Musique pour la tristesse de Xion (played on grand)

[xKurogashi]

I guess an upright's keys are lighter than a grand's, because I have a keyboard at home (P155) and when I first went up to an upright, the keys were so light! Dynamics then suddenly became a problem.

[markMills00]

I love 2 vs. 3 polyrhythms, but I can NOT do them for this song.

[Thesnipingacademy]

God! How I loath you so for having such a remarkably beautiful Grand Piano and the talent to play that beautiful song.

[VentusDa]

This is... awesome

i have no words it was really beautiful :')

[xDeadDreamz]

Sir,may I venerate you ?

[illuvatar]

Well played, sir.

[Musicianpianoman]

wow, very well played, the first part makes me think about Debussy

[Fantasiex3]

BREATHTAKING. <3

[Anime88Manga]

@Fantasiex3 agreed

[gloomybelle]

what an amazing difference a grand makes to the sound!

I prefer this one more than your other video, probably coz I usually play it around this speed as well. With it being slower and more tempo rubato, I could really feel the emotion and build up. It has just the right amount of breaths imo.

I just can't seem to get the beginning 2vs3 section down pat which just irks me though the rest came easily and it's not a rhythm problem. Maybe it's just me anticipating it and being scared /sigh

[2alicesakura2]

oh my gosh this is the best cover that i've heard here in youtube. kudos to you and your wonderful talent for playing this 8D

[chrisdurston]

That's... incredible.

I'm trying to learn it, but how did you manage to learn the whole thing? I'm trying to divide it up left and right hand, bar by bar, but putting the hands together and moving from bar to bar is proving exceptionally difficult.. any tips for the amateur?

[ObjectionManiac13]

Please stop doing so many aswome videos (my Favorites are way to FULL with your vids) HAHAHHA I AM JOKING you just keep the epicness come

[MisoSowee]

This is probably a noob question, but how do you play without it sounding choppy, without using the sustain pedal? I've been learning this song, but I can't make it sound anything like it should without spamming the sustain pedal through the entire thing. Any suggestions?

[150Link]

OMG! where's the love button? I can't describe what my heart feels when I hear this <3 you did a really great job Verdegrand =D

1:Beginner

2:Easy

3:Medium

4:Hard

5:Expert

6:Piano hero

7: Verdegrand

[harlyops]

this is alot better then you other vid. this one it really sounds like you've hit all the right notes unlike the one on the normal piano

[Airiik]

@TheHEARTSofLIGHT technicaly they're the same song

[TheHEARTSofLIGHT]

@Airiik Well, I'll admit that the notes are very similar. But they feel much different.

[TheHEARTSofLIGHT]

This feels more like "Vector ot the Heavens" than "Musique pour la tristesse de Xion".

[kevin6170defiance]

*opens my field and battle book and looks for xion's sheet music for the first time*

..............................­...

*jaw drops*

Oh my gosh this is astounding. I don't even know what to say.

[Leyatsu7]

absolutley brilliant, i beg u to put this on synthesia for those of us who would like to learn this version. It would be very much appreciated

[skkiittllezz]

drawing xion as i type this thanks for keeping me inspired

[TheBennjy18]

This version kicks the other one's ass, I was surprised you could play it on a up right piano!! The Grand piano is where it is!!

[TZJiang1]

Hey I have a question: At 2:47, how do you play that? On the sheet music it shows a stem that is elongated onto both staffs. What does that mean? Thanks in advance!

[hanhyn]

Why does this only have 9000 views? I don't mean to disrespect other music, but seriously... There are pop songs that don't deserve half the attention they have. For a moment I just wish people would stop listening to these crappy tunes with random lyrics and appreciate real songs, like this one.

[ffantasia24]

Supposed to be studying for exams but here I am replaying this vid over and over again watching the keys go up and down..it's mesmerizing :)

[iluvKH4eva]

Hello, You are much of an inspiration to me, and I'm proud I didn't give up on piano. I've started to learn this piece and it seemed to me like you played without a single fault? I was wondering if there were any hints or tips you could give to me about this piece, also, can I ask how long you have been playing for?

[KH2fanatic2010]

sheets?

[Destali]

@KH2fanatic2010 'tis on here ~ FF4Eternity. field and battle :P

[Ziggyiggy1]

HOW DO U DIVIDE THE SEXTUPLETS AND SIXTEENTHS i struggle =_=

[Verdegrand]

@Ziggyiggy1 Hello, that's basically a 2 vs 3 polyrhythm. Those are hard to play or imagine at first if you're not used to them, but you can learn them with a few tricks, and once you get a feeling for them, they aren't that hard anymore. Check out Lypur's video about polyrhythms, he explains it very well. Greetings

[XavierK018]

@Verdegrand I was thinking that, too, about how the rhythm would be for that. How long did it take you before you got used to it (the polyrhythm)?

[LoneWolfOnTheHeights]

@Verdegrand Haha, that should be helpful, I've been driving myself mad thinking about it! stick diagrams and calculations, then my hands are to confused to even consider attempting the damn thing. If I could ask a question of my own, how do you do the accents fluidly. I find I have to slow down to hit the keys harder and I can't figure out a solution.

[Verdegrand]

@LoneWolfOnTheHeights yeah haha often the most complicated segments can be broken down to simple ones and become manageable :) i'd think a good solution for those accentuations is to not perceive them as accents, but the other ones as "non-accents". the melodic notes form a line around which all other accompanying lines move, the melodic notes act as "starting points" and as "end points" for all the other lines.if you try to feel it that way, it will also change the way you play the entire part.

[vureservoir]

@Verdegrand

Wow, absolutely wonderful! Subscribed ^^

And thanks for the tip about lypur's video, really helpful, I'm currently studying Fantasie Impromptu, and that's killing me...

[princejiyoung]

@Ziggyiggy1

As do I... -_- hahaha

My mind can't process different rhythms like that! >.<

[megadiabrous]

wow ur grand's keys seemed soft. :) i started out playing the keyboard, then i bought a grand, and i can barely press the keys, it is always like that? :)

[Verdegrand]

@megadiabrous Hi, yeah that makes sense. Most keyboards have plastic keys that are rather easy to push down. Then, when you try to play on a real piano, the keys make the impression as if they are extremely heavy to push. I've had that myself. Greetings

[megadiabrous]

@Verdegrand actually it takes alot to get used to. hehe its been 2 weeks and i still cant press the piano right

[spongebobsqa7]

What the title stands for?

[nnyleldnav]

@spongebobsqa7 "Music for the Sadness of Xion" ;-)

[iluvKH4eva]

This is my next big project... I just finished Night of Fate in the last few days..... But this would be the hardest I have EVER played.

[Destali]

@iluvKH4eva it's not as hard as it seems ~ once you get how how the notes go, it ends up flowing rather nicely :) ~ only thing to worry about would be the rhythms pretty much ~ lol ~ good luck to us both :P so far i'm a little past the 2:46 part ~

[blazeker]

The person who didn´t like this is Xemnas

[KH2fanatic2010]

@blazeker more like Saix. I always thought he hated Xion the most

[ImCalebRosengard]

@blazeker Xemnas will kill us all

[HyugaSaki]

I like how you made this song feel more powerful than sad through your playing. Good job :)

[Ukrainsky51]

you play that piece awesome .. i like ur both interpretations !

many feelings in this piece ..

ty

[iluvKH4eva]

I'm hoping to learn this soon, on top of all the others I've already learnt, you're a great musician and are a great inspiration to me, especially for this piece. Thanks

[Kiwii216]

most beautiful piece ever!!! I love the way you brought in your own style even though it was memorized from sheets!

so well played!!

thank you for your music!

[evangelinefyre]

This is beautiful. Absolutely wonderful. I have nothing negative to say, since I know you have your own style of playing, and the way you played this, different from the recording, is stunning. Listening to this, I can /feel/ the desperation of the character.

[Freakyboy109]

Move your hand, bro. I'm trying to copy. lol

[obligotoryoblivion]

Did you buy the book on ebay? I can't find any other website that sells it. Be a help to send a link if you have one :D

[obligotoryoblivion]

I feckin' love this song XD I came down to write this comment and actually thought the real thing started playing for a second. It's that brilliant. I didn't realise this piece was in the Battle and field book, definately buying it now :D

[rocklover3300]

Is this hard to play? Was this hard for you Verde?

[07colombianofrv]

best 5 min of my life

[SpadeS283]

your playing is freaking amazing!!!

i wish i was as good as you...

you memorize the song by memorizing the notes and not the fingering right?

i play by memorizing the fingering so i was wondering if there is a way to get out of that habit or should i just practice and memorize the notes?

[sephiff7]

hey.

I don't think we both do have different sheets but I think there are more sheets at 2:48. And I heard this song so often so I think it's played way to fast... But I'm better quiet now, because I can play this song too, but you're still better than me, what I can see at "Hand in Hand" ^^

Sorreyyy~ ^^

And sorry for my english -.-

[GoatV8]

Wow, outstanding! Very beautiful

[TheLexiconsDemise]

Aaaahhhhhh I don't mean to be rude, but you should work on 2:46 - 2:48.

I've heard this piece played many times and it's supposed to flow there, but it seems as if you're just mashing the keys with no rhythm whatsoever.

I really don't mean to be rude, and I'm an amatuer piano player and can't play this piece myself, but it REALLY bothers me.

[Verdegrand]

@TheLexiconsDemise Hi! I know what you mean, but I have to tell you I deliberately played it that way. The original sheets have those octaves notated to be played by both hands, allowing them to be played faster. I use one hand only to begin slowly and then accelerate, because playing octaves with one hand will allow for a very different, fuller, richer sound. The pianist in the original recording obviously follows the sheets, but that's way too fast and the sound is too "shallow" for my taste.

[TheLexiconsDemise]

@Verdegrand Ah thank you for explaining, I just didn't want it to go unnoticed!

[Tempest0777]

@Verdegrand I love your variation of 2:46-2:48!

[o0darkcloud0o]

@Verdegrand man... besides playing piano you can formulate your sentences so powerfully

[unusualcatperson]

Dude, I love the way you play these pieces, but SHHHHH, lol. Unfortunately I can't sound polite while saying this, but in my opinion you're playing much too loudly in parts of the song that are supposed to be calm, like from 1:26 - 2:00, making it sound more powerful and energetic than it should be. Now I know that all pianists have their own style, but this just kinda bothered me :P

Still though, you're an amazing musician and this is a great recording of this song. Nice work!

[Verdegrand]

@unusualcatperson Hi, no problem about criticism. It may very well be that I actually do tend to play quiet parts a bit louder. A possible reason could be that I performed a lot in my earlier years, and in most concert venues, pp or ppp sounds may become inaudible at the back of the halls if played too quietly, so my teacher would always remind me of that and make me play these a bit louder. Hence, I may indeed have developed the habit to play quiet notes a little bit more forcefully. Greetings

[unusualcatperson]

@Verdegrand I see, makes sense. Thanks for the reply :)

[saifullah26]

oh wow, this was really good. I've got to check out the original you performed now. You can just feel the crazy emotions Xion felt. *tear*

[RichardJohnNguyen]

I've had the sheets just sitting on my music stand for a while...I'm going to try and start learning it now that you've inspired me!

[JakJoProduction]

@person9812 I didn't know this tune was from Kingdom Hearts, by bad for not giving any attention to the description.

[JakJoProduction]

It warms to heart to hear this ! :) It looks just like some Final Fantasy music... I don't know why.

[Brownietard]

DId you memorize from the sheet music? How long did it take you to learn this completely?

[Verdegrand]

@Brownietard Hi, yeah I memorized this from the sheets, and this took me about two and a half weeks (several hours a day)

[daigoro789]

simply amazing!

definitly prefer this version to the previous one!

i keep on watching your finger subs in your right hand - mesmorizing technique!

[daigoro789]

simply amazing!

definitly prefer this version to the previous one!

[fridge1131]

BEAUTIFUL!!!..............

i can practically FEEL it!!! >.<

btw any advise on how to not get your hands tangled up while playing this???

or any other song for that matter XD

[Verdegrand]

@fridge1131 learn how to untie knots :) No but seriously, thanks, and I guess my advice would be to play classical pieces which have this kind of difficulty, like Ravel, or Bach Fugues - Once you have some experience with that kind of music, you learn how to play in a way that lets you intertwine your hands and play several melodies with one hand more comfortably.

[fridge1131]

@Verdegrand wow! thanks!

but im not really a fan of classical music so any recommendations for my first finger killer song?? XD

im in grade 4 at the momment but i dont mind working my ass off to learn something out of my league >.< thx!!!!

and YOU ROCKKKK!!!!! XDXD

[SheepDiAsia]

@Verdegrand Speaking of classical pieces, would you be able to pick a specific piece with similar techniques within this piece as well? I remember you suggesting the Ocean Etude for the Dearly Beloved Paraphrase, and that worked wonders. I don't have a large classical background, so I'm not sure what to begin looking for in the myriad of Bach fugues (or even what movement of Ravel, hell, I might not even have the right song). If you can choose a similar piece for me, that'd be great, thanks.

[Verdegrand]

@SheepDiAsia Hello, this is difficult because there are so many different technical difficulties in here. Ocean Etude is helpful for some parts. For polyphony, how about Bach's Fugue WTC1No.4CSharpMinor (very hard, five voices). For concurrent jumps, perhaps Chopin op. 25 no. 1 'harp" study. For jumps in left hand, Scriabin Etude op. 8 no. 12. At least those are pieces I played in the past and where I learned things from. If I see something more fitting, I'll let you know. Greetings

[Verdegrand]

@SheepDiAsia ...oh and I obviously forgot Jeux d'eau from Ravel. I spent like hours trying to figure out a single bar when I first learned it lol

[Gaarapsy]

Also, I plan to play this for my college's recital. Hope I can have someone record it, and I'd like to get your feedback on how well I did. :]

[Gaarapsy]

Thank you for recording this and the other recording. I love this song, so much. I love Kingdom Hearts, the characters, the stories. There's so much emotion carried in a lot of the music. This song, in my opinion, has it's own story. When I first heard it, I was so intrigued and filled with awe. I knew I had to learn to play it. I have the sheets, and am working on it. I hope you don't mind me using your video as a reference for when I start to have trouble with where my hands should be.

[Verdegrand]

@Gaarapsy Hello, thank you for the feedback, and I agree, this piece is really like a story, and the musician has to live through it and 'survive' it. Sure, use this as a reference if you like, and do tell me once you made your own recording, and if you have any questions, just let me know. Greetings

[akaphaneuf]

wow!

[Hawkpeltwarrior]

This sounds as good as the orginal version!!!!!!! (Maybe even better) Anyway, thanks for making that vid on how to practice this :) I think I found the correct way to play the beginning part now haha. I really wish I had a grand-my piano is pretty bad ugggh. Anyway, keep up the amazing work!

[concertoldham]

i like watching you play. even if you're playing runs or jumps, it looks so controlled. you pour so much emotion and technique in your playing its pretty much perfect.

[Verdegrand]

@concertoldham Hey thanks, and it may sound strange, but it could be the fact that those runs and jumps are emotion controlled or guided by emotion that allows them to be precise. Isn't that counter-intuitive? One would think that without emotion it would be possible to be much more precise, but I found that once you allow to let everything flow, the technical things become much more manageable or make more sense, in a way.

[concertoldham]

@Verdegrand

that's pretty intense lol.

i enjoy your theory behind that

again. bravo.

[batlin]

@Verdegrand There's a pretty interesting book called "Simple Heuristics that Make us Smart" which touches on that topic. When playing the piano in real time, there's not really much time for complex adjustments and deliberation about what we're doing. So our emotional and instinctive subconscious control is computationally cheap, lacks hesitation, adapts smoothly and as you say, allows everything to flow!

[Verdegrand]

@batlin Hey thanks for the suggestion, that's interesting. All those brain processes are really complex and fascinating and if you get a proper understanding of them, you can use this to your advantage (not limited to piano, either)

[Jibaku4srs]

FAHSGIOSHGISAUGH, LOVEEE. <3

[ViolinTay]

This is so awesome! I think it was perfect breathy....ness...haha :) Good lord your hands are just all over the place, so fun to watch!

[Verdegrand]

@ViolinTay hey thanks for the feedback about the 'breathiness' haha, and yeah the hands being all over the place is what makes this piece so challenging. I let the breathing help and guide me here, breathiness improvess jumpiness :)

[mandrato678]

Ha, so you decided to make it slower!

Great perfomance, the breathings are perfect, the timing is exact and the skill is just.

Beautiful piece.

[Verdegrand]

@mandrato678 hey thanks for that feedback, yeah it looks like more people are happy with this version and it's a lot closer to the original and also to the associations that people have with this piece.

[3llianX]

As impressive as ever, if not more :) If I didn't hear it here on youtube, I would never have guessed that this is not the piano collections version. I like your ending, when your hands look shocked at what they have just done. They have reason to be so.

[Verdegrand]

@3llianX Hello, that is a very beautiful description and you have a fine sense for details, because it indeed did feel like a shock or as if some kind of 'big change event' happened, as that is what this piece imho depicts - and actually going through it will leave a mark on the musician, too. It's also a question of how close you would allow the piece to get to you.

[Rael0505]

You never cease to amaze me. I hope I can learn this as well as you have!

I love all of your videos, they're so inspiring.

[Verdegrand]

@Rael0505 Hello, thank you! This is an amazing piece to learn and overcoming the challenges in it is very rewarding. Definitely a piece worth practicing. And I'm happy to give you inspiration because I was inspired here myself. PS: I always have to think about that epic piano you got for 60$ from a garage sale, everyone I tell about this is immediately like WTF, lol

[Rael0505]

@Verdegrand haha it was actually a house sale!  they weren't taking anything left in the house, and they wanted to sell it all... if anything were left unsold, it would belong to the new family moving in. greatest deal ever :D

[S3ttl3r]

Great performance how ever!!

[pianist626262]

That is a wonderful piece...and a wonderful interpretation... Thank you!

[JTehAnonymous]

You play so beautifully, Verdegrand. I loved this. =)

- John

[Yondaime4488]

Truly subliminal

[JakJoProduction]

:' ) *Snif*

[malice23]

wow, if this had the same quality sound as the cd version, it would be perfect. In my opinion you are right when you talk about there being no flow to the melody in the recording. I can hear it very clearly when you play. Great job

[Verdegrand]

@malice23 If I actually had a grand which would be on par with the stuff in those studios, you might actually get cd quality from me some day haha. And thanks for the feedback about the recording, I appreciate it.

[p0llux]

great performance. this is how it should be done. breathing is good for the body, mind, soul, and music.

[Verdegrand]

@p0llux hey thank you, I appreciate your feedback, especially since it was the discussion of your comment on my last video that made me consider doing a second take. Glad you like it :)

[Arrow9100kj]

Splendid! Righteous amounts of rubato and the tone colour of that grand is amazing xD. Oh and Im glad we got a good shot at your hands unlike the Dearly Beloved CP grand version >.<

[Verdegrand]

@Arrow9100kj Thank you, and hah you know I actually consider the camera angle of my 2nd CP video my biggest fail on this site so far haha. With the correct angle, that video could have been so amazing. It was the first time I used that camera and I didn't have a tripod and didn't check the picture until after the recording, so stupid. I am surprised that after almost 9 months no one has accused me of cheating yet, because that would be one of my first thoughts if I saw such an angle lol.

[lilrubberduckie]

This is just beautiful.

.... I have nothing else to say.

[Snakethoot]

Truly amazing! great, as usual :D

[TheIshter]

I agree with DeathScourge. Clear, precise, but not lacking emotion.

Truly inspiring. I almost teared up in the middle section.

I have to say, this interpretation is the perfect balance of rubato for my tastes. The original recording is a bit sluggish at times, but yours has the momentum. Your Kawai performance of this was the first time I heard the piece, and when I listened to the original, I kept on urging it on to go faster.

[Verdegrand]

@TheIshter Hey thanks, it's nice to hear your experience with the original recording after listening to my first video, that's a big compliment, thank you :)

[DeathScourge]

I want the book nao, where you got it =I? And regards to the video, It was....epic, I really wonder how your playing always sounds so very sharp, almost like out of the cd's themselves in comparison to just about every other youtube pianist. Might be the quality that has a part in it but even so.

[Verdegrand]

@DeathScourge Hello, I bought the actual book - and thanks about my playing, well I would say the main reason it sounds so clear is indeed the audio quality, since I use a recorder with proper mics for the audio. Would I record the sound with the camcorder, a lot of the clarity would get lost, I think.

[DeathScourge]

@Verdegrand Where did you buy it ?

[Verdegrand]

@DeathScourge hey, I got if from Ebay, from a seller who was located in Japan - there are quite a few sellers who send the stuff directly from Japan, and of course it takes a while, but you get all the protection that Ebay and Paypal offer you so it's a good deal.

[DeathScourge]

@Verdegrand Thank you, will do that then.

[ambient0902]

Gotta hear it again, again thanks for this upload and such a great job man

[HollowRiku]

Ow, I love KH Piano collections! Great job Verdegrand, you play it perfectly O_O!!! I really want to learn some pieces of that book, it's awesome!

*Thumbs up*

[Verdegrand]

@HollowRiku Hey thanks and it's good that you have gotten the sheets for this, would like to hear some renditions from you :) There are still so many unrecorded pieces from this collection.

[TlMpossible]

just as awesome as the last :)

keep it up man!

[Princey1512]

gosh - wanna play - now xD

i like both versions :>

[VirtualHarmonies]

Yoko Shimomura writes such beautiful music and you played this extremely well! Awesome, and the sound of that grand piano is excellent. Thanks for the upload!

[Verdegrand]

@VirtualHarmonies Hello, yeah Yoko Shimomura is a great composer and I especially like how these piano collections seem to be the fulfillment of her personal dream because, if I remember correctly, she wanted to be a pianist or something. So that makes her music very personal and special.