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Hi there,

I'm a relative novice at the piano - I'm studying for Grade 3. A while back I bought Dream Theater's Keyboard Anthology and have been having a go at Wait For Sleep.

I know the timings are tricky, but the notes I'm playing don't sound right. Can anyone answer these two questions?

1) Is F the only note which is being sharped? In terms of the key I mean.
2) Is the tab accurate?

Thanks in advance

Jim

I played this many years ago...when it was first released i was fascinated by all the timing playfulness...

to your questions;

1. that sounds right, I think this song is in Em and therefore one sharp (F#) sounds right.

2. I don't know the specific tab. I learned it by listening...and I suggest that you'll do the same. It takes a long time if you've never done this before to figure out the notes but its a great year training and you'll get a lot from it.

If its way too hard...there are a few music software out there that can help you transcribe by slowing down the music.

good luck....have fun

Thanks for the reply Dror.

The first section (the first three repeated bits) sound right, but when the signature changes to 4/8, the next four notes sound wrong, although I've double checked them.

I've been playing the keyboard for a year now (bought a yamaha digital piano a few months back). One of the things I've noticed is that if you emphasise the wrong notes or don't get the groupings right the song can sound very different!

I think I'm also not 100% confident about the acuracy of tabs in general. As a rule, are they written the same way as the bands generally play the songs?

Being able to play by ear is a useful skill, but I think I need to stock up my arsenal of techniques first, hence going for Grade 3. Like being able to spot the Em grade as opposed to G

I've downloaded Toccata and Fugue from MusicNotes, and apart from a few blips, it sounds spot on. It's an easier endeavour, as I know if I can speed it up it will sound right.

Thanks for the positive advice. I'll stick at it.

Jim

There's really no rule, some books are more accurate than others and since I am not familiar with this specific one I can't really say much.

As for the...playing by ear if you feel that its too much to figure it out by ear look into the transcription softwares. There are a few out there that can basically slow down the tempo a lot but still keep the pitch and it makes it much easier to transcribe the music plus it is a great ear training exercise. The best part is that the more you do it the better you'll get and the easier it would become...

good luck

If it's anything like the DT guitar books, there will be plenty of errors in it!

I was afraid I was going to see a posting like this

My version (the tab) still doesn't sound right and I'm up to speed. Bah humbug. Back to the grade 3 scales.

If you accent the top note in the RH each time you'll find the rhythm flows naturally.

This looks to have the correct notes - might be worth checking it against your version.

Also if you find the alternating B's on the thumb an octave below making it too hard on the right hand's 4th and 5th fingers doing the other notes, then you could substitute an E on the thumb instead (just a fifth down), allowing you to use stronger fingers (2,3 or 3,4) to do the other notes.

That's what I did many years ago when I was first learning the piece until I could finally play it correctly many years later.

Although I know you said you were looking for accuracy so this advice probably doesn't help

Thanks for the feedback folks.

The tab included here is different from the book. I'll print it out and give it a whirl.

Thanks again
Jim

Yup, before this thread, I couldn't find a keyboard version of this and the guitar book only works so far.

It's times like this that having a fantastic ear for being able to pick out notes from playing that other instrument is a lifeline!

Space Dye Vest is the next one on the chopping block!

I have seen so many incorrect tabs. I would say it is difficult to find a good tab. Usually the stuff in books is accurate but even then not always! You're just paying money for misinformation!

I agree with the advice that you would benefit more learning this song by ear. Be careful though... Whoever wrote the key parts for your music also did it by ear! So you have to go back a few times to make sure you're playing the correct notes, phrasing things properly, etc. for whatever reason sometimes my brain will trick me into thinking I am playing something correctly, but when I go back he next day I realize there are errors, especially when it's a complex part.