new arrangements

[jammey]

So first of all, I've been coming to this site for about 2 or so years, and I am very thankful for all the amazing user-uploaded sheets, and i enjoy playing very many of them!! in case you were wondering,

I'm really not one to complain... and like... although i'm not really intending for this to be a complain but i guess it can be one.
so this user's "virtuoso" pieces... i've seen him "remix" the original mario song, the zelda theme, and the lost woods theme... and a few more i think. i can play these "non-virtuoso" pieces that were submitted to this site... but i was just wondering if anyone can actually play the virtuoso ones. i mean, it seems like in order to be talented enough to actually be able to play the virtuoso songs, you would have to be a concert player, and past the "video game" stage of music playing.

don't get me wrong, i love the sound of these pieces... but... it just seems like a HUGE kick in the pants when you can play the song, and then out of nowhere comes another version of the song that only adds hundreds of more notes, just so that the song is harder, and sounds "better". i put better in quotes because sometimes i think it makes the song just sound crowded, and not at all like it does originally. am i the only one thinking this? just makes me feel so amateur because i'm unable to play an insanely tough version of the song. you don't need 3-fingered chords for every quarter-note! BLAH

[Greg]

If you're talking about Maestro's arrangements, those are borderline possible.

You'd need to be a good pianist AND practice them for a few years...

[Jub3r7]

I'm getting closer to playing the Lost Woods Virtuoso.
Although I think if I spent more time practicing it I might have had it down by now.

I personally think that the Virtuoso's aren't too crowded.
They might look hard, but with some dedication and determination I'm sure you could figure it out.

[Greg]

The Mario underwater virtuoso theme is relatively easy... perhaps easier than the SMW athletic theme, which I'm trying to learn now.

There's probably some you can learn if you're a good enough pianist.

[KefkaticFanatic]

am i the only one thinking this? just makes me feel so amateur because i'm unable to play an insanely tough version of the song. you don't need 3-fingered chords for every quarter-note! BLAH

No you are not.  The only thing he does is add as many large chords and arpeggios as possible and calls it a masterpiece.  It's completely unnecessary and arguably makes it a worse arrangement than a messy midi rip.  Jimbo is one of the few I've seen to properly make an arrangement more "grand": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJB_XNkUkMo

[MaestroUGC]

If I had a dime for every time this came up...

I respect your opinion; and while you may not enjoy my paraphrases, I would like to inform you that my earlier arrangements are, in fact, garbage. Before I just had the desire to make Video Game Music as hard as possible (I began making them after musing with the idea of a virtuoso playing the "Tetris A Theme"); I now try to produce them in a manner in which they could be seen as serious concert piece, or at least encore pieces. I am actually going through my older arrangements to try and update them to this new way of presenting the music.

[KefkaticFanatic]

Well it's nice that you are trying, or at least think you are trying, to fix the problem, but when listening to a few of your most recent arrangements I see nothing that changes my assessment.

[kirby_superstar]

Maestro's honesty is refreshing. Although, despite critiques made, some of the arrangements have ideas or variations on the themes of the original music that I adore.
On the other hand there are arrangements with an unnecessary amount of triads, octaves, and redundant things of a similar nature. I'm sure you'll understand what I'm getting at. Regardless, I've never put the effort into arranging anything for a concert pianist so the criticism comes from observation and my own love for piano works of virtuosos. If anyone thinks some of those arrangements are impossible however...

I challenge you to look at the Transcendental Études of Liszt, among other works, or any of the works of Alkan. Many people consider many of the works of Chopin to be incredibly virtuosic as well. Musical thought or idea should never be limited by what might be perceived as being "too hard". Although, in harsh opposition, more notes or awkward chunks of sound don't always serve a proper purpose. Virtuosity at the piano encompasses far more than how many notes you can hit at one time and how fast it takes for you to move your left hand from one end of the piano to another. It comprises ability with flurried scale passages, polyphonic works, rhythms that work against each other, dexterity, the like.

Regardless, I hope to see more from you Maestro! ^_^ I remember when you first started posting. Unless I'm wrong, I think you were around from time to time before the site crash. When people argue about petty things like post-count I think of users like you (among many others, obviously) who make a dedicated effort to enrich or enhance the site and community for what it's essentially for: music. Obviously, I hope to see more of your arrangements.

The other cool thing about this site, especially the community of people that arrange for the site, is watching them improve musically, watching the arrangements getting better. It inspires one to ameliorate him(her)self. I understand Kefkatic's view, and agree in part, but I don't think Maestro's ever touted himself as a master. And even if he did, blatant over-confidence is what gives us the ability in situations like this to learn. Before it becomes arrogance anyway.

[Cobraroll]

Best way to play the Virtouso arrangements:

1. Learn the "basic version" of the song in question
2. Look at the Virtouso sheets
3. Pick out parts from the Virtouso sheet that sound good, and aren't as hard to play
4. Merge as you please. Either, you can just add a note here or there to the basic piece, or go all-out Virtouso, or anything in between.

Simple as.