Added: 5 years ago
From: scubatarkus
Views: 102,059
Sort by time | Sort by thread (beta)

Link to this comment:

Share to:
see all

All Comments (209)

Sign In or Sign Up now to post a comment!
  • Hi,

    Excelent. Perfect

    I have made this song too with FLStudio on my computer

  • i love how you look up at the camera and smile .. priceless ...lol

  • youfail.org used to use this song

  • You look like Beethoven from that one scene in Bill & Ted.

  • @AntefixA And, ironically, now I look like "The Most Interesting Man In The World" (from the Dos Equis advertisements)... yep, grey beard and grey hair! :D

  • You blow my mind...you are amazing.

  • Amazing. I was watching this last year, and had to listen AGAIN!! You are so talented. I love the tone your getting from your rig. It sounds just like the original on the CD!! Also, the very last part of the song where you're walking down is just PERFECT!! Man you nailed it! Good job...!!! Glad you won!!

  • Excellent!

  • @75roflcopterz

    That's fantastic for you. I'm fourteen and can play it on the cello. People are just happy for him and he really is good so shut up and enjoy the music. And if you can play it, then why don't you play it instead of watching this awesome person do it.

  • Very nice. But for all the people worshipping this guy's talent, the piece isnt that hard. I performed it last year with some guys i know and i was 15....

  • like your songs

  • the grin for the win =p

  • AMAZING! I've been working on this piece for about 6 months now and am no where NEAR accomplished at playing it! I only HOPE I can get as incredible as you are!

  • YOUR AWESOME! I want to play piano just like you so far i dont know how to read notes but i learn from ear also i make my own piano music

  • awesome job my friend. standing O

  • I really liked your performance. I have been thinking about undertaking this piece on the trumpet harmonica. I may ask santa for an Organ of my own this Christmas too.

    Well done fine sir.

  • ...Ha ha ha ...You even got your collar neck sticking out like Ludwin Van Beethoven...i like TSO this is the best one yet.

  • @scubatarkus thanks my friend

  • oh great lord. i am but a humble keyboard player in search for great pieces. may you please tell me how to get this piece?

  • @maanitaman go to feature.atlrec.com/contests/ts­o/wizardsinwinter/ - click on the keyboard icon center right and you'll get a zip with not only the sheet music but also the TSO soundtrack missing the keyboards (so you can play along with the band).

  • Comment removed

  • you know even before you click it this video's gonna kick ass

  • This is fantastic-I'm fully impressed!!!!! Kisses, Darling-xoxo

  • Lolol that look you gave the camera was hilarious.

  • AWESOME!!!!!!!!!

  • I wanna see Jordan Rudess play this. GREAT Job

  • @MadBassist2 Wish I'd thought to mention it when I was talking to him @ NAMM this past Saturday... perhaps another time :)

  • Very very good, only one thing to say...

    When you play the "main" melody, you play it legato, almost slurred.

    In the music and how most musicians play it, it is very distinct and staccato.

    When you play it on the violin, the string is plucked.

    Not to say it wasn't good, it was amazing i can see why you won.

  • Wow, Awesome performance !

  • sounds just like the actual song

  • lol i love when he looks at the camera its hilarious! that was awesome!

  • I can see why you won the contest! you nailed this song PERFECTLY...EVEN the ENDING, which hardly ANY of the other contestants got right! Good job...I noticed you didn't have sheet music in front of you..did u learn this by ear? If so, GOOD JOB!! You deserved to win!

  • @TrinDawg37 TSO gave sheet music to all contestants - it took me a tad over 4 days to learn, then I recorded this video while it was still fresh (besides, really fast runs - like at the end - can't be read and played... it's all muscle memory). And thanks for the kudos (not just you but everyone - sorry I don't have time to respond individually to each)!

  • wow this guy is awesome

  • Simply incredible! Well done! Much applause!

  • This is amazing! You definitely deserved the win. Great job!

    Also, you have the greatest keyboard set-up in the history of ever. Just sayin'.

  • @TheTivster Much appreciated... but the rig? It's gotten SERIOUSLY out of hand since I shot that video! lol i56. tinypic. com /rjqdzn. jpg

  • @scubatarkus And sorry I had to use such a weird looking URL - just copy from "i56" through "jpg" then take-out the spaces. You can then see what it looks like now :)

  • @scubatarkus

    Yeah, I figured it out.

    WOW! Man, if only. I don't even have a single keyboard at the moment. It's depressing. I had to leave my adored keyboard at my parents' house when I moved out. I miss it like you wouldn't believe. D:

  • @TheTivster Funnily, my situation is reversed: I'm the parent, and my daughter gives me grief over how many I've acquired. Here's hoping you're not keyboard-less much longer :)

  • absolutly awesome!! watch you every year about this time!!!

  • Are you wizards?

  • I wish I could play this good! I'm still learning. Great Job man! :D

  • i have had this since the video hit  youtube ! I listen to this at least once a week, God it is awesome and so are you. Thanks so much..

  • a wiz if i ever saw one!

  • Tutorial?

  • hooo genialsss

  • well done! You amused me aswell

  • That was amazing! It's as if you have TSO inside your keyboard.

  • @IndeterminateLife keep in mind that TSO provided the song with keys mixed-out... so, in a sense, I do :)

  • JESUS!

  • I cant stop watching this video man...goood work!! I taught myself how to play the piano by ear, but that was AMAZING!!

  • This guy is a beast. Amazing finger work. Well done.

  • lol... I believe I have a couple of ex-wives who refer to me the same way! ;-)

    (j/k - thank you very much for the nice words :)

  • I've had your video on my comp. since it came out , i love it sooooooo much !!

  • LOVE IT!!!

    I am your biggest fan.

  • Thank you... much appreciated! :)

  • Hello! listen, I really enjoy watching some of your videos, you are amazing! I'm just a kid who likes playing. My videos are fairly old. Atleast from when I was like 8 or 9. Now a days, I have been looking for a good tutorial on this song, and just cant seem to find one! Have you ever thought about posting one?

  • Thanks for the nice words, Joseph. A couple of people have suggested doing one - but, in all honesty, it would involve relearning it again (I've not played it again since doing the recording - it just sounds too thin with only solo piano, at least to my ears). Not saying I won't consider it... but if it ever happens it may be sometime down the road.

  • I know exactly what you mean. You completely perfected this song when you learned it! Very impressive. I think you were the winner for the "Wizards In Winter" contest, correct?

  • Correct - I was the one they chose to receive the prize (I hesitate referring to myself as "the winner" only because there were several other amazing entries).

  • I'm pretty sure that if we combined ur skills with that of Kyle landry it would be too much for utube to handle

  • Nice job man, and you don't look 53, wow how do you do it? Anyway, you should post a tutorial. Ive been trying to play this on my piano. And what brand n model are those keyboards? They look familiar

  • Thanks very much :)

    Top-to-bottom is an Alesis Andromeda A6, a Roland A37 driving (off-screen) a Korg Triton Rack, and a Kurzweil PC2X w/Orchestral ROM. Since winning (and donating the prize to my local high school) I've added a Korg Oasys, a Hammond XK3 system, a MiniMoog Voyager, a Yamaha MO6, a Nord Lead 2, and a second Triton Rack (gotta love eBay/Craigslist!)... as well as a Fostex 8-Track Digital Recorder. Gear Acquisition Syndrome in a big way!

    Happy New Year, and thanks again! :)

  • giving you some props...that is amazing!!

  • nice keyboard set up and your an amazing player gratz on winning

  • wow

  • Dude that was awesome! :D You should try for tso.. their concert are bad ass!

  • if you mean try-out for the band, I'm a wee bit long-in-the-tooth for that... but thank you just the same. saw 'em this year, as I have every year for the past several... great people, great show :)

  • I would not think at 32 you would be too old for them. And I am sure they would love to have someone as good looking as you playing for them. I know I would be lucky, proud and happy if I could make that claim. Yes I have a school girl crush on you even though I am at the advanced age of 49. Hope you don't mind.

  • Not sure where you got that I'm 32... in fact, I'm well into 53 (so I even beat you)! Given that there are only one or two members in that vicinity - and they're founding members of TSO - I think it's safe to say that my time has passed.

    Of course, that doesn't mean I can't still have fun doing these kinds of things! ;-)

  • god i love that song! thanks so much!! that was briliant!!!

  • that is one heck of a piano

  • Great performance, would love to hear it without the backing track (means only you playing Piano).

    If you have such a recording could you upload it?

    Greetings from Germany

  • I suppose it could be done if I can remember what I called the file or where I might've put it (although I'm not sure I've still got the video, so I'm not sure I could synch-it-up like you see here).

    Kind of a busy weekend, but I'll have a go at finding - if I do, I'll upload something :)

  • You make this look so easy. This is the first thing I listen to when I want to get in the Christmas spirit. Of course it does help you are one good looking man. Thank you for the video.

  • *blushes... and thanks ladygrece*

    :)

  • that was gnarly glad u won

  • Bravo! Excellent job :)

  • this shit rocks the holidays

  • thanks youtube for leaving these up. A fellow musician

  • This is my absolutely favorite video of anybody playing this song! You rock, dude! Love the "evil" look over the shoulder...nice touch!!

  • I'd just like to let you know that this is a beautiful musical piece and you played it magnificently. Also, I love your facial expression at 1:45-1:52. Thank you so much for sharing and good luck. Hopefully YT won't remove it too soon or at all.

  • U FREAKING BEAST! im trying to learn the song myslef and i always have a hard time with the quicker parts. hahaha

    conrats man, you SO earned it

  • Congradulations on winning the piano part!

  • dude. one word TOTALLYAWESOMEPWNAGESAXOPHONES­OLO!

  • my high skool orchestra is playin this but we dont sound so great at the moment... hehe

  • that is awesome man.. i loved it when you turned and looked at the camera..lol...also congrats on winning the contest..

  • FREAK MAN YOUR ROCK!

  • Uh! Sick break down.

  • Um... is that good? [I shall hope so] :)

  • heh. yea he meant it was fabulously done. =)

  • 2:23 = pwnage

  • I believe that is quite good!

  • fucking awesome. /win

  • AWESOME!!!!

  • you are awesome!

  • wow........

  • awesome as

  • 1:38 is my favoirte part

  • 1:20 WOW! o.0

    Good Job! :D

  • 1:48 lmao

  • omg! this is amazing!!

  • First off, that was amazing, I personally can only butcher through that (although still recongnizable). I'm also wondering how you were able to make all the different voices change to accomadate the original without pressing the buttons. Overall, WOW

  • Thank you... although I'm not sure what you're hearing in the way of voice changes. I used the Kurzweil Grand Piano patch throughout the entire song... any differences might be attributable to either the track TSO provided (that I was playing-against) or perhaps the octave where something was played. But it was the same patch throughout the entire piece. :)

  • I just gave it another listen... if you're talking about the bell-like quality that happens about 1:00, that's on the TSO track... it's not me.

  • Damn skippy!

  • I'm speechless...

  • That's amazing! Well done!

    The best part of it was that you seemed to really enjoy playing it.

    And looking up while still playing just made my day. ^.^

  • I am a pianist, and it took me a week to get it right and still it fascinates me to no end. I will see TSO some day and get the full benefits of this fine group. It is simply amazing how music possibilities arise that I never dreamed of.

  • kick ass dude! wow!

  • congrats

  • good playing dude

  • Even though I still have the sheets, I could never be as good as you. My left+right hand coordination sucks on the piano. :(

  • yeah, that looks really nice and sounds perfect! Greets from Germany!

  • it is beetoven lol

  • wow dude thats awesome.

    great job

  • rofl at 1:42 your face when you look at the camerea it looks like your thinking

    "bwahaha i'd like to see you play this" lol

  • i like how you popped your collar old man

  • also shows I'm going to have to learn a LOT about coordinating my left+right hands. I stink with my left, lol.

  • What are the notes for that bit starting at 1:42?

    I don't think I'll be able to play the whole song anytime soon, but if I play learn bits and pieces, I should be able to fit it together in the end.

  • bravo!

    This such an amazing piece.

  • Could you provide tips as to playing/fingering for the right hand at measure 44?

    (This is the rolling 16th notes, shifting a half every beat)

  • Hi Bryan, sure - if you look at the vid, you'll see I'm not using my pinky finger. I actually first started learning it by trying 5-4-3-2/5-4-3-2 and 5-4-3-2/4-3-2-1, but neither felt like it would be controllable at speed. For me, repeating 4-3-2-1 worked best - and that's how I played it. :)

  • I have trouble with this as well (except I thought it was measure 48, at least on my copy). I sort of get the hang of 5-4-3-2/4-3-2-1. I tried with 4-3-2-1/4-3-2-1, but I keep getting hung up moving over the black keys (having played F# with 1, my hand thus being shifted forward). Does my thumb just suck because it can't reach? Or is there some tip or trick which will help me play it more smoothly.

    Thanks!

    ~A fan

  • It's honestly been a couple of years since I last played this... so I had to lookup measure 48. I play it as 4321/4321... I just tried 5432/4321, and while that would keep your thumb off the F#, it feels more awkward (for me).

    No real trick that I know-of doing it the first way - just keep your wrist lose and let the fingers sort of roll in their own syncopation... with the thumb sort of 'marching' left-right-left-right' as it plays those arpeggios. Just keep practicing! :)

  • I'm having some trouble with the correct fingering for the final run at the end of the song, measure 98.

    R.H. 4321/4321...? L.H. ????/????

  • Excellent!

    thanx

  • i need help with the song i cant play it good enough any tips?

  • That's sort of a tough one because the question is vague - what in particular is giving you trouble? Fingering? Syncopation? Reach? Pace?

    I'll try to offer any insights I might have - but temper it with the knowledge that the last time I played this song was when this video was made...

  • OK, I have downloaded the music, and have managed to play all of the notes at a 'snail's' pace....

    I can say that this piece is one of the biggest challenges for accuracy, because of the tempo this requires.

    I give a BIG KUDDOS, BRAVO, HAND SHAKE, you name it......for the skill this has shown from you!!!

    The piece does not get old....when my mind recounts the christmas lights flashing off and on...on various homes across the world playing this piece to this for their light show.

    Great talent

  • I liked it! Very nice performance!5*

  • Beautyful!!!!! I see christmas lights in front of me...

  • nicee... bet your fingers felt just dandy after that ending! good job...love the little (almost creepy no offense) smile towards the end

  • Great job my friend,thanks for the help and you remind me beethoven somehow lol O_o

  • I really think you should relearn how to play at least the beginning or end when it starts to get pretty fast

    I love piano and really just teach myself and yet to figure out what the right notes are?

    If you could figure it out and give a short lesson that would be cool,

    Thank you!!!

  • The notes played were from musical score provided by Trans-Siberian Orchestra for the contest.  I played them exactly as written.

  • I always wonder... do you actually need those two keyborads above?

    Btw. great melody and perfect playing. I heard few mistakes BUT its sounds really cool, great talent. I'm impressed ;0

    and congratulations for winning (i know that it was 2 years ago xD)

  • um... "need" is relative - all of my keyboards (I've added five more since this video was shot) have different sounds/tonalities... but did I NEED them? Probably not - but since I can afford them, and it is a very serious hobby, I indulge myself.

    Thanks (and good ears - yes, there definitely WERE mistakes... I suppose if I'd have tried a few more takes I could've ironed them out - but, in the spirit of the thing, I just wanted to learn it, play it, submit it. :)

  • You added five more... so you have 8 now? Wow :P. I thought that each keyboard (i have one) has many different types of sounds and tonalities. I didnt know that different keyboards have even more different sounds ;o

  • Excellent!

  • Flawless

  • what a weird thing to do around 1:50.

  • Excellent piano playing but kind of lame that a professional (or semi-professional) pianist was was chosen as the TSO keyboard winner over a kid using a plain old piano who kicked ass and is obviously a very talented amateur.

  • Just for the record, I don't play professionally (i.e. I derive no income whenever/wherever I play) - I guess you'd classify me as a "serious hobbyist". :)

  • Well you should! Join an orchestra or something!

  • BRAVO

  • How excellent! Those hands!

  • great!!!

  • Most excellent!!!! I could watch you play piano all day long!!!!!!

  • Had to come back, this still rocks Tarkus!

  • Extremely super job!!! You made it to my playlist.

    Bravo.....and keep up with your talent!

    I am also a pianist.

  • Hi, i'm Daniela and i think you play veeeery good this song ^___^ do you have the music sheets? I would really like to learn the song!! please answer as soon as possible. Good performance ^_^

  • That's okay, I can wait. But I still think it's a good idea. Besides, I want to know how to play this song on piano, even though the contest has been here and gone.

  • stop the clip at 1:50 and make a farting noise.

    youll be happy for the rest of the day

  • hahaha i did that and i laughed so hard... lol

  • lol i counldnt do it i laughed when i stared at his face =p lol

  • That was priceless.. Hahaha! ^^

  • hahahah :D super funny!

  • I remember your original posting and I remember looking for it later only to find out you pulled it cuz of negative postings. Well the joke was on them when yu won. DUde you rock and I believe that you totally deserve the win. Great job!!!! I also enjoyed the smirk about midway. After you vid finished there is a link to all the winners. Totally Cool!!. Thanks for the great playing.

  • Sorry, my surname is not Presley. I have a swell idea! Why don't you post a video, teaching people how to play Wizards in Winter on the piano? What do you think?

  • I just found out that your last name is Presley. Wierd huh?

  • Great job! I am a piano student of three years so I may be wrong about this but something didn't sound right about it. The phrasing and accents I would have done differently, despite the fact that you are accurate with the music. In any case, congratulations and may I ask how's the new keyboard?

  • That was... AWESOME!

  • Totally awesome playing... and the aside to the camera was priceless!

  • wonderfull !

  • When it comes to beautiful instrument I rank the piano as number 1...you play amazingly and I applaud your performance...Bravo

  • dude puh lease why would anyone say u were bad i see why u won great job man love the key boards i used to play but now i play the violin and going to taech my self the bass guitar i guess i can still play the keyboard no wonder i can write with both hands!

  • mother fucking creeper at 1:47!!!!!! ahhhh lol jk

  • Thank you for re-posting this. I think your playing is wonderful. Ignore the 'critics' - you can't please ALL of the people ALL of the time. When can we hear more of your playing? I also enjoyed the other piece you posted, too. Thank you. (An admirer from Cheshire, UK).

  • you kind of look like Chip Foose.

  • Okay, so that's kinda weird... I've always told people that I don't really look like anyone - but having Google'd him, I can see a little resemblance. Thanks (I guess :).

  • lol i totally agree!

  • check out "dabiribd" here on youtube playing this song...

  • wow amazing awsome ^^

  • wow amazing ^-^ i see y u won ^^

  • Holy crap that was awsome!

    especially that last part. I see why you won!

  • O.o WOAH!!!

    that was really good, hahaha i love it when he looks up!!!!!!! FUNNY!

    well yeah good video, very talented...

  • that's a good thing

  • he sounds like jane petrelli

  • O O -  ...

    AMAZING!!!!