10 April 2005

Transcription: "Starship Trooper" by Yes

I finished the transcription last Tuesday and have made a few minor changes over the past few day as I've been practicing it. Here are the MIDI and MUS files. I need to buy the upgrade to Allegro so that I can save the sheet music to PDF.

My scribbled notes on the manuscript say I began on the 24th, so it took about two weeks to complete. Much of it came very naturally and practically wrote itself. The most difficult section, and most of the effort, was the instrumental crescendo in part III. Three chords repeated and strummed over a three-minute period doesn't offer much to a pianist trying to get the same effect across. I'm happy with the results. I'm still not sure about the ending and how I've solved the issue of the fade cadence, but I think with the right pedalling it will work out.

I'm shooting to get a recording done in the next week or so.

[ updated 28 Feb 2006 ]

There's unfortunately a shortage of transcriptions online, so I'd like to emphasize to anyone looking at mine that I took many liberties to arrange it for piano. I've added too many variations for anyone interested in studying the source or playing along with the album. The most prominent alterations are:

  • The turn at the end of the first measure is a scale step higher than recorded. I wanted to use it against a IV-V harmonization.
  • The chords in the "Disillusion" section are slightly different than recorded. I changed the voicing to fit the hands better while still trying to mimic guitar finger picking on the piano.
  • The harmonized vocalizations at the end of "Disillusion" (at the point the first theme returns) are reduced to octaves in the right hand.
  • Several of the ornaments in the final guitar solo are removed, and the deuling guitars in the stereo recording are changed to swapping between the hands and registers.
  • Throughout, strumming and drum figures are replaced with arpeggios and runs that are not in the original.

Overall, the most prominent bass lines have been retained as has, what I value most in the song, its structure. If you want the keyboard solo from Yessongs, Ian below has kindly offered up his version. For more information, you might want to search Steve Howe's site for references to "Starship Trooper." I haven't been able to find any other information on Wakeman's solo.

Keywords
Music
[ posted by sstrader on 10 April 2005 at 12:38:07 PM in Music ]
Comments

HELP

nice job.

however, I need you help badly.
For twenty years, really! I've been trying to learn to play rick wakeman's lead from starship trooper (from the live yessongs album). Is it possible or do you know of anyone who has done it already--to create a midi file for this the best keyboard lead ever performed??????
Please, and thankyou.

Daniel

Posted by: daniel at November 22, 2005 9:11 PM

The solo at the end is a guitar solo by Steve Howe. My piano version is faithful--if a little simplified. It starts at 7:33 in the MIDI if you want to take a look. On the Yes recording, he switches between the left and right stereo channels for each phrase. For my transcription, I had the solo line swap between the left and right hands, changing registers.

Feel free to email me if you need it in a different format or different arrangement.

Posted by: sstrader at November 23, 2005 12:12 AM

Yo, last time. I don't mean to bug you. Obviously you're busy. It's just that I NEED to know how Rick did it. This is the number one dream of mine, to learn and play his lead in Wurm. So, for the final time, is there any way you can transcribe Rick's lead in Starship Trooper, from the live Yessongs album. If you don't have the CD I'd gladly send my copy.

Anyway, glad to see someone appreciates talent.
Thanks,
Daniel

Posted by: daniel at January 4, 2006 7:07 PM

Well, this is a little uncomfortable.

Despite my apparent business, I pointed out previously that the MIDI of my transcription (linked above with "MIDI" in the text) *has* the Wurm solo. And again, that section is played by Steve Howe. However: I haven't listened to Yessongs in a while, so there might be different stuff going on there. I'll take a listen and see what's what.

(If you're viewing this from the archive or category page, you wouldn't see these comments or links. In that case, I probably need to email you. And probably don't need to keep commenting here.)

Posted by: sstrader at January 5, 2006 8:29 AM

SSTRADER, I've only seen one reply, aside from the one today. No pressure, however, the lead by Rick is amazing, and as difficult as anything he's ever played. It's inspiring and every bit as powerful as Steve Howe's solo, which follows.
Also, it's a keyboard solo, right up your alley.
That being said, I appreciate your response and won't burden you again.
Thanks,
Daniel

Posted by: daniel at January 5, 2006 9:21 PM

J'm interested to the transcription of the Wakeman's keyboard solo,too(Wurm solo in Yessongs). Is it available?

Kind regards from Italy

Posted by: piero at February 24, 2006 3:58 PM

This seems to be the first thing that comes up when you search for "starship trooper lead solo" so i'll post a comment here...

I figured out the exact notes of the solo a few weeks ago, email me for a transcription.

Posted by: Ian at February 26, 2006 10:23 PM

OK Ian,J want to purchase the trascription of the lead keybord solo from Starship Trooper(Yessongs live album). Tell me how J can do it.What is your e-mail address to confirm it?(Excuse me for my bad english language).

Ciao

Piero (Italy)

Posted by: piero at February 27, 2006 9:12 AM

Ian,

I know a this thread is very old but I've only just stumbled upon it and I was wondering whether you still have a copy of your transcription of the keyboard solo from Starship Trooper. I would love to get hold of a copy.

Thanks

Huw

Posted by: huw at February 3, 2010 12:23 PM
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