Arcturus Takes a Shot at Winds

[karpsmom]

Snorre did put a Thorns twist on the Emperor songs, but can't compare to the original E recordings.

That's what I meant with the Arcturus Vs. Winds thing. Try to make them sound very different and put the bands twist on the other bands' songs.


Andy, that was all very interesting. I never thought about the physical end of playing piano. All the stuff you said abotu how you jump around more while Sverd tends to go along the keys in order i have noticed when listening to Winds and AoS compared to Winds. As for the classical music minded person comment though, I've read in countless places that Sverd listens to practically nothing other than classical music, so I'm sure he has the mind for it. Haha, you've scared me away from piano now, because I have pretty small hands, I do have pretty long fingers though, which makes me very good at guitar, so maybe I could play piano afterall.

 

[Andy Winter]

Thanks for the nice replies and comments!

Having small hands or short fingers isn't necessarily a barrier for playing the piano altogether, but it limits certain things you can do, so you just have to use other elements and do different things. Don't be discouraged by this though, and if you can view it as a challenge rather than a limitation it will be even more rewarding for you if you attempt it.

As far as Steinar is concerned, I am not really sure what he listens to or where his influences are from as we do not really know each other that well. I have met him once or twice, he seems kind of shy actually, but probably a very nice guy none the less. Carl has also said that Steinar is very into classical music and also a lot of prog, but what I meant by "classically minded" was really supposed to read "classically trained", as there is a difference between just liking and listening to classical music and actually being trained in it from an early age.

As far as Arcturus having a much darker and heavier feel to it, that has probably been true for the past records we have done. But just wait until the new Winds comes out, as it is very dark, and very heavy as well, yet still polished and precise. The drumwork and guitarwork on the new record is the musical equivalent of brain surgery, I don't think I've ever heard a record done with more accuracy in these departments.

Regards,
Andy

 

[karpsmom]

oh boy, I can't wait til the new album!

 

[Anvil]

As far as Arcturus having a much darker and heavier feel to it, that has probably been true for the past records we have done. But just wait until the new Winds comes out, as it is very dark, and very heavy as well, yet still polished and precise. The drumwork and guitarwork on the new record is the musical equivalent of brain surgery, I don't think I've ever heard a record done with more accuracy in these departments.

Regards,
Andy

*drools uncontrollably*

 

[Manu SwordMaster]

What were the pictures??? Aret hey posted anywhere else???

1st post in Winds forum...

 

[RADICAL CUT]

Andy, have you ever think to use in a Winds album the harpsichord with the quartet of strings, and doing something like Bach or in baroque style?

 

[Andy Winter]

Andy, have you ever think to use in a Winds album the harpsichord with the quartet of strings, and doing something like Bach or in baroque style?

Sure, that might be a good idea. The only problem is to find a place that has a harpsichord, so I didn't think seriously about doing it because I just don't know where to go to record something like that. Those harpsichord sounds you find on synthesizers sound so bad and cheap that it would definitely be out of the question to use anything but the real deal.

Regards,
Andy

 

[niniel]

Hahaha! I wholeheartedly agree with that...harpsichords sound horrible on keyboards. But, is there any possibility of hearing another type of sound than piano in a Winds Album?

Lucky you, I have never had classical training, other than whatever training I could improvise for myself. I wont try to compete either !!

The largest interval I can to is say, C to D(an octave higher). I wouldn't know how to compare that to anything.

And might as well ask: Favorite scale?

 

[niniel]

....
Having small hands or short fingers isn't necessarily a barrier for playing the piano altogether, but it limits certain things you can do, so you just have to use other elements and do different things. Don't be discouraged by this though, and if you can view it as a challenge rather than a limitation it will be even more rewarding for you if you attempt it.
...

Oh...it is annoying sometimes ...for me anyways. I've been fooling around with pianos and keyboards and was shows a few little things at a very early age, but, I never seriously played... Well, although there was a point where I'd play much as a kid, and happened to understand a few things about chords, but I mostly relied on my ear to get me anywhere. And about a year ago, someone seeing I could play a few things on keys offered me a place in the band thinking I was classically trained... I have to say that we could sound very similar to you guys if we actually took a little more time to work on our songs before saying they're complete. Sure, my playing is far from being anywhere near as good as yours, but, as for the rest of the band, it's pretty even.

You guys should come down to Ottawa and do a how with us!!

Anyways, all that to say there's a song where I have to go from a E to a G in the following octave, in a little pivoting riff. If it wasn't for that one note(which is just one step up from the farthest I could go), I could play it one hand...but I have to compensate by using both hands. So, yes, smaller hands can be annoying, but, there's always ways around it.

And, as for my band, the day I'll be happy about what they have as a sample on the website, I'll give out the link...but, honestly, the sample sucks: it has no keys!

Another question: How long do you work on a song before saying it is ready and good?

OUf...enough for now!!!

 

[Andy Winter]

Hi, here are some answers to your questions. Hope I didn't miss anything.

Is there any possibility of hearing another type of sound than piano in a Winds Album?

Quite possibly on the next album, yes. I might have some surprises lined up with different instruments this time around.

And might as well ask: Favorite scale?

D minor, or D harmonic minor (you can hear a lot of that on the first Age of Silence record). But in Winds I haven't done more than one or two songs in D minor, because Carl tunes his guitar in E so for obvious reasons I've avoided that key as much as possible. F# minor is a key I have used a lot in Winds, but it is more difficult to play on piano than D minor, so I tend to prefer D minor both for playability and for tonal characteristics. You can't get away from A minor either, as it's the easiest of all keys to play in for everyone when combining guitar and piano. But even so I don't write too much in A minor because it is a little overused.

Another question: How long do you work on a song before saying it is ready and good?

This depends on whether you just mean a basic idea and song structure, or if you mean the final arrangements. If you're talking about just basic ideas, maybe as little as an hour or a day, but if you're talking about final arrangements, then we're talking probably 2 years or more. We always go back and revisit the songs and make changes and improvements to them, sometimes it will become something completely different but most of the time we try to at least keep the spirit of the original idea intact. Either way, it does take a lot of work and polishing to get the songs to the level that we feel they need to be.

Regards,
Andy

 

[niniel]

Here is another one: With your right hand, thumb on C3, what is the farthest key you can reach without lifting the thumb?

 

[Andy Winter]

Here is another one: With your right hand, thumb on C3, what is the farthest key you can reach without lifting the thumb?

F4

But let it be noted that some pianos have wider keys than others, so this might vary depending on the dimensions of the keys.

Andy

 

[niniel]

That's real nice! I'm a little jealous, but, when I think of it, I'd look awkwardly manly with hands like that!

 

[the_drip]

Sure, that might be a good idea. The only problem is to find a place that has a harpsichord, so I didn't think seriously about doing it because I just don't know where to go to record something like that. Those harpsichord sounds you find on synthesizers sound so bad and cheap that it would definitely be out of the question to use anything but the real deal.

Regards,
Andy

some upper end Music schools would have them. Eastman in Rochester New York, Juiliard, Berkley, Oberlin...to name a few in the States. THey all have studios..and Harpsichords.

plus harpsichords are ridiculously light (MUCH smaller than a grand piano) so they're not hard to move around. Just be careful, they're fragile.

 

[the_drip]

F4

But let it be noted that some pianos have wider keys than others, so this might vary depending on the dimensions of the keys.

Andy

I got the same stretch on my Baldwin, and on the Yamaha Clavinova at the school I teach at.

 

[Andy Winter]

I got the same stretch on my Baldwin, and on the Yamaha Clavinova at the school I teach at.

Rock on, hehe!

I've played on a Clavinova before, and also a C7 Grand.

Yamaha makes nice pianos, but lately I've become addicted to the Steinway sound, even though I used to swear I'd never use it.

Bosendorfer is still my favorite though.

Andy