Play Piano Music may be compensated through the links in the post below, but the opinions are our own.
Robin Hall is the creator of Piano for All, and after working through this course I have to say, the guy is a seriously talented piano player and teacher. It isn’t a bunch of dry theory that he throws at you. It’s easy, practical stuff that you can pick up on right away. I actually enjoyed going through the lessons, which is more than I can say for most courses I’ve sat through.
What’s in the Course
Piano for All is a downloadable course built around ten interactive eBooks. Each one has audio and video lessons embedded right in, so you’re never just reading. You can grab everything as one big zip file or download the books one at a time, and they work on pretty much any device.
There’s a LOT of content in here. The ten books are:
- Party Time — Rhythm Piano — chords and simple progressions that get you playing songs right away
- Blues & Rock ‘n’ Roll — 12-bar blues, rock patterns, left-hand techniques
- Chord Magic — deeper chord knowledge, inversions, and how to use them musically
- Advanced Chords — extended and altered chords for richer sounds
- Ballad Style — smooth, expressive playing for slower songs
- Jazz Piano — jazz voicings, ii-V-I progressions, and comping
- Advanced Blues — more complex blues styles and improvisation
- Taming the Classics — reading notation and playing classical pieces
- Speed Learning — sight-reading skills and how to learn new pieces faster
- Bonus Book — ties everything together
The course has been used by over 500,000 students at this point, and for a one-time payment of $49 (no subscription) you’re getting a ton of material. That includes lifetime access, free updates, and over 1,000 audio lessons.
The Approach — Learning Backwards (In a Good Way)
The way Piano for All approaches learning is completely BACKWARDS from traditional methods, and I mean that as a compliment. Robin stresses learning to get a feel for the sounds and harmonies that a piano makes and then uses that foundation to help you learn to read sheet music. You play first, understand later.
After you master the feel of the piano and can read some basic chords, he builds on that and moves you up his “piano learning pyramid” through the remaining books, gradually layering in music theory and more advanced techniques. I think this is why it works so well for beginners. Nobody wants to sit through weeks of scales before they can play something that actually sounds like a song.
Book 1 — Party Time and Rhythm
Being a veteran piano player, I expected to dive into book one and be bored to tears. Alas, I was quite mistaken (I love it when I can use that word!). Having not ever tried sounding out some of the more popular songs that I’ve heard, like Piano Man, Isn’t She Lovely, Barbara Anne and more, I came out of that book knowing how to play many, if not all, of the songs he gives as examples. Some that I could even hum (I am not the best singer) along with!
I’m pretty impressed with how easy to understand his mini lessons are. He spends a small amount of time explaining the structure of the chord you’ll be playing, then dives right in with you alongside him, and before you know how to say “middle C” he has you playing the chord progression behind some of the most famous songs, like Blue Moon and Red Red Wine. The audio and video clips complement the diagrams really well.
My one gripe with book one: if you’ve played a little bit of piano before, it can sound a bit patronizing at times when it’s reminding you to use proper fingerings. For a complete beginner though, that level of hand-holding is exactly what you need.
The Rest of the Books
The remaining books take you through ballad style, blues and rock ‘n’ roll, jazz voicings, improvisation, ragtime, classical pieces, and sight-reading skills. Each one builds on what you learned before, so there’s a real sense of progression as you work through the course.
You can tell Robin wrote all of this himself. The style and tone are consistent, and even the trickier concepts don’t feel intimidating. Each lesson builds on the last in a way that just makes sense.
The Videos
The videos aren’t going to win any production awards, but boy are they helpful! It is surprising how much watching someone else’s hands play a song helps you “get” what you’re trying to learn. They do the job and they do it well.
Who Is This Course For?
Piano for All is built for absolute beginners, people who have never touched a piano and want to start playing recognizable songs fast. Even if you have some experience though, you’ll probably pick up new styles and songs. The course covers blues, rock ‘n’ roll, jazz, ragtime, classical, and modern songs, so there’s plenty in here even if you already know your way around a keyboard.
If you’re looking for something more traditional and structured with lots of theory, take a look at our Learn & Master Piano review instead. That one’s better for people who want a classical foundation and don’t mind a slower pace. But for most people just getting started, Piano for All is the one I’d point you to.
My Final Take
With a 60-day money-back guarantee, the real question is: what have you got to lose? Work through the lessons in earnest, and if it doesn’t help you play piano better, send a quick email and poof, you have your money back, no questions asked.