Classics By Ear – Student Reviews

“I thoroughly enjoyed this course.
I had heard Satie’s Gymnopédies before, but not the Gnossiènes, and didn’t really know what to expect. I initially found the musical scores a little overwhelming and intimidating when I first downloaded and looked at them, and doubted that I would be able to play them without a LOT of effort.
Although I am not a complete beginner anymore and have been playing the piano for about a year now, Satie’s pieces are not exactly easy!
But Robin has structured this course extremely well, breaking down each of the three pieces into logical sections. I loved learning these pieces in such a manageable, step-by-step way.
Although I have finished the course now, I realise that I will need to put in a lot more practice to feel really comfortable with the left hand jumps and chords and the strange-sounding right hand melodies, and to be able to bring it all together in a moving, expressive way – and to do so consistently, without errors.
Robin, thank you so much for guiding us through these beautiful pieces. I hope you’ll offer more courses like this in the future.”

“After literally one week of 20 minutes per day I could play the first piece without sheet music- this system is so satisfying and really works.!! Doesn’t mean I can improvise jazz yet but it’s totally got me enthusiastic to play and learn more. 5* from me…”

“Just completed this course.
I don’t think anybody make the lessons easier than this lecturer. Simply awesome and I think it’s a kind of psychological approach from the lecturer.
If you learn to play classical piano, please go dive into this right away!”

“Great Course – Absolutely Love it. I’m currently taking Robin’s Piano For All course, and I’m in the Classical Section, so this fits right in. Robin’s style and methodology is fantastic. I learned No. 1 in less than a week. Take both courses – you’ll be so glad you did. — A grateful student.”

“Great course and very good instructor, videos, resources. As far as I can tell this course also works for beginners if you are patient. I started learning piano six months ago (practicing 30-60 minutes per day) and started this course two months ago. Now I am already able to play Gnossienne no.1 quite well and just started learning number 2.”

“This is exactly the kind of music i was looking for when i stumbled across this course. I like them because they sound classical yet a bit jazzy, which i think would make great background music without attracting attention. I think they are great pieces to learn for a beginner because they are fairly easy to play for the complexity of sound (big bang for the buck!). I took Robin’s ‘Piano for All’ course too which was great so i was immediately sold on this course. Now i can play all three Gnossiennes pretty well.
Nicholas S

I have no words to express to you how good this course is, it’s AMAZING. The videos and PDF and easy to understand. I have learned each song in a matter of 5 days and I can now play them fluently. Wherever it’s a course from Robin hall you can expect to be good. This was such a great investment of my money”

“I am a 70 year old advanced beginner who has never tried to learn anything on my own without an instructor by my side. This was also my first attempt to play classical music. I had a great time, enjoyed every minute of it and felt like I did have someone to guide me through all of the pieces. I thought the presentations were very well organized and easily understood. I would definitely sign up for more of these. A great way to enjoy sheltering in place. Thanks again.”

“I enjoyed this course as much as any course I’ve taken. It is a good length and very focused–it teaches one thing and teaches it really well. It provides a step-by-step walkthrough for playing Erik Satie’s Trois Gnossienes on Piano. These are beautiful pieces and not too difficult to play, and Robin’s method makes learning them really straightforward. I can now play through these pieces consistently, more or less by memory. My ability to read sheet music for piano improved significantly, though that is only a secondary emphasis in the course. Highly recommended for an adult learner with a tiny bit of piano who wants to master one piece. I’m already moving on to Robin’s Bach course and looking forward to it.”

“Fantastic course to take a beginner like me through three beautiful classical pieces to the point that I can enjoy them from the perspective of a pianist (albeit a novice!) Thank you.”

“I am very much enjoying this course, it being well-structured. Although I can read music at a basic level, I find the various ways of remembering the left hand chords extremely useful. The pace of the sessions is perfect for me. I have a friend who plays a banjo and he can’t read a note of music and uses lyrics with chords written above. It shows just how important it is to know the ‘feel’ of the piece by listening carefully to it being played, just as you recommend.Thank you.”

“It is an excellent way to teach someone how to play….I love the music and I want to play it. The instructor does a very thorough job of explaining a lot about the piece…from they types of cords, how to read the music, when to press pedals, its pretty amazing. I am very happy to have found this teacher and this course. Worth every penny!”