Piano Key A to G

Something slightly different this week! I thought we'd discuss my eight favourite recordings to take with me, should I ever be marooned on a desert island. As some of the pieces are original works, we'll also discuss elements of the individual compositional processes, and inspiration behind the works. I hope you enjoy the show! For more information: whaviland.com/podcast Happy piano playin...

Mind totally blown this week by my discovery of the existing powers of artifical intelligence to create seemingly endless new music. Let's delve into the topic, and what I think will be the first of many episodes on the subject of AI. For more information: whaviland.com/podcast Happy piano playing/learning!

In this podcast episode of Piano Key A to G, we'll look at one of the most famous pieces of music in the Classical piano repertoire: Erik Satie's '1st Gymnopedie'. What's special about this composition? And can it be re-fashioned [with a few tweaks!] into an alternate, 21st Century work? For more information, please visit: www.whaviland.com/podcast Happy piano learning/playing!

In this episode, let's talk about bringing old masterpieces into the 21st Century! For more information, please visit: www.whaviland.com/podcast Happy piano learning/playing!

Let's explore this fascinating and fairly uncommon musical interval, known by many names, including the 'Devil's Chord'. Why is it rarely used in its true [harmonic] form in Western music? For more information, please visit: www.whaviland.com/podcast Happy piano learning/playing!

Greetings piano podcast listeners! I hope 2025 is getting off to a good start. In today's episode, we'll be looking at my favourite film score: John Williams' 'Superman', and considering a number of elements, including leitmotif, which add to the drama and excitement of Richard Donner's groundbreaking superhero movie. I hope you enjoy the show! For more information: whaviland.com/podcast Happy pia...

Happy New Year everyone! Join me for a quick musical January episode, where we consider some positive New Year's Resolutions for 2025. Please do let me know your resolution plans! Happy piano learning/playing! whaviland.com

Let's take a brief look at the music of Cole Porter, specifically an unusual piece structurally: Begin the Beguine!

For Part Two of our Christmas piano podcast, let's delve into one of the darkest of carols: The Coventry Carol. What is special about this piece of music? Merry Christmas everyone. Happy learning/playing! whaviland.com

Let us take a brief look at the magic of Franz Gruber's 'Silent Night' - my favourite Christmas carol. What is the enduring importance of this festive classic, in our modern world?

For Episode Six of my piano podcast, let's take a look at a wonderful online resource for obtaining free public domain scores: The Petrucci Music Library. I thought this would be an excellent subject for a short podcast show, because in the New Year, I want to do a series of episodes, looking at specific scores and their interesting features. Of course, it's always nice to have music books/collect...

For Episode Five of my piano podcast, we're answering a listener's query about the inner workings of the instrument. I felt this would fit neatly with a short summary of the piano's evolution, specifically from its closer ancestors: the clavichord, and the harpsichord. What exactly drove the increases in physical size, and the keyboard's dynamic potential? How did these changes affect the composer...

In this episode, we'll investigate cadences in music - exactly what are they, and how can we recognise and use them? As always, happy piano learning/playing!

Episode three of my new piano podcast deals with basic chords [triads] and their possible 'inversions', or put another way, the rearranging of their constituent parts. We consider some examples, and attempt to analyze how the music changes when we use chords in their root, first, and second inversion positions. What is the purpose of inversions - why should we use them in our music? Happy piano pl...

Episode Two of my new piano podcast deals with the subtle but profound distinction we hear and feel in Western music, caused by the simple change in the third note of the diatonic scale - creating a ‘major’ or ‘minor’ atmosphere. We will explore the meaning of the terms, and compare compositional examples. If you have not yet caught the Introduction or Episode One of this piano podcast, please do...

For Episode One of my new piano podcast, I thought the Harmonic Series might be a suitable place to start, because it is the scientific underpinning of our entire tonal system, expounding eloquently the pre-ordained. mathematical relationships between notes of the scale - be they harmonious, or dissonant, in nature. I shall attempt to break down what exactly is meant by the Harmonic or ‘Overtones’...

Greetings piano enthusiasts, and welcome to the introductory episode of my new piano podcast: Piano Key A to G ! I'm William Haviland, and it's lovely to have you with me. We're going to take a weekly journey together, discussing various musical elements related to the keyboard - be it melody, harmony, history, all with a view to better understanding the great compositions - whether Classical, pop...