Learn Piano Online Review

Remember sitting at the piano with your friends learning a duet that you played over and over again? Remarkably, you were playing chords, key changes and advanced rhythms within minutes of watching and listening to someone play. That is what many online piano lessons offer and why students are singing their praises as a fun and engaging way to learn the piano.

Taking piano lessons is a rite of passage for many people, but when the reality of over-scheduling kicks in, piano is often the first thing to go. It takes patience and motivation to stick with any musical instrument, not to mention scheduling time for lessons and practice. When you find piano lessons online, you have more choices, and your main priorities no longer have to be proximity and price. Along with flexibility, there are several compelling reasons to choose online piano lessons:

• Taking lessons on your schedule, not the teacher’s
• Learning and progressing at your own pace
• Saving money with online packages
• Finding the right teacher and method in the comfort of your own home
• Mastering additional skills
• Including piano lessons in a home-school study course
• Making sure the piano is the right instrument for you

Anyone can play the piano – it is a matter of just hitting some keys and getting sound, but not everyone can truly perform.

What do you want – to be able to play popular songs by ear or to become a classical virtuoso?

Whatever your individual piano goals, we talk you through the gamut of choices found in the different methods in our reviews. The choice is yours and we will help you get there. If you or your child are looking for a method stressing a more typical, classical music approach, there are plenty of 'traditional' options. These courses may also teach chords and playing by ear, but the main focus centers on traditional methods that may be better structured and more motivating than what your local teacher offered.

Play-by-ear and chord methods take a more backdoor approach than the method most local teacher’s use. The emphasis is on playing some chord rhythms and melodies first before figuring out how to actually read the music you just mastered. These systems are well suited to former students who want to get back to playing the piano, but are more interested in skills they did not learn previously.

What to Look for in Online Piano Lessons

Regardless of your previous piano experience, individual goals, or playing style, there are some general aspects you should keep in mind when finding the right online piano lessons for you. Here are the features we used to compare and evaluate the best ways to learn the piano online:

Lessons
A quality program will address the basics like technique and theory.  It will have you reading music whether you start out with notation or end there after learning to play by ear. The better products will take you from beginning to an advanced player before you are finished. Look for a method that helps you transition from a computer/MIDI to an acoustic piano with ease. If your aim is to master an instrument, we suggest you find a system where you will receive personal critique as you progress. This avoids the pitfalls of forming bad habits early on that are difficult to break. Most products we reviewed do not offer this feature, but do not dismiss the other systems yet because there are some successful methods you would benefit from.

Studio Features
Although most online programs offer software as a standard or supplemental feature, your choice should include an online support system (forums, FAQs, technical help), digital downloads or bonuses, and clear, concise video and audio media.

Ease of Use
Downloading from the website or installing the software should be easy to understand and manage. The configuration of your keyboard or MIDI and computer should be manageable and comfortable.

Help/Support
With anything relating to computers, the old adage “It’s not if but when will you have technical difficulties" rings true.  The best defense is to choose a product that offers online support, manuals or FAQs. Several have a technical support staff that responds quickly, which is a big bonus with online lessons.

While some methods offer shortcuts for producing songs, like any skill—learning to play like an expert overnight is about as true as crediting someone with ‘overnight’ success in any field. It does not happen. But if you know your best learning method—auditory, visual or kinesthetic—and are willing to work hard at whichever method you choose, then yes, you too can not just play at the piano but truly perform!

Our top three products: Peery Piano, Piano Wizard and Learn & Master Piano offer both classical and/or chord methods; you'll find the best of each method among them. Also be sure to read our articles related to learning piano online. Good luck as you learn piano online, and enjoy the journey!

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