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 WorksTranscriptions > Genesis -- A Firth of Fifth
 Genesis -- A Firth of Fifth
 Year 1989
 Length 1:30
 Instrumentation  Piano
 Notes
This is a transcription of the introduction to the Genesis tune "A Firth of Fifth" as played by Tony Banks. I did this for my own playing pleasure back in my undergrad days and thought someone else might find it fun as well. The score is just the notes and rhythms: if you know it, you know the phrasing and dynamics, if you don't, you don't. In looking at it again, there are some things that I would probably change if I was doing it over [measures 35-36 strike me as unlikely] but I didn't fix them.

I have seen other transcriptions on the web that are set in 16th notes rather than 8th notes. I suppose if you are not used to reading mixed meters that makes some sense. For example the first two measures in my transcription have 20 8th notes broken into 4/4 and 12/8. In some transcriptions that is rendered as 1 measure of 20 16th notes in 5/4 but doesn't look the way the part sounds to me. Breaking it into mixed meters follows the accent of the performance:

[4/4] 1(2)-2(2)-3(2)-4(2) | [12/8] 1(23)-2(23)-3(23)-4(23)

That is the way it sounds to my ear and training. If you are having trouble playing it, try setting a metronome to the tempo of the 8th note (slooowly!) and see if it makes more sense.

Enjoy!
 Score
Intro to A Firth of Fifth
 
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