Classics By Ear – Erik Satie – Gnossiennes – Reviews

“I’m quite impressed how an online course can be actually better than a presenting course. I didn’t expect much of this, but I’m 100% satisfied and do believe is one of the best courses out there. At least is working really well for me.
Also, my aunt is taking another course from this teacher and she’s enjoying a lot.
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!”

“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.”

“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.”

“Really enjoyed this course, it’s been so helpful in learning play Satie’s music. Very gentle, clear instructions and demonstrations on how to get the most out of the piece.”

I am 55, didn’t ever play the piano, however I do know how to read notes and I love classical music. Sati was not new to me. I enrolled to this course 3 weeks ago and so far it’s a pleasure.
At the beginning I thought it is too complicated as a first piece of music, however after practicing 4 time a week for 10-30 minutes i started to see noticeable improvement, like a magic it became easier and easier. Still I have mistakes and need more practice, however the “music” is there.
I highly recommend!
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“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.”

“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.”

“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”

“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”

“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.”

“Great course. I learned to play the first Gnossienne from start to finish in less than a week by watching this course and I have only been learning classical piano for a couple of months.

It feels amazing to be able to play along with some of the classic Satie recordings and feel that not only do I get the notes right, but I’m also starting to add expression to my playing. Looking forward to future courses applying the same method!”

“Awesome course. Helpful even if you have never played the piano but would take some time to get used to it.
For those who have been playing for 1 or 2 months, don’t be afraid to tackle a proper piece. Just put in an 15 min on top of your normal practice and you’ll be playing the haunting piece in a few weeks.
Playing a piece like this is highly motivating and keeps you going through the simpler pieces that you might be learning”

“My son, who is 10, has been learning piano through online courses and tutorials for about a year. We got him this one as he has been looking for some beautiful but challenging pieces. He absolutely loves it. It took him a few days to learn each piece. The instruction is clear and helpful, and the music is gorgeous. It’s amazing to see how he has grown with this course and lovely to hear him play these, with increasing confidence and feeling, throughout the day each day. As a course, we couldn’t recommend this highly enough. Our only suggestion would be to offer a follow-up to this one to teach the Gymnopedies. We would be the first to enrol!”

“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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“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.”

“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 :-)”

“Robin provides a wide variety of creative and interesting strategies for learning this piece, so if you persist, you can succeed, no matter what your learning style is. It does take a LOT of time, but it is definitely possible to get pretty good at the piece.
I especially appreciate Robin’s motivation and advice for making practice time more effective. I’m using these practice strategies on other pieces, so my playing has become more accurate since taking this class!
I wasn’t too crazy about the Satie piece when I listened to the course preview, but I’m very glad I signed up for this course. I’ve come to quite enjoy this piece, now that I can play it. It’s very soothing. Plus, it’s a confidence booster, because the music actually sounds like it’s harder to play than it is.
I hope Robin will set up some additional classes like this, to help us master a few more fun and impressive pieces.”

“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…”

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”