Pianoforall is a step-by-step program providing the user with a solid foundation of chords and rhythms while progressing to playing by ear and sight reading. The method uses a combination of keyboard diagrams and musical notation, with media clips to emphasize each point. As you progress, the musical staff is shown for you to see what you have actually been playing. You will be amazed at how difficult it looks printed on paper!
One of the big strengths here is that you'll jump straight into a number of modern, popular music styles, so it's great for anyone who maybe sees the piano as a stuffy instrument reserved for classical music. It also throws you straight in at the deep-end, meaning you play along with popular tracks right away, instead of simple 'learning tunes', which makes it feel more fun to start with. While we like Pianoforall, and do agree that it's fun for beginners, it doesn't currently rank among our best online piano lessons. Our top pick for this is Playground Sessions. Here is our full review of Pianoforall.
Diagrams and musical staff layouts are in an easily decipherable format, helping you better visualize and understand notation. After you have learned to play songs using chords and improvisation, Shapes and Patterns are taught in note reading. Emphasis is placed on giving you the tools to learn each concept thoroughly before moving to the next step, ensuring a higher success rate than many of the lower rated Learn Piano Online Review programs we reviewed. This program offers a complex and detailed set of nine eBooks, plus over 200 video clips offered via different mediums.
One of the highlights of the Pianoforall method is the Speed Learning Book offering practical advice on how to stay focused and progress rapidly, a must for anyone learning piano online without personal supervision. Sight reading is inherent if you follow this course because you gain an excellent understanding of how to analyze a piece. You will learn to see music as simple mathematical equations that, once mastered, are easy to build into the more difficult concepts.
The eBooks are some of the most technical and extensive products available online with writing that is clear and concise, but the video and audio quality are lacking compared to some of the other products reviewed. There are no additional online features to contact others working through this program either, which is a bit of an issue. Some providers offer 1-1 tuition or virtual feedback, but you're on your own with Pianoforall.
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You can either download the program from the website or have the software mailed to your home. The files are in PDF form so you can print out individual pages as needed or view from a computer. The audio and video clips are embedded next to the written examples making them instantly accessible. Because of the enormous size of the program, consider carefully what pages you print unless money for ink and paper is not an issue. One drawback is that complete music pieces are not used in the eBooks, but most are available on free music sites referenced in each chapter. Periodic updates are emailed to purchasers that include the latest in buying a piano or MIDI keyboard, internet music sites, music book reviews, and more.
Many novices and advanced players alike want to learn contemporary music from popular artists, but few programs take you from the transition of learning chord fundamentals to actual examples of how to accomplish this task. Pianoforall does just that. One of the product’s strengths is teaching all musical genres, including classical music, which is left out in many of the chord method or ear playing programs available. The intricate and detailed examples are portrayed in written, audio, and video form making it easy to use and understand. If you want to learn to improvise and transpose while learning various styles of music plus understand the notation and theory behind it, this is your program!
