Have you heard PianoForAll, a popular piano course on the web? If you are in the market to find the best online piano course that meets your goals, this PianoForAll review is for you. You are the best judge to determine if the Pianoforall (Piano for All) is for you.
The best way to learn piano at the beginning is to observe how to do it on a piano visually. Of course, when you have a piano teacher, it is the best way to observe and get feedback. But if you decide to learn piano online, you must ensure the program provides video and audio components.
This Pianoforall review will look closely at what the Piano for All offers.
Table of Contents
What is PianoForAll?
Since its inception in 2006, Pianoforall has been one of the most popular and respected piano courses on the web. It is not a YouTube Channel but an All-in-one package with ebooks, videos, and audio. You can use any device, PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone, Android tablet, and smartphone. Moreover, after you download the package, you do not need the internet for your day-to-day learning and practice.
Who is This Course For?
This course is perfect for anyone who wants to get started on playing the piano. Regardless of your specific interests in classical, blues, jazz, etc., or learning to read music, you will find a module that fits your specific interest.
Pianoforall is great for adult beginners and teenagers. You can learn the chords quickly and be able to accompany others in bands or vocal sing-alongs. However, this course is not designed for younger kids who likely need a piano teacher.
Materials
Pianoforall was designed by Robin Hall and originally released in 2006. It is unique in how the course is delivered and its approach to teaching piano.
The course consists of ten interactive eBooks. The cool thing about these eBooks is that they have not just text and pictures but videos and audio clips embedded within the books. This means you do not have to toggle back and forth between different apps and windows on your device.
You make a one-time purchase of the course material, then you can download all 10 eBooks with videos and audio lessons, plus all the books in PDF format. After that, you can access the course material with any standard or built-in eBook reader app or software without the internet. Best yet, there is no monthly or annual subscription fee. You have lifetime access to your course materials.
Teaching Approach
For each topic, you can play the corresponding video. In the section you are studying, the instructor, Robin, will explain and demonstrate the concept. Since the video is embedded in your eBook, it is easy to pick up where you left off on the topic. Then, you can practice and repeat the exercises as often as you want until you master them. Typically, you also have the sound clips available to help you practice along.
Even though Pianoforall is using the chord-based approach, it took a step further to lay the foundation for classical music and sight reading skills that provide a more complete learning experience. Pianoforall‘s teaching approach is well thought out and works great whether you are interested in classical or modern tones.
Build a Solid Foundation
The diagram depicts the process of the Pianoforall. Basically, it builds a foundation using chords and rhythm, then advances to different music genres. The foundation books 1 through 5 get you started playing using a chord-based approach with a couple of unique touches:
- First is teaching rhythm right from the start. The course labels this approach as ‘Rhythm Style’ piano.
- Second is that sheet music is included in all of the examples.
The rhythm training elevates the coordination from both of your hands. Even though there is no requirement to read the sheet music when using the Piano for All process, it is there for you to get a general sense of the patterns of music notation. The chord symbols show you what a chord looks like in music notation and gradually expose the sheet music to you.
The advanced books 6 to 9 build upon the foundation and offer the learning of different genres of music and more advanced materials.
It is worth mentioning book 10, Speed Learning. This is a fantastic resource book full of tips and tricks. It offers many practice routines. Book 10 can be used at any time during the course, and you will find tips and appropriate exercises at your level. However, if you are a true beginner, you probably want to wait until you are through the foundation levels.
Is It Worth It?
In our opinion, the course is totally worth it. Pianoforall offers an all-in-one package with a straightforward pricing option. You pay it once and get lifetime access. It is extremely inexpensive, and it provides a staggering amount of material. And often, you will get discounts that make it even more budget-friendly.
We truly like the approach, the content, and the low-cost, one-time purchase model. We highly recommend Pianoforall to anyone who wants to start learning piano. Even if you are an intermediate player, you will still get substantial value from this course.
Tips for Learning Piano Online
Learning piano online takes discipline because you do not report to anyone about your progress. There are a few tips to help you to be successful in your piano learning journey:
- Have an acoustic piano or an electric keyboard that meets the minimum requirements described below
- Set up a comfortable space for your daily practice routine
- Work on a difficult or new piece for your practice session first, and finish with some easy and fun pieces. This will leave you with a positive learning experience after your practice.
- Schedule your learning and practice. It does not matter how long, even just 20 minutes a day; if you play every day, you will see results in no time.
- If you are using a digital piano or an electric keyboard, ignore the many buttons; instead, focus on learning to play piano first. Once you have a solid foundation, the sky is the limit to improvising and leveraging all features on your electric keyboard.
Minimum Keyboard Requirements
If you already have an acoustic piano, that’s great. Go ahead and get started.
However, if you have a digital piano or a keyboard, there are a few things you need to make sure that you can use your keyboard to have meaningful learning:
- A keyboard with at least 61 keys – while as a beginner, you do not really need a keyboard with standard 88 keys, a 76-key keyboard is ideal, and a 61-key keyboard is the minimum.
- A keyboard has weighted keys, or at minimum with Touch Response or Touch Sensitivity which means that the keys will respond to how hard or lightly you press them. These keys will give your playing more expression.
- A piano-style sustain pedal, preferably not a plastic foot switch that moves around under your feet when using it. A solid sustain pedal is essential for any expressive playing.
Summary
We hope the information in this Pianoforall review is helpful. Overall, we think this is a very good course for any beginners.
The unique ‘Rhythm Style’ approach makes learning piano much easier. Most likely, you will make the piano sound great very quickly. We highly recommend Pianoforall to any aspiring pianist.
We wish you good luck finding a piano learning program that meets your objectives. Take a look at this course before you decide. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask in the below comment area.
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