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LoZ: OoT - Windmill Jazz


Swann
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Here's a jazzy piano rendition of the Windmill Hut music of Ocarina of Time.

Windmill Jazz: http://sites.google.com/site/trump3t3r/AcDOWNcUP.mp3

...or stream it here: http://ocrwip.fireslash.net/?fid=558

Sheet Music: http://sites.google.com/site/trump3t3r/AcDOWNcUP%28final%29.pdf

...or get the .MUS here: http://sites.google.com/site/trump3t3r/AcDOWNcUP%28final%29.MUS

Source:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-ZPpGdt1xQ

This is my first remix, so let me know what's wrong with it. Enjoy!

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Excellent arrangement ideas, and some very skilled playing.

Some criticism, hopefully of the helpful variety:

- First and foremost, your swing feel strikes me as awkward (I'm assuming you're the pianist here? If not this is directed towards whoever performed for you). You've clearly got plenty of technique as your fast runs sound very good, but on your basic eighth-note lines, it sounds like you're trying too hard to swing - the swing rhythm is over-pronounced, if that makes any sense, almost like you're trying to play a dotted-eighth-and-sixteenth-note rhythm. Try to relax a bit. If I may make the suggestion, you might want to grab a good jazz album from the library and try to imitate the feel of the phrasing; if you need suggestions, saxophonist Hank Mobley comes to mind as a good place to start for natural-sounding swing; if you'd prefer to listen to a piano player, you might try Red Garland.

- The recording is a little echo-ey; I'm certainly not qualified to give serious advice on recording / mixing / mastering, but at a guess it seems like the mic could be a little closer to the piano? Nice sounding piano though, and the room doesn't seem bad either.

- You could probably stand to stretch it out a bit more - you wouldn't necessarily need any more big arrangement ideas, you could just let a couple sections stretch out a bit more and take more time to build up, or possibly employ some repetition. But that's really up to you - there's something to be said for short and to the point as well.

As I said, very nice sounding arrangement, I really enjoyed it. I hope you'll polish it up a bit and submit it.

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Mic placement and overall recording quality is HIGHLY problematic but the arrangement is fantastic and I'd love to see a polished, completed version submitted. Almost a "Take Fivish" vibe at times... I do see where Olarin's coming from on the swing time comment... it's a little odd, but the recording is the larger issue.

One other note, while I think this can totally work as a solo piano piece, it'd also be excellent with an upright acoustic bass and brush kit - I keep wanting ride cymbals in there, somewhere, and it'd give you more options for extending the arrangement's overall length.

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Nice sounding piece, but I pretty much agree with everyone else.

The timing sounds a little awkward, I mean you are essentially taking a waltz-like piece in what I believe is 6/4 time and trying to turn that into a jazzy piece with a swing beat which can definitely be tough.

Also, this would definitely have to be re-recorded. It is too roomy currently.

If you want the room tone to come in, then you need to set up a matched pair of mics close to the piano. I've heard some good results using mics with a bi-polar pattern and using what's called a blumlein pair where essentially the patterns criss cross. One mic pointed towards the low end of the piano, the other towards the highs. Or just a simple spaced pair, X-Y pair, whatever seems to work for you. If you need to, just google up those various mic techniques.

Then, using another spaced pair of mics, further out in the room if you want some reverb, but you DEFINITELY need to get some close mic placement on that beotch.

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yeah the rhythm does sound a little tense in parts, especially in the left hand oom-pahs or whatever you wanna call them. the roominess of the sound doesn't exactly help. i think with better recording quality this would be a great solo piece, but like djp said, would sound great as a trio.

anyway i really like this, hope to see it on the site.

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Hey guys! WOW, thanks for all the criticism, I greatly appreciate it.

A quick background on this mix:

I do intend to record the piece live, but currently I do not have access to a good grand. So, while I try to secure a time to record at the university, I am just continuing to write in my copy of Finale.

So, I can't personally take credit for the performance (yet), but thank you nonetheless. All the microphone-placement tips are hugely appreciated (Nubioso!), since I have next to no experience with them.

Now, I really want to expand this piece, but am currently in a block in terms of where to go next. Unfortunately, my computer has been acting up recently and I can't get Finale to work properly, but with luck I'll have an updated version soon.

djpretzel - I didn't even consider the possibility before now, but I can definitely hear the piece with the bass and kit added. I'll have to listen to some more jazz for an idea of what to do with the bass, but I'll see if I can't work it in, or at the very least try to do so.

Thanks again everyone, I'll work hard to make some changes post-haste!

EDIT: Uploaded sheet music

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Pretty much the same issues everyone else had. The piano sounds way too distant, like I'm tryin to listen to you down the other end of a long hallway or somethin. The arrangement is tight as hell though, I love this. Fix the issues that everyone had problems with and I don't see why this wouldn't pass because this is goooood.

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Your piano still sounds far away.... but I think you should try and use that to your advantage rather than let it hinder the production quality. If you were to mix in some accompaniment (ie: Upright Bass, splashy "yazz" cymbals) and maybe another instrument to help with the lead; and you could have a cool little lounge performance of this theme, the distant piano giving feeling to a live on stage piano sound.

I do love the interpretation that was applied here though. Very Cool.

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I can't remember for sure, but it sounds like you've added just a little more length to the major key section in the second minute? That was the part that I felt went by kinda fast in the first version, and it flows much better now. The arrangement as a whole feels much more organized.

Just for the heck of it, I attempted to record the first few bars of your arrangement on my keyboard to see what I could manage. I did this piecemeal, a few bars at a time (and hands seperately); it's going through the "Yamaha Grand (Hall)" that comes with Logic Pro. The rhythm is still a little sloppy here and there; I'm really out of practice on piano (and my MIDI keyboard doesn't have very good action either).

http://softpixel.com/~bmellen/windmilljazz.mp3

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Finally, an update!

List:

-Added some more harmony throughout.

-Minimized reverb.

-8th note triplet runs!

-Overhauled some rhythmic figures.

-EQ'd a tiny bit.

To-do:

-Adjust right-hand versus left-hand volumes.

-Fix a few transitions with which I'm not entirely happy.

So yeah, download links are the same. I'll posted the updated sheet music soon.

Olarin: Haha, that's awesome! I'm honored someone likes this thing enough to tackle it at all

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I've been meaning to get around to this WIP and see what all the hub-bub has been about.

Smooooooooooth....

You got some crazy talent there, my friend. This is already so highly enjoyable. Not being that versed in jazz, all I can tell you is I greatly approve of this. I can find the source very easily, and all your variations really gave this some wicked character. The piano playing is filled with subtle nuances and interpretations. Can't wait to hear the final version.

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As someone that knows this very person, all I can say is that you've heavily improved from whenever I last heard you and this song is awesome.

After listening to it several times... when it gets to the last thirty seconds with all of those 8th note triplet runs, they seem slightly out of place especially with the swing rhythm played behind it. It might just be the right/left hand volume issue, but it's the one thing in this piece that's sticking out to me.

... also, maybe it's just because I've heard you play it a few hundred times but... I keep hearing the chocobo theme during the first half of the piece. I think it'd be cool if it was intentionally mixed in there just as a quick snippet (random suggestion).

Great job and I look forward to hearing the final performance of this!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hey hey, an update!

Yeah so the *arrangement itself (I will be recording eventually) is basically finished. Moved around some sections, and tied up the whole thing. Hopefully it sounds nice. I do need a title though, so if anyone is struck with an awesome name to call this thing, I'd love to hear it.

I uploaded the mp3, .pdf sheets, and .MUS sheets--links to everything in the first post. Enjoy!

Olarin: I was actually thinking about ending with the Zelda's Lullaby section ever since I started the mix, and now I finally did. Nice call.

Bonus points to anyone who can find the Cave Story reference I threw in there.

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