Piano and Keyboard Method Reviewer's Comments

Piano and Keyboard Method, our #3 ranked piano lesson software and "TopTenREVIEWS Bronze Award" winner, comes from a company that is the world's leading publisher of guitar lesson software: eMedia. Piano and Keyboard Method includes over 100 songs, 70 video clips with split screen views and an amazing 316 lessons.

Although Piano and Keyboard Method offers more lessons than any of the other programs reviewed, its limited help and support options and lack of instructional games places it two beats behind Teach Me Piano Deluxe, our #1-ranked piano lesson program.

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Ease of Use:  

Piano and Keyboard Method doesn't miss a step here, it lets you change the tempo mid song, and every song includes an arrow on the tempo bar which indicates the recommended speed. The video tutorials include two different angles, one of which is a close-up of the keyboard and pianist's fingers.

Feature Set:  

Piano and Keyboard Method has a few unique and practical features, including song lyrics and an optional sing-along voice. You can even listen to the lyrics while the notes are being played.

It also includes an animated keyboard, a metronome, interactive feedback and a digital recorder.

Ease of Installation:  

There were no problems with the installation of this software.

Lesson Coverage:  

There are twelve chapters of lessons in this program that offer instruction on everything from hand positions to sight-reading. The twelfth chapter covers music history including classical and Modern American.

As you progress through the lessons you will encounter what are called review boxes. These can be used to access a condensed review of a subject from a previous lesson. It's an expedient way to keep your knowledge and memory fresh.

Practice Options:  

Piano and Keyboard Method can loop parts of songs for you to practice. It comes with a mixer so that you can focus on each hand separately or together, you can even record your performance and play it back.

It is not, however, capable of letting you create your own music. Also, Piano and Keyboard Method includes no interactive games, which can make moving through the lessons a bit boring.

Help/Support:  

Piano and Keyboard Method comes with email and phone support. It also has an in program help section that serves as a manual. Unfortunately Piano and Keyboard Method doesn't have any tutorials or a FAQs section.

Summary:  

Piano and Keyboard Method offers many unique features and the amount of lesson material is unmatched. This product will serve you well as a resource for learning both the fundamental and advanced aspects of the piano. As far as practice tools are concerned, some of the other software programs we reviewed have more to offer.