Pianoforall – Reviews

“Dear Robin,  I can’t tell you how excited I am. And for only $60, no less. Incredible.  I’m a journalist who cut his teeth writing for Rolling Stone (1968-75) in San Francisco (I wrote a cover story on Van Morrison in 1971), and I have long cherished the dream of learning piano, esp. blues.

I’ve spent hours this past year searching the Internet for a self-teaching course and I’ve been so disappointed by what’s out there. Dreadful stuff, really. Who the hell wants to start off learning Danny Boy or Jingle Bells when what I want is Lady Madonna and Great Balls of Fire (I profiled Jerry Lee, too, what a hoot that was).

So, I count as a miraculous day that I found your site. You’ve really put it all together, makinfg full use of the power of Acrobat and QuickTime. No other course comes close. Your concept and execution is brilliant.

Just yesterday I bought a used Yamaha YPT-300 digital keypboard and stand (61 keys pressure sensitive), and I’m thrilled. I am one motivated student, and I look forward to writing a testimonial soon. I wish you every success. Thanks!”

Hi Robin, One year almost to the day ( I slipped up I intended to make it one year exactly ) I emailed you this.

Hi Robin, I intend to give this course all I’ve got, but I’ve just turned FIFTY, and NEVER played, or tried to play any type of musical instument before. So if I can succeed and manage to play even a few tunes i’ill feel I’ve accomplished something, AND SO WILL HAVE YOU. I will get back to you in due course to inform you of my success. ( Let’s be possitive eh? ).

Bob Stuart

(later update) Well how did I do, nae bad at all. You have ( And this is no overstatement ) changed my life. I have always liked music but only to listen to. I can play that few tunes I set my goal as, only now I want to progress a little more. I must confess I have turned to the keyboard rather than the piano, a lot easier for a man my age to play just chords with the second hand.

I really do enjoy my time at my keyboard and find it so relaxing it;s not real. What’s the best tip you can give me to keep improving, ( and your not getting away with practice ). Feel free to pop this onto your web, because you are a GENIUS Robin and i mean that most sincerely. Thanks ever so much, and start charging a lot more for your superb way of teaching

“Hi Robin, This is a rattling good course. I have only just started on the tutorials and I really like the way you break down the accompaniments into separate styles.

I have bought quite a few courses and they all have their good points, but it’s good to learn from someone who is doing some teaching [to the musically dyslexic such as myself], and not just showing what a great pianist they are.

I have played guitar and banjo for a few decades and it is good to be able to move sideways into  keyboards. The way you present it, it is almost as if, when teaching the various piano styles, you are talking about guitar / banjo rolls, which is something that I understand. Good stuff, sir. I look forward to seeing whatever else you produce. All the best.”

“Hi Robin, I needed to contact you to share my excitement

It’s hard to believe but I actually study piano in a conservatory. I purchased Pianoforall because the limit of my formal education are unbelievable. I have been trained to read sheet music and like a robot to translate what is written in physical motions at the piano. That’s it. My classmates and I don’t really understand music and don’t really have a clue of what we’re doing or what music is, we’re just trained to be robots playing robotically. As you said it’s like reading aloud correctly something in a foreign language without understanding what you’re saying. What really saddens me is the little focus on music itself. It’s like as if the teachers themselves forgot that the final goal is being able to make beautiful music.

I’d like to be a well-rounded musician and I’d like to understand the music I play, I’d like to feel the rhythm inside my body and I’d like to be able to arrange, improvize and compose. That’s why I think your course is perfect for me.

I’ve been working on the rhythms in book 1 these days and I’m so excited not only because I’m learning lot of important stuff but also because practicing those rhythm have improve my sense of rhythm even in the classical pieces I play. Rhythm has always been my weak point and just practicing your book 1 for one week improved by Bach and Mozart in an amazing way and even my
teacher is amazed at how more rhythmically precise and clean they are.

Thanks! I will keep you updated on my progresses as I move to the other books”

“Hey, Robin.  This is David from Alabama writing you again.  Just wanted to give you an update and some more thanks.

For anyone questioning whether they should purchase this course or take a more traditional method to learning the instrumentI can testify that they would be much better off with Pianoforall.  I have just completed my degree in Music at the local college.  The knowledge I gained from your course is largely responsible for my having the highest marks in Music Theory I and II.

One can study for years the traditional method of piano with public domain songs that no one wants to hear (or play) and never come close to the understanding they will gain from a month of Pianoforall. The reason is that you teach first how music is put together (how chords are formed and the rhythms in which to play them) and then talk about reading.  You go straight to the heart of the matter.  Not only do students play faster they understand more about music.  This knowledge of chords (being able to name the notes of the triads and various seventh chords) is the reason I did better than everyone else.

You are not just selling courses.  You are selling the wisdom of an experienced musician. Thanks again. Good luck,”

“Dear Robin, I just wanted to say thanks for all your help! I’m so excited to start, I’m getting ready to go down to my piano now… I looked at 6 different online courses and almost bought two before I came across yours, I’m so glad I waited. Yours was better laid out, with more info and a professional feel, yet with ease that looked appealing! Thanks a million…”

“My only interest is learning to play Gospel Music. So I have been purchasing only Gospel courses for over 3 years. Pianoforall is the only course that really teaches you the basic foundation using various rhythms, songs and techinques plus more & more advance stuff.

There are so many things to say…. If I asked back for my money I would not be able to sleep & God would not forgave me. This is the course Pianoforall I have been searching for a long time.
I am in my 3rd book…it’s a blessing.

May God continue to Bless You & Family. Have a Blessed Day Robin”

Thats great thank you , I would just like to let you know i thought the fist five books were really helpful, the books were really easy to understand by the simple but effective layout, it was great to put all the information together and get a really good sound, Cant wait to read through the next five.

“First let me say that the course is phenomenal.  Always, I’ve asked myself how pianists played so effortlessly.

Your course answers the questions I’ve asked myself for years and spent lots of money purchasing courses trying to have my questions answered.  Much success!”

“This program definitely helps me understand chords and read sheet music very easy. Greatest piano program ever. Its worth ten times the price.”

“Hi Robin, Just wanted to say that although I have only just begun to tackle the 1st book, on nearing completion, I have learned more in the last couple of weeks than I have in years of messing around trying to cobble bits and pieces of theory and practice together – without I may add any success.

As a teacher myself I know how important it is to get into the head of the learner in order to discover ways to make things innovative and creative in order that things may stick. So far, from the very simple but incredibly effective way you have put this first book together, you have shown that you have a real talent and an intuitive way of teaching.

I only hope the others in the series are as good as this on – I’m sure they will be; just wish I had more time to explore them!! Regards
Paul”

“Hi Robin, I recently purchased your product and I have to tell you: it’s absolutely wonderful!!! I’m still quite a beginner but I can follow your instructions and feel I improve daily! Though I have to admit I watch and listen to the videos thousands of times – but once it clicks in – it’s delightful. Thanks ever so much for your efforts of putting this whole set together, I’m really glad I’ve found you!

(later update)

Hi Robin, You are absolutely welcome to use my testimony (even the one I’m writing now… feel free to select only what you want to put in) and feel free to give my e-mail address to people – I would gladly tell them how much your material helped me!

I have to admit I did purchase a material (which by the way cost much more than yours) about 3 years ago, I was really eager to learn but it was so hard to follow that I got totally discouraged and since than I’ve hardly touched my keyboard. I got frustrated as my limited playing sounded boring and when I asked anyone (including a piano teacher) I was told: don’t worry just keep practicing. Now I know I was right – practicing what? If I don’t have a foundation – what can I build upon? This material has just given me this foundation – I didn’t only learn lots of rhythms and styles but I had my breakthrough in the ballad style for the first time The material is obviously not just for me who’s just starting this journey but for the more advanced ones too, so I saved the whole set for later times and keep coming back to it.

As you can tell Robin I am very happy – as what I learnt from you I’m sure I would have paid a fortune to teachers for not even near this high quality! You made it really affordable “

“Robin, Thank you so much for this course.  I have wanted to learn to play my favorite instrument as long as I can remember.  Now that I’m an adult, I am so glad to not have to learn from the child books.

Already being able to play popular songs just amazes me!  I am having so much fun.  Thanks again,”

“Hi Robin, I bought your course over a year ago but I only had a cheap keyboard at the time.  I downloaded all the material and then put it away until I could get a better keyboard.  I’m 18 years old and I took piano lessons as a child for 5 years, but I must say that I never learned anything from traditional piano lessons that I am learning from this course.  In this course you teach everything, and I mean EVERYTHING a person should learn in order to play piano like a professional.

In this course, I am learning music and chord theory without even realizing it.  And I am also learning everything I should have learned through traditional piano lessons, but I didn’t learn because the lesson structure just wasn’t holding my attention and I gave up very young.  The amount of time and quality you have put into this is unbelievable.  I did not expect this much when I bought the course.  I absolutely love this course, so thank you!”

Robin, Thanks very much for the CD – I have received it. I am really happy with this purchase, and as advertised, it’s exactly what I was looking for. I played drums when I was younger and I still play now but, I always regret not learning to play the piano. Now that I’m in my mid 40′s, I’m trying to do just that, but of course, the traditional method of learning to play the piano could be quite difficult and time consuming. I knew there were tricks and patterns to playing piano with a natural feel. I just needed something to guide me and your method is right on.

I’m pretty good with reading note values and time signatures and I do have a good ear but, I struggle with reading pitch – especially on both clefs. Your method greatly accelerates the site reading process. Now, if I could only tempt my kids. One’s into guitar and the other doesn’t know what he wants to do. He always looked at piano as this difficult impossible thing to play. Maybe this course might change things. You have structured this course very well and it creates an enjoyable learning process. Great course. Thanks again,

“Your teaching method is phenomenal. There’s a lot of shortcuts and easy tricks. I say you have the talent to teach and make it easy on your students. I am very sure I will benefit a lot more from you.

Within a short period of time, I noticed a great change in the way I play piano and for that matter my guitar playing improves too.  Thank you so much and more power to you. God bless.”

“Robin, I just wanted to send a message to say “thank you” for your brilliant piano course.

I grew up playing (mainly) classical piano, starting at 6 and carrying on until I left home at 18. By that time I was pretty good at rattling through Beethoven’s sonatas, but was always frustrated because I could barely play Mary Had a Little Lamb without sheet music.

My piano playing has been pretty sporadic for the 15 years since then, but a small upright has fallen into my lap, so to speak, and I was determined to get stuck in again. I wanted to avoid Bach this time around, so your course has been a total god-send! My hands still seem to know roughly how to find the notes, so I’ve been able to get through the first few books over a week or so to pick up the techniques.

I am now well armed with enough rhythms and chords to have a really nice basis to practice by playing them all (to tunes or with things like your circle of 5ths). Your system has been really helpful in getting me there quickly and now I just have to play lots and slowly build up my playing.

All those years playing classical and I never really developed a basic understanding of chord sequences. Can’t get enough of those inversions now!

Thanks again Robin. I hope I remember to let you know how I progress from here. The trick is to not fall out of the habit of playing (that much I learned from before), and by picking things up the way you have laid them out I’m confident that I won’t fall out of that habit. Good work! All the best,”

“Hi Robin, Just wanted to let you know how much I am enjoying your Pianoforall course. It is very very well put together, with simple tuition video’s and very enjoyable exercises.

Like many people I have struggled with traditional piano courses but have found the chord based approach very much easier and satisfying to play. My main aim is to play rock and blues based piano and already book one has given me a huge start on the techniques and ‘turnarounds’ needed for this type of playing.

Thank you very much. I am very satisfied with my purchase and am very happy for you to use my testimony for others. Regards,”

“Hi, I just wanted to say thank you for the fantastic Piano Tutor Books.  I am nearing the end of the first book and can now confidently say this is the best tutor book I have ever come across.  I find your method of teaching piano from a rhythm standpoint very helpful.  I have been playing guitar for some years and as a result I have been able to relate really well to your method.

I found with the standard way of learning Piano from other books,  that I was struggling from the start.  To use the guitar analogy it would be like trying to play like Eric Clapton from day one.  Using your method, I found that I could gain pleasure from playing a backing rhythm almost immediately, just like strumming a song on the guitar. Once again many thanks.”

Hi Robin, I like how you set out the course. I think it’s important to be able to sit down and just play a few simple tunes early on or else you just get bored and give up.

I found the videos the best. I’ve read about the circle of 5ths before but only after your demonstration realised I had mis-understood it and how useful it is.

The only trouble I have is getting the time for practise…but then I can’t expect you to sort out all my piano problems  Keep up the good work.