Connections - Transcription

Song:  Connections

Original Composers:  Paul Horn and Steve Halpern

Modified Transcription:  Shiroi Tora

I had modified the song by transcribing only the flute...
not any of the piano.

So...
as there are parts where the piano is playing solo...
I simply took out all of the piano portions.

This shortened the song significantly...
and on one portion...
I had to lower it an octave
(seventh line...second measure...initiating with the staccato notes...
and ending after the half note in the next measure...but it works  :)

I also took out some of the flute portions...
as Paul Horn was in a unique echoing environment...
and I didn't add those portions.

I had first heard this album in the mid eighties...
and I loved the music.

I wanted to try this song as it really stretched my capabilities.

I learned how to add tremelo to the notes.

The triple horizontal bars on the sixth line in the first and second measures...
indicate that the notes alternate between the two at a rate of 1/32...
and the alternating notes are for 1/4 note in total...
not 1/4 each.

There were also some very fast note changes...
the fastest I had to transcribe yet
(you will notice one quintuplet and one sextuplet in the space of a 1/8 note).

I learned a lot on this song...
and, I am getting much quicker in my transcriptions...
as I can discern the notes in rapid passages much more quickly.

I am going to try my hand at composing my own songs next.

It will take a while...
and I may take a break from it to do more transcribing.

I will have to see.

Theme From The Silent Flute - Transposition

Theme From The Movie :  The Silent Flute 

(AKA: Circle Of Iron)

Here it is...

the song that had inspired me for my introduction 

to my last interpretation of Kashmir.

This song is short, simple...

and wonderfully melodious.

Now...

I had to transpose this song 

as some of the notes go beyond the octave range of the Bass Flute.

Not only was the flute used in the video of a higher octave range...

but the orchestra portion went lower...

so...

not only did I lower the whole song an octave...

on one orchestral portion...

I had to raise it an octave.

Where you see, what looks like, the upside down partial slur marks...

are where you bend the note upwards.

Once again...

you accomplish this by rolling your head to one side as you slur up to the next note...

just as bamboo flute players do 

(or they will sometimes slide their finger across the note's open hole).

With closed holed flutes...

we must sweep our heads to one side to accomplish a bend in the note...
or, the tongue may be pushed forwards or withdrawn.

An Interpretation - Kashmir

Song:  Kashmir

Performing Artist:  Lucia Micarelli Aurora

Original Group:  Led Zeppelin

(View from 2:33)



Although my interpretation is from the original Kashmir
from Led Zeppelin...

Lucia Micarelli Aurora's fantastic interpretation of Kashmir
greatly inspired me to create my own interpretation.

Her unbridled passion while playing...
the way she keeps time with her whole body...
and her beautiful smile at the end...
WOW...
after seeing her play...
I started on my own interpretation right away.

--------------

In my introduction...
I had borrowed heavily from a movie I had originally seen over 35 years ago.

As it was from memory...
I am not sure of the accuracy of the notes or melody...
or if it was even in the right key.

However...
I do know I had changed it heavily to fit it to my intro of Kashmir.

I had greatly shortened and modified it.

I don't know much music from India...
so, the introduction was borrowed heavily from this particular movie.

My next transcription will be of the song I remembered from this movie...
however, I will have to first find the song so I may accurately transcribe it.

Song:  Kashmir

Group:  Led Zeppelin

I had greatly shortened this song...

and I heavily changed many of the notes...

especially in the Flute I portion.

I was just so inspired to interpret this song.

Perhaps I may be able to get my elder sister to play the Flute II portion...

on the keyboard.

Sometime in the future...

I will practice this interpretation enough to make a video of it...

and place it on YouTube...

so I may include it on this blog.

I have to find a way to...

either synch split screen my playing both parts...

or have someone else play the Flute II portion for a synched split screen video.

Anyways...

I had a lot of fun with this one.

Again...

my next transcription will be of my inspiration for the introduction

of this song.

----------------

Now...

all of the Glissandi except the last one...

are open for interpretation.

You may take from the first note...

the last note...

or from both.

I am taking it from the last note...

and I am running up in one half beat to one whole beat.

There are many accidentals.

Again...

I had heavily modified the original song for this interpretation.

My intro is three lines.

You will recognize the song starting from the fourth line.

The next song...

a transcription...

shouldn't take too long.

The song is short and simple...

but I love the melody.

----------

You may have noticed...

I started a new blog 

(view from the top right margin...My Other Blogs).

It is for my own compositions.

I separated it from this blog as I want to copyright them differently.

Everything on this blog is for free use.

My other blog...

Bass Flute Compositions...

is for all rights reserved for me.

I have yet to compose any of my own music...

but...

a man may dream...

yes?  :)

Transcription - After The Fall

Song:  After The Fall

Group:  Two Steps From Hell

This is to be another sunset song.

First of all...

I absolutely LOVE this song.

It played in my head when I was over 11,000 ft. in elevation

in the Sierra Nevadas a few years ago.

I was standing atop this particular mountain...

and overlooking a multitude of sharp mountain crags in the distance.

The stiff cool breeze and rarified air made this song seem magical...

as I played this song over and over in my head.

It really added to the majestic atmosphere.

When I hear this song...

I am back atop that mountain in my mind.

And so...

I took extra pains to ensure the emotion of the notes carried through

with the appropriate symbols.

Be cognizant of the reversion to the key signature (cessation of the naturals)...

on the third line...fifth measure.

Also...

I distinguish the Crescendo and Decrescendo symbols (sideways Vs)...

from Crescendo and Diminished in text.

I use the symbols to signify a modulation of volume from the standard...

 from low to standard...

or from standard to low.

I use the text to signify the modulation of volume from standard to louder...

or from louder to standard.

I am unsure as to which song I shall do next.

There is a song from my childhood

for which I can find no music...

or the song itself on YouTube (it is Japanese).

I may try to write it out from memory...

with some of my own flourishes thrown in...

to fill in the voids.

Or...

I may try my hand at a simple tune which is of my own composition.

If so...

it will take a while to complete.

Transcription of a Cover - Set Fire To The Rain

Song:  Set Fire To The Rain

Bass Flute Cover:  Geniflute

Okay...
this is the song which had convinced me to buy a Bass Flute instead of an Alto Flute.

This is another sunset song.

This song is unique...
as it covers the FULL range of the Bass Flute.

It goes from C1, to and including, C4 (Bass Flute...not piano).



I looked over this piece carefully...
as I hate having to go back and make any corrections.

However...
just as in proofreading a paper you had written...
it is sometimes hard to spot the mistakes yourself...right away.

I usually lie in bed the next day...
reviewing what I had written while listening to the music on my iPad...
and reading and following the notes I had published on this blog.

So often...
I will be mortified I had made such an error that I should have caught
right away...but had not.

Any mistakes I had made...
I would be grateful if anyone else spots them and gives me a comment.

I really love this song.

Geniflute did such a good job transposing and playing this song.

I hope I had done his cover piece justice.

------------------

Now...
this piece was deceptively more complicated than I had originally thought.

Geniflute has multiple uses of note accenting (Sforzato)...
and I had differentiated them from the similar fade in and fade out notations
above certain notes...by placing them below them.

His timing was also tricky for me.

I hope I had gotten it right.

Even had I not gotten the timing right...
I can still play this piece...
as I am listening to the music as Geniflute plays it...
 in my head as I play.

The notes are just reminders of what is to come for me.


I get the timing be tapping my foot to the beat...
and splitting the time by how many notes come in each beat.

It is fairly easy to make mistakes...
and I had to correct some after I had finished this piece.

So...
once again...
if you find any mistakes...
please leave a comment for me.

I am still very much a beginner in music.

Gymnopedie no. 1 - Redo Improvement

Song:  Gymnopedie no. 1

Composer:  Erik Satie

Transposer / Alto Flute:  Luke pickman

Piano:  Paolo Bertolotto

This is another Sunset Song.

I had to redo it as...

not only were there errors in the handwritten one I had posted early on...

as I have gained more musical knowledge...

I had to make many additions

(I also went back and put this one in the earlier article.

Although I had only been playing a month, or so, at that time...

it was still embarrassing to see my old work :)

I am presently working on a previously unused song...

so, it will be new to this blog.

I really like this next song...

as it had convinced me to get a Bass Flute.

I just loved the sound...

along with many other Bass Flute songs I had then subsequently researched.

I should have it ready by the end of this weekend

(I am going to California for a day).

Midnight Oil - Redo Improvement

Song:  Midnight Oil

Composer / Alto Flute / Harp:  Luke Pickman

Originally, this was my first transcription...

after one month of playing music.

The original was rife with errors...

and was hand written.

I updated this song...

as it will be one of my sunset songs.

It is beautifully melodious.

Pay attention to the crescendos and decrescendos.

Gnossienne no. 1 - Redo Improvement

Song:  Gnossienne no 1

Original Composer:  Erik Satie

Performing Artists:  

Alto Flute / Transposer:  Luke Pickman

Piano:  Paolo Bertolotto

I redid a much earlier transcription...

as it was sloppily handwritten...

and I have since made some corrections.

I had made some alterations to this song in a couple of minor ways.

This song is going to be my mother's and my first duet.

I am teaching her the piano portion now.

This is going to be one of my sunset songs.

Although I have never taken piano lessons...

I am figuring out the piano portion by looking at, and listening to...

 the above music video.

And so...

I will not be transcribing the piano portion.

The piano portion is actually very easy to play in this song.

It is the main reason I had picked this song for our first duet.

Watch for the repeat bars...

and for the change of loudness indicators and insignias...
and on one repeat...
watch for the 8vb (1 octave lower) on the second time around.

Although it may take a while for my mother to be able to play 

this song on the piano...as she is almost 80 years old...

and she cannot play the piano...yet  :)...

once our duet is practiced and played well enough...

I will include a video of us playing it on one of my other blogs:

Aging And Living Well

Feed The Birds - Julie Andrews Transcription

Song:  Feed The Birds

Song From Movie:  Mary Poppins

Vocalist/Actress:  Julie Andrews

I just finished this transcription.

You must watch for the timing changes...

and the grace notes are sometimes in 1/16...

and at times...in 1/32.

Also...
remember...
accidentals...even grace notes...
change that particular note for the remainder of the measure (only)...
unless changed again in that measure.

After the measure...
all notes revert to the key signature...
unless again changed.

As there are quite a few accidentals in this song...
be aware of them

I was going to do more Rock songs...

however...

 I have gone through some lifestyle changes

(I am taking care of my almost 80 year old mother in her house)...

and she wanted for me to play some soft songs 

for her to listen to as she goes to sleep.

I will also be playing her...

her favorite songs when we go to the mountains to watch the sunset

(I am actually going to take out some chairs, my Bass Flute and music stand...

to the middle of nowhere, to give an open air concert...

to my mother...and to the animals and trees  :)

So...for a while...

I will be transcribing...

what I call...

sunset songs.

I have several sunset songs in mind to transcribe...

all of which are lengthly...

and so...

 may take a while.

I may transcribe some shorter ones first...
I'll have to see.

Duet Completed - Stairway To Heaven

Song:  Stairway To Heaven

Group:  Led Zeppelin

 Okay...

I just completed this master piece of Rock history.

Now...

I had to make a few modifications in the octave levels so I would

have room later in the song to hit the highest notes.

I also added a few things just to make it sound a little better on the flute.

However...

for the most part...

it is a straight transcription....

except for the minor portions which I had to transpose...

and the few places where I had composed a few runs to make it sound

 more interesting on the Bass Flute.

This took me awhile because I was having a bear of a time 

when I hit Jimmy Page's fast runs on the lead guitar (16th and 32nd notes)...

especially when he was doing triplets.

I would sometimes hear the notes one way...

and then I would hear them another way...

and sometimes the timing seemed to change.

I had to listen very carefully to decode the puzzle that it had presented me.

However...

I am picking up transposing / transcription more easily now.

My musical ear is improving...

so, many times...

I can lay down the notes by ear (and foot :) ...

without having to play the notes first on my Bass Flute. 

Again...
what I do is listen to a song on YouTube.

I then play what I hear on the Bass Flute.

I then write out what I play on to a blank music sheet...
by keeping time with my foot.

The reason I do this is that most of the available sheet music...
especially for modern music...
does not carry the subtle nuances of the instruments or vocals.

And...
many songs I like...
there is not readily available sheet music for them
(I like many foreign and older music).

And much of the sheet music is a simplistic version...
and rarely are they duets.

I will often combine many instruments on to one line of music.

As an example...
on this song...
the Flute I line is composed of the flute introduction...
Robert Plant's vocals...
and Jimmy Page's lead guitar.

The Flute II line is composed of the Bass Guitar...
and the acoustic guitar.

I was going to transcribe a Jazz Bass Flute song next

(with a Bossanova beat)...

however, the artist is selling his composition on line...

so, I cannot legally transcribe and publish his copyrighted composition
(after I had transcribed it).

Okay...

for now...

STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN:

It may take me awhile on the next song also.

It has some fast rhythm and note changes...

and some syncopated timing.

But...

it was also one of my favorite songs from the same era

as was Stairway To Heaven

(and is still one of my favorite songs).

The group is called YES...

and the song is my favorite off the FRAGILE Album.

If you know of this group...

then you must know which song I shall be transcribing next  :)

(and, no, it is not Roundabout).

Addendum:  I did a stupid thing a few days ago.

I transcribe in the middle of the night by the light of the computer only.

Well...

I had set my Bass Flute on...

what I had thought was the flat part of a table...

and it had turned out to be the ledge.

It had hit the floor...

and afterwards...

I couldn't play certain notes on it without extraordinary pressure on the keys.

My Bass Flute is now in the shop getting repaired.

It may be a few weeks to a month before I get it back.

So...

I won't be able to transcribe until I get it back.

----------------------

Addendum:  I had gotten my flute back from the repair shop.

It is better than ever now.

However...

my life situation has changed.

I am now taking care of my, almost, 80 year old mother.

She likes to hear me play...

so...

for a while now...

I will be transcribing some sunset music (mellow music).

My mother likes to fall asleep as I play.

Stairway To Heaven - Base Line

Song:  Stairway To Heaven

Group:  Led Zeppelin

I have just finished the Flute II portion (Acoustic Guitar / Bass Line) of Stairway To Heaven.

I would have had this finished much sooner but I had gotten busy with other things in life.

However...

no matter how fast I try to complete the rest of the song...

as it is much more complicated...

the next portion (Flute I) is going to take a while.

It will encompass the Flute / Vocals / Lead Guitar.

I cannot stress how much more I understand music 

just by listening carefully by ear...

playing what I hear...

and then transcribing or transposing it.

I will soon be composing my own complete songs.

Now...

as this is going to be a flute duet...

I had to combine several instruments into this transcription / transposition.

I did some minor alterations...

but I stayed true to the music for the most part.

Again...

this is just the Flute II portion of the song (Bass Line).

It will be a duet when I complete the Flute I portion (Vocal / Lead Guitar).

I will post the entire song once it is completed.

Zeynep's Romance - A Hauntingly Beautiful Melody

Song:  Zeynep's Romance

Artist:  Omar Faruk Tekbilek

This song has one of the most hauntingly beautiful melodies I have ever heard.

It is a very simple song...

which means much emotion must be put into every note.

I had slightly modified Flute II in some portions.

With this song...
I had experimented with laying down a little of each track at a time.

It had actually worked out well.

However...
with most songs...
I will transcribe the bass track first.

I am unsure which song I shall transcribe next.

I am thinking another classic rock song...perhaps.

Comfortably Numb - Duet Completed

Song:  Comfortably Numb

Group:  Pink Floyd

Okay...

I had spotted quite a few mistakes I had made in the original draft.

As I was laying down the bass track (Flute II)...

I had found a few missed measures of the lead guitar.

I deleted the previous article because it just wasn't complete.

Also...

bear in mind that this is a 5 octave song which I had to compress into 3.

The song just doesn't sound the same without the other two octaves.

The notes sometimes clash...

as there was supposed to be a couple octaves of separation.

I will have to think twice in the future before I tackle such a difficult song...

especially one which incorporates octaves out of the Bass Flute range.

This one about wore me out.

I learned two very valuable lessons:

1)  Always lay the Bass Track first.

2)  Never transcribe, transpose, or compose...

when sleepy  :)

I had made many blunders I had not discovered until the bass line 

hadn't matched the melody.

I had to add missing measures of melody...

and retime part of the song by laboriously moving pages worth...

note by note.

Again...

the notes on the flute may be bent by sweeping your head as you play...

just as do the Bansuri players of India...

or the Shakuhachi players of Japan.

It is signified by the radically angled slur marks which lead to nothing.

Or...

by the full signature which means to go back and forth with the note.

This song ended up being 11 pages long.

I think I am going to try a simple melodious flute song for the next one.

Although...

I already have some songs which are also complicated in timing

which are just burning in my mind...

and wanting to be put on paper  :)

Should anyone spot any mistakes...

please leave a comment.

Although I had looked it over...

my mind is quite fried right now.  :)

Comfortably Numb - A Work In Progress

Song:  Comfortably Numb

Group:  Pink Floyd

I am presently transposing the above song for the Bass Flute as a duet.

It is my favorite song from my favorite group.

I am using the vocal and lead guitar track for Flute I...

and I will be using the bass guitar and the keyboard track for Flute II.

I am only halfway through this song...

just for Flute I.

I will be spending many more hours transposing this song.

I am actually using the music from the above music video...

my Bass Flute to play along with it...

and then placing the corresponding notes and other musical notations

on the MuseScore 2 computer program manuscript paper...one note at a time...

and with a lot of foot tapping to keep time...

it is coming along.

I will be publishing it in a separate article so those of whom are interested...

may print out the music to play.

While I tried to keep true to the song...

I had made some minor changes in a few places...

not that the song is not already perfect...

but...I added a few minor flourishes where some repeated sustained notes...

simply would not sound so interesting on a Bass Flute.

I think it was only in one or two spots.

I had to first lay down the bass track (Flute II)...

for the introduction so I would know when the Flute I would start.

I then just started transposing the vocal and lead guitar track for flute I.

Although I must play all the notes on my Bass Flute to arrive at which notes...

and in what division of time they must be put on paper...

and I check it by measure once I have put it down, to check for accuracy...

I won't be able to start practicing the whole song until I complete transposing it.

I am on page four...

of what will probably end up being an eight page musical score.

On the above page four...

I noticed I had gotten out of phase with the timing...

and I now must back track to find out where I had miss counted a note or a rest.

As you can see...

I had to backtrack two measures before the last on the previous photo...

to add in the appropriate quarter rest I had mistimed.

In this musical score...

there is a variety of timing changes...

and even octave leaps.

I find this whole process to be profoundly interesting.

I am already thinking about the next song I will be doing.

I hope to have this finished sometime next week.

It will be a whole lot of fun playing.

I plan to do many Classic Rock songs in the future.