Pianote is not a brand-new piano learning platform, as some of you eagle-eyed readers may have noticed.
But with a major update to their platform, we thought it deserved a second look – this review will cover features included with the Pianote+ subscription, some of which aren’t included in the standard Pianote subscription.
Promising fun online piano lessons for all skill levels, as well as an online community of fellow students and teachers to engage with, let’s see what Pianote delivers!
What Does It Offer?
Pianote is an online learning platform which combines piano lessons, artist-led courses, and a library of popular songs for you to learn and try.
What stood out to me compared to other platforms was its focus on community – the platform makes it easy to connect with other students, and has opportunities to ask real teachers questions as well.
It seems that Pianote is really making the effort to expand into a full lifestyle, with student forums, podcasts, and many little extras on offer alongside lessons.
Multi-instrumentalists may also be interested to know that Pianote is part of the Musora family, which features singing, guitar and drum learning platforms. The Pianote subscription will also give you access to these, if you’re interested in trying anything else!
Who Is It Aimed At?
Pianote is aiming itself at anyone aiming to learn piano – young, old, experienced or a complete beginner.
It notes that it still provides material and inspiration suitable for advanced pianists, but its method and foundation course are very much aimed at complete beginners.
There’s a handy ‘Where to begin?’ section on the Method page to point you in the right direction based on your skill level. There’s also a variety of musical styles covered in the material, which should hopefully have something to interest everyone.
How Much Will It Cost Me?
Pianote has two separate pricing streams – one for Pianote, and one for Pianote+ . Both are subscription-based payment, with the option to pay monthly or annually, and all options feature the first week free, and come with a 90-day money back guarantee.
The Pianote subscription gives you access to the lessons and most community features, but not the song library. This will cost you $25 per month or a discounted $200 for the year.
The Pianote+ subscription includes everything in the Pianote package, as well as full access to the song library and ‘direct access to real teachers’, giving opportunities for feedback and questions. This will cost you $30 per month or a discounted $240 for the year.
Both subscription options do work out cheaper than the traditional cost of weekly lessons.
So How Do I Get Started?
Once you’ve purchased your subscription and logged into the Pianote platform, it recommends you click on the ‘Method’ section and start with the ‘How To Use The Method’ video, to introduce you to the platform.
Of course you’ll also need a piano or keyboard to practice on, but it doesn’t need to be connected to a computer.
It takes a minute to wrap your head around all the terminology, but basically Pianote’s main foundational piano course is called The Method.
The Method is divided into 10 Levels, starting from Level 1, which covers the very basics of keyboards and chords, right the way through to Level 10, which deals with jazz techniques, complex time signatures and playing with bands.
Absolute beginners should start at Level 1, but more experienced players may want to jump in at a higher level – you can also press the ‘Where to Begin’ button I mentioned earlier, which will give you a short questionnaire and then recommend a level to begin at.
So once you’ve decided on a Level, click on it and you’ll see it’s divided into around three Courses, each focusing on a different area.
Each Course is made up of around four to eight Lessons. Each Lesson consists of a video (which could be between five to twenty minutes in length) and a short assignment.
I hope you’ve got your head around that – my point is, there’s about 3 to 6 hours worth of material in every level, so alongside practice time, each level could take you at least a month to complete, if not more.
And this is only the main Method course – we haven’t touched the Songs or Bootcamps or Tips yet! There’s a lot of material to get through, which could be daunting, but is certainly value for money.
Here’s what a lesson looks like – a video, an assignment, and under the ‘Downloads’ tab are any handy worksheets or sheet music files that you may want to use or reference.
Once you’ve done a lesson, you can mark it as complete, or you have the option to ‘Add to List’, if it’s one you’d like to mark to come back to. Each lesson also earns you XP points – as far as I can tell, these don’t do anything, but could be a good motivator for some.
So what does this Pianote Method cover? Let’s take a quick look…
The Method
Level 1
Level 1 of the Pianote Method starts right at the beginning, assuming you may never have even touched a piano before. It gives tips on keyboard posture, choosing a keyboard or piano, and setting up a practice space.
Then you get into playing – Pianote starts off by focusing mostly on a ‘chording’ style, and will quickly lead you through your first C scale into learning four basic chords that will get you to be able to play ‘Let It Be’.
It also includes a backing track for ‘Let It Be’ so players can play along with a metronome and a singer, accompaniment-style, which is a useful addition.
You can’t escape theory entirely though – Level 1 gives you some scales to start playing to begin ‘developing your hands’, lays some foundation for ear training and recognizing melody movement, and introduces some basic rhythm notation, and 3/4 and 4/4 time signatures..
Remember that each video often comes with an exercise or worksheet for you to complete, so if you’re someone that learns well through writing things down as well as physical practice, this will help you greatly.
It’s worth noting that while there are other coaches on Pianote, this Level and almost all of the lessons in the main Pianote Method are led by Lisa Witt, one of the main coaches and developers with Pianote.
She has an easygoing, down to earth style, though if you don’t take to her style, you may find getting through the Method difficult.
Levels 2-5
The following levels use a similar structure, building and developing a lot of what was covered in Level 1.
You’ll learn some scales, and they attempt to make scale practice fun, by encouraging you to add an element of improvisation using the left hand chording techniques learnt in Level 1. This is a good idea for those who can’t bear scale practicing!
You’ll learn about triads and how they’re used to build chords, and how to use chord inversions to make improvising and moving between chords flow a lot easier.
Songs learned include ‘Knocking on Heaven’s Door’ and ‘Someone Like You’. There’s also some tips on using the sustain pedal to make your playing sound more expressive.
In the ear training and theory sections, you’ll cover some useful foundation concepts like different time signatures, hearing the difference between major and minor, and identifying and playing various intervals and chord progressions.
These are all key to getting you playing by ear, and they throw in some tips on accompaniment rhythms and riffs to make it all feel more natural.
It’s worth noting that all of these videos contain high-quality overhead shots of Lisa’s hands while she plays, so all you visual learners should hopefully feel relieved. A lot of this content also seems geared towards pop playing, pop accompanying and playing in bands, which is perfect if that’s what you’re looking for.
Levels 6-10
By now you’ll have got the idea of the general structure of the Method! Levels 1 to 5 provide all of the grounding you’ll need to progress. But at this point another option is also presented to you; the New Method Path called ‘The Classical Method’.
What this means is, if you’re interested in a more classical style, and you feel comfortable on the material covered in Levels 1-5, you can choose to switch to the Classical method here.
This is led by coach Victoria Theodore, and takes you through five Levels containing multiple classical pieces, such as Minuet in G Major and Raindrop Prelude, along with more classical playing tips and warmup techniques.
If you choose to stick to the main Pianote method, Levels 6 through 10 will take you through more finer details of playing, such as dynamics and phrasing, and solving common playing problems that pianists have.
In Level 8 you also get to move away from the pop standard songs of previous levels, and try out some classical, blues and jazz tunes.
Level 9 focuses on songwriting, as coaches Sam and Lisa write a song with you, providing some knowledge on writing techniques and structure and writing in different genres.
It’s all rounded off with a final recap and some extra tips on learning, playing, polishing and improvising music.
But there’s so much more to explore on Pianote! Let’s take a look…
Coaches
Under the ‘Coaches’ tab, you’ll be able to see all of Pianote’s coaches and the lessons they’ve uploaded. If you’d like some variety from the main Method and Lisa Witt, you can click on a coach and see what they have to offer!
This is particularly good for students who know what kind of playing and learning they’re interested in – the coaches all seem to have their own specialty, from Gospel to Arranging to Improvisation!
Songs & Song Tutorials
The Songs section shows you the hundreds of songs Pianote has to offer – you can sort them by skill level, style, artist, and progress. There’s classical, film music, country, pop, traditional, musical theatre and more!
If there’s a song you really want to play that isn’t available in the Pianote library, you may have the chance to get it by clicking ‘Request a Song’.
Once you pick a song and click on it, you’ll have access to the sheet music via the Downloads tab, and you’ll also can take a look at Pianote’s ‘track’ – this is a version of the song that will play while guiding you along the sheet music, like this.
To help you learn, there’s options to play the track faster or slower, to loop it, or to show a keyboard that lights up the keys as they’re playing, as shown above.
This is a pretty good idea for very visual learners, but those who need more coaching to learn a song may find it a bit lacking.
However, you might have another option – if you go over to the Song Tutorials tab, you can search whether your desired song has a tutorial video made by one of the coaches.
These videos are roughly 30-60 minutes each, and take you through the song more thoroughly. If you know you need more personal guidance in learning a song, this might be a better option for you than the song library.
Packs, Bootcamp & Quick Tips
The Packs section is similar to the Coaches section – more specialized sets of lessons, only here, you sort by subject and not by coach.
If you find the main Pianote method isn’t working for you, it may be worth trying out one of these other Packs instead – for example, it could be that ‘Piano Technique Made Easy’ works better for you. Each pack could contain anything from 12 to 72 lessons!
There’s also packs on subjects such as ‘Piano Riffs and Fills’ and ‘Sight Reading Made Simple’, so if there’s an area you know you’d like to work on, head here.
And if you want something even shorter, head to Quick Tips – these are largely shorter videos with fun, time-based or list-based subjects, for example ‘How To Play A Walking Bass Line’, ‘3 Easy Coldplay Songs’ or ‘Piano Players Best Kept Secret’.
Live & Student Focus
For those of you wanting more teacher interaction, you can click on the Live tab which will show you the upcoming livestreams from the various coaches.
This could be anything from a Q&A to a masterclass on a particular piece, and will give you the opportunity to ask some questions.
You can also go to the Student Focus tab. Under Student Reviews you’ll see videos from previous students who are working on a particular piece or technique, and the coaches giving them feedback.
Similarly under Q&A you’ll find the previous livestream videos where coaches are answering student questions and focusing on particular pieces. This is a great opportunity to learn from fellow students, and each section also has a button for you to submit your own question or playing video!
Podcast & Forums
And if you really want to dive deep into everything music and Pianote , head to the Podcast tab, and listen to the podcasts hosted by Pianote coaches as well as special guests.
Their episodes cover playing and piano stories, but also general music industry anecdotes and subjects such as mental health. This might be useful insight for anyone seriously considering a music career.
For other questions, you might find answers in the student Forums, and meet others learning and discuss progress and tips. It feels like an empowering feature of Pianote that it lets students learn from each other as well as the platform.
Pros and Cons
There are plenty of good things about Pianote , and a couple of drawbacks as well. Here are a few of them.
Access to teachers – The teachers provide tips, visualizations, and practice methods that could easily be overlooked otherwise. They also explain and demonstrate concepts in a way that is easy to understand.
Fun and engaging format – If you quickly get bored by printed curriculums or software-based programs, Pinote may be a breath fresh air with their fun and engaging video lessons that feel like you’re sitting in class with a piano teacher. Lisa’s cheerful attitude puts a smile on your face too 🙂
Can be used with acoustic pianos – Many online piano methods only work with digital pianos, but Pianote can be used by all.
Personalized content – One of the drawbacks of many online piano methods is that if you have a specific question, there is no teacher to ask. Pianote avoids this by making their teachers available for any questions that students may have.
Growing content – The live lessons mean that new content is being created all the time, and you can even influence that content by submitting questions or videos for review.
Equal weighting is given to musicianship and ear training, which is often neglected.
Practice Along feature and Playback Settings – While it’s pretty much a given when you use software-based platforms like Playground Sessions or Skoove, it’s great to have similar functionality with Pianote video lessons where you can adjust the speed of the playback, loop certain parts, turn on a metronome, etc.
Public progress – To get the most out of the program, students have to make videos and posts that are visible to other students, which not everyone will be comfortable with. Also, the student profiles show their practice progress and completed lessons.
Scattered content – Because of the various lesson styles, it can be difficult to know when/if there is a bootcamp or quick tip, for example, that would supplement what you’re learning in Foundations. It would be easier to have all the technique in one place, or links between content that relates.
No immediate feedback – While Pianote is designed to be a step away from the immediate feedback offered by other online methods (“video game” style), knowing right away when your notes and rhythms are wrong can be helpful to beginners.
Final Thoughts
The Pianote platform is ideal for anyone looking to really immerse themselves in piano playing.
Some might find the sheer amount of content overwhelming, but it provides real value for money and a well-rounded approach to piano learning, touching on many different genres and aspects of musicianship.
It could work for old and young players, though perhaps older players would connect with the style more.
The community aspect of the platform shines through, too – under every video you’ll find various comments from players going through the same thing as you!
About the Author – Giselle Sproule
Giselle has been playing the piano for nearly her whole life. She has her grade 10 piano certificate from the Royal Conservatory of Music and a bachelor’s degree in English.
Giselle has worked as a piano teacher, but she is currently a freelance writer and editor. You can usually find her at home in Calgary or on a travel adventure with her mandolin.
Thank you very much for reviewing online lessons/app, that’s really informative : D
I have had a glance at pianote and wasn’t appealed. After your article I want to give it a try : D
Thats awesome! We’d love to see you over in the members area 🙂 It is really safe to try- we offer a 90 day money back guarantee so if you don’t love the membership you can cancel and request a refund within 90 days 🙂
Thank you for this! I absolutely love your online piano course reviews! I have a question though: in your opinion, how much does the paid membership instructional course videos differ/compare to their free YouTube instructional videos?
Our paid membership has a LOT more. Step by step lessons that take you through learning in a very thought out methodical fashion so that you learn everything you need to know in order to play the music you love. Plus you get unlimited teacher support you can reach out to us anytime for feedback, encouragement and support 🙂
Do you offer one on one online instruction?
Thank you so much for this review!
We’ve got a whole learning path on technique coming out this year! I believe it will be a game changer when it comes to how people learn their scales, triads, arpeggios and chord progressions and it will include every single key signature ?
I also wanted to note that learners can send me or the other teachers video directly at any time if they aren’t feeling quite up to sharing their work publicly yet.
Once again thank you so much for this in depth review of Pianote.
Best wishes,
Hi Lisa,
Thanks for adding that info! I’m glad you liked the review and I’m looking forward to seeing the new material.
-Giselle
Thanks for this review. I’m in my early 50’s and used to take piano lessons as a kid, but never enjoyed it or got very far as the teacher was poor. I’ve seen Pianote on Youtube and very much like their style of teaching and quality of the videos. It’s a dream for me to be able to just sit at a keyboard and play with 2 hands! I remain to be convinced that an online course would teach me that, but I can’t afford proper lessons. My childhood lessons taught me the basics but I’m incapable of playing properly….but I SO want to, as I LOVE music so much, especially the piano. I’d need to buy a MIDI keyboard first (I only have a 25 key one with mini keys) and am extremely tempted. I’m pretty scared at the thought of having to upload videos though as I’m shy showing my fat self to others! Oh what a thought. I’d scare the teacher. 🙂 I wonder if I could still get somewhere without having to do that? I’m going to keep thinking and researching and hope someone persuades me this is the right thing for me. Thanks again for the review. 🙂
Hi! We’d LOVE to help you learn and I can assure you it isn’t as scary as one might think. You do not have to submit video if you don’t feel ready to do that – there is never any pressure. The main thing to know is that you will have supportive teachers (myself included!) that are there to encourage you and help you move forward. If you have any questions please feel free to email me at [email protected]
I am 63 and just started to learn to play the keyboard I was a apprehensive about joining pianote but I am so glad I have I love there style of teaching you can also slow the videos down so you can follow easier until competent they always respond personally to my email questions and the forum is like a family there always willing to advise with any questions or if you want advice. So glad I took the plunge I have tried other sites and this by far the best and the lessons are broken down into separate sections.
Hi Philip,
So nice to hear that you’re enjoying Pianote! I wish you lots of success on your piano journey.
-Giselle
Hi Geoff,
As Lisa mentioned, there is no need to submit video if you’re not comfortable, and the platform has lots of value besides that! If you’re motivated to learn and put the time in, an online platform can absolutely get you playing the piano. I encourage you to try it out (there’s a 90-day money-back guarantee).
You can also check out Piano Dreamer’s articles on keyboards to help you get the right one for you, and I’ve reviewed several other online learning platforms that you may like as well.
-Giselle
Geoff, you can! This is for you and no one else, and what’s more, you deserve it. I never got as far as you, never learned really. Some one taught me the beginnings of the flea waltz some 50+ years ago. Thanks to all the informative content here and the support of my hubby, I started my journey yesterday after years of telling everyone how much I would love to be able to play an instrument.
Do yourself something good and go for it. Much luck in pursuing your dream.
Hi Lisa : i have been a member since 2016 under the old system and switched to the new when it came out i took a few lessons about a year when my teacher moved to another city that when I joined. I’m 85 now and this is great for fingers and mind I love the challenge help keep me going I love it thanks to all of you at pianote .lloyd
I am using Pianote now in addition to Playground Sessions, which is where I started. Impossible not to love Lisa’s cheery vibe, Canadians really are the best people, and she’s exceptional. As far as the content goes, I love it and feel it will take me towards my goal of using the piano in my singer/songwriter career (long time guitar player/singer). Playground Sessions is a great program, and have learned so much there, but I find that relying on their software to follow the music gives me an exaggerated sense of my ability to sight read, and sight reading is a real weak spot for me as a self taught musician. Pianote is a nice wake up call in that regard, it shows me that my actual sight reading skills are still at a basic beginner level, What I really like about Pianote, besides the sweet teachers, is the focus on actual playing, practical tips on how to play songs and accompaniments, and the quick bite lessons that pack a bunch of info into a short video. Nice as well is the ability to print the music from the lessons out and work from them. I have only just started with Pianote, and know that there is much there that I still don’t know about, so that’s exciting too. I will continue to use both programs for now as they both have great value. Both are amazing and the effort that went into them is remarkable. That said, I love Pianote and know it will keep me busy and happy for a long time to come.
Hi Jesse! Thanks for your addition and comparison between Playground Sessions and Pianote–each program has its strengths and weaknesses for sure. It’s great to have a new perspective on what makes Pianote such a promising online method. Good luck to you as you continue your piano journey!
Hi Giselle,
Thanks for your reviews! They helped me take an informed decision.
I went with Pianote and I’m loving it.
Carlos
You should do a review of Josh Wright Piano ProPractice. It´s a lot more expensive, but it seems that it`´s the complete package.
Thanks for the suggestion, Marco! Added it to our list of ideas.
Why is the 500 songs in five days? I thought there are fewer than 80 songs
Sorry, I meant what is the***
‘500 Songs in 5 Days’ is the name of one of Pianote’s courses. It doesn’t literally teach you 500 songs, but it explains fundamental concepts used in many popular songs and teaches you the chords, which you can then use to play literally any popular song you like. The course also provides 500 downloadable chord charts that you can use to play 500 songs using chords.
Thank you so much for your review. I’m glad I came across your website. I’ve learned quite a bit. I’ve had a 66 full size keyboard since high school and played by year (very basic). At 49, I finally made my mind to take piano lessons and bought the Clavinova CLP-645. I was planing on taking traditional face to face piano lessons but given the pandemic, I’m going the online route. I’m really leaning towards Pianote because I feel their curriculum is the better fit (I really want to learn to read sheet music). But, I just came across Piano TV and she seems to focus on a more traditional classical method of teaching. Plus, she seems to understand the psychology of the student. Do you have any reviews/thoughts on Piano TV?
I have seen a pianote member since April and I enjoy it a lot.
This review helped me to choose pianote, so thanks for that!
Thanks for the excellent review. I am 80 and ready for this old dog to learn new tricks.. I have a 79 key keyboard and would assume this should get me started.. Your thoughts??
Hi Robert! Thanks for your comment. Sure, 79 keys should be more than enough to get started. You can always upgrade further down the road if you feel the need for it, but yeah, 79 is almost the full keyboard (88).
I signed up to Pianote back in May in really enjoying it, so much so that I’ve just bought a lifetime membership
I have been looking at online piano lessons but have found it difficult to find the right balance between classical and what might be considered jazz standards (eg Autumn Leaves). Lisa has a very good style of teaching which seems to have an emphasis on popular music and chord accompaniment, but then I’ve only watched a few of her videos. PianoTV with Allysia is another option with what seems to be more weighted towards classical, Are there any others that might suit.
Great review.
I have tried a few different piano teaching lessons: Flowkey, Skoove, Playground Sessions, books and videos. I have been a subscriber to Pianote for almost two months now. I like the new Method (I almost finished the first 4 levels). I definitely did not enjoy “game like” approaches of other teaching systems. This review (and other comments) sum up my impressions of Pianote as well. I would like to add though that the approach to teaching Lisa represents is mostly for those who love improvisation and prefer to play “by ear”. It is a bit messy and not structured at times – Lisa loves to always show you another approach to playing a song and her focus is often on chord inversions (a bit foreign approach for a guitar player who prefers slash chords). It is better for creative and enthusiastic people (if you understand what I am trying to say). I quite often long for more structured and “exact” approach to learning and playing.
Shouldn’t you mention the cost? Did not see it. Also, it says that one has to submit a video in later lessons. I don’t know how to do that. I’m retired – videos weren’t part of my job. I’ve always liked scott Joplin type music – not sure how you classify that type.
I have take a few piano lessons and have been looking for some kind of online lessons. I have tried to follow some of Lisa;s youtube tutorials but most are a bit hard for me at the moment however I am going to try out the pianote programe from next week as it seems the best fit for me out of all the online available. Hopefully I will be playing much improved piano soon.
Fergus
In the review it says you should have at least an 88 key keyboard. Would I be able to learn with a 66 key instrument?
Yes the only thing is the 88 Key is further between the keys and if you are used to playing on that the 88 Key will be awkward unroll you adjust to it.
Hello I found this review while looking for the Pianote web site.
I am a member of Pianonote and have been for a little while now.
They are as good as you can get.
Maybe better❗
I started with pianote I had a pretty good idea where middle C was.
Since practicing every day and watching the lessons
And getting feed back from the teachers I am now an intermediate piano player.
And with continued practice and Piano Note lessons and assistance I plan to become an accomplished pianist.
And the teachers are very prompt with their response.
And they are very kind and caring.
I Highly suggest you don’t hesitate further if you are seriously wanting to learn piano.
I lost respect for Pianote and Musora today. Over the past couple of years they have enticed people to sign up for their lifetime membership at up to 6 times the price of annual memberships with the promise to just pay once. Today they launched add more content, as they do regularly. But this content is included for existing annual subscribers, not for lifetime members who would have to start paying annually on top of the huge lifetime payment. If they had expressed this from the start for lifetime subscriptions, fair enough. But they clearly enticed people to buy the more expensive subscriptions by making everyone to believe that future content would be included, and certainly that paying for lifetime wouldn’t get you less than paying annually. Beware, your subscription might not get you what you expect after they have your money. I’d try a different site if I had it to do over again.