Tuesday, October 8th
2024 Piano Lesson Reviews
Playground Sessions
- Priced at $24.99 per month or $349.99 for 2 years
- Gamified lessons
- Play-along tools
- Beginner-friendly
- Accessible to anyone with a computer
- Impressive teaching roster
- Offers sheet music and DLC
Are you interested in embarking on a piano-playing journey under the guidance of renowned musicians? Playground Sessions offers a unique opportunity to learn from six distinguished instructors who offer their expertise to the program.
You know these names
You can find lessons from instructors like Quincy Jones, who has over 28 Grammy Awards and a prolific career. He's even worked with artists like Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson. Alongside Jones, the lineup includes Harry Connick Jr., David Sides, Alex Ness, David Gracia, and Dr. Byron Adams, all accomplished musicians whose achievements encompass jazz album records, millions of YouTube followers, and even performances on Broadway.
Methods backed by music education
Backed by a star-studded team, the teaching methods at Playground Sessions are also grounded in top level research. The instructors have all graduated from prestigious institutions, and you can delve into their impressive backgrounds through their Playground Sessions bios. The program at Playground Sessions is designed to be immersive, so you can jump into learning popular songs right from the outset.
Learn from what interests you
The underlying philosophy at Playground Sessions is that learning becomes more intuitive when you're getting into a song's melody and rhythm that genuinely excites you. The curriculum covers essential areas of piano technique like music notation, rhythm, and playing by ear. You also get access to extras like data charts that help you track practice time, your progress, and areas where you might want to spend more time practicing. The real-time feedback feature allows you to focus on specific sections of a song you may be grappling with. You can loop these sections and assess your performance until you've mastered the segment and are ready to advance.
Learn your way on your own device
There are lots of ways to learn at Playground Sessions. The website thoughtfully showcases what prospective students gain through their membership, providing a visual representation of the interactive piano lessons. Among these, one intriguing feature allows students to engage in a video game-style competition with friends, where their scores hinge on the accuracy of the notes played. They can earn points, level up, and share their scores with an online community. And all you need to access Playground Sessions is a computer or mobile device, so it's got amazing accessibility for everyone.
Three payment plan options
You can choose from three different ways to pay at Playground Sessions. The site offers both a monthly and annual payment plan, if you want to consider a subscription. If you prefer one-time payments, you can choose the "lifetime” access option instead. The monthly cost for Playground Sessions costs $24.99. The annual membership costs $149.99 each year. And if you decide to go with a one-time payment, you can gain lifetime access to Playground Sessions with a $349.99 payment. However, when we dug into the details of the "lifetime” access, it was actually not as long as it sounds. You'll gain access to the content at Playground Sessions for 2 years, and from there you can choose to purchase videos a-la-carte or subscribe then. While this isn't a horrible deal, the fact that it's called "lifetime” feels a little dishonest.
No refund policy to be found
One downside (aside from a "lifetime” policy that isn't actually lifelong) is that Playground Sessions does not provide a refund policy. As most of the companies in our evaluation do offer a money back guarantee or refund policy of some kind, this sets Playground Sessions behind the pack.
Praise for being user-friendly
Playground Sessions has a solid reputation with reviewers, but is a little lower than some of its competitors with the Better Business Bureau. At the time of this review, Playground Sessions held a "B-” rating from the BBB. However, checking out the reviews gives you a clearer picture of the company's reputation. On app sites where you can download the app for Playground Sessions, the average rating is 4.7 stars out of 5, which is highly impressive. Likewise, at Trustpilot, Playground Sessions holds a solid 4.5-star average. Customers love how easy it is to download, install, and start learning. It's really as easy as ready-set-play.
Impressive teachers and solid reputation
Overall, Playground Sessions earns its reputation as a highly-rated platform for piano instruction, thanks to its exceptional roster of experienced teachers, a wide array of popular song selections, and comprehensive video tutorials. However, with a slightly dishonest "lifetime” membership option along with no return/refund policy, Playground Sessions slides behind the top contenders just a little. However, with its impressive offerings, we still assign an excellent rating and our recommendation to this piano lesson program.
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Where's the Best Place to Find Piano Lessons Online Today?
Have you always wanted to plunk out a tune for your friends and family? Are you seeking to grow your piano-playing technique, or perhaps to elevate your existing skills to new heights? Maybe you've got a little remorse for neglecting those childhood piano lessons (hey, don't worry, we understand!) and are now yearning to revisit this musical journey.
While some might argue that digital piano lessons (no matter how they're taught) can't replace the in-person quality of piano, we're here to check out all the options for you and tell you what's what. Which sites are worth your time if you're just starting out? Which sites are best for enjoying the music and learning along the way?
Piano Lesson FAQ
Continued from above...
Mastery of the piano is a versatile skill, and music is known for being an invaluable pursuit not just for impressing your friends with expert renditions of the Piano Man, but also for helping your mind and body connect with memory skills and the beauty of musical expression. And, it's something you can use surprisingly often.
Whether you want to step in as an accompanist in a school play for your kiddos, regale and entertain guests in your home, find solace and expression through therapeutic musical outlets, or even work towards that dream of taking center stage as a professional performer, your decision to learn piano is one that you'll undoubtedly cherish. As with any pursuit, success hinges on your dedication to practice and your unwavering commitment to the online lessons that will unlock your latent musical prowess, ultimately allowing you to savor the joy of your newfound talent.
For most of us, piano lessons have traditionally been offered in two primary settings: private lessons at home where a seasoned piano professional teaches you theory, performance, and technique from a variety of method books, or at a local studio, fostering a collaborative environment where students frequently showcase their burgeoning talents to their peers. While some students find these settings to be invigorating opportunities for growth, others may feel a certain apprehension, preferring the intimate setting of solitary learning from the comfort of their homes.
In-person piano lessons also carry a hefty financial burden. Learning in your home means paying for the teacher and their travel fees, which can mean you're looking at lessons over $70 an hour. However, in the age of technology, there are new and exciting ways to learn the piano without those long-term financial commitments.
No matter your reason for seeking out piano lessons, there's plenty of places to choose from. As the digital age unfolds, a multitude of online piano lesson options, each ready to cater to your unique musical aspirations, are available to you. There are plenty of different learning styles, but the bottom line is: you can find instruction that's similar in content and methodology to that private teacher feel, and we're going to help you find which ones.
To get you started on your journey through treble and bass clef, to arpeggios, scales, and music technique, we've put together a quick list of key things (pun intended) to help you find the best fit for your new piano lessons. If you're not sure where to start, take a peek at these factors first:
- Cost. Choosing online piano lessons will get you savings every time when compared to traditional in-person lessons. However, not all online courses are created equal. Variations in pricing often correlate with the inclusion of supplementary materials, access to live instructors, and an extensive catalog of songs for learning. So making sure the site has what you need at a reasonable price may help you make a decision.
- Format. The format and teaching methods for piano courses are extremely important. Looking for courses that offer one-on-one feedback or live lessons can really help you take your piano studies from beginner to advanced. On the other hand, some students do much better with a gamified approach. Knowing your learning style and what kind of methods each site uses can help you find the best fit.
- Satisfaction guarantee. While you want to get started with piano ASAP, not all methods and courses will harmonize with your individual learning journey. It's perfectly normal to discover that a particular course may not be the right fit for you. So, keep an eye out for piano courses that offer money-back guarantees or a refund window so you can feel secure with trying out a piano course without committing to long-term fees.
Guided by a love of music and experience with piano, the experts at Top Consumer Reviews have reviewed and ranked the top online piano lesson sites out there. Our aim is to give you the proverbial theory book on how to find your way to piano mastery. We hope you find a harmonious and melodic fit, where your musical aspirations can flourish unencumbered.
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