Classics By Ear – Erik Satie – Gnossiennes – Reviews

“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!”

“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.”

“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.”

“Just purchased this course too. Couldn’t resist because your courses are absolutely splendid (and to be honest, WELL under-priced – thanks for the absolute BARGAIN!). So I am now the proud owner of all your courses so far, Robin. Looking forward to diving into this one too in the near future! (I might even tackle it along with the Bach if I’m feeling really daring). Yet more splendid tuition – and truly beautiful music – to look forward to… Great stuff indeed! And very addictive…!!! Thanks and God bless, Robin :-)”

“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”

“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”

“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.”

“I am completely amazed by this course. Not only did I learn to play the three beautiful Gnossiennes, which took me roughly 4 weeks to master each of them technically, but even better: on the way, this course taught me by example how to conquer any piece of music: by separating hands, figuring out the fingering, dividing the piece into smaller parts, practicing all of this slowly over and over and over again, to put it back together in the end.

At times I didn’t believe I’d ever be able to play the next section, but Robin explained clearly how to practice all the difficult parts. And the method works. I’m still working on adding more expression to some parts, but I play the Gnossiennes so easily now that I can actually listen to myself playing and enjoy the experience. Thank you Robin, I’ve enjoyed this course so much!”

“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”

“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…”

“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!”

“Fantastic course. I can read sheet music – but followed the instructions and learned the piece much quicker than if I was just reading alone. Also learned how to pick out particulars in different performances I listened to that I would like to add to my own interpretation. The videos, audio and pdfs are excellent. Really great experience!!!”

“A great course of quickly and effectively pickup these 3 cool classics. I only intended to go 1st piece but the instructor has put together the course so well and I did 2nd piece as well and have plans to do the 3rd one too. Nice material, video and above all instructor have done a great job is walking me through the different section. I had about 6 months experience of learning/playing piano (all online) and was able to play first 2 pieces in this course pretty much in two weeks.
If the instructor is reading this comment…. Sir – Thanks for this great course and please create more such courses covering popular classics.”

“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.”

“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!”

“This play-by-ear method is a good way to teach piano instead of the old fashioned, boring and difficult method. Divide and conquer, right hand first, then left hand, then play both hands. This method breaks it down to its simplest form and even beginners can play. Practice, practice, practice. Thank you Mr. Robin Hall.
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“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.”

I played Keys as a Young Boy….I am now 70….I was able to read and play music way back then. Now it seems very Foreign to me. I am making Great strides with Your Course and am now starting to get a feel for the piano again..Thank You for Your Knowledge & Presenting it so That I Can Understand and Will Play The Piano Again !!! Again….Thank You.

“I’ve mostly completed the first Gnossienne. This is such a brilliant course that is well-organized, very thorough and detailed. I used to learn to play piano but I really like this new way of learning. I’m looking forward to other courses like this one. Thank you Robin for making these great lessons.”

“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!”

“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.”

“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!”