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© 2026 David Reidy
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Piano Finally is a podcast by an old bloke who is learning the piano, finally. I cover the process of learning the piano and music theory as an adult learner. I also review piano books, hardware and other materials from an adult learner's perspective.
82 Episodes
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Welcome to show eighty-one! It's scorching here—hitting 43°C—and I'm busy prepping for the new school year. I’m recording early this week as I’m heading to Queensland to assemble a 3D printer for the grandkids! YouTube Review: Matthew Cawood - 30 Piano Techniques Matthew Cawood's video "30 Piano Techniques Explained in 15 Minutes" is excellent revision. He covers everything from basic articulation to ornaments and bass patterns like the Alberti bass. I even found a few new ones, like "octave ...
G'day everyone! Welcome to show number eighty. It's the new year, and despite a rocky start with unseasonably cold morning swims, everything is going well here. I've been busy tidying up the house, potentially making room for a new keyboard once the driveway is sorted! Podcast Update: The Rest is History I need to make a quick correction to last week’s episode. The new musical episodes of The Rest is History, covering Tchaikovsky and Wagner live from the Royal Albert Hall, are available now. ...
Episode 78 - A Series of Fortunate Events G'day everyone! Welcome to show number seventy-eight. The holidays have finally started! School has finished for the year, and while I have some work to do on a new Physics program for 2027, there is plenty of time to get it done. Devi and I have chosen some new pieces to keep me busy over the break, and I'm looking forward to increasing my daily practice. YouTube - Guy Michelmore - Want to Write a Better Tune? This week I look at a video by Guy Miche...
Episode 78 - A Series of Fortunate Events G'day everyone! Welcome to show number seventy-eight. The holidays have finally started! School has finished for the year, and while I have some work to do on a new Physics program for 2027, there is plenty of time to get it done. Devi and I have chosen some new pieces to keep me busy over the break, and I'm looking forward to increasing my daily practice. YouTube - Guy Michelmore - Want to Write a Better Tune? This week I look at a video by Guy Miche...
Episode 77 - Christmas Shopping G'day, everyone! Welcome to show number seventy-seven. Teaching has finally finished for the year, wrapping up with a wonderful awards ceremony and a staff performance that was definitely more enthusiastic than musical! I’m looking forward to my last piano lesson of the year this Monday, where Devi and I will pick out a few pieces to keep me busy over the break. YouTube Review: Merriam Pianos - Hybrids This week, I take a look at a video from Merriam Pianos fea...
G’day everyone, I’m David Reidy. Welcome to Piano, Finally, a podcast by an old bloke who’s getting around to learning the piano, finally. In the lead-up to Christmas, practice opportunities appear and disappear in equal measure. A little more playing happened this week, though not as much as hoped. The 3D printer is busy producing small gifts for the staff party, and while it’s handy for personalised presents, it hasn’t yet found a role at the piano. 🎧 YouTube – Piano Myth or Fact? Do Kids L...
G’day everyone, I’m David Reidy. Welcome to Piano, Finally — a podcast by an old bloke who’s getting around to learning the piano, finally. With the exams marked and reports written, the last weeks of the school year bring a welcome return to regular practice (and twice-daily swimming). This week’s episode is built around a story in two parts: a run of theatre outings, and an unexpected new musical adventure. 🎭 Performances Around Sydney A free week meant several nights out: • The Rest Is His...
We’re into the last three teaching weeks of the school year; final marking is nearly done, and I’m looking forward to a bit more time at the piano. 🎧 YouTube – Beethoven Literally Used Four Chords to Write Für Elise YouTube analysis channels can be a goldmine. Jazz pianist Charles Cornell – co-founder of Better Piano and author of Jazz Piano Improv – has a terrific breakdown of Für Elise. He looks at the key (A minor), the 3/8 time signature (so it doesn’t feel like a waltz), and the chord mo...
G’day, I’m David Reidy. Welcome to Piano, Finally, a podcast by an old bloke who’s getting around to learning the piano, finally. This week was light on practice thanks to Year 9 camp at Lake Macquarie and the start of exam-marking season, but there was still some playing – including at camp – and some reflections on what it means to practise where people can see you. 🎧 YouTube – 5 Minutes on… Moonlight Sonata YouTube pointed me to Daniel Barenboim’s 5 minutes on… Beethoven – The “Moonlight” ...
Welcome back to Piano, Finally — the podcast of one bloke who’s learning piano later in life. This week’s episode is all about stepping up to new challenges and enjoying the progress along the way. I’ve been practising more than usual, working on three pieces — including my first “real” classical work: Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata. It’s tricky, but rewarding, and I’m discovering just how much a single piece can transform practice from routine to exciting. 🎧 YouTube – Yuja Wang and Rachmaninov...
G’day, everyone—and welcome back to Piano, Finally, a podcast by an old bloke learning the piano, finally. This week’s episode recaps my trip to the Out West Piano Fest in Bathurst—a weekend of incredible performances, great company, and the best farm food I’ve ever had. 🎼 Review – Out West Piano Fest Held on Blackdown Farm and organised by Piano Plus, the festival brings together music, meals, and the scenic countryside over three days. The performances took place in a gallery-shed surround...
🎧 This Week’s Competitions The Out West Piano Fest is just around the corner, and I’ll be heading to Bathurst for the weekend—my first planned break from the podcast. If you’re there, say hello! Details at pianoplus.com.au/out-west-piano-fest-2025. For those who enjoy piano competitions, the Honens International Piano Competition is underway, with finals streaming live and available afterwards on the Honens YouTube channel. Meanwhile, the 19th International Chopin Competition continues into i...
Episode 69 – It’s Not About the Money Welcome back to Piano, finally, the podcast of one bloke learning piano later in life. This week’s episode was planned and drafted on the train to Sydney—an unusually productive commute at $6.90 each way! 🎧 YouTube and Podcast – 19th International Chopin Competition Stage One of the 19th International Chopin Competition has finished, with forty pianists progressing to the next round. I’m following Anthony Ratinov, runner-up in Miami and a recent guest on...
Episode 68 – It Takes Time G’day, everyone—and welcome back to Piano, Finally, the podcast from an old bloke who’s learning the piano, finally. This week’s episode comes to you from Queensland, recorded on portable Rode gear via an iPhone and edited in Cubase on a MacBook Pro. It’s also a rehearsal for the upcoming Out West Piano Fest, where I’ll be recording on location. 🎧 YouTube Feature – 19th International Chopin Competition The 19th International Chopin Competition has begun, with every...
Episode 67 – If a job’s worth doing… Welcome back to Piano, Finally, a podcast from an old bloke learning the piano later in life. Term three has wrapped up, and with it my piano lessons for now. Devi has me back on Wynn-Anne Rossi’s A Wild Chase, plus a new piece—Kevin Olson’s Machines on the Loose—and Juan Cabeza’s Diversion 1. Plenty to keep me busy through the break. 🎧 Podcast & YouTube – A Musical Séance This week’s suggestion comes via Dan Schreiber’s book The Theory of Everything E...
🎙 Episode 66 – Nothing’s Wasted Welcome back to Piano, Finally, the podcast of one bloke learning piano later in life. This episode didn’t go quite as planned—I was meant to be sharing a recording from Devi’s piano showcase, but thanks to a calendar mishap, I missed it by a day. Disappointing, yes—but not wasted. The extra practice means I now have four polished pieces ready to play whenever someone asks. 🎧 YouTube Spotlight – David Bennett Two new videos worth a look: Beginner’s Guide to Woo...
Episode 65 – Aspirations Welcome back to Piano, Finally, the podcast from an old bloke learning the piano. With the showcase just a week away, I’ve doubled practice sessions—half an hour in the morning, twenty minutes in the afternoon—rotating between the Kawai NV10 and Nord Stage 4. Devi’s electric Kawai will be the instrument on the day, so I’m aiming to be ready, even if the occasional wrong note slips through. 🎧 YouTube Spotlight – Paul Fey My organ journey continues with Paul Fey’s chann...
🎙 Episode 64 – Purpose G’day and welcome back to Piano, Finally. This week I had something like a first public performance—playing my four showcase pieces for a junior music class I was covering. They asked, I played, and it went alright. With just two weeks until the actual showcase, I’m ramping up practice but not aiming for perfection—it’s about learning, and sharing the journey. 🎧 YouTube Spotlight – Ten Keyboard Sounds EVERY Player Should Have Pierre Piscitelli’s video on Ten Keyboard So...
🎙 Episode 63 – Narrow or Broad Welcome back to Piano, Finally. Apologies for the break last week—I came down with Influenza A and even had to miss my lesson with Devi. Thankfully the antivirals worked, and I’m back at the keys (though you may still hear a touch of it in my voice). This week included some extra performances by senior students preparing for their exams—Beethoven, Rachmaninoff, and Dire Straits were all on the program. It’s a reminder of just how diverse the world of music can b...
🎙 Episode 62 – Why Are We Playing? G’day and welcome back to Piano, Finally. This week included two very different performances: Circa and the Art of the Fugue at City Recital Hall, and Radio Luxembourg at The Joan in Penrith. Both highlighted the power of live music, from Bach’s intricate counterpoint to the raw energy of 1960s rock and pop. 🎭 Performance Reviews Circa and the Art of the Fugue combined the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra with contemporary circus from Circa. Historically inf...
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