Pianoforall Review: Is the $49 Chord-First Course Worth It?

Updated October 19, 2026.

Best for adult beginners

Pianoforall at a glance

Verdict: 4.6 / 5. The best-value way for an adult to start piano: chords and rhythm first, so real music comes early, for a one-time $49. Pair it with something that trains reading if you want classical or exams.

Try Pianoforall free for 7 daysPrice and trialThen one payment of $49. 60-day money-back guarantee. Checked Oct 19, 2026.

Price

7 days free, then $49 once

Guarantee

60 days, no reason needed

Content

10 sections, 568 lessons, ~25 hours of video

Feedback

None automatic; email Robin, student forum

Works on

Any piano or keyboard; online course player, plus downloadable ebooks

What I like

• Real-sounding songs within the first weeks
• Pop, blues, jazz, ballads and classical in one course
• Pay once: no subscription, lifetime access and updates
• Teaches you to play by ear and improvise

Drawbacks

• Nothing listens to you, so record yourself to check timing
• Sight-reading and theory come late
• Plain production next to the newer apps
• Not built for young children or exam prep

Traditional lessons lose a lot of adults in the first few months. Weeks of scales and simple tunes, and nothing sounds like the music that made you want to play. Pianoforall turns that around. You learn a few chord shapes and rhythm patterns, and you're playing something that sounds like a song almost straight away.

As a piano teacher, I was sceptical of a chord-first course that promises fast results. So I went through the books and video lessons the way a student would, and judged each one on two things: does it get you playing, and does it leave gaps you'll pay for later? Here's what I found, what it costs now that there's a free trial, and who should pick something else.

What is Pianoforall?

Pianoforall is a self-paced online piano course for adults, created in 2006 by Robin Hall, a piano teacher with over 30 years' experience. It starts with chords and rhythm instead of sheet music, so you play popular-style music early and pick up reading along the way.

Today you take the course, Pianoforall: Learn Piano by Ear, in an online course player on the Pianoforall Academy dashboard: 10 sections, 568 lessons and about 25 hours of video. The player keeps the lessons in order and saves your progress, so you always know where to carry on. You can still download the course ebooks, with the video and audio built into each page, and use them offline. There are also printable PDFs, keyboard diagrams and audio exercises. For questions, there's the Piano Lounge student community and email access to Robin himself. Pianoforall says it has taught over 500,000 students in more than 100 countries.

How much does Pianoforall cost? (Now with a free trial)

Pianoforall is free for 7 days, then a single payment of $49. There's no monthly fee and no subscription. Your one payment covers the whole course, lifetime access and future updates. A 60-day money-back guarantee comes on top of the trial: within 60 days of buying, email Robin or ask ClickBank (the retailer that handles checkout) for a refund, and you don't need to give a reason.

One private lesson often costs about as much as the whole course. There's no "39% off" countdown and no coupon to hunt for. The $49 is the price everyone pays.

Want classical pieces too? Pianoforall also sells Classics By Ear courses at $49 each: Moonlight Sonata (38 lessons), Satie's Gnossiennes (45 lessons) and two Bach preludes (48 lessons). The Complete Bundle gets you Pianoforall plus all three for $99. Start with the main course, and add the bundle later only if you love the classical side.

How the chord-first method works

Most methods teach you to read a melody note by note, then add the left hand, then chords, over months. Pianoforall runs the other way:

1. Chord shapes first. You learn the main major and minor chords as hand shapes, starting with C, F and G.
2. Rhythm patterns. You play those chords in 15 popular rhythm styles (rock, ballad, waltz, boogie and more), so three chords already sound like music.
3. Styles. Blues, ballads and jazz build on the same chords, with improvising and playing by ear.
4. Reading and technique later. Sheet music, classical pieces, scales and exercises in every key come once you're already playing.

How the course works now: the online course player

Pianoforall started out as a set of downloadable ebooks. Today the main way to learn is an online course player, and the ebooks are there for offline practice. Here's what you see when you log in:

• 10 sections, in order. From "Party Time: Play by Ear" (Rhythm Style Piano) to Speed Learning, with a count of how many lessons you've finished in each.
• Short video lessons. Most run 3 to 11 minutes, for example "Getting to know the keyboard" (9 min) and "Introduction to chords" (7 min). The player has captions and full-screen mode.
• Student Q&A videos after key lessons, answering the questions beginners usually ask at that point.
• A printable PDF for each section, plus "Lessons Checkpoint" pages that review what you've covered before you move on.
• Progress tracking. Click "Complete & Continue" after each lesson, and the course shows your percentage complete. There's also a lesson search.
• Community. A "Go to community" link opens the Piano Lounge, where you can ask questions and share progress.
• Ebook downloads. A separate section holds the downloadable ebooks, with video and audio built in, so you can practise without internet.

It's a clear, simple setup: one lesson at a time, watch, copy, tick it off, move on. Here's what a page of the downloadable ebook looks like:

Try the idea for yourself in 30 seconds:

30-second chord taste

Play your first chord: C major

Press C, then E, then G, then hear all three together. That one hand shape is the start of the chord-first idea: learn a few shapes and you can play along with real songs long before you can read a page of notes.

A taste of the chord-first approach, made by Pianoers. It isn’t a lesson from Pianoforall itself.

Hear the chordSound on

The three dotted keys make a C major chord: C, E and G.

CDEFGAB

What's inside: the 10 sections, reviewed

Each section builds on the one before it, and the same material is in the downloadable ebooks. Here's what each one teaches, how many lessons it has in the course player (videos, PDFs and checkpoints), and my take as a teacher.

• 

  Best start

  Party Time: Rhythm Style Piano

  165 lessons

  The main chords and 15 popular rhythms, plus ballad tricks and song progressions.

  My take: The heart of the course: you make music fast. The song choices lean towards older pop standards.

• 

  Blues & Rock 'n' Roll

  19 lessons

  12-bar blues and boogie left-hand patterns.

  My take: Builds a strong left hand early, which most beginners lack. It's short.

• 

  Incredible Inversions

  61 lessons

  Chord inversions for smoother changes, and the circle of fifths.

  My take: Essential for sounding smooth rather than jumpy. It can feel like a lot if you're still learning the basic chords, so take it slowly.

• 

  Key theory

  Chord Magic

  39 lessons

  Every major and minor chord, how chords are built, and a chord chart for every key.

  My take: Useful theory you'll come back to. Where Incredible Inversions shows you how, this explains why.

• 

  Advanced Chords Made Easy

  25 lessons

  7ths, 9ths, 11ths, sus chords and Beatles-style playing.

  My take: Fun and practical. The "bluffing" shortcuts work, but they explain less of the why.

• 

  Standout

  Ballad Style

  59 lessons

  Improvising and creating your own melodies over chords.

  My take: One of the strongest books, and a real confidence builder.

• 

  Jazz Piano Made Easy

  84 lessons

  Jazz chords, voicings and improvising.

  My take: A good introduction. Serious jazz players will want more afterwards.

• 

  Advanced Blues

  35 lessons

  More blues licks, runs and improvising.

  My take: Good ear training and good fun.

• 

  Weakest

  Taming the Classics

  41 lessons

  Reading sheet music alongside playing by ear, plus easy classical pieces.

  My take: The weakest book for anyone serious about classical. That's what Classics By Ear is for.

• 

  Speed Learning

  36 lessons

  Scales, arpeggios and exercises in every key.

  My take: Technique made less dull, with blues and jazz workouts.

The order makes sense: each section uses what the last one taught. In the split-screen videos you can see Robin's hands clearly. The weak spot runs through the whole course: it shows you how to play chords far more than why they work, and reading music gets limited attention.

What I liked, and what I didn't

What I liked

• It keeps adults going. Sounding good early is the biggest reason adults keep practising, and nothing on the market does this better.
• Real musicianship. Playing by ear, improvising and making up your own arrangements are skills most methods leave for years, or forever.
• Practical chord fluency. Enough to accompany a singer, play from a chord sheet or jam with friends.
• Price. $49 once, after a free week, against $130 to $280 a year for the subscription apps.
• Robin Hall. A warm, clear teacher whose enthusiasm makes you want to play.

What I didn't

• No feedback. Nothing hears you play. Record yourself every week or two, or you won't notice uneven rhythm.
• Theory without the why. You'll know the shapes before you understand them. It's fine for most players, but it's a gap if you want to analyse music.
• Weak on sight-reading. Reading comes late and stays light.
• Dated production. The videos and books look older than the apps. They work, but they won't wow you.

Who should buy Pianoforall, and who shouldn't

Is Pianoforall legit?

Yes. It has been sold since 2006 and says it has over 500,000 students. Its Udemy edition has a 4.7 out of 5 rating from more than 52,000 reviews. Checkout runs through ClickBank, a large digital retailer, and the 60-day refund needs no reason. The ads can be loud, but the product behind them is a real, well-ordered course. The only "catch" is the one in this review: it teaches by chords and ear, not by reading.

Pianoforall vs the alternatives

Pianoforall vs Simply Piano. Simply Piano listens to you and turns practice into a game, which is great for kids and for short daily sessions. But you mostly play simplified arrangements, and it's a subscription. Pianoforall teaches you to make your own arrangements from chords, and it costs $49 once. For adults, I prefer Pianoforall. For children, Simply Piano.

Pianoforall vs Piano Marvel. They teach opposite halves of the piano. Pianoforall starts with chords and the ear, and Piano Marvel with reading and scored practice. If you want both, use them together: Pianoforall as your main course, plus Piano Marvel's free plan for 10 minutes of reading a day. That's $49 in total.

Pianoforall vs Flowkey. Flowkey teaches you particular songs from a big library. Pianoforall teaches you how songs work, so you can play many of them from a chord sheet. Choose Flowkey for "my favourite five songs", and Pianoforall for "sit down and play anything".

Pianoforall vs Playground Sessions. Both target adults who like popular music. Playground Sessions scores your playing through a MIDI cable and follows a fixed song path. Pianoforall needs no cable, works offline and costs a fraction of the price.

See all eight ranked in the best online piano lessons, with a 30-second quiz.

How to get the most out of your 7-day free trial

1. Day 1: start the trial, open the course player, and watch "Navigating the Course Player" and "Before We Begin". Then do lessons 1.1 and 1.2 (getting to know the keyboard, and an introduction to chords).
2. Day 2: lesson 1.3, the first rhythm, over the same chords. Click "Complete & Continue" as you go, so the player tracks your progress.
3. Days 3–4: 20 minutes a day. Work through "Seeing music as shapes and patterns" and "The Easy C Family Chords", and print the Section 1 PDF to keep on the music stand.
4. Day 5: record yourself playing two rhythms back to back. Listen for an even beat.
5. Day 6: keep going in Section 1. If you're stuck, post a question in the Piano Lounge.
6. Day 7: decide. If you're enjoying it and practising most days, keep going. If not, cancel before the trial ends. Even after you pay, the 60-day guarantee covers you.

What you'll need: any piano or keyboard. I recommend an 88-key digital piano with weighted keys, such as the Yamaha P-145. Pianoforall needs no cable or app connection. For better practice habits, read how to practice piano. To add reading to your week, see the best piano books for adult beginners.

Final verdict

Pianoforall is the course I'd give most adult beginners. It gets you playing music that sounds like music, quickly, and that's what keeps adults at the piano. It teaches chords, rhythm, improvising and playing by ear better than any app. And it costs $49 once, after a free week to try it. Its gaps are real: no feedback, and little reading. Record yourself, and add a reading tool if you want classical or exams. If you want to sit down and play songs for friends this year, start here.

Pianoforall FAQ

How much does Pianoforall cost?

Pianoforall is free for 7 days, then one payment of $49 with no subscription. That includes the whole course, lifetime access and future updates, with a 60-day money-back guarantee.

Does Pianoforall have a free trial?

Yes. As of October 2026, Pianoforall is free for 7 days, then one payment of $49. The 60-day money-back guarantee still applies after you pay.

Is Pianoforall a one-time payment?

Yes. You pay $49 once. There is no monthly fee or subscription, and future updates are included.

Is Pianoforall good for complete beginners?

Yes, especially adult beginners. It starts from your first chord and gets you playing popular-style music within the first weeks. It suits adults better than young children.

Does Pianoforall teach you to read music?

Some. Basic notation comes early, and reading sheet music is taught properly later, in the Taming the Classics section, but it isn't the focus. If reading is your main goal, add a reading-focused app such as Piano Marvel.

How do you access Pianoforall, and can you use it offline?

You take the course in an online course player on the Pianoforall Academy dashboard, in a browser on a computer, tablet or phone, and it saves your progress. You can also download the course ebooks, with their videos and audio built in, and use them offline.

How do I get a refund from Pianoforall?

Within 60 days of buying, email Robin Hall or contact ClickBank, the retailer that handles checkout, and ask for a refund. You don't need to give a reason.