It's....Not ...Possible! O.o HOW?!

[Hattish Thing]

So, I recently heard this song while browsing music. I myself play piano. But, I don't understand how anything other than an octopus can play this.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5F7GNQAO4T4&feature=related

Wow....:smalleek:

[Rakmakallan]

Well, I certainly expected to see this appear eventually.
This piece -like Hamelin's "Circus Gallop" is not meant to be played by humans, hence there are only versions on synthesia or other piano-related software. As you might pick up from the various titles floating around, it is falsely believed to be John Stump's "Faerie's Aire and Death Waltz". As I said, this claim is (almost) completely false. The piece is a spoof off "U.N. Owen was her?" by composer ZUN, responsible for the Touhou series of games. This one is particular is the boss themes for Flandre Scarlet, extra stage boss in Touhou 6: Embodiment of the Scarlet Devil. The in-game music spawned a great number of piano remixes, a simpler version of the video you posted being the Cool&Create remix.
As for the actual Faerie's Aire and Death Waltz, it is virtually unplayable, more of a study in the potential of writing sheet music than anything else. John Stump and other composers were known as creators of art with the sheet music itself than with the actual piece. It has been more or less of an internet anecdote though that ZUN drew some inspiration from Stump's partitions.

The actual FAADW:
http://lostinthecloud.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/faeries-aire.gif

[Hattish Thing]

Ah. Makes sense. I was not aware of this. I myself play piano and was wondering if it was, in fact, fake. It just....defies the rules of physics.....

But, thanks for telling me! :smalltongue:

That's the most undecipherable sheet music I've ever seen...

[Dogmantra]

This (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cysRztrR1G4&feature=related) is a video of someone actually playing it. Misnamed as being by Stump though.


As for the actual Stump, it has some fantastic directions. I'm a big fan of "balance your chair on 2 legs" and my personal favourite, "release the penguins".

[Hattish Thing]

Release the penguins! Haha! :smallbiggrin:

Mind if I sig that?

I like the "untie slip knot."

[Rakmakallan]

This (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cysRztrR1G4&feature=related) is a video of someone actually playing it. Misnamed as being by Stump though.


As for the actual Stump, it has some fantastic directions. I'm a big fan of "balance your chair on 2 legs" and my personal favourite, "release the penguins".
I think that the hardest one to pull off would be removing the cattle from stage. Even their presence at the beginning of the piece would forewarn the entire audience of what would ensue.

Edit: He's not the one playing it. Original performance is by user marasy8. This fella probably stole it.

[warty goblin]

Finally, a decent soundtrack for the penguin/cattle social mixer I'm organizing.

[Eldan]

Looking at it, it might be possible as a duet, if a rather crowded one in the middle of the keyboard.

[Heliomance]

Anyone else guess what the song was going to be before clicking the link?

[Kindablue]

Looking at it, it might be possible as a duet, if a rather crowded one in the middle of the keyboard.

It's very romantic, yes.

[nerd-7i+42e]

I once tried to make a computerized version of FAADW. I gave up after the first line, but it sounded a lot like someone just banging on a piano. Maybe I'll try again if I'm ever feeling crazy (I mean, more so than usual).

I'm confused how someone can actually play that though. I once paused it and counted twenty-something notes being pressed at the same time.

[Prime32]

Someone did manage to play the actual thing. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCgT94A7WgI)

But as for UN Owen Was Her... (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTU84uwyN5w)

[Castaras]

Internet at the Uni is too bad for me to look up any good examples at the moment, but try searching for some recordings of Tony Banks doing some live performances on his keyboards. He'd have 2-3 keyboards around him and he'd be switching between all of them like some crazy madman to get all the keyboard music in needed for the complicated Genesis songs. :smallsmile:

Crazy piano/keyboard players are crazy. :smalleek: :smalltongue:

[Dogmantra]

Someone did manage to play the actual thing. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCgT94A7WgI)

That was wonderful. Thank you for the link. May your life be like a dirigible.

[polity4life]

I always felt that way about Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2. I mean, my first memory of the song was two cartoons playing it in a piano battle. Who could do that with one set of hands?

[The Succubus]

That was wonderful. Thank you for the link. May your life be like a dirigible.

Although I usually avoid YouTube comments, I did like the one asking if the guy's left hand was demonically possessed. :smalltongue:

[noparlpf]

This sounds familiar for some reason. Is it from something? I'm not placing the name, but I'm kind of sick today and possibly suffering from withdrawal from my painkillers.

Oh, and even if it's not supposed to be possible for one human to play it (though apparently some guy did o_o ), try multiple humans! Like this: Five musicians, one guitar (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9NF2edxy-M).

[The Succubus]

This sounds familiar for some reason. Is it from something? I'm not placing the name, but I'm kind of sick today and possibly suffering from withdrawal from my painkillers.

Oh, and even if it's not supposed to be possible for one human to play it (though apparently some guy did o_o ), try multiple humans! Like this: Five musicians, one guitar (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9NF2edxy-M).

Last time I clicked on a link with "X people, Y inanimate object" I had to undergo therapy. :smallannoyed:

[noparlpf]

Last time I clicked on a link with "X people, Y inanimate object" I had to undergo therapy. :smallannoyed:

That's just my nickname for it. :b
Last time I clicked on such a link, it was just before dinnertime. ;-;

[irenicObserver]

But, I don't understand how anything other than an octopus can play this.....

but wouldn't an octopus have less digits to play with? That makes the piece sound easy.

[noparlpf]

The actual FAADW:
http://lostinthecloud.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/faeries-aire.gif

Is this a joke sheet or something? (Not entirely sure...) I don't think that's even legible.

[Draconi Redfir]

Ahhh the death waltz, I’ve used it many a time to help me write something on these very boards.

And yes i know it's not by Stump, but i figure enough people call it the death waltz, and it's different enough from the original Owen was her that the two can be considered different songs, this one simply being called death waltz.

[Eldan]

but wouldn't an octopus have less digits to play with? That makes the piece sound easy.

THe problematic parts, to me, where those where you had to press keys that were pretty impossibly far apart to reach with one hand at the same time. An octopus could rock those.

[AsteriskAmp]

Anyone else guess what the song was going to be before clicking the link?
By virtue of both being a touhou addict and pianist I suspected I might either find U.N. Owen or Night of the Flowering [Lunatic], or with some luck Necrofantasia (the unplayable version).


I always felt that way about Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2. I mean, my first memory of the song was two cartoons playing it in a piano battle. Who could do that with one set of hands?
With a rake.


Well, I certainly expected to see this appear eventually.
This piece -like Hamelin's "Circus Gallop" is not meant to be played by humans, hence there are only versions on synthesia or other piano-related software.
It was meant to be played by humans, but not as it is.

Some parts have heavy redundancy and octave use, or use full chords when no sane composer would to add to both volume and muddiness. In a real piano having that many lows simultaneously would drown anything. However, analyzing it is a lot easier because you are able to see the whole structure behind it because all of it is played.

[Prime32]

And yes i know it's not by Stump, but i figure enough people call it the death waltz, and it's different enough from the original Owen was her that the two can be considered different songs, this one simply being called death waltz.It is? :smallconfused: Isn't U.N. Owen Was Her? the most remixed song in history or something? I've seen plenty of mixes that move much further from the original.
Original (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIop055eJhU)
Cool & Create remix (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDz9X2X3MTc) (the one used here)
Another remix (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsoKnLY6tYE)
Another remix (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zK-A9Xu6Zs)


Is this a joke sheet or something? (Not entirely sure...) I don't think that's even legible.Yes, the (real) Death Waltz (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCgT94A7WgI) was written as a joke. The Touhou thing started from "This song is almost as hard to play as the Death Waltz", followed by trolling.

[Hattish Thing]

I believe a large octopus or giant squid playing this would in fact be very effective. That or a whole bunch of tiny people jumping up and down on the keys. :smalltongue:

[Yora]

So, I recently heard this song while browsing music. I myself play piano. But, I don't understand how anything other than an octopus can play this.....
You can't. In that software, each color stands for a different instrument. Even an octopus would be 4 arms short (and 52 fingers).

[Moff Chumley]

Anyone else guess what the song was going to be before clicking the link?

Yep.
FAaDW has been circulating more and more frequently in my corner of the internet these days...

[Draconi Redfir]

It is? :smallconfused: Isn't U.N. Owen Was Her? the most remixed song in history or something? I've seen plenty of mixes that move much further from the original.
Original (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIop055eJhU)
Cool & Create remix (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDz9X2X3MTc) (the one used here)
Another remix (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsoKnLY6tYE)
Another remix (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zK-A9Xu6Zs)

Well considering that

A. Everyone mistakenly calls it the death waltz anyways and
B. The two sound completely different if you aren't looking for the simmilarities

I figure it's different enough to warrant being a completely new song that's simply called the death waltz. Kind of like on offshot of an animal eventually evolving into it's own separate subspecies.

[Yora]

The notation for UN Owen is no cake walk either:

http://pianist7137-sheets.appee.com/media/Untitled_3.jpg

[grimbold]

well.
at least its not jazz Oo

[Castaras]

The Owen's one (judging by the 1 sheet that was linked) doesn't look any different to normal high level piano music. Definitely doable, and pretty easily by a grade 7 or 8ish player.

[noparlpf]

The notation for UN Owen is no cake walk either:

http://pianist7137-sheets.appee.com/media/Untitled_3.jpg

Sure, but that's at least legible. I doubt I could play it, but then, I only took piano lessons for like, two weeks. I wouldn't be surprised if a friend who's good at piano could play that.

[The Succubus]

It lacks penguins and cattle. Therefore, it fails.

[Ashen Lilies]

I always felt that way about Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2. I mean, my first memory of the song was two cartoons playing it in a piano battle. Who could do that with one set of hands?

Ah, Tom and Jerry. You cultured me before I even knew what culture was.

[Moff Chumley]

It lacks penguins and cattle. Therefore, it fails.

*sunglasses*

yeah, I don't play music that doesn't specifically call for moonwalking.

[AsteriskAmp]

The notation for UN Owen is no cake walk either:

http://pianist7137-sheets.appee.com/media/Untitled_3.jpg

It actually is rather easy. It seems hard because of the speed which crowds the notes in each bar, but in actuality it has very few chord movements and the bass is rather "still", the key change towards the end is done by chromaticism which is the term for everything goes up one semitone and the melody itself is comprised of the chord progressions with no accidental (unless you count the 1 optional accidental). U.N. Owen can be summarized as Dm/C/Bb/A x4 Dm/C#/Em/D#x2 Em/D#/F#/F x2 [Dm/C/Bb/A Bb/C/Dm/Dm] x2 And simply up everything one semitone when ready to end.

Reading it is also surprisingly easy, that coming from someone who is absolutely useless at sight reading.


well.
at least its not jazz Oo
There are at least 10 jazz remixes. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgBf2GiAECg)

Though I can imagine the sheet music for those:

Key F, Play around with the Dm Chord, don't fall into the Pentatonic Minor
/ - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - /

[memnarch]

Well considering that

A. Everyone mistakenly calls it the death waltz anyways and
B. The two sound completely different if you aren't looking for the simmilarities

I figure it's different enough to warrant being a completely new song that's simply called the death waltz. Kind of like on offshot of an animal eventually evolving into it's own separate subspecies.

A. Never heard or seen a U.N. Owen remix called death waltz before and
B. A waltz is not that fast, nor in that kind of time (4/4)



In this case, it's a remix of a remix. Here's the remix if you want to listen (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDz9X2X3MTc). (also note the upload date)

[Draconi Redfir]

A. Never heard or seen a U.N. Owen remix called death waltz before and
B. A waltz is not that fast, nor in that kind of time (4/4)



In this case, it's a remix of a remix. Here's the remix if you want to listen (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDz9X2X3MTc). (also note the upload date)

Yes i know, the name was made on ignorance and falshood.

Still a fitting name though.

[Prime32]

A. Never heard or seen a U.N. Owen remix called death waltz beforeIf anything, people are more likely to call it Ran Ran Ruu (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSfKCd7uPV0). :smalltongue:

EDIT: Death Waltz lacks a page on Know Your Meme, being a section of the U.N. Owen Was Her? page (http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/un-owen-was-her-unオーエンは彼女なのか？).