My Star Wars arrangement is finished

[Eric_JWFAN 11]

It took longer than expected because I had to practice it.

[Joe Brausam 216]

Awesome!

[robthehand 3]

Wow! Very well done.

[indy4 155]

that was an excellent arrangement!! best i've ever heard of the Star Wars Main Theme. That was as close to the original version as it could be. bravo!

[Ray Barnsbury 8]

That was phenomenal, both the arrangement and the performance. Well done!

Ray Barnsbury

[GoodMusician 56]

I do really enjoy that...

You seem to have captured all the memorable orchestrations and worked them into a playable concert piece... that's really great!

All too often I've heard arrangements where the memorable moments are simply not used or the trills or flourishes just are left out but you embraced them and that's really cool

Had any thought of distributing a good quality recording? ;-)

[Richard Penna 3,770]

Woooww, you're an amazing piano player, well done!

[Eric_JWFAN 11]

I do really enjoy that...

You seem to have captured all the memorable orchestrations and worked them into a playable concert piece... that's really great!

All too often I've heard arrangements where the memorable moments are simply not used or the trills or flourishes just are left out but you embraced them and that's really cool

Had any thought of distributing a good quality recording? ;-)

I added a YouTube link, which seems to have compressed the sound better. I preferred people going to Metacafe only because you earn money for views!

Yes that was my goal- to include all the wonderful flourishes and nuances. I actually included even more of that, but when I sat down to practicing it, it was nearly unplayable. For me anyway.

Thanks for the compliments.

[Jeshopk 8]

Certainly the best JW piano arrangement EVER

[Genius_Gone_Insane 5]

HOLY SHIT!!! That is fucking wonderful!!!! I would KILL to be able to play that!

Chills running down my neck the whole time, great arrangement!!!!!

[BLUMENKOHL 1,070]

Amazing job Eric!

[Red 75]

Fantastic.

Good form.

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

That's some pretty sweet piano playing right there, I'd say.

[Luke Skywalker 1,810]

F'king awesome

Thats why i love the piano.

Congratulations. I hope you continue doing these performances

[JWfangirl1992 18]

holy shit!!!!!! dude that was awesome!!!!!!!!

my question, how the hell did you get the original score!!!

[Genius_Gone_Insane 5]

Seriously, I cannot stop listening to this, it totally made my day!!!! I've sent it to a bunch of people too...you are famous now!

[Jacob 0]

The Force is strong with this one.

[Eric_JWFAN 11]

holy shit!!!!!! dude that was awesome!!!!!!!!

my question, how the hell did you get the original score!!!

Well it's the Signature Edition full score, nothing rare about that. MrScratch scanned and sent me all 51 pages. So I took the full score and just made a solo piano reduction. I also decided to use the "By Request" recording for the ending, which is different than the soundtrack version. So some of it was done by ear but most of it was taken from the Signature Edition orchestral score.

[Trent Hoyt 13]

that was f***ing great!!

[John Crichton 4]

I share the sentiments previously expressed.

I like how you used the Jedi version of the end credits with the Throne Room statement. Always a favorite.

[Datameister 2,095]

Absolutely spectacular. As a fellow pianist and arranger (albeit a vastly inferior one to yourself), I know that this is NOT easy work. Incredible job. Arrangement-wise, you've done a perfect job of assessing which elements are crucial to the feel and distilling multiple moving lines down into a playable and idiomatic version of the piece. Performance-wise, I'm just blown away. Playing the quick parallel motion of the Rebel fanfare's major chords is TOUGH. You've pulled it off in a way that sounds natural. I even expected you to play the sixteenth-note-triplets at 4:48, and I was a little disappointed when you (understandably) didn't. Sadly, that part sounds a little stupid without them...which stinks, because I don't think it's humanly possible to play that passage as written at tempo.

My only critiques:

1. I really was aching for that F in the bass when the main title goes into the B section. I understand you've got the melody in octaves in the right hand and a lot of wonderfully-executed flourishes on the left hand, but it seems to me that hitting two Fs with the left hand on beat two of the first measure of the B section would make for an even lovely re-creation of the original. You'd have to interrupt the flourishes, but I think it'd be worth it.

2. Performance-wise, I think you could play with the tempi just a little bit in a few places. For example, one of the things that can really make the end of Princess Leia's theme shine is the broad ritardando. I also felt like the rubato in the last Rebel fanfare statement at 4:57 was a little...strange. I dunno. Didn't really work for me.

Anyway, these are little things. The fact of the matter is, this is unbefreakinglievably good work. Keep it up. I expect to hear The Asteroid Field within a week.

[Eric_JWFAN 11]

1. I really was aching for that F in the bass when the main title goes into the B section. I understand you've got the melody in octaves in the right hand and a lot of wonderfully-executed flourishes on the left hand, but it seems to me that hitting two Fs with the left hand on beat two of the first measure of the B section would make for an even lovely re-creation of the original. You'd have to interrupt the flourishes, but I think it'd be worth it.

I know exactly what you are talking about here. I originally had the RH reach over the LH and play an F on beat 2 of both those measures (or :29 and :34 of the clip). Since that's the exact beat the double basses, bassoon, bass clarinet etc empasize the F, and since it's also the beat the RH does not play, it would appear to make perfect sense to do this, and believe it or not it is actually quite playable and no interruption in the flourishes necessary. But it just didn't sound right to me on the piano. It sounded like a cheese pop chord because it was essentially turning into an E-flat major chord over an F in the bass. The way JW assigns the various notes to the orchestra it doesn't come across like this, but on piano it does. Visually it looked cool though, and maybe I should have kept it in. I still play that F (it is super important in that section as its the dominant pedal) but I play it with the LH pinky two octaves higher than it should be.

I even expected you to play the sixteenth-note-triplets at 4:48, and I was a little disappointed when you (understandably) didn't. Sadly, that part sounds a little stupid without them...which stinks, because I don't think it's humanly possible to play that passage as written at tempo.

Again this is something that I probably could have included but would clearly sound like a struggle. As someone who's tinkered with Gaspard, Prokofiev 2nd piano Concerto, some Chopin-Godowsky Etudes etc, I can tell you it wouldn't be outrageous to write it like that. But I wanted something I could play perfectly and not sound messy.

I also felt like the rubato in the last Rebel fanfare statement at 4:57 was a little...strange. I dunno. Didn't really work for me.

I didn't know what to do there to be honest. The recording's are never consistent here, and it usually sounds like some notes have a fermata. Just never sounds in time. I tried copying the exact timing of the "By Request" one, and it just sounded like I had awful rhythm lol. So I decided to play it slower in a way that looked like I was intentionally giving the chords space.

Thanks a bunch for the great comments/criticism.

[MrScratch 294]

Bravo!

[Datameister 2,095]

Again this is something that I probably could have included but would clearly sound like a struggle. As someone who's tinkered with Gaspard, Prokofiev 2nd piano Concerto, some Chopin-Godowsky Etudes etc, I can tell you it wouldn't be outrageous to write it like that. But I wanted something I could play perfectly and not sound messy.

I figured as much. Probably for the best...though I still look forward to the day when I hear someone play that passage as-written at full tempo on the piano, without resorting to using both hands.

I'd love to hear your take on "News of the Attack," an (officially) unreleased ROTS cue. It features a 9/8 ostinato beneath minor chords moving chromatically at a rather fast clip, with some of the chords being eighth notes and others being dotted eighth notes. Fun to play--I can actually pull it off most of the time, as opposed to the Rebel fanfare, which usually ends with my fingers vacating the premises.

EDIT: Mmmm, a few more performance critiques, despite my pianistic inferiority. The repeated dissonant chords after the main title could perhaps use a bit of a ritardando--I love the effect this produces in the original 1977 recording. Then when you hit the ostinato in the bass and the Rebel fanfare shines through a moment later, it has to be fierce. In this particular performance, it just felt a little...plodding and underwhelming, I suppose. I was expecting something heavier.

I love the way your right hand looks just after the first edit, when you go into the repeated C - B - A - G - C - B - A - G flourishes.

::watches again::

HOW DO YOU DO THE FLIPPING SIXTEENTH NOTES IN THE REBEL FANFARE AT 4:40?! Gah, I was living my life, content in the assumption that it just wasn't humanly possible...but no. No. You just HAD to rip my dreams asunder. Thanks. Thanks a lot.

[Eric_JWFAN 11]

HOW DO YOU DO THE FLIPPING SIXTEENTH NOTES IN THE REBEL FANFARE AT 4:40?! Gah, I was living my life, content in the assumption that it just wasn't humanly possible...but no. No. You just HAD to rip my dreams asunder. Thanks. Thanks a lot.

That part actually isn't that difficult after practice and learning how to use your hands. The core of the problem is the 3 fast RH chords- Db major, C major, Bb major all in 2nd inversion with the 5th of the chords played by both the thumb and pinky. The move from the first two (Db to C) isn't half bad because it goes from mostly black keys to all white, so you basically just "slide" down. Well it's sort of sliding. Then I just think of the Bb chord as the destination, and I try accenting it. If you think of the Bb chord as the most important of the three and just play right through first two and aim for the Bb without being too careful or hesitant, it's not bad.

Believe it or not, my biggest difficulty came in the slow section (Leia's theme). Having to divide up the legato melody into both hands while the LH crosses over to play the flute Rebel motif. It's a very hard angle for the LH, with its thumb playing very very high on the piano. Also, when you reach that far over with your LH, your RH naturally pulls that direction too, making it more difficult to play the RH. There were easier ways to arrange this section, but it would involve stopping the RH ostinato patterns for brief moments, and I did not want to do that. One gap in that, and that dreamy hypnotic feel is gone.

[Beowulf 4]

"I just want to tell you that was awesome, and we're all looking forward to more"

[Datameister 2,095]

The core of the problem is the 3 fast RH chords- Db major, C major, Bb major all in 2nd inversion with the 5th of the chords played by both the thumb and pinky.

Definitely. I've always shied away from playing that part with the 5th on both the pinkie and the the thumb, even though I'm fond of that sort of block chord normally. Perhaps it'd actually be easier that way...

Then I just think of the Bb chord as the destination, and I try accenting it. If you think of the Bb chord as the most important of the three and just play right through first two and aim for the Bb without being too careful or hesitant, it's not bad.

Interesting. I'll have to try it next time I find a piano with good enough action. (I'm at college, and finding a really good piano available for non music majors' use is quite difficult. )

Believe it or not, my biggest difficulty came in the slow section (Leia's theme). Having to divide up the legato melody into both hands while the LH crosses over to play the flute Rebel motif. It's a very hard angle for the LH, with its thumb playing very very high on the piano. Also, when you reach that far over with your LH, your RH naturally pulls that direction too, making it more difficult to play the RH. There were easier ways to arrange this section, but it would involve stopping the RH ostinato patterns for brief moments, and I did not want to do that. One gap in that, and that dreamy hypnotic feel is gone.

Oh, I believe it. I forgot to mention how impressed I was with that part. I was almost convinced I was hearing two recordings overlaid on top of each other, but then I saw your right hand darting in there to cover for the left hand's absence...man. Tough stuff.

::goes back to his comparatively simple piano transcriptions::

[Eric_JWFAN 11]

Then I just think of the Bb chord as the destination, and I try accenting it. If you think of the Bb chord as the most important of the three and just play right through first two and aim for the Bb without being too careful or hesitant, it's not bad.

Interesting. I'll have to try it next time I find a piano with good enough action.

I forgot to mention I originally had my LH reaching over the RH and playing that Db chord since it has a couple rests. That way you only have to worry about two quick RH chords in a row instead of three. This might work better for you. I ended up doing it all with one hand because it just felt right to me.

[Datameister 2,095]

I forgot to mention I originally had my LH reaching over the RH and playing that Db chord since it has a couple rests. That way you only have to worry about two quick RH chords in a row instead of three. This might work better for you. I ended up doing it all with one hand because it just felt right to me.

I'd thought about that, too. It just feels...like cheating.

[gkgyver 1,646]

That was pretty awesome! There's nothing to add to the posts above.

[Pieter Boelen 741]

Impressive!

[Eric_JWFAN 11]

I forgot to mention I originally had my LH reaching over the RH and playing that Db chord since it has a couple rests. That way you only have to worry about two quick RH chords in a row instead of three. This might work better for you. I ended up doing it all with one hand because it just felt right to me.

I'd thought about that, too. It just feels...like cheating.

Not cheating at all. I do something similar at 1:49. My view is that unless you're playing an Etude, you play the notes whatever way you can make it sound the best.

[pixie_twinkle 48]

Absolutely brilliant! Now how about Mine Car Chase

[Joni Wiljami 1,206]

Great arrangement and also brilliant performance.

I wonder , how many takes you needed for this great video...

[Datameister 2,095]

Not cheating at all. I do something similar at 1:49. My view is that unless you're playing an Etude, you play the notes whatever way you can make it sound the best.

Oh, I know. I was mostly kidding. I mean, I do kind of feel like I'm cheating a little bit when I do stuff like that, but the logical side of me totally shares your view--produce the best sound you can, in whatever way works for you. And I definitely wasn't trying to say anything negative about that one part where you did something like this! I did notice it in the video.

Absolutely brilliant! Now how about Mine Car Chase

YES! Those quick running lines in the strings and upper woodwinds...oh my goodness. IMPOSSIBLE to play on piano. ::waits to be proven wrong by Eric::

[Eric_JWFAN 11]

Great arrangement and also brilliant performance.

I wonder , how many takes you needed for this great video...

More than I care to say.

[BraveheartDC 0]

Impressive, most impressive.

You've only just begun to realize your potential.

[AI 0]

That is very good Eric!

If I can say one thing, can I say your posture is pretty bad?!. Either the seat is too high, or you are bending your head down too much. I think if you adjust that balance a little, you will find it easier to play those tricky bits.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

Sounds beautiful! I love the piano.

[Eric_JWFAN 11]

Thought I'd bump this thread as the video hit 500,000 views today, and this was the first place it was viewed. :-) I really never thought it would get that many views. Thanks MrScratch! (Is he still around?)

[Sandor 799]

Just saw this for the first time...

AMAZING..!!!!!!!

[Eric_JWFAN 11]

Thanks. :-)

[Maglorfin 196]

Just saw this for the first time...

AMAZING..!!!!!!!

Same here! Absolutelly stunning! A great piece of piano playing coupled with perfect arranging job. You'd make JW so proud!

This made me want to hear more from you, and not only film music, how about some Beethoven and/or Chopin (heard that Polonaise) and/or Scriabin, or maybe Black Earth by Fazil Say? And - you definitely need a Steinway!