Piano Key A to G

Following last week’s show looking at the individual musical keys - their moods/colours, and specific composers’ preferences - I thought it followed neatly to begin a series examining a handful of classic pieces, in each Major and Minor pitch class. So, let’s start at the beginning: C Major. I’ve picked three essential compositions that I believe every budding pianist should know, and be able to perform well. Let’s take a brief listen, and then analyze some interesting features from within each score. I hope you enjoy listening to this podcast episode, which actually marks the half-year of the weekly show! You may [probably you will!] disagree with one or more of my choices - if so, please leave me a comment, either on YouTube, or the podcasting platform of your choice. Which three would you have chosen?For more information: whaviland.com/podcastHappy piano playing/learning!

As this podcast is entitled 'Piano Key: A to G' I felt it about time to take a closer look at the individual musical keys. So: are the different pitch classes merely transposed versions of one another; or in fact, do they each possess inate tonal qualities/'colours', and deeper emotional associations? Many notable composers are known to have preferred certain major and minor keys when writing, and it might be interesting to look at some specific examples, and consider why. I will also be examining my original output, to see what if anything it reveals about my own predilections.For more information: whaviland.com/podcastHappy piano playing/learning!

For today's piano podcast episode, let's look at the primary chords in music, and discover how simply knowing these three triads will open up a world of possibilities musically - you will suddenly be able to play thousands of songs, spanning multiple genres: Classical, pop, rock, folk, and so on.For more information: whaviland.com/podcastHappy piano playing/learning!

Something slightly different this week! Following questions from a podcast listener, I thought I'd put together an episode outlining how you might go about recording and releasing your own piano music with the wider world. Now, it soon became apparent that this would work better as a YouTube visual, rather than simply an audio file. Hence, I am encouraging you to head over to William Haviland Piano on the video site, where you can watch the full length version of this discussion. Any questions about what I'm explaining, please leave a comment, or contact me via my website whaviland.comFor more information: whaviland.com/podcastHappy piano playing/learning!

Greetings piano lovers! In today's podcasting episode, we're going to take a brief look at my compositional process - specifically, how I go about putting together a new solo piano piece. This might be of interest to other composers, who wish to compare and contrast; equally, if you've always wanted to write music but have not yet attempted it, perhaps this will provide the inspiration to start!Next week, we'll have a double episode: a podcast, and also a YouTube visual, in which I will detail how to record and release your music to the wider world. So, please stayed tuned!For more information: whaviland.com/podcastHappy piano playing/learning!

In today's episode, we delve into the world of one of the most iconic film series of all time. Yes: the names Bond. James Bond. As you may be aware, the 007 franchise recently saw creative control pass [from longtime producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson] over to American behemoth Amazon, via its subsidiary MGM Studios. Now, we won’t be discussing British concerns about what this entails for the titular character; rather, let’s explore elements of another weighty topic: that of musical themes throughout the collection. Specifically, how does the score, through its constituent parts - such as suspenseful progressions, and an instantly recognizable Bond Chord - underpin and weld together the 007 Universe?For more information: whaviland.com/podcastHappy piano playing/learning!

In today's episode, we look at Maurice Ravel's most popular composition: Bolero. Despite being an instant success, the writer never held it in quite the same regard as the public. Let's examine some key aspects of the score, and consider why Ravel may have been dismayed by its popularity.For more information: whaviland.com/podcastHappy piano playing/learning!

For this week's piano podcast episode, let’s investigate the concept of 'rubato' in music, and discuss why I think it matters.For more information: whaviland.com/podcastHappy piano playing/learning!

For this week's piano podcast episode: some reflections on a 15 year musical project, started by the possibilities of YouTube; and why creativity is good for the soul.For more information: whaviland.com/podcastHappy piano playing/learning!

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/podcastHappy piano playing/learning!

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/podcastHappy 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 piano playing/learning!

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/collections, but sometimes people may not have the means to afford them. This online resource has been invaluable to me over many years, and it occurred to me this week that some people may not know about it. I hope this information is useful, and a little entertaining, to you! For more information, please visit: www.whaviland.com/podcast Happy piano learning/playing!