Classics By Ear – Student Reviews

Students are LOVING the Classics By Ear courses!
Now ANYONE can play their favourite classical pieces.

Pianoforall Classics By Ear Reviews

Jump to a course page on Pianoforall Academy

Erik Satie →  |  Bach Preludes →  |  Moonlight Sonata →

Moonlight Sonata

IT’S JUST GREAT

“I’ve been wanting to play this for years but thinking it was too difficult, not with this way of teaching. its just great. I could play bars 1 to 5 but within days of having this course I am working on bar 10 top marks.”

Christopher Wheeler
Bach Preludes

WONDERFUL METHOD

“Love this course! Inspired to play again after a “little” break of 60 years. Breaking the piece into sections and identifying the memorable elements of each section makes it easier to memorize and adds tremendously to the pleasure of playing. Warmest thanks for this wonderful method.”

Bibi Blue
Erik Satie

IT’S CHANGED THE WAY I LOOK AT MUSIC

“I am incredibly happy with this course it’s changed the way I look at Music. I was completely overwhelmed with the Satie sheet music, 4flats! Now when I approach a piece I’m looking for patterns, for how the whole thing is structured. I listen more and better as well because I understand more. Thank you!”

Luke R.
Moonlight Sonata

ANOTHER GREAT COURSE FROM ROBIN

“Another great course from Robin! I learned this piece very slowly over several months but finally made it to the end of the 69 bars today! Now looking forward to adding expression and playing it for my friends when I finally have them over next month. Thanks!”

Marie-France Roy
Bach Preludes

THIS CLASS HAS BEEN A BREATH OF FRESH AIR

“For someone who tried to learn piano as a child, this class has been a breath of fresh air, as well as a confidence booster. I already had a basic understanding of reading music and playing but had not tried to play the piano for decades. The step-by-step structure of this class and viewing each step as a pattern of notes/finger movements was brilliant for me.

Then, the addition of a final lesson that brought expression into the piece rounded out my experience perfectly. I so enjoyed this class! I would love to see more piano classes like this from Robin that focus on learning individual compositions. Maybe some Vivaldi or The Beatles? 🙂 Thank you for a great class!”

Tracey D
Moonlight Sonata

THE BEST COURSE THAT I HAVE BOUGHT

“The best course that i have bought. I would like to give 6 stars! Congratulations Robin, great work! l also bought the Preludes of J.S.Bach, very, very good! I never thought to be able to play them by ear – But finally I was successful! I hope there will be more “Classics by ear”! Thanks you!”

Christian Kritzler
Erik Satie

I THOROUGHLY ENJOYED THIS COURSE

“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.”

Regine L.
Erik Satie

I’M MAKING MORE PROGRESS THAN EVER BEFORE – I’M 87

“Because of its flexibility of use. You can match your own ability and time available that you have. Which means you are in complete control of your own progress. It has never been patronising. In order to gain from the course you do have to be disciplined to carry out regular study. I’ve found all the courses I’ve tried very well paced and logically presented with very clear instruction.

If anything I’ve signed up for more courses than I have time to concentrate on but I find I can drop in and out of your courses and easily pick them up where I left off and so far not been bored by any. They are in fact all related to my interest in becoming better educated about jazz piano.

I have been involved with music most of my life and I feel I’m making more progress than ever before.
One thing my be of interest l’m 87 years old.”

John B
Moonlight Sonata

CRYSTAL CLEAR

“Robin Hall is a superb teacher. The programme and its accompanying resources are crystal clear and Robin’s presentation of memorable elements makes difficult passages accessible to the learner.”

Fergus Ryan
Erik Satie

THIS METHOD IS ABSOLUTELY ONE OF THE BEST

“This method is absolutely one of the best ones I have ever tried to learn piano with. thank you so much for putting all these lessons together and I can’t wait to learn more songs with this method from you, even the modern songs. thank you”

Ehsan G.
Erik Satie

GREAT PIECES TO LEARN FOR A BEGINNER

“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”

Anya P.
Erik Satie

AN EXCELLENT COURSE

“This is an excellent course. I’ve finished Gnossienne #1 and am working on #2. Not sure if I will do #3 as I am a bit sated on Satie. But the techniques taught enable you to learn the pieces step by step until you perfect it to whatever standard you wish. For me, my playing of #1 is still a bit mechanical, but I can play it without looking at the music and really enjoy being able to. I don’t like to sound like the old guy but I’m 68 and have never played piano (or keyboard in my case) before.

NB I would recommend a piano if you have access. Electronic keyboards don’t do the piece justice. Although I’m a bit over Satie I hope there will some new pieces by different composers in the future. I would definitely want to do those. Highly Recommended.”

Derek B.
Erik Satie

GENIUS PIANO TEACHER

“Course Creator and Presenter, Robin Hall: Genius Piano Teacher!
A winning formula for teaching the piano with video, audio, and full written notes.
The course of three classical pieces by Erik Satie is well thought out. It Builds on earlier sessions. Essential skills are introduced, nothing is assumed.
It includes well designed camera work showing video of keyboard, music staff, hands, and fingering: with a second keyboard clearly showing (and naming) every note struck.
By knowing his subject thoroughly, Robin has structured his course from beginning to end to progress systematically until he reached his objectives.
Insights he has gained in his own studies enables him to teach … simply.
Resource downloads include the fullest PDF transcripts of material taught in video sessions with all music sheets available for printing. So, I was able to learn by watching, listening, reading, by making my own summary notes, and of course – by practicing daily.
A Brilliant Course Robin,
Thank you so much, John J”

John J.
Bach Preludes

IT’S ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT

“Don’t hesitate to buy this course its absolutely brilliant. Robin is a great teacher and very thorough. I am a novice player and it has taken me just over a week to learn this piece – so far I am stoked to see how quick this was to learn.”

Dean Oleary
Moonlight Sonata

AN AMAZING WAY TO LEARN

“An amazing way to learn playing a piece of music. Before I tried to learn how to read notes, but I’ve never been able to play from a sheet, especially long tunes. Now I realized how easy it is to put letters near notes and be able to concentrate on playing and learning the music, not on reading the notes. After 2 months of everyday practice I now can play the Moonlight sonata and enjoy it. Certainly I have a long way ahead to practice it, but the reading of notes is not a blocker any more. Many thanks for the course.”

Andrei Akimov
Erik Satie

WORTH EVERY PENNY

“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!”

Heather P
Moonlight Sonata

I ABSOLUTELY RECOMMEND THIS

“I always wanted to be able to play this exact piece, but got stuck pretty quickly and gave up. Now I can already play it up to the 2nd page! I would never have thought this! Thank you so much for teaching me this! This method of breaking the piece down into individual pieces, combined with the excellent explanations in the video and the perfect printable documents, is for me the best way to learn piano.

I absolutely recommend this as well as all of Robin’s other courses. I sincerely hope that there will be more courses. I will attend all of them without exception. Thank you again Mr. Hall!”

Daniel H.
Moonlight Sonata

EXCELLENT COURSE

“Excellent course. Especially appreciate the fingering notation and highlighting of the sharp notes. Labeling of the notes in general and videos of the bars being played are also very helpful.”

Robert Obsieger
Bach Preludes

VERY ENGAGING AND MOTIVATING

“Very engaging and motivating, inspirational and encouraging. Robin’s tuition – as with his broader course PIANO FOR ALL (which I also own and have gained much from) – is again superb! Quite simply piano tuition worth its weight in gold, but very modestly priced – a massive “bang for your buck”! Buy it and try it for yourself and you won’t be disappointed, I promise you; indeed you’ll be chomping at the bit to have a go and progress to the next level of your musical journey, discovery, and competence.

Thanks, Robin, keep up the good work – and keep bringing us more superb piano/music lessons in the near future, sir! :-)”

Chris Harvey
Moonlight Sonata

AN EXCEPTIONAL COURSE

“An exceptional course!. I managed to finish the material in about 2 months and can now confidently play the whole movement without sheet music!”

Pandula Weerasooriya
Bach Preludes

HIS STARTING POINT IS HOW HUMANS WORK

“Robin Hall’s approach is brilliant – his starting point is how humans work (whereas most people’s starting point is how *music* works) – and then draws on that understanding to design his lessons.

As a beginner, I can’t believe how quickly I’ve been able to learn piano with his method.”

Elizabeth Dozois
Bach Preludes

YOU HAVE MADE THIS SO EASY

“You have made this so easy to play with the wonderful visuals and Instructions which I printed out to have at hand. At 74 years of age, I finally found a beautiful tune to be able to play because of you’re program. Brilliant. I’m almost up to the speed that you play at till working on that and the various volumes required to make this piece sound properly. I have purchased you”re other programs so I have much to do and much to look forward to. Fills my early mornings, my late nights. Robin, You have some very powerful and Brilliant teaching power. Thank You, Ginter”

Ginter Schatz
Erik Satie

EVERYTHING SEEMS SO EASY

“WOW this instructor teaches in such an easy way to understand. From breaking down the sheet music to how to play expressively, everything seems so easy (because of the instructor). Thank you so much!! I learned the first Gnossienne in less thank a week. Fantastic!”

Eric K.
Bach Preludes

VERY EASY TO FOLLOW

“Excellent! Very easy to follow. After that course, I learned enough to take on my own some other pieces. I bought all your courses. Please!!!! Do course for Clair de lune”

Vesna Kotnik