Failing to fly

[sound world]

Something a bit different....
I've written out the music score for 'Failing to Fly', which is a bonus track on the Japanese version of TWIS. I love this track so much, particularly the way arranger Jonas Nystrom has dovetailed the string rhythms into the vocal parts.
Anyone interested in 'following the score' could read along with these pics. I'm sure it's not 100% accurate-it's pretty difficult to hear exactly what the strings/backing vocals are doing sometimes, but anyway it's 95% accurate.
Enjoy! even if you don't think you can read music, try following along with the CD, you may be surprised. The image files aren't high quality; if anyone would like a high-class copy, get in touch.
For anyone interested, I use Finale Printmusic 09 to write (and my ears to transcribe!)

By the way-in the string parts 'con sordini' means-with mutes; 'pizz.' means pizzicato (plucked); 'arco' means bowed.

[alx5962]

Great work Dave !
A midi file and a PDF of the score would be even nicer

[sound world]

Thanks Alex! I can easily make a PDF, but I think I'd have to charge for higher quality copies...
It sounds pretty horrid in MIDI! Voices come out as a pretty unsubtle choir, rather than Stina's delicacy and fragility, and on Finale at least, the strings refuse to play pizzicato/muted. On the original Stina version the strings are played incredibly delicately.

[RobB]

I can't even remember how Failing To Fly goes now.

Great work Dave,which is totally lost on me as i don't undestand any of it.

How long did it take you to work it all out?

[sound world]

Took me about 3-4 hours all told. It's easy getting the melody/chords/words; the difficult bit is working out the separate string/brass/chorus parts; you have to really listen to hear what exact notes they're playing/singing, and occasionally I've had to guess based on the harmony. (And writing it out takes a while...I tip my hat to the likes of Bach, Mozart etc who wrote hundreds of pieces with thousands of notes, all by hand.)
Similarly with the brass-I think some of the brass sounds are made on a keyboard, for instance the superlong notes at the end are impossible for brass players to hold that long. Also I made an arbitrary decision on how many brass parts there are, based on the most notes playing at any one time.
It's just a different way of showing how an arrangement is built up in the studio. It's clearer for me, which is why I do it. I might do a better known Stina song next.
By the way I sent a copy to Jonas Nystrom, the original arranger, but I haven't had a reply from him yet. I had a brief correspondence with him four or five years ago. I also asked him this time if he knew anything about Stina's present activities...

[RobB]

That last question is probably why you havn't heard from him?

[alx5962]

so what about the pdf and the midi file ?
A midi song may sound nice in my sampler

[sound world]

See my post above

[alx5962]

See my post above

you said it sounded bad on Finale, that's all

[RobB]

See my post above

you said it sounded bad on Finale, that's all

Not quite, Dave also wrote 'It sounds pretty horrid in MIDI!'

[alx5962]

See my post above

you said it sounded bad on Finale, that's all

Not quite, Dave also wrote 'It sounds pretty horrid in MIDI!'

But midi files depends on the hardware playing it.
I have a sampler so I may use real instrument sounds to play it so it may sounds nicer here...
I was just lazy and i could use Dave's music sheets (thank you again for them!) , it's not really important anyway.

[sound world]

OK Alex, I've saved it as a .mid file; but I don't know how to post it here. Or should I just email it to you?

[alx5962]

OK Alex, I've saved it as a .mid file; but I don't know how to post it here. Or should I just email it to you?

Great, thanks !

you can either attach the file to this post (Upload attachement section at the bottom of the message when you reply) or email it to me.

[sound world]

Tried adding it, Alex, but it says 'the extension mid is not allowed' -and I don't know your mail address.

[alx5962]

Tried adding it, Alex, but it says 'the extension mid is not allowed' -and I don't know your mail address.

Sorry, my mistake ! Now MID is allowed

I also PMed you my email address.