Classics By Ear – Moonlight Sonata Reviews

“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 🙂”

“This is an incredible course for a self taught hobby and though it’s difficult to begin with and has to be learnt in piece meal chunks first before putting together when you get to end of sheet one which you don’t think you will ever accomplish at first it really is a gratifying feeling. Just to be able to learn to play a tune you like for yourself in your own time by following along to the guidance this course musician provides aligned with the detailed sheet music has, imo made this a worthwhile hobby I enjoy returning to, so from me it’s a thumbs up.

I have a ways to go yet as I took this up alongside my academic studies which are also a completely new field and this course helps give me that much needed break and escapism all in the comfort of my own home and, not having to worry about being frowned upon by a tutor for hitting those wrong chords or missing that note when practising to string a row of bars together lol. Well worth purchasing in my opinion and presented by someone who has put such effort into their online course to help others interested in and wanting to learn and study at the own pace and, who is worthy of much more praise than I could ever offer up.”

“Excellent way to learn, especially if you never learned to play the formal way. Breaking the piece down into bite sized chunks and learning one section until you have memorized it before learning the next. You’ll be surprised how quickly you can reach a reasonable standard of playing this piece.”

“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!”

“Thank you so much Mr. Hall. I am really excited about learning to play a movement from a Beethoven sonata. I have derived hours of pleasure from your Bach’s Prelude in C major, and am continuing to work on the Prelude in C minor. Your courses are just wonderful, especially for older people like me who have always wanted to play classical music on the piano.”

“Really enjoying the logical instructions and methods together with the clarity of the diagrams with keys and finger positions- it makes learning a pleasure”

“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.”

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

“When the email came through, alerting me to this brand new “Classics By Ear” course by Robin Hall, I didn’t need to think twice about purchasing – indeed I was excited and delighted. Having purchased all of Robin’s previous courses, I was fully aware of just how excellent they are (not to mention very INexpensive) so there was no chance of my hesitating, and I purchased immediately. And from the increasing numbers of students who have also signed up within just the first few days, I am clearly not alone in my opinion.

Robin’s method is superbly in-depth and meticulous, taking things slow but steady, and breaking things down into bite-sized and easy to consume morsels – really zooming in on every note and nuance of every bar, little by little, utilizing sheet music, cheat sheets and also “Memorable Elements”, so that with each and every small step you know exactly what you should be doing, where you are heading, and how you should be playing – the fingering, expression, etc etc. Basically, you know that Robin really cares about teaching you how to play great music on the piano!

I have already made a start and am truly loving playing this haunting yet beautiful piece – a “timeless classic” indeed! After a couple of days I am already practicing the full page 1 (both with and without the splendid alternate mini-ending variation for bar 15 – a nice little touch which gives you the satisfaction of completing, if you will, a “Mini Moonlight Sonata” Prologue (“Op. 27, No. 2A”???) quite early in your endeavors; but which only whets your appetite even more to keep on moving forward – encouraging you to progress on and on to discover the rich beauty of this piece, and the amazing satisfaction that comes with getting it “under the fingers”… and “tantalising the ears”…

And so I am well and truly “juggling” 😉 … as Robin advises in his courses… although perhaps in a different way than he intends; but I hope that’s still okay, as I have several pieces on the go now – including the Bach Preludes (I’m saving the Satie course for now (although I have sampled several videos) so as not to take too much on, but will certainly be working on those pieces too when I’ve made significant progress with the Beethoven and Bach pieces).

The bottom line : I am truly addicted to learning this beautiful piece (quite possibly my favourite of Robin’s “CLASSICS BY EAR” so far); so many many thanks again, Robin, for a wonderful and meticulously planned course. And for those considering it – and especially if you have always wanted to play this timeless piece – do not hesitate. Just buy this course, press play on the first lesson – dive in (and print off the sheet music/cheat sheets etc) … take it slow and steady… and simply enjoy playing beautiful music. The fingering/octave+ stretches can perhaps be a challenge at times, but do persevere, and I promise you that you will be glad that you did, and will have no regrets whatsoever…

A wonderful piece, especially relaxing and therapeutic, and indeed something very worthwhile upon which to focus one’s mind, body and soul in particular as a most welcome respite and distraction during these challenging Covid lockdown times…”

“This is a very good match for me. I think that I am going to learn a lot. I like the red dots and sheet music. I was never told to learn the C notes and then use them for a guide to other notes.

I am at the midpoint now and I’m enjoying the lessons. I’ve never stayed with a lesson as long as I have with this. I really enjoy it. You have such great lesson structure and pacing.”

“This course is wonderful. The instructions are detailed and clear, with easy-to-follow demonstrations. I could always get useful tips when I needed them.

I couldn’t possibly manage to learn this beautiful piece without this course, in only 28 days. (last time I wanted to learn it from sheet music and gave up at bar 5…) I played this piece in front of my family and got loads of praise 😀

Thank you, dear instructor. Learning piano has never been this engaging and fun.”

“I would buy any course by robin hall. This and others i have bought are great and inspirational”

“I’ve always wanted to learn this piece of beautiful music when I first it when I was young. This course is so easy to follow and with a lot of practise and determination I can now play it through memory. The ability to just sit down at a piano and play this give me so much pleasure. I’m so grateful to you for sharing this. Thank you”

“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!”

“Playing this piece has always been a dream for me; I cant believe I actually made it through this course. I can now play the entire first movement of Moonlight Sonata by memory.
Thank you, Mr. Robin Hall for your wonderful and effective teaching.”

“Just up to bar 9 so far but it is amazing and I know already that I’ll be through with the whole song soon, but with the required practice on each bar. Feels like ONLY 60 bars to go :)”

“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”

“The best-ever method to learn a song. it took me a while to finish this course but it absolutely worth it. I learned 3 more pieces of Classics By Ear – Erik Satie from Robin too and I’m happy that I chose Robin to be my teacher. I’m really looking forward to learning more from him. Wish you the best.”

“What an incredible course! That’s how piano should be taught. No oversimplifying and making false promises like most online methods. You need to engage with the material, not follow blindly.

Robin Hall teaches you the most effective/proper way to study every piece of music. No other teacher I ever had in private tutoring explained that well how one should learn the piano.

Thank you! P.S. Robin are you planning in making more step by step guides for other pieces that those already on the platform?”

“This is the second course I have studied with this tutor. I find his method of instruction is excellent for my limitations. Having left and right hand coordination problems.”

“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 !!!!”

“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!!!”

“Do I recommend this course? YES, highly. I sort of learned to play the piano as a child, if you know what I mean, and there were times when I tried to teach myself to play Moonlight Sonata. I never got past the first 2-3 lines. Decades later, here I am playing Moonlight Sonata in its entirety, all thanks to this wonderful course. I’d like to say it’s a miracle, but in reality, it was a combination of patience and practice on my part AND the use of Robin Hall’s amazing program.

The course is divided into lessons that present this complex (imho) piece of music in manageable sections. Robin offers a very thorough review of each section along with suggestions on how to remember the fingering, which is very helpful. It takes time to learn this piece of music. I practiced every day and only moved on to the next lesson when I felt comfortable with what I had learned so far. I feel that one of the most important things is to allow yourself to enjoy the process of learning each section and to not solely focus on the goal. In this way, you’ll have fun and you’ll keep progressing! Then, before you know it, one day, you too will be playing Moonlight Sonata all on your own.”

“This was the most challenging piano piece I have learned so far. I have wanted to learn how to play this for a long time, and honestly wondered whether it was beyond my ability. Robin’s course, which broke it down into small manageable, logical chunks, showed me that it was indeed possible for me to learn this – with perseverance and lots and lots of repetition and practice! Thank you so much, Robin, for another excellent course.”