Wish You Were Here solo piano transcription

Just came across this rendition of the tune we all know and love on YouTube and my jaw hit the floor.

Wow.

Beautiful indeed, mate!

Just a reminder: You can always use the [YOUTUBE] BB tag to embed Youtube videos right here in your post as well:

I took a friend of mine recently to see Wish You Were Here, the Ohio based PF tribute band. He was no fan of Floyd, he may know 3 songs, if that, that he heard on the radio. Afterwards, after only one listen by the way, he sat down at the piano and played "Run Like Hell" with almost pinpoint accuracy. I wish I had the foresight to record it.

By the way, he had no formal training on the piano, pretty much taught himself in an afternoon. The guy is a musical marvel, but has no desire other than to "play around" with instruments.

Yeah, there are those who can play "by ear", as it were... without sheet music or notation of any kind. I guess the members of Pink Floyd would mostly fit into that category (until recently, anyway, what with Gilmour taking saxophone lessons etc).

In this case, the YouTube piano player transcribed the song onto paper, using her classical training as a background. But what I find interesting, from reading her video description, is that she surprised even herself upon playing it with more "feel", which isn't something that can be easily notated and is best learned simply by copying what you hear.

Roger Waters discusses ("pontificates", in his own words) upon this dichotomy in Adrian Maben's documentary on the making of Ça Ira. Classical musicians that learn only by playing from the written score are limited — in one way — by their training, and can't necessarily do what those playing by ear can do. The opposite is also true, however, and I think you need a foot in both categories to truly excel as a musician.

Of course I'm sure Roger would disagree, and say that the only mark of a good musician is whether they can move you emotionally. And he'd have a good point there!

Another beautiful, haunting transcription by the Icelandic lady known as Vika:



I bought one of her records from her website, it's fantastic stuff. She also did a gig in Iceland recently with Brian Viglione (the drummer from Dresden Dolls) and they rock quite hard as a duo!