The future of music

Pianoforall Review – Is It Worth It?

March 1, 2023
Pianoforall review

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It’s no news that online piano lessons are becoming more and more popular.

It is, after all, an easy and affordable way of learning how to play the piano or refresh your musical knowledge by yourself.

From gamified piano apps to guided video lessons, it’s also easy to get lost in all the possibilities.

But, lots of options is a great problem to have! Pianoforall, in fact, offers a unique approach to learning how to play the piano by yourself.

It delivers its content through different kinds of media and teaches both music theory and playing songs.

It’s a popular online course that has helped over 300,000 students around the world to improve their piano skills.

So, why is Pianoforall among the best online piano lessons?

To bring you closer to the answer, in this Pianoforall review, we’ll show you the program’s main features and explain its method of teaching.

Pianoforall Overview

Pianoforall is an online piano course that teaches the basics of playing the piano.

The platform combines eBooks, video lessons, audio files, and exercises to deliver its content.

Through a step-by-step piano course and bite-sized lessons, you’ll make progress each day. It is suggested you commit 20-30 minutes daily.

However, you can learn at your own pace and take in as much information per day as you want, which is one of the benefits of online music classes.

Pianoforall indeed has many benefits – from easy-to-follow, clear lessons to a well-rounded curriculum that focuses both on music theory and playing songs.

After finishing the course, you’ll undeniably have a strong musical foundation.

The course also combines various genres, so you’ll have substantial knowledge of ballads, jazz, and pop pieces in a few months’ time. So, how does Pianoforall actually work?

How Does Pianforall Work?

To get full access to Pianoforall lessons, you have to purchase the course on the Pianoforall website.

The regular price is $79, but you should keep an eye out for discounts.

What’s great about Pianoforall is that it includes a one-time payment. So, once you purchase the course, you’ll have lifetime access to all the material.

This is beneficial especially if you’re not sure how much time you’ll have for your lessons and you don’t want to feel pressure to finish the course in less than a month.

After the purchase, you’ll get 9 interactive eBooks, 500 audios, and 200 video lessons.

Pianoforall also keeps making updates so you’ll always have fresh content.

The platform also has a 60-day money-back guarantee.

Pianoforall Requirements

To access Pianoforall lessons you’ll just need your device and a piano or a keyboard.

You can access Pianoforall eBooks on Windows computer, Mac, iPhone, iPad, or any Android device.

If you use a computer or Mac, you’ll need Adobe Reader and Flash player to access tutorials, videos, and audio lessons.

For iOS, you’ll have to install the Readdle Documents app. If you have an Android device, you’ll need the EZPDF Reader lite app (it costs $1).

Once you download the program, you can access it anytime and anywhere you want – yes, offline! Having offline access is a very convenient (and not so common) feature.

Moreover, there’s an option of getting a free 7-day mini-course. You just need to ask for your free lessons and you’ll get them in your e-mail.

Meet Your Instructor

The creator and piano teacher of Pianoforall lessons is a well-known cartoonist and talented pianist Robin Hall. He launched his method online in 2006 and since then he is a full-time piano instructor.

He plays both keyboard and grand piano, meaning that in his teaching, he combines classical piano playing and showing tunes on the keyboard.

In his video lessons, he explains musical concepts with a calm approach and in a clear, comprehensible way.

Hall doesn’t cover all the music theory you would learn in a traditional piano school but doesn’t completely avoid it either. We’ll dig deeper into the program’s content in a moment.

Pianoforall Method

The Pianoforall method is based on teaching how to play the piano through two main things.

One of them is the rhythm piano. Robin Hall aims to teach basic rhythm patterns quite soon in the course, and as you progress, you’ll learn more complex rhythms.

Another element that Hall puts focus on is the chord progression. By learning chords and chord progressions, you’ll soon be able to play familiar songs.

By teaching rhythm and chords, you’ll get a grasp of playing the piano pretty easily, and you’ll also be able to apply it to various songs – even your own!

However, the program doesn’t neglect notation, which is a crucial part of learning how to play the piano well. If you learn notes and sight-reading, you’ll be free to play anything you want.

Piano and musical notation.

To teach you how to read notes, Pianoforall uses a unique and effective combination of keyboard diagrams, notation, audio, and video.

That way, you’ll learn notes by the so-called visual association – you’ll learn it first by diagrams and then see what it looks like in musical notation.

With Pianoforall, you’ll learn how to play by ear as well as read sheet music. It’s a good method for learning how to play the piano quickly but also properly.

Audio and Video Lessons

The Pianoforall course offers 200 video and audio lessons – you can access them from the interactive eBooks.

You can simply click on the audio lesson to hear what you’re reading about.

In the videos, you can see Hall playing and explaining the material. As he demonstrates the techniques, you’ll be able to see hand placements, fingerings, and overall movements that you can mirror.

The course comes with a total of 500 audio clips and exercises, which is truly an abundance of learning material.

There are many short exercises ideal for double-checking what you’ve learned.

Pianoforall learning interface.

What About eBooks?

As we’ve just mentioned, eBooks provide written material for audio and video lessons. They are great for people who learn better by reading.

You’ll receive 9 eBooks which are meant to be read in order as the content gets more advanced with each book.

Of course, you’ll start with the basics. After telling you what to expect from the course, Hall will introduce you to elements of the keyboard: notes, keys, etc. You’ll learn a basic three-note chord, musical notation, and simple rhythm.

As you progress, you’ll start to learn more complex chords and rhythms. You’ll learn about cluster chords, triads, melodic patterns, scales, and pedaling.

Pianoforall eBooks.

At the end of the last book, you’ll have solid musical knowledge and core piano skills. You’ll be familiar with all fundamental concepts and you’ll have a number of popular songs in your finger memory.

By the way, one of the lessons will provide useful memory tricks that will help you memorize any piece faster.

With the Pianoforall package, you’ll also get the Bonus eBook. It will teach you about mindfulness and creativity, and describe helpful techniques for a better focus.

These extra lessons are also valuable for singing and any other instruments. They will help you get into the “flow mode” and reach better results in less time.

Different Styles

With Pianoforall, you’ll learn how to play various genres and songs. In fact, your online piano instructor will jump to teaching songs almost right away. It is through songs that he teaches sight-reading and music theory.

All songs are popular and well-known, and they cover different music styles.

For example, you’ll finish the first book with a classical piece. The second book will, on the other hand, focus on blues chords.

In Book Four, you’ll have fun with the Beatles’ style and play their songs.

Furthermore, Book Five will teach you the art of ballad. You’ll not only play famous ballads but also learn a step-by-step method that will help you to create your own ballad-style songs.

The sixth eBook will introduce you to jazz and blues. It will teach you four distinct keys in jazz and blues scales and techniques. Of course, jazz doesn’t go without improvisation, so you’ll also get tips on improv.

As you move to Book Eight, you’ll be expected to understand notation. You’ll get a recap of keys, symbols, and musical language, and continue to expand your knowledge. As this book is heavy on sheet music, you’ll be playing a few classical pieces.

Classics by Chopin, Bach, and Beethoven are inevitable in any traditional school, so it’s nice to see that these online lessons don’t skip them.

As you can see, Pianoforall covers various genres which will help you improve your piano skills and broaden your musical knowledge.

Although it’s fun to learn popular songs, getting to know different styles (including classical) will truly benefit your overall musicality.

Beethoven sheet music.

Support

Pianoforall lessons are fluid and easy to access, but in case of any problem or question, you can contact the support team and receive a helpful response.

A response from the team is not as valuable as the one from Robin Hall himself would be, but unfortunately, Pianoforall is not one of the programs that have that kind of feature.

Pianoforall Pros & Cons

If you’re still unsure whether the Pianoforall online course is for you, we’ve summarized its pros and cons.

Pros

  • Different learning resources Pianoforall delivers its content through eBooks, video lessons, and audio clips.

This is commendable as people prefer different ways of learning: someone will learn faster by reading, and someone by listening.

We suggest you take advantage of all of these resources and let the knowledge really sink in.

  • Well-rounded curriculum You’ll learn about musical concepts and notation while learning how to play familiar songs.

Although Pianoforall doesn’t go deeper into each, you’ll get a nice grasp of music theory and playing songs of different genres. You’ll learn a lot, but without feeling overwhelmed.

  • One-time payment – Once you purchase Pianoforall, you’ll have lifetime access to all its lessons.

This is a great benefit since many online piano platforms offer only monthly or annual subscriptions.

  • Composition and creativity – Some lessons contain useful tips on how to work on your musicality and creativity.

You’ll also learn about improvisation and composition. By mastering chord progressions, you’ll be able to write your own stuff more easily.

Cons

  • No Feedback – With Pianoforall, you will not receive feedback at all.

Although it’s sometimes nice playing the piano without instant feedback from an app, getting feedback, in general, is important.

That’s how you know if you’re on the right track and what your weaknesses are.

  • No in-depth knowledge – It’s great that the course teaches both music theory and playing songs, but it doesn’t really dig deeper into each.

This is not a problem for beginners, but if you want to move to an advanced level, you should find an additional source that will, for example, help you read more complicated sheet music.

Factors to Consider When Deciding if Pianoforall is Right for You

If you’re still wondering if Pianoforall is a good option for you, let’s take a look at some of the factors that might affect your decision.

Lesson quality

Pianoforall lessons are very simple, clear, and easy to follow. The quality is good, and you won’t be overwhelmed with too much information. The screen will show you notes as well as the player’s hands, so you’ll be able to learn how to play the piano in a very convenient way.

Structure & curriculum

Pianoforall is a very versatile program. It delivers its content through audio clips, video lessons, and eBooks. On the other hand, everything is well-organized and easy to navigate.

The curriculum is quite versatile too. It covers all the essential music concepts, notation, and song tutorials. You’ll learn how to play by ear as well as read sheet music.

Platforms and devices

You can access Pianoforall on multiple devices including Windows, Android, MAC, iPad, and iOS devices. Everything is very easy to download. You’ll just need a free eBook reader if you want to access eBooks on Windows or Android.

Songs

Besides music theory, Pianoforall will teach you how to play familiar songs. Pianoforall eBooks are focused on specific genres such as classical music, blues, and rock.

The program maybe doesn’t have the most extensive song library, but it will teach you how to play chords and patterns. That way, you’ll be able to learn many popular songs with ease.

Price

If you want to get full access to Pianforall, you have to purchase the course. The program usually costs $79, but you can get it at a discounted price quite often. With the purchase, you’ll get 9 eBooks, 500 audios, 200 video lessons, and free updates.

Extra features

Without a doubt, Pianoforall will add versatility to your learning process. Lessons are thoughtfully crafted, and besides piano basics, they include tips on creativity and improvisation. So, their approach is actually the best thing about this program.

Another feature that you might want to consider is the possibility to take lessons offline. That way, you don’t have to worry about slow video streaming or bad connection.

Who Is Pianoforall For?

So, who is this online piano course best for?

Well, beginners of all ages will undoubtedly benefit from Pianoforall. If you follow the step-by-step learning process, you’ll soon learn how to play the piano even if you have no previous experience.

The last few books offer useful insight into more advanced techniques, so intermediate piano players will also find something for themselves.

However, all of that depends on your goals. If you simply want to learn how to play popular songs, Pianoforall is not a good choice for you. Since there is no huge song library, you will not learn numerous pop songs or have a chance to pick a song.

On the other hand, Pianoforall offers versatile lessons that will teach you music theory while playing songs.

So, if you want to commit to your music lessons and gain basic piano skills, Pianoforall will certainly meet all your expectations.

Similar Programs

If you want to have video-based piano lessons, but with an opportunity to get feedback, you should take a look at Pianote.

It’s a piano website that blends traditional piano learning with a modern approach. You’ll be learning from educated piano teachers through high-quality, engaging videos.

Pianote also offers live sessions and a possibility to send a video of yourself playing the piano and get personalized feedback from the instructors.

Read or full Pianote review.

Another popular online piano program is Flowkey. It’s an app that will provide you with instant feedback and game-like features that make the learning process easy and fun.

The app is customizable, so you can adjust the speed of the songs and practice at your own pace.

With Flowkey, you’ll also have an extensive song library at your disposal. So, if there’s a particular song you want to master, Flowkey might have it. Check out our full Flowkey review to find out more about the app.

However, you will not get detailed theoretical lessons there, nor additional learning resources.

Along with the one-time purchase and an abundance of versatile lessons, it’s what makes Pianoforall stand out from other online lessons.

Pianoforall Review – Final Thoughts

All things considered, Pianoforall is a worthwhile piano course that will teach you how to play the piano at home.

It’s created and guided by Robin Hall who describes musical concepts and demonstrates songs in a calm, approachable manner.

Although the platform doesn’t provide feedback and a possibility of direct contact with an instructor, it compensates by offering extensive, versatile learning material.

You’ll get eBooks, exercises, videos, and audio files, all of which will make the learning process more engaging. You’ll also receive access to the whole program for life, without renewing your membership.

After finishing the course, you’ll be sure to have core piano skills and a strong foundation to build on.

We encourage you to keep improving your piano skills after the course. Continue expanding your repertoire and developing your musicality – you never know where that’s going to take you!

FAQs

Is Pianoforall good for beginners?

Pianoforall is a good option for beginners. It offers step-by-step lessons that cover all the basic music concepts, notation, and easy song tutorials. Lessons are short and easy to follow.

How long is Pianoforall?

Pianforall offers bite-sized piano lessons. If you spend 20-30 practicing each day, you should be able to make good progress. It’s possible to complete the course within months if dedicated.

Is Pianoforall a good course?

Pianforall is a reliable and well-structured piano learning program. It has a thoughtfully crafted curriculum and simple lessons that are easy to follow. It’s a good choice for anyone who wants to gain basic piano skills.

Pianoforall vs Flowkey?

Both Pianoforall and Flowkey have their advantages. Pianoforall is versatile and it’s great for beginners who want to master the basics. Flowkey feels more game-like, and it has an extensive song library ideal for players who want to expand their repertoire.

Will Fenton

Will, the founder of MIDDER, is a multifaceted individual with a deep passion for music and personal finance. As a self-proclaimed music and personal finance geek, he has a keen eye for futuristic technologies, especially those that empower creators and the public.

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