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 →

Erik Satie

WORKS FOR BEGINNERS

“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.”

Jochen S.
Erik Satie

THIS SYSTEM IS SO SATISFYING

“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…”

Tristan C.
Moonlight Sonata

TAKES THE TIME TO TEACH

“Robin is just a fantastic teacher! He takes the time to teach. The videos are easy to follow, and the method Robin uses is constructed to take beginners to achieve satisfying results. I have taken four of his classes (now beginning Moonlight Sonata) and I’m stoked for Robin to reveal his next course. Thank you, Robin!”

Dale Bertucci
Bach Preludes

EXCELLENT BREAKDOWN

“Excellent breakdown technique. This was an excellent match for me. I tend to want to jump ahead before I have mastered a section completely. This kept me on track and I could go back and work on any section I needed too work on.
I am 70 years old and memorization has become difficult but I was able to stay focused and work through each section at my own pace. I realize that this was not a complex piece but I will apply the technique to other songs. Thank you.”

Cynthia P Jones
Moonlight Sonata

AMAZING TEACHER

“This is my second course from this amazing teacher. I’m a 62 year old novice, but these courses have made me a better player than I ever expected to be. Thank you.”

Ken Koehler
Moonlight Sonata

I AM IN AWE

“Although this is challenging for me I am in awe regarding Robin’s awesome method of teaching.”

Nancy Beggin
Erik Satie

FANTASTICALLY ORGANISED

“Robin is a great instructor. He breaks down these beautiful classical pieces into very digestible bits. His hierarchy of sheet music is also fantastically organized and useful, depending on where you are in your mastery of the song. He even adds good tips on how to take the songs to the next level. If you enjoy Satie, this video will certainly help you play his pieces, even if you’re just a beginner like me.”

Guy T.
Bach Preludes

GOOD SUPPORT MATERIAL

“Best music teacher I know. VERY VERY VERY GOOD support material! Best in class, on a scale of 10, he is getting at least 12”

Michel Cloutier
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

THE COURSES ARE SO ACCESSIBLE

“I really appreciate the approach you take – learning to play by ear is just so so rewarding but I now realise the 10,000 hours factor is so true -I need to practice productively everyday -which I am yet to achieve but will get there -I have purchased your previous 2 courses and found them most helpful(Classic/Eric Sate )-the courses are so accessible – many thanks much appreciated -I dream of playing Moonlight Sonata to my family -lets see if i can achieve that !!!!”

Mike Purtell
Bach Preludes

VERY CALM

“Very clear and easy to follow. Delivered slowly enough for me to “compute” think about what is being said and to touch the notes on my own piano. Very calm.”

Deirdre Fee
Moonlight Sonata

FANTASTIC SO FAR

“I’ve wanted to learn how to play all my life and I’ve finally taken the plunge at 63! Moonlight Sonata is the 1st song I’m learning to play and the journey with Robin is fantastic so far! I’m still on the first page but everyday is a victory! Between the video, the sheet music (which I’m reading by the way) and Robin’s great voice, I’m on my way. I’m also learning with the entire Pianoforall course, which is also fantastic and deserves it’s own separate review. Bravo Robin, Bravo!!!”

Joe Garcia
Bach Preludes

THE COURSE WAS FANTASTIC!

“The course was fantastic! I was amazed at how many different materials provided and approaches provided to learning this piece. Not simply the sheet music, but cheat sheets and other tools to help me learn the piece. I have successfully memorized and completed the piece in around 2 weeks.”

Matt Beech
Moonlight Sonata

EASY TO FOLLOW INSTRUCTION

“This is great course! I never thought I could play this piece and understand it in such an easy to follow instruction. Excellent instructor!”

Felipe Oceguera
Erik Satie

HAD THEM ALL DOWN IN 3 WEEKS!

“I’ve only been playing the piano for about a month, and I was able to play the first piece fairly well after just a few days, and had them all down in 3 weeks!
I wish I could learn all new songs with this format”

Kevin S.
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.
Moonlight Sonata

I LOVE THE TEACHING TECHNIQUE

“I love the teaching technique, as it’s really easy to follow and each section is perfectly laid out to be able to learn it by ear. Highly recommended!!!

I’ve been playing guitar since I was 12 and performing to audiences since I was 13, so I need a way to learn the piano that will keep me engaged and this is it! I have already learnt Prelude in C and Prelude in Cm and they are the only two tunes I can play on piano. This will be my third!”

Dave Nicholls
Erik Satie

SIMPLY AWESOME

“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!
”

Tariq H.
Moonlight Sonata

THIS COURSE MAY BE A LIFE CHANGER FOR ME

“This course may be a life changer for me. I have never played a musical instrument and I have no musical education at all, except for a 2-year education I had 40 years ago at Preparatory School. But after buying my digital Roland FP-30X piano and starting this course (about 2 months ago), I’m now able to play from ear up to section 59!!! I’m almost finishing. My wife and friends are puzzled 🙂 :).

I always thought that these and some other classical works were only attainable by professional pianists, but I’m able to play it!!! What a great achievement I made! Of course, few good things come without effort. I’ve playing almost every single day for the past two months (although only for about 20 minutes each day). Thanks for this wonderful course, Robin Hall and for having me entering the wonderful world of music and piano. I can hardly wait for the next course!! I will probably buy the Bach Preludes. I will also try to learn more about scales and chords and musical theory in general. Best regards, Nuno Guerreiro”

Nuno Guerreiro
Bach Preludes

“This is teaching at its BEST. The instructor goes step by step, giving clear instructions, and giving various tools to help you play and memorize the pieces. Thank you!”

Silvia Hammond
Erik Satie

UN TRES GRAND MERCI

“Tous les moyens techniques et artistiques sont donnés par Robin Hall, professeur de piano généreux, pour s’approprier les trois premières Gnossiennes d’Erik Satie. Ce cours est pour moi une incroyable expérience que j’ai hâte de renouveler avec le cours “Bach Preludes”. Un très grand merci.”

Daniel B.
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

ANOTHER EXCELLENT COURSE

“Another excellent course and a piece of music that I have wanted to learn for a very long time. Robin’s skill in breaking each piece into manageable sections and his calm, patient and logical approach to teaching inspires confidence and makes learning an absolute joy.

I loved the Erik Satie and Bach courses and Moonlight Sonata is, in my mind, even better. I had tried learning piano on and off over the years with very limited success but am now building up a repertoire of beautiful pieces that I can play from memory every day. Thanks Robin 🙂”

Ken Wherrell
Erik Satie

I LOVED THIS COURSE

“I loved this course and the way the three musical pieces were divided into small easily digestible sections. You could quickly get a sense of achievement. The instructor’s calm voice, explanations and encouragements worked well for me too. I learned to play the pieces much faster than I expected for a beginner!”

Marie-France R.