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[Mr Nash]

I know there have been plenty of posts with links to Youtube videos of people performing covers of video game music, but I wanted to make a fresh thread to bring a little more attention to one pianist in particular I stumbled across while wandering around Youtube. His name is Tom Brier, and apparently he isn't a gamer, but he is a very, very good pianist. His buddy looks up songs that can be done in ragtime, and adjusts the sheet music accordingly when necessary, after which Tom apparently sight reads the stuff having never even heard the music before.

Even more spectacularly, he often embellishes the hell out of the tunes. He'll start off slow and simple, and then keep adding layer after layer until it just gets insane what he's doing.

He's got a ton of stuff on Youtube well worth a listen. Serious, go check it out. These are awesome!

Zelda Horse Racing Song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ci1486DNiw8

Zelda Ending:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhRBGCS8mlc

Super Mario Land - Birabuto Kingdom:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPa4i-ASpqs

Ghosts n' Goblins:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeytLzRY_0Y

Earthworm Jim:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIYYO9x51eQ

Final Fantasy IX:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBjY67PSOPI

ToyPop:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Np94Ot-HYY

 

[Gravijah]

I love ragtime! I watched this pianist for like 30 minutes at Disney World playing all kinds of random stuff at the end of the night. It was amazing.

Btw, these are awesome.

 

[Jintor]

Wow, these are great.

 

[Teknopathetic]

Yes, I love ragtime too. Good stuff.

 

[WTFing]

Ghosts n' Goblins
mmmm I wish I can play it like him

 

[Gokurakumaru]

Can't say I really like the music, but the guy is awesome. No doubt about it.

 

[Ionic]

What he did with the Zelda Ending... no words. So much talent.

 

[Let me in]

Spinach Rag from FFVI was the first thing I thought of, and he's done it

 

[Lijik]

I've been going through them at random and haven't heard all of them yet, but I think his rendition of Mario Land is my favorite of the bunch. Awesome stuff

 

[Red]

What he did with the Zelda Ending... no words. So much talent.

They're all good, but damn that one is excellent.

 

[bounchfx]

wow this guy is freaking incredible. Watched Spanish Rag now watching Yoshi's Island 'Athletic'. Now I want to learn piano.

 

[bill.cosby]

Dude, thank you for posting this. Right up my alley

 

[Gin]

yoshi's island http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffwVKDP8nzQ&feature=related

so awesome..

 

[HarkenSlash]

Here's a great one.

Super Mario World - Athletic BGM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZMroQOtS_U

 

[Metroid Killer]

Cool I've been thinking about making a thread about Tom Brier's sight readings for some time, but I'm glad someone finally did it. Amazing talent.

Liked his rendition (and speed o_o) of the athletic theme above, but this one of Super Mario Bros. Theme is also pretty amazing.

 

[Easy_D]

Spinach Rag from FFVI was the first thing I thought of, and he's done it

Was the first thing I thought of too, Spinach Rag is awesome.

Also, love his rendition of the GnG song, really awesome

Edit: Wait, am I reading this description right? A guy who knows Nobuo Uematsu sent this guy a .mid of Spinach Rag?

 

[Let me in]

Earthbound fans, ahoy:
Humoresque of a little dog

 

[TheOGB]

Ghosts n' Goblins:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeytLzRY_0Y

Shit that is wonderful

 

[valkillmore]

Here's a great one.

Super Mario World - Athletic BGM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZMroQOtS_U

Just brings a glossy sheen to my eyes and a smile to my face. I love video games.

 

[Lard]

Really love Ghosts & Goblins.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

One of my favorite videos:
Ragtime Mario Medley

 

[Snuggles]

I like the Zelda Shooting Gallery one.

because I love that game and this is good

 

[TheChillyAcademic]

Treno is such an entertaining yet relaxing song

 

[FrostuTheNinja]

Great stuff. I loved seeing him look at the sheet music, mess around for a second, then destroy the song.

Awesome.

 

[jett]

This is fantastic.

 

[Ellis Kim]

The way he plays the SML song is a little anxiety inducing, but otherwise these are really awesome.

 

[Trakdown]

LOVE the Ghosts N Goblins one.

 

[Srsly]

Pretty awesome. I had a feeling it would be Treno before I clicked the FFIX link

 

[RurouniZel]

This just made my goddamn evening! Absolutely amazing stuff!!

EDIT: Just found this one, Spinach Rag from FFVI: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYzq0am3B4I

 

[John]

jesus fuck this is incredible

wish he had a decent piano on one of these though

 

[Tiduz]

holy shit.

 

[sixteen-bit]

Love the Makaimura one

 

[Whimsical Phil]

These are some fantastic renditions, and his beard in the Mario Land video just doesn't stop. I never thought that I would see a hairy pianist like that on YouTube.

 

[teiresias]

I've always envied anyone that can sight read like that on piano. I can sight read pretty well on trombone (but that's hardly difficult), but have never been able to do it on piano except on maybe something that's slower and chord heavy, but if it involves really dexterous finger movement (like this stuff) I absolutely crumble into "one beat per second" mode.

I type like the wind, but can't sight read piano worth a damn, it's so frustrating!! :lol

 

[WhiskeyKnight]

These just go to show you, if you're gonna rock the neck beard, develop a talent to go along with it.

 

[BorkBork]

Super Mario Land had one helluva soundtrack, and this rendition of one of the themes is excellent.

That's crazy that he's never heard the tunes before.

OMG he's done Humoresque of a Little Dog. So good.

 

[-Winnie-]

I've always loved Kyle Landry's stuff.

Dearly Beloved
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4-sqvJRm5U

[edit]Just noticed, almost completely unrelated to this thread but whatever, I'll just leave it there. heh

 

[metsallica]

I just lost two wonderful hours to Tom Brier. Thank you so much for posting this thread!

 

[turnbuckle]

Great stuff!

 

[DisenLedZep]

I always loved these two:

- Donkey Kong Country 2 - Brambles "Stickerbrush Symphony" (Yeah... don't miss this...)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeyiQ7HOMmw

- Zelda II: Adventures of Link - Palace Theme
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1OwLYDiXTw

 

[Jintor]

He has a couple of Lehrer songs, but they're not ragtime'd. :<

 

[maniac-kun]

I dont like his versions.

 

[firehawk12]

Ghouls and Goblins is perfect.

 

[bizatch]

- Zelda II: Adventures of Link - Palace Theme
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1OwLYDiXTw

This guy is amazing

 

[Corto]

Such joy! I can't help to smile listening to these. Even my toddler is dancing... hehehehehet

 

[Corky]

omg the ghost n goblins one...geeeeeeeeeeez

<3

 

[Lionheart1827]

Christ that guy is good.

 

[GhaleonQ]

Yeah! Between this and the new Pia-Coms album, I'm feeling great about video game music.

 

[mrklaw]

I've always envied anyone that can sight read like that on piano. I can sight read pretty well on trombone (but that's hardly difficult), but have never been able to do it on piano except on maybe something that's slower and chord heavy, but if it involves really dexterous finger movement (like this stuff) I absolutely crumble into "one beat per second" mode.

I type like the wind, but can't sight read piano worth a damn, it's so frustrating!! :lol

we need 'Mavis Beacon teaches Piano'.

seriously though, there should be more training/lifestyle 'games' on console. Stuff like wii fit isn't really a game, its there to encourage you and accompany you as you get fit/lose weight.

Learning a music instrument properly is a logical one too - Rock Band 3 has some of that now with its pro instruments, but it takes a different approach. I'd buy a Piano trainer game that teaches me proper fingering, scales etc and how to read music properly.

 

[speedpop]

Neckbeard!

That said, these aren't too hard to do if you're grade 8 and playing the piano every day.