robin Hall, the program’s creator, has a unique background. He used to work as a cartoonist and was teaching piano on the side. He launched his online method in 2006 and is now a full-time instructor.
He plays the keyboard and the grand piano, which is great if you’re looking for a program that mixes elements of classical piano playing while showing you how to play tunes on a keyboard.
Robin Hall has an impressive amount of tips and tricks to share. This advice will help you progress faster, and you’ll find plenty of useful tricks for memorizing some of the important concepts like chords and progressions. We like his approach to piano playing because he doesn’t spend a lot of time on the more academic concepts that don’t help you sound better.
Learn the Basics With Rhythm Style Piano
Pianoforall is a fun way to learn the piano because you get started with rhythm style piano. This technique is about organizing notes to create patterns. It’s what artists like Elton John or Billy Joel use, and learning rhythm style piano will have you playing popular tunes in no time.
The beautiful thing about rhythm style piano is that you can repeat patterns, build on them, and make them sound unique. You can improvise and create a dialogue with another instrument. And more importantly, you will recognize the rhythms you learn in many popular songs.
Once you master rhythm style piano, you will explore different styles like ballads, blues, jazz, or ragtime.
Pianoforall Review
Let’s take a closer look at the different features of this exciting program.
Nine Interactive eBooks
The interactive eBooks are the core of the course. Each eBook has a specific focus and uses a logical structure that allows you to progress and build on the concepts you have learned.
One of the things that make the Pianoforall method stand out is the logical structure of the eBooks. There is an order that makes sense for learning the different concepts, and focusing on one topic at a time allows you to progress faster.
The eBooks feature writing that is very accessible. Robin Hall explains advanced concepts in a way that is easy to understand. You’ll find diagrams and other visual components that illustrate the concepts discussed.
We like the structure and formatting of the eBooks. They’re pleasant to use, and they present the information clearly. It’s also easy to skim through the books to find a lesson about a specific topic you want to revisit.
Learn Rhythm Piano
The first eBook focuses on rhythm piano. You’ll learn the basics, like the notes on your keyboard and a few simple chords. If you have experience with playing guitar, some of these chords will look familiar.
You will also go over an introduction to music notation and learn about rests. This first eBook comes with some exercises designed to help you start playing simple rhythms.
By the end of the first book, you’ll be able to play eleven chords and ten rhythms. You can combine them to play well-known songs. Learning about rhythm piano is the best way to get started with this instrument because it allows you to play simple tunes right away.
The second eBook goes further into rhythm piano by focusing on the rhythm you can hear in blues and rock. You will learn the twelve-bar blues, an important skill for playing a wide range of songs. The more you learn about rhythms, the more you’ll start recognizing them in popular songs and be able to play easy piano songs with a little bit of practice.
Learn Chords
You’ll start learning about chords more in-depth with the third book. The purpose of this book is to teach you all the chords that exist.
Memorizing chords can be tedious, but this eBook has some great memory tricks that will help you.
With book four, you’ll learn more about chords, including chord symbols, diminished chords, and cluster chords. The purpose of this eBook is to prepare you for reading songbooks.
Learn Different Styles
With the fifth eBook, you will learn about playing ballads. Learning about this style is a great way to master common chord patterns. You will also learn about the pentatonic scale, and by the end of the book, you’ll be able to improvise and play your own ballads. This book will also teach you about melody.
The sixth eBook focuses on jazz and blues. You should already know how to play some popular rhythm by this point, but this book will go further with the blues scale and other popular chords. You will also learn how to play jazz keys, discover the concept of harmonic structure, and get plenty of tips for jazz improvisation.
Book seven has more advanced content about chords. It still focuses on blues, and you will learn tricks like tremolos, slides, and more to take your playing to the next level. This eBook also introduces stride piano, a popular style among ragtime players.
Go Further
The last two eBooks of the course help you improve your playing by taking all the concepts you have learned so far and building on them.
The eighth eBook is about a more classical style of piano playing. You will get plenty of practice with sheet music with this book, and you will learn more about musical notation and important musical terms.
This book will have you practicing classical piano pieces, and you’ll find plenty of useful tips for sight-reading.
With the last eBook, you will learn fundamental concepts like scales and triads. It’s not the most exciting part of learning to play the piano, but these skills will create a solid foundation that you can keep building on. We like this last book because it makes these concepts accessible and easy to learn with short daily practice sessions.
Audio and Video Lessons
The Pianoforall course comes with 200 audio and video lessons. You can access these lessons right from the interactive eBooks.
We like this concept because you can tap on a lesson and listen to a tune that illustrates what you were reading about.
The video lessons add value to the program. You can see Robin Hall play and demonstrate the techniques the eBooks discuss. You can see hand placement and movements before practicing.
There are a total of 500 tunes and exercises with the course. You can use these short exercises to apply what you learn.
We like these extras because they make the material more accessible, regardless of your learning style. If you’re a visual learner, the videos will help you retain important concepts. If you’re an auditory learner, the tunes will help you get more from the course. If you mostly learn by doing, the exercises are an opportunity to apply what you just learned.
A Versatile Method
The Pianoforall method is versatile because it teaches you crucial skills like reading sheet music, but it also teaches you about improvisation and composition. With some practice, you’ll be able to sing along with your playing in no time.
It’s a comprehensive course that teaches you all the basics you need to know to reach an intermediary level, and you will learn about concepts you can use to keep practicing and take your playing to the next level after you complete the course.
Learning to read sheet music is one of the most difficult things about learning to play the piano. Pianoforall uses a mix of diagrams, audio, and video lessons to help you learn through visual association.
Mastering sheet music isn’t the most exciting part of learning an instrument, but it’s an essential skill for learning to play new pieces. You can learn to read sheet music with a few minutes of practice each day to unlock more possibilities in the future and play any song you want.
Pianoforall will also teach you to play by ear. Being able to play by ear and knowing how to read sheet music will make you a more versatile piano player, and you can decide which method works best for you as you progress.
Offline Access on Any Device
Once you purchase the course, you can download it and keep the materials on the device of your choice, whether it’s a computer, tablet, or phone. We like the idea of keeping your eBooks on a tablet so you can set it up and study with your keyboards.
Offline access is a convenient feature. You can practice anywhere, and you won’t have to wait for the videos to stream.
Free Updates
Pianoforall has been around since 2006, and the content has evolved over the years. Robin Hall is still working on improving the course.
You will get future updates for free, which adds value to the course.
Support
If you need help with anything, you can send an email, call a phone number, or fill out a support ticket. You can expect quality support if you have a question or run into an issue with the interactive eBooks.
Users who reach out to the support team report positive experiences, and it’s good to see that Robin Hall stands behind his piano learning method by providing support.
Pricing Model
If you look at apps and courses designed to teach you an instrument, you will find a lot of options with monthly subscriptions. Pianoforall is only a one-time purchase.
We like this idea because you will get access to all the material and can go through it at your own pace. The price is fair for the quantity of material you get, and it’s possible to save money if you wait for the course to go on sale.
It’s true that a one-time purchase represents a higher initial cost compared to a subscription, but you never know when something comes up, and you might have to put your project the learn to play the piano aside for a while.
The material is yours to keep forever. You will probably end up saving money compared to a subscription, and you can go back to the eBooks, videos, tunes, or exercises whenever you need a refresher. You can also take breaks from the course without feeling guilty about paying for a subscription you’re not using.
Learn with a Keyboard
Let’s be honest: you’re not going to invest in a grand piano right away. We like that Pianoforall shows videos and exercises with a keyboard. Robin Hall has extensive experience as a keyboard player, and he shares several tips and tricks for things like hand placement on a keyboard.
Build on Your Knowledge
The structure of the course is where Pianoforall truly shines. We like how the first two books lay a solid foundation you can build on. The following books will help you learn more about different musical genres and study important concepts in more detail.
This progression allows you to explore different genres and discover new tunes you will enjoy playing. The course has a logical progression that takes a basic concept, gives you the opportunity to practice it, and goes further by challenging you with a new concept connected to the first one.
This way of teaching helps you progress quickly with the course. You will learn enough to start playing within a few days, and each bite-sized lesson will add new elements to help you build on the knowledge you already possess.
It’s a way of learning that unlocks more possibilities, and you will have the foundation to keep learning more about playing the piano after you finish the course, whether you want to continue learning with an instructor or decide to follow a more advanced course.
Bite-Sized Lessons
Committing to learning a musical instrument can be difficult. Even if you’re motivated, finding the time to practice can be an obstacle.
We like Pianoforall because the bite-sized lessons require 20 to 30 minutes of your time each day. It’s a flexible course, and you can decide to practice every day or skip some days if you have a busy schedule.
You’ll see results fast and start playing right away, which makes learning an instrument more fun and will help you stay motivated. The first few eBooks will teach you enough about rhythms and chords for you to play the songs you like.
It’s easy to incorporate these daily sessions into your routine. Taking 20 to 30 minutes of your time to sit down and practice on your keyboard is a great way to relax and take a break.
Keeping the lessons short also gives your brain plenty of time to digest the new information so that you can apply it the next day.
The bite-sized lessons make it easy to go back if you need a refresher on a specific concept. You can complete a short lesson again if you feel that you need more practice with a concept.
Top Three Alternatives to Pianoforall
If you’re not sure whether Pianoforall is a good option for you, there are some alternatives to consider. The following methods are worth considering because they offer features Pianoforall lacks.
1. Flowkey
We like Flowkey because it’s an interactive method for learning to play the piano. It’s not as comprehensive as Pianoforall, and you won’t learn about concepts like harmony, melody, or stride piano.
However, Flowkey is a great option to consider if you’re a beginner and want to learn by practicing. Flowkey is an app designed to help you practice chords, notes, and entire songs.
You can watch a pianist play a tune and see the sheet music at the same time. When you play a song on your keyboard, the app can listen to you and give you feedback in real-time. The app will tell you if you’re getting the notes right.
It’s an interesting feature since self-directed learning often lacks feedback. It can be difficult to tell if you’re playing a tune right without having an instructor listening to you.
Flowkey has some interesting features to help you practice, including playing a song in slow motion or repeating a section until you get it right.
Check out the in-depth Flowkey review now.
2. Hear and Play
If you don’t want to learn about sheet music, Hear and Play is an interesting alternative to consider. We like this method because it teaches you to play music by ear.
You will find lessons for different levels, and this program has an emphasis on gospel music. You can find courses with a broader focus and explore different genres, and you can apply the concepts to play anything. However, it’s one of the best options around if you would like to focus on gospel music.
This method includes video and audio lessons, interactive exercises for training your ear, and jazz and gospel courses with new lessons uploaded regularly.
3. Pianote
Pianote takes a more traditional approach to learning an instrument by giving you the possibility to interact with an instructor remotely. Working with an instructor is your best bet if you have some experience with playing the piano and want to go further, or if you think you’ll learn best through one-on-one interactions.
Pianote offers pre-recorded videos you can watch to progress on your own. There are step-by-step lessons for beginners, plenty of songs and sheet music, some live lessons, video reviews, and sessions where you can ask your questions to an instructor.
We like Pianote because this method has a logical structure like Pianoforall that will help you progress and because getting some feedback from an instructor will help you go further.
Check out the full review of Pianote now.
Final Thoughts
Pianoforall remains one of the best options available for learning to play the piano. This course is comprehensive, has a logical progression, and it helps you get results fast. There are plenty of audio lessons, videos, and exercises that make learning fun! You can learn more about Pianoforall and purchase it on the official course website.
Our Top Method for Learning Piano Online Today!
- Revolutionary program for learning piano and keyboard fast.
- Over 250,000 Students Worldwide
- 200+ Video Lessons
- 9 interactive Ebooks
Also consider:
Playground sessions piano course
As the Head Editor and Writer at Music Grotto, Liam helps write and edit content produced from professional music/media journalists and other contributing writers. He works closely with journalists and other staff to format and publish music content for the Music Grotto website. Liam is also the founding member of Music Grotto and is passionate in disseminating editorial content to its readers.
Liam’s lifelong love for music makes his role at Music Grotto such a rewarding one. He loves researching, writing and editing music content for Music Grotto.