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GusFogle Group: Members Posts: 198 Joined: July 2011 Posted: July 01 2011, 13:54 Hello, everyone. This is my first post on this forum, but I have been a Mike Oldfield fan for some time. I would like to share with you my recording of Taurus II. Ryan Yard, known here as "ThisName", transcribed the piece for me. I arranged the piece for keyboards, and have taken some liberties with a few improvisational sections. I hope you enjoy it. http://soundcloud.com/gus-fogle/taurus-ii-01 Back to top

nightspore Group: Members Posts: 4761 Joined: Mar. 2008 Posted: July 01 2011, 20:59 Quote (GusFogle @ July 01 2011, 13:54) Hello, everyone. This is my first post on this forum, but I have been a Mike Oldfield fan for some time. I would like to share with you my recording of Taurus II. Ryan Yard, known here as "ThisName", transcribed the piece for me. I arranged the piece for keyboards, and have taken some liberties with a few improvisational sections. I hope you enjoy it. http://soundcloud.com/gus-fogle/taurus-ii-01 Welcome, Gus. I liked this transcription, but to me part of what makes the original piece a winner is the kaleidoscopic change of instrumentation. Back to top

GusFogle Group: Members Posts: 198 Joined: July 2011 Posted: July 01 2011, 21:27 Lol. That is besides the point somewhat; I don't have access to 100 different types of instruments, nor the ability to play them! The original transcription was written for guitars, bass, vocals, etc. I had to "re-instrumentize" all the parts to play them on the few keyboard instruments I do own. But thank you, your criticism is noted. I simply disagree that the instrumentation was the only factor that made the original piece work. Back to top

nightspore Group: Members Posts: 4761 Joined: Mar. 2008 Posted: July 01 2011, 21:58 Quote (GusFogle @ July 01 2011, 21:27) But thank you, your criticism is noted. I simply disagree that the instrumentation was the only factor that made the original piece work. I said part of what makes it a winner   Back to top

GusFogle Group: Members Posts: 198 Joined: July 2011 Posted: July 01 2011, 22:19 Well, feel free to send me a set of tubular bells, bagpipe, panflute, harp, etc. I'll give it my best shot. My guitar playing is hopeless though. Everytime I grow my nails, they break off when I play piano. Hahaha. Seriously though, you have a point. I knew that the lack of diverse instrumentation would be a slight problem. I did try to get a variety of different textures out of several synthesizers and pianos for compensation though, and I think I did a decent job of this. I used strings, church organ, electric piano, synthesized pan flute, a bass synthesizer, an analogue synthesizer from 1982, a Korg Microkorg for the lead guitar parts, and obviously a crappy electric drumset. Back to top

nightspore Group: Members Posts: 4761 Joined: Mar. 2008 Posted: July 01 2011, 23:16 Quote (GusFogle @ July 01 2011, 22:19) Well, feel free to send me a set of tubular bells, bagpipe, panflute, harp, etc. I'll give it my best shot. My guitar playing is hopeless though. Everytime I grow my nails, they break off when I play piano. Hahaha. Seriously though, you have a point. I knew that the lack of diverse instrumentation would be a slight problem. I did try to get a variety of different textures out of several synthesizers and pianos for compensation though, and I think I did a decent job of this. I used strings, church organ, electric piano, synthesized pan flute, a bass synthesizer, an analogue synthesizer from 1982, a Korg Microkorg for the lead guitar parts, and obviously a crappy electric drumset. I certainly enjoyed what you did. The piano transcription of the electric guitar part at the beginning had an almost Mozartian feel - although I think the guy who transcribed it added some notes?? Back to top

GusFogle Group: Members Posts: 198 Joined: July 2011 Posted: July 01 2011, 23:46 Ryan transcribed "Taurus II" EXACTLY as it was played in the original version. Any deviations from the original score are improvisations on my part. Back to top

wiga Group: Members Posts: 2113 Joined: Sep. 2008 Posted: July 02 2011, 02:50 Hi Gus. Wow, this a fabulous piece of work! I've listened to the whole 24 minutes - you're a great keyboardist - it's much faster than I realized.  And a nice touch at the end. -------------- Barn's burnt down - now I can see the moon. Back to top

GusFogle Group: Members Posts: 198 Joined: July 2011 Posted: July 02 2011, 15:31 Thanks! I do better on a plain old grand piano, but for recordings I just have to do my best with digital pianos and synthesizers, though the feel just isn't there, even with weighted keys. My version is 30 seconds or so shorter than the original version- I play certain parts a few beats faster. I also cut off the measure at the beginning with the "4 count". Back to top

ThisName Group: Members Posts: 307 Joined: July 2005 Posted: July 02 2011, 15:35 I always felt that the 4 click count at the start was a bit unnecessary. It would have been more effective just blasting in with the main riff, I'm not sure why Mike decided to do that as it offers very little to the piece. -------------- www.ryanyardmusic.com Back to top

Philippe Tavares Group: Members Posts: 1612 Joined: Feb. 2005 Posted: July 02 2011, 19:06 Don't ask " why " to Mike ! He doesn't like these " why" questions !   I like thes four "clicks" at the start i think they are "indivisible" from the rest of the track ! Back to top

GusFogle Group: Members Posts: 198 Joined: July 2011 Posted: July 02 2011, 19:16 Sorry for ruining it for you! I think the original version used the 4 quarter notes at the beginning to signify the "metronomic" quality of the piece. But my version is not metronomic (in the same way that the original is). The first instrument I recorded was the piano track, all in one long take, complete with rubato and my own sense of tempo and timing...which is to say "warts and all". By the time I added the drum track it seemed a bit pointless to add the bit at the beginning. Back to top

nightspore Group: Members Posts: 4761 Joined: Mar. 2008 Posted: July 02 2011, 21:11 Quote (GusFogle @ July 02 2011, 19:16) complete with rubato This sounds like one of the words in the chant. I looked it up, and it means "stolen time" in Italian. Ugo?   Back to top

GusFogle Group: Members Posts: 198 Joined: July 2011 Posted: July 02 2011, 21:38 It just means that certain parts were played in "free time"- increasing or decreasing the tempo at my own discretion for the purpose of musical expression or to emphasize certain passages. 5:10-5:16 is one example of this. Towards the end of that bit there is a slight ritard, which leads into the next tempo change at 5:17. Back to top

wiga Group: Members Posts: 2113 Joined: Sep. 2008 Posted: July 03 2011, 04:18 Quote (GusFogle @ July 02 2011, 20:31) I do better on a plain old grand piano, but for recordings I just have to do my best with digital pianos and synthesizers, though the feel just isn't there, even with weighted keys. Yes, I can kind of tell you're a pianist first. Listening again, the whole piece has a Rick Wakeman feel about it - quite epic! -------------- Barn's burnt down - now I can see the moon. Back to top

nightspore Group: Members Posts: 4761 Joined: Mar. 2008 Posted: July 03 2011, 08:29 Quote (wiga @ July 03 2011, 04:18) . Listening again, the whole piece has a Rick Wakeman feel about it - quite epic! Rick Wakeman, by his own admission, strives for a Mozart sound in his playing. Back to top

ThisName Group: Members Posts: 307 Joined: July 2005 Posted: July 03 2011, 08:47 It's interesting to hear two Mozart references with regards to the transcription and the perfromance. I can see some solo piano transcriptions of Mike Oldfield coming one day   -------------- www.ryanyardmusic.com Back to top

GusFogle Group: Members Posts: 198 Joined: July 2011 Posted: July 03 2011, 11:40 Quote (wiga @ July 03 2011, 04:18) Listening again, the whole piece has a Rick Wakeman feel about it - quite epic! Coincidentally, Rick Wakeman is the keyboardist who inspired me to play piano in the first place, so my style is based loosely around his. I WAS kind of going for a "Wakeman plays Oldfield" vibe, so I'm glad you recognized it! Back to top

Sordel Group: Members Posts: 17 Joined: June 2011 Posted: July 04 2011, 12:50 Taurus II is actually one of my favourite Oldfield pieces (top ten, maybe five) and - I must say - the transcription is very good: better than I was expecting, to be honest. I miss the four-beat lead in as well - funny how that sort of thing can matter - and the Morris dancing bells and sticks from that section. I don't miss the vocals at all, since they often detract somewhat ... especially the heavily processed vocals on this track. The climax at 9:30 comes off really well given that you have no guitar there. I really hear the Rick Wakeman sound in the electric keyboard. I'm glad that you stick to piano as much as possible, because the lack of acoustic instruments is felt and you would really end up with an "airless" recording if you went all the way with electronic keyboard samples. The brass tone that you use for the "jubilant chorus" vocals (starting c. 16:30) doesn't sound quite right to me, although in any case it's not for me the best part of the track. Anyway, great job ... already looking forward to Amarok. Back to top

GusFogle Group: Members Posts: 198 Joined: July 2011 Posted: July 10 2011, 17:29 Quote (Sordel @ July 04 2011, 12:50) Anyway, great job ... already looking forward to Amarok. Yes, I am planning to do a full recording of Amarok, which will be nearly as nightmarish as transcribing it. The "root" piano track will probably be recorded in two 30 minute sections. One hour-long take just doesn't seem feasible for recording purposes. Thanks for your comments on Taurus II. My sticking to piano as much as possible is out of neccessity really, as that is the first instrument I lay down as a track and thus the instrument that I play most of the parts on. For recording I stick mostly with electronic instruments for clarity of sound, but I will be using more acoustic instruments for Amarok, which will of course make mixing more difficult. Back to top

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