Perhaps you’d love to learn how to play the piano but don’t have the time or money to take the traditional approach and pay for lessons with a teacher.
There are plenty of online piano courses you can invest in. These online piano courses will allow you to learn this wonderful instrument at your own pace.
When you search online, you’ll find several courses available, but in this article, we happily provide you with our Pianoforall review.
This course is ideal for anyone who would love to learn how to play the piano at their own pace and on their own time.
Quick Overview of Pianoforall
This course comprises structured lessons that require you to practice for between 20 and 30 minutes each day.
If you are prepared to practice what the course teaches you, you can expect to be able to play some of the basics within a week.
Throughout the course, students are provided with extensive instructions in eBooks. Students are also provided with audio and video lessons that provide constructive tips and lessons for playing popular songs.
How Can Pianoforall Help You?
Through this course, you will learn the basics of how to play the piano. The core skills you learn during this course will allow you to play various music genres, including some very popular songs.
This course has been specifically designed to teach adults and motivated teenagers who want to learn a new skill. Those who enjoy this course are those who are happy to teach themselves a new skill.
The course itself is made up of a variety of bite-size lessons that each last between 20 and 30 minutes. In addition to this, you will need to be willing to commit to completing tasks on a daily basis. This will help you progress at a pace at which you feel comfortable.
There are a total of nine eBooks that you will need to go through. These eBooks help to provide you with a strong foundation for learning to play the piano. You can also continue to use these to help you to continue learning even after you’ve completed the course.
Within the course, there are a total of 500 exercises and tunes for you to learn and complete. Not only do these help you to hear the tunes, but they also illustrate in better detail the concepts you are reading on using videos. They also encourage you to practice every day.
What Is Needed?
You will need a physical keyboard or piano to learn how to play the piano. You will also need something that allows you to read through the eBooks and watch the videos included in this course.
Why a Physical Piano or Keyboard?
Unfortunately, a virtual keyboard you can play on a computer just won’t suffice.
You will need to invest in a physical keyboard or piano that has 88 keys. If you are on a budget, you may find that investing in a keyboard with 61 or 76 keys is a better option since they are more affordable and perfectly suitable for improving piano playing skills.
It should be noted that pianos with fewer octaves may not be suitable to play certain tunes key for key.
Consider choosing a piano with fully-weighted keys. You will find that such an instrument will help you train your hand and strengthen your fingers.
If you are on a budget, look for a piano or keyboard with semi-weighted keys.
Get a Tablet, Smartphone, Laptop, or Computer
Of course, if you are reading this review, then you´ve already got one of these. You need one of these devices to watch the videos and read through the eBooks included in the course.
Just make sure that the Pianoforall course you purchase matches your device’s operating system. A quick look at the course’s website will tell you that it is compatible for you to use with any piano.
What Does the Course Include?
After purchasing this course, you will receive the following:
Nine eBooks
Along with the nine eBooks, you’ll receive bonus material. These resources are comprehensive and will teach you about the various styles of piano music.
You’ll learn more about chords and tunes. In each book, there will be multiple exercises you will need to carry out to learn more about the theory of playing the piano.
200 Video Lessons
Inserted into each of the eBooks are videos that will help to increase your skills. These include demonstrations by Robin Hall, the creator of the course.
You will see an animated version as he plays the lesson on his keyboard above it. The animated version shows you his notes so that you clearly see which notes you should be playing. This is also helpful in that it allows you to see what your hands should look like as you play and what sound each note makes.
500 Audio Lessons & Exercises
These are here to help you know what each piece you are learning to play should sound like quickly. Anyone who learns more quickly by listening to a piece first will find these especially helpful before attempting to practice each exercise and play piano by ear.
Who Created This Course?
This course was created by Robin Hall, a musician whose initial career was as a cartoonist.
He is a skilled pianist who wants to teach others how to play piano in a simple and effective way.
Robin created the course Pianoforall while working as a cartoonist. He already provided people with lessons on how to draw cartoons while at the same time providing people with piano lessons.
During this time, he decided to create a course that was easily accessible to others who wanted to learn to play piano.
Throughout the course, Robin works hard on helping to speed up the process of learning to play the piano. You are provided with memorization techniques and shortcuts that will help you retain the information he gives much more quickly.
Inside the eBooks, he provides cartoon illustrations to help keep you entertained, so you don’t find learning stressful. Included are techniques that will further help reduce stress levels as your journey of learning to play the piano continues.
Pianoforall Review – The Course Curriculum
Each of the eBooks covers different aspects of playing the piano. The eBooks build on one another so that you can put the skills you learn into practice.
You must read each book in the order listed in the course, except for book 9. Book 9 can be read at any time.
Let’s look at the books in more detail.
Book 1 – Introduction to Musical Notation
This is where you learn more about the course and the piano in general. This book provides you with a solid foundation. You’ll learn more about this course’s primary basics. The basics are key to learning how to play the piano.
Here you will learn about the notes on the keyboard. This book will also teach you how to play some basic chords. Additionally, you will learn how important it is to play rather than worry about the theory.
It begins with teaching you about musical notation, including basic rhythm and rests.
Book 2 – Builds Up Your Knowledge
In this book, you learn more about playing blues rhythms that you can use alongside the chords you’ve already mastered.
This book emphasizes that you should learn to play rhythms with your left hand rather than your right hand. The course is such that you will soon be learning how to play them even when you sleep.
Compared to book one, this book is brief. As you read it, you will learn how to play five blues rhythms and 12-bar blues in any key.
Book 3 – Teaches You Chords
You may find this one a little denser as it teaches you about each chord in every single key, including their inversions.
Luckily, you’ll find this book includes an “all chords memory trick.” You will find that this will help you to retain information from this book more easily.
As part of this book, you’ll learn about the “cycle of fifths,” more commonly referred to as the “circle of fifths.” This concept is used to help encourage you to practice playing all the keys. It also teaches you about the relationship between each, allowing you to understand music better.
Book 4 – Advanced Chords
In this book, you will continue to learn more about how to play chords using the chord symbols that can be found in songbooks.
It begins with you learning a magic formula that helps you bluff some of the more advanced chords.
In this book, there is a piece called “Manilow Mood”, which is a work inspired by the singer Barry Manilow. It will teach how to learn new musical devices before you attempt to write a composition of your own that is also in the Manilow style.
This is also where you’ll learn about diminished and cluster chords. It will include a number of exercises you’ll need to practice to master.
The book finally finishes with a lesson relating to the Beatles’ styling. It also has many Beatles songs that you can play because of the chords and rhythms you now know.
Book 5 – Teaches You About Ballad-Style Playing
In this book, you are provided with a step-by-step method that will allow you to create ballad-style songs of your own.
This book encourages you to experiment with left-hand chord patterns and the pentatonic scale.
This is where you’ll learn how to improvise. This book will also provide you with ideas relating to melody, left-hand patterns, and chord progressions.
Finally, you’ll learn to apply the ballad process to songs you already know by teaching you how to compose a piece of well-known music from the outset.
Book 6 – Learn How to Play Blues & Jazz
This part of the course contains a lot of content and offers you the ideal foundation to learn how to play jazz and blues music.
Using blues scales and chords, you will learn how to get that quintessential bluesy sound. You’ll also learn a few other tricks before learning about jazz.
Instead of learning about complex jazz rhythms exclusively through reading, you are encouraged in this book to remember them by listening to and copying the audio clips provided.
You’ll learn about jazz in four distinct keys. Additionally, you’ll be provided with lots of tips and tricks for jazz improvisation. You’ll also have plenty of opportunities to practice your new skills.
Book 7 – Learn Advance Blues Skills
The first part of this book enables you to build on what you learned in book 2. It does so by teaching you more advanced chord knowledge.
This is also where you’ll learn some fun new right-hand chord riffs that you can include in the blues rhythms you learned before.
The book’s second part is where you learn about real and fake stride pianos. It’s also where you learn more about the difference in stride, or length, your hand takes.
You get to apply the knowledge you’ve gained by learning to play “The Entertainer,” including the section at the end with a high note.
Book 8 – Tame the Classics
This course section relies heavily on sheet music. It begins with a recap relating to musical notation and a quick lesson about key signatures, musical language, and new symbols. You are also provided with a list of convenient practice tips.
Here Robin Hall teaches you about reading sight music in the “Pianoforall” way. You will learn to watch out for familiar chords and motifs, as well as notes that are flat or sharp due to their nature. You will find these are easy to spot as they are highlighted in red.
Through this book, you’ll get to play classical pieces of music for the piano composed by the likes of Bach, Chopin, and Beethoven that would have been taught to you if you were taking traditional lessons.
Book 9 – Speed Learning
Robin cleverly gave this part of the course its name. This is where you learn all about scales, triads, and arpeggios. These are the foundations of practicing and playing the piano.
This book is crucial, and you need to incorporate its various elements when you practice regularly as part of your online piano lessons. As these will also help to improve the way you play.
This last book in the course is crucial as it contains several workout routines for you to practice. It also includes several memory tricks you should use from the outset.
Bonus Book – Learn to Practice Mindfulness
Although it doesn’t directly relate to learning to play the piano, you´ll find this short eBook helpful. It provides plenty of tips to help improve your focus and creativity. It also includes advice that will help incorporate mindfulness into your daily routine. These will prove helpful to you when learning how to play the piano.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Pianoforall
If you are still unsure whether this online course is right for you, we provide a brief summary of the pros and cons below.
Advantages of Pianoforall
- It comes with multiple forms of media from which to learn
- You are able to start playing without the need to focus on the theory initially
- It teaches you well-known songs from the outset
- It is a course that focuses on the method of “play by ear”, which is one of the most fun ways to learn and play the piano
- Is ideal for complete beginners because of the clear and easy-to-understand flow of the course
Disadvantages of Pianoforall
- There is insufficient material provided about learning to sight-read from traditional sheet music
- The patterns you are taught tend to sound quite corny
- You will not learn how to play a traditional piano like a virtuoso from the outset but is the perfect starting point if you want to learn “classical” piano music
- There isn’t a community forum, and no additional content gets added to the member’s area
Things to Consider to Decide if PianoForAll Is Right For You
If you are still wondering whether investing in Pianoforall is right for you, let us look at some of the things that may affect your decision.
Lesson Quality
The lessons in this course are simple, clear, and easy to follow. Their quality is good, and you will find that you don’t get overwhelmed by too much information.
As you look at the screen you are shown the notes and the players’ hands. This is intended to help you learn how to play the piano in a way you find comfortable.
Structure and Curriculum
It is a versatile program that delivers the course through audio clips, eBooks, and video lessons.
You will also find that everything has been well organized in these online piano lessons, so navigating the course is easy.
Is This Course Really For All?
Who exactly is this Pianoforall online course best for?
To better understand the answer to this question, it is important to understand just what group of people this course is being targeted at. This is what we have found.
Who The Course Is For
- Complete beginners – mainly adults and some teenagers
- Those of you who would like to learn to play songs on a piano by chords
- For those who want to learn to play piano but don’t want to play it like a professional classical pianist
- This course is for those who want to learn more pop, jazz, and blues music, rather than just classical
Who This Course Isn’t For
- For intermediate-level or advanced pianists and children who are just interested in classical music
- Those who want to learn how to play piano in a classic way of teaching
- Those who prefer to learn to play classical music
- For anyone who already has private lessons with a piano teacher
Things to Consider Before Signing Up to Pianoforall
With online lessons becoming ever more popular, the number available has substantially increased. This means that you should think carefully about what you need from the course before you sign up.
Here are a couple of things to consider before you sign up.
How Much Experience Do You Have?
Most piano courses provide even complete beginners with the opportunity to learn how to play this instrument. When it comes to this course, if you have any experience playing the piano, you may need to consider looking for another course.
Are You Able to Read Sheet Music?
Some courses like this will teach you about reading sheet music; others expect you can read it already. Others avoid sheet music altogether.
At the end of the day, which course you decide to sign up for will depend on what you want to achieve once the course is finished.
Are You Able to Access Lessons Offline?
Most courses that teach you how to play the piano can be found online. There are only a few that will provide you with the opportunity to download them so you can have access to them offline.
If you live in a location where you may have issues with internet connectivity, downloadable courses may be your best option.
Final Thoughts
All things considered, the Pianoforall course is worthwhile if you want to learn how to play the piano.
Its creator, Robin Hall, guides you through the course, which clearly describes various musical concepts. You’ll also find that he demonstrates the multiple songs within the course in a very calm and approachable manner.
There isn’t any direct feedback, input, or evaluation. What this course does offer you is a very extensive and versatile learning opportunity.
The eBooks, videos, audio files, and exercises provided by Robin Hall help make the learning process of playing the piano more engaging.
Once you have signed up as a member, you will gain lifetime access to the whole of this course.
Upon completing the Pianoforall course, you will have gained the core piano skills that you can then use as a strong base for further advancing your skills as a pianist. Hopefully, this Pianoforall review proved to be useful when deciding on your next piano course.