Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells

[Aludog]

This topic is both for testing and discussing collaboration on both Parts of "Tubular Bells" by Mike Oldfield.

I have now finished transcribing (the bass) and syncing "Part 1" and will try to get a test version done soon.

 

Here is the GP file for anyone interested in working out the guitar parts: 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/33hq98nt017fpvm/Mike%20Oldfield%20-%20Tubular%20Bells%20%28Part%201%29.gpx?dl=0

 

Just let me know in the comments if you want to help out. Maybe some of you can work together and transcribe different parts of the track. I can also try my hand on some of the easier guitar sections.

 

You'll definitely need some patience to work on this because time signatures are constantly shifting, different rhythm and melody patterns are overlapping and even though there's quite a bit of repetition in the individual themes, none of the 14 themes is ever repeated.

The longest sections is the last one, by far, because it's slowly building and introducing different instruments that play the melody. There's a rhythmic pattern in that sections that kind of sounds like it also has bass but I'm not really sure; it might just be a guitar recorded at double speed or put through some effect. I opted for the easier bass line but I could transcribe that pattern as well and make a bonus arrangement, though the pattern fades out with time and it might sound strange to keep playing it and awkward to suddenly change it, so I don't know.

 

I'll work on "Part 2" as soon as I'm happy with this one and it's ready for release. Help on "Part 2" would be great as well.

[GetTheLedOut]

I can honestly say that I've never heard this until now. The first listen is blowing my mind... and I'm only about halfway through part 2.

And this is me listening to it completely sober :)

It seems like part 2 has more consistent guitar parts, and by that I mean that they're not as sporadic as in part 1. Am I right?

By this logic, part 2 might be a better "fit" for Rocksmith. I'd be willing to take a stab at the guitar arrangement for part 2 once you have it synced up. As long as the tabs are fairly accurate, it'd be do-able.

 

[Aludog]

@@GetTheLedOut If I already had tabs for the guitar parts I'd sure love you to help me out but someone would have to transcribe them first. :(

You won't find any tabs for Part 2 and Part 1 doesn't have complete tabs either.

 

And yeah, Mike Oldfield did some mind blowing stuff and you're probably right, Part 2 is more consistent and has some really great parts but I like Part 1 as well. Definitely listen to more Oldfield. "Hergest Ridge", "Ommadawn", "Incantations", "Amarok" are all great lengthy compositions like this one and more interesting than most of his more commercial, better know recordings.

[Bavarezkrd]

I let you know in the comments that I want to help you. I'll take a look on that in a few days. To make it faster, I can take the 1st part of TB, GetTheLedOut can take the 2nd part for transcribing. 

[GetTheLedOut]

@@Aludog that's unfortunate about the tabs. I've just found the same incomplete .ptb tabs for part 1 that you probably have. Here they are if anyone wants to have a look.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/99c2n8uf91mchxk/AABN7j6fVX6Vtt9w7S74Y0lSa?dl=0

It'd probably take me years to transcribe part 2 at my current rate :) I do hope someone is able to help with it, though I'm sure it'd still be quite fun as bass only.