This is in 4/4 time. This only concerns the upper staff, but both staffs are treble clef.

In the 1st and 3rd measure, it makes no sense to me how there's a whole note E and then another E after. The whole note should already fill the entire measure given the time signature.

My main question is how would you play the 1st and 3rd measure? Are you supposed to play the E up until the next E, where you lift your finger off and then play it again?

Jonoman92

United States9104 Posts

November 19 2009 00:14 GMT

That's weird. Since it's tied I don't think you're supposed to hit the note again so I don't know what is meant by having the additional half+dot note in the 1st measure, and the half note in the 3rd measure.

phosphorylation

United States2935 Posts

November 19 2009 00:16 GMT

It simply has been carelessly notated (seems like some new age music)

It would be best to do what you propose. Otherwise, it would sound quite strange indeed.

searcher

277 Posts

November 19 2009 00:16 GMT

Most likely it's two melodies at once, so the time signatures don't "interfere". I think although its placement on the upper staff doesn't suggest it, you'd play first E with the left hand, and the second E with the right hand. Could be completely wrong, haven't played piano in a while.

Zelniq

United States7166 Posts

November 19 2009 00:16 GMT

On November 19 2009 09:14 Jonoman92 wrote:
That's weird. Since it's tied I don't think you're supposed to hit the note again so I don't know what is meant by having the additional half+dot note in the 1st measure, and the half note in the 3rd measure.

well that can't be it, because when I hear the official MP3 that came with this sheet music, I can definitely hear the dotted half (1st measure) and half note in 3rd measure being played, but I just can't tell if/how the whole notes were played

edit: it's also a slur not a tie

Zelniq

United States7166 Posts

November 19 2009 00:22 GMT

On November 19 2009 09:16 searcher wrote:
Most likely it's two melodies at once, so the time signatures don't "interfere". I think although its placement on the upper staff doesn't suggest it, you'd play first E with the left hand, and the second E with the right hand. Could be completely wrong, haven't played piano in a while.

i think this is right, which makes sense because the bottom staff's chords are all whole notes, you're probably supposed to play it with left hand then switch to right on the given notes

meeple

Canada10211 Posts

November 19 2009 00:22 GMT

The notation is a little skanky, but they're asking you to basically play two hands with one hand, They're telling you to play the whole notes with your thumb and the melody with your other four fingers, and when you get back to the E, just repeat it and hold until the end of the measure.

d3_crescentia

United States4054 Posts

November 19 2009 00:26 GMT

My personal interpretation is that it's suggesting use of sustain pedal to hold that E. I see this every now and then and no one's ever really called me out on it for doing it that way. Could be wrong though.

phosphorylation

United States2935 Posts

November 19 2009 00:27 GMT

If you want to be really elite and be super faithful to the score (which I don't think it deserves since it's so badly notated), here is an option:

Press the E very carefully and softly so that it doesn't sound. Press the middle pedal (sostenuto pedal, which uprights usually don't have) immediately after you do this. Then, immediately follow by playing the initial chord of the excerpt. If you do this correctly (and it's difficult, I will tell you), only the E should be sustained even when you take your hands off it, as long as you hold the middle pedal. When the second E appears in the measure, you can play the E and have it sound again (louder), without having a break in between.

Very elaborate and probably not what this simplistic piece meant to indicate.

phosphorylation

United States2935 Posts

November 19 2009 00:31 GMT

#10

On November 19 2009 09:22 Zelniq wrote:

Show nested quote +

i think this is right, which makes sense because the bottom staff's chords are all whole notes, you're probably supposed to play it with left hand then switch to right on the given notes

Very doubtful. If this were the case, they would have placed the E on the bottom clef, along with the triad. (In this case, if the editor/publisher knew what he was doing, he would need to encircle the second E with parenthesis -- indicating it is there but should not be played again -- or alternatively, notate it as if it were two different, non-overlapping notes)

meeple

Canada10211 Posts

November 19 2009 00:32 GMT

#11

I'm not sure why people are suggesting forgetting about the bass clef, or using the middle pedal... just hold it with your thumb and play the other part with your four fingers...

OpticalShot

Canada6330 Posts

November 19 2009 00:33 GMT

#12

You get this a lot especially if the piece was originally intended for some orchestration/ensemble (say, a string quartet) then someone arranged it for piano solo. You can do the sustain pedal method with the grand piano as d3_crescentia and phosphorylation said, or if you don't want to, just simply playing the second E again is fine. Just make sure your E's don't sound out of place (i.e. keep your phrases smooth) because if you're using a damper throughout the bar, your second E can sometimes sound loudly-out-of-place.

Zelniq

United States7166 Posts

November 19 2009 00:35 GMT

#13

this might help to figure it out? i still can't tell though:

and the full first page of the music (as you can see the picture above is the 2nd measure of this piece) :

Zurles

United Kingdom1659 Posts

November 19 2009 00:41 GMT

#14

I can play this whole song through, and I don't even understand your question.

About that weird symbol by the left hand bit, no idea what it even means, as you can tell I'm self taught and have no actual musical knowledge.

phosphorylation

United States2935 Posts

November 19 2009 00:42 GMT

#15

I think you might be fussing over little too much over this. Just hold it as long as possible until you need to play it again.

Measure 15 looks even more problematic: not only is only holding that C sharp with your finger impossible, it again is being played again on the LH multiple times while its being held.

I say drop this nonsense and go play some mozart instead.

liosama

Australia843 Posts

November 19 2009 00:47 GMT

#16

On November 19 2009 09:42 phosphorylation wrote:
I say drop this nonsense and go play some mozart instead.

lol

SchOOl_VicTIm

Greece2394 Posts

November 19 2009 00:49 GMT

#17

I don't understand why you're so confused by it. It's 2 different voices written together.

You basically have a Soprano singing E-C-E while an Alto sings E the whole time on the background.

As it's heard in the video, the note is supposed to be pressed again, cause it's part of the melody the Soprano sings. I'm not sure if you're supposed to do any weird tricks like phosphorylation described, since I'm a guitarist, but I'd save me the trouble and just press the damn note again :p Just try to imagine in your head, as I said, two different voices singing together. That's the effect you want to have in the end when you play it

mrmin123

Korea (South)2971 Posts

November 19 2009 00:50 GMT

#18

It's a final fantasy music piece I don't think anyone is going to go and call you out on how your pedaling or whatnot is incorrect

Zelniq

United States7166 Posts

November 19 2009 00:50 GMT

#19

On November 19 2009 09:42 phosphorylation wrote:
I think you might be fussing over little too much over this. Just hold it as long as possible until you need to play it again.

Measure 15 looks even more problematic: not only is only holding that C sharp with your finger impossible, it again is being played again on the LH multiple times while its being held.

I say drop this nonsense and go play some mozart instead.

after listening to the song again and reading about the sostenuto pedal, i think that's exactly what's going on, including the C sharp in measure 15. too bad I dont have that pedal!

btw i chose this piece for my piano class final, I guess you're right that it doesn't really matter how I choose to play that