STAR WARS VII: "The Jedi Steps and Finale" for Two Pianos (Audio + Sheet Music)

pf: Bosendorfer 290 (EWQL Pianos Gold)/MIDI (with some parts played in by me for more authenticity...)
Composed by John Williams (from the soundtrack to Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens)
Arranged by tomekkobialka
After writing two piano transcriptions from Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens already (links below in case you haven't seen them!) I thought it would be nice to round off a trilogy by transcribing the entire music from the end credits, a.k.a. "The Jedi Steps and Finale". This was by far the toughest of the three to do - not because it's longer, but because there's a lot of very "orchestral" writing that is very difficult to pull off with the sound of a piano (e.g. Rey's theme, Poe's theme, Star Wars end credits sequence...). All I can say is I did as best as I could do, and hopefully that can be heard in the arrangement!
All the tempo markings are based off the original full score (in the Hal Leonard Signature edition).
Note that this version of the end credits is the same version as in the Hal Leonard score. It is NOT the Blu-ray version, which has Scherzo for X-Wings tracked in. But it is very similar to the album version.
SHEET MUSIC (master): www.mediafire.com/file/1vx81j5...
SHEET MUSIC (Piano 1): www.mediafire.com/file/23d7dcj...
SHEET MUSIC (Piano 2): www.mediafire.com/file/mr4sbib...
AUDIO (mp3): dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1...
To prevent any complaints about reverb, here is an audio version with no reverb (dry): dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1...
ORIGINAL ORCHESTRAL TRACK: • John Williams - The Je...
My other Force Awakens transcriptions:
"March of the Resistance" (Solo Piano): • STAR WARS - March of t...
"The Falcon" (Two Pianos): • "THE FALCON" for Two P...

[@JoshTamayo]

I love your 2-piano arrangement so much that my friend and I recorded your arrangement in this video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fHSTlHqwj9ibe9E

[@tomekkobialka]

AMAZING! I loved your performance. Thank you for recording and sharing!

[@JoshTamayo]

I’m glad you love it! Do you by any chance have a 2-piano arrangement of Jurassic Park? Would love to do that next!

[@tomekkobialka]

I do not, but it has been on my to-do list for some time...I'll let you know when it's finished!

[@JoshTamayo]

Awesome!

[@JoshTamayo]

Hey Thomas, just DM'd you! Talk soon.

[@kevinhuang8916]

1:34 allow sound to die down but don't bore the audience lol

[@JairCrawford]

And this was a "weak" score for Star Wars, they said; it "lacked" memorable melodies and hummable tunes, they said...

[@Quotenwagnerianer]

That is actually the only example if a memorable piec of this score. Let's face it: Williams' inner well of inspiration has dried up long ago. Now he makes up for it with his experience.

[@JoseCavendish]

@Quotenwagnerianer Yeah, sure, whatever you say

[@paulorego9334]

who's they? ^^

[@GGbreizh]

@@Quotenwagnerianer Rey's theme, Scherzo for X-Wings, March of the Resistance, that makes three more pieces...

[@jocastadidntknew5980]

@@Quotenwagnerianer Yeah, because Rey's Theme, Poe's Theme, Kylo's Theme, March of the Resistance, and the Scherzo for X-Wings haven't become iconic classics for Star Wars. Plus a lot of the hidden gems like "Rey Meets BB-8", "The Falcon", and "The Starkiller". Also it's not like he got nominated for an Oscar and won a Grammy for it. Sometimes I think people hate just for the sake of hating.

[@tomekkobialka]

+ikschrijflangenamen It's a bit of notation I borrowed from the harp, it just means "let the notes ring". Really, it's just there to indicate that the arpeggio should ring till the end of the piece, which can simply be achieved with the sustain pedal (as signified with the "Ped."). It doesn't require any specific technique from the player.

[@theotherwest3049]

This is an awesome piece of music played! Especially 1:35 up to 2:07 and 5:14 onward. Amazing job!

[@zoltan902]

Bravo!!! The interpretation, and layering of each theme is utter joy. 5:40-5:52 OMG!

[@tomekkobialka]

+zoltan902 Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[@MrRubik234]

John Williams never fails to amaze me. Amazing work on this!

[@dudedude8983]

We played this in high school band and I had to play the harp and piano part now I get to play the full score on piano thank you so much for this😍

[@moccagriselda]

ultimate definitive version.

[@EmilianoManna]

An enormous piece of work, both the arrangement and the "performance"!

[@modalnotes6953]

A friend and I are going to be playing this arrangement next Saturday! Really love the arrangement.

[@tomekkobialka]

Wow, great to hear it. Hope it goes well! :D

[@ljl451]

In the Finale that is in the movie there is also Scherzo for X-Wings after Rey's Theme.

[@rkwittem]

wtf disliked this. this is off-the-charts excellent.

[@littleleeroy101]

This is amazing! Such good work!

[@bardthenascarfanaticdragon]

8:53 my favorite part.

[@jenny-anastasiachou368]

I really love this piece, thank you so much!

[@3TOlym19]

Bravo! Bravissimo!!!!

[@elielgarberi5258]

“Reminiscences de Star Wars”. Loved it so much. Great Job!

[@shawndigeronimo3696]

i think this was well thought and you put some really great effort into, nice job

[@JohnMassari]

Simply gorgeous!

[@MrRbjunior83]

Absolutely amazing!!!!!

[@rosephjosen]

You should definitely do The Last Jedi Finale now

[@RyanZPianoGuy]

Fantastic job! I might want ot cover this....

[@Motherofdragons4780]

The orchestra at my school played March of the Resistance, which is the part from 6:23 to 7:40, as their finale at their last concert.

[@kennethp8045]

Amazing 😉

[@3TOlym19]

One 1st Order stormtrooper disliked this

[@M8opott8o]

are you secretly the reincarnation of Jesus? This is just miraculous thank you

[@nikolaiclavier]

Great arrangement and spectacular MIDI-programming! :-D

[@CMLPoP]

2:20 John Williams, back at it again with those chords that I hear on almost every song yaaay

[@MrTrompwn]

Played through this with a friend of mine. May record and upload if we do a live performance of it. Great arrangement!

[@tomekkobialka]

Awesome! Please do! :)

[@troyandrade435]

This is great but i'm not a piano player. I love 1:34 to 2:53, I could listen to it all day.... if only I could play it I would but on my trumpet the super fast part is crazy hard.

[@Motherofdragons4780]

I really wish this was on iTunes!! Amazing job!

[@ironslayer1874]

this is my dogs favorite song

[@3linx]

Amazing!

[@hehielidiazluna4380]

I hope you do "The Starkiller" someday

[@herrlogan17]

Really amazing transcription. Bravo! Sadly I could not play it with my students.

[@boyisun]

Fantastic work. Is this computer MiDi sound or real man's performance's recording?

[@hyperbenkemify]

孙博一 real man's

[@ABFan-bj2uj]

Request: Star Wars End Title Piano Arrangement

[@ikschrijflangenamen]

I second +E, but quick question: What do the ties at the left hand piano 2 ms 271 (9:04, bottom left) actually do? They do not lead to anything.

[@trillzacko]

5:35 Ah.

[@caseyfranco3959]

what software do you use?

[@garrettkrause]

Any chance on getting the sheet music links reuploded? They all appear to be dead, and I'd love to play this!

[@tomekkobialka]

The mediafire links work fine for me. Can you check again? If it still doesn't work I'll reupload.

[@garrettkrause]

Oh, you're right. It appears it was an issue of the links not working on my mobile browser. Thanks again!

[@ianturner1435]

Hi Thomas, I'm having a little trouble getting the file of the sheet music. Can you email it to me, or is there a better way for me to get that from you? Thanks and keep up the good work!

[@tomekkobialka]

Hi, try changing your browser, apparently there is some problem with some mobile browsers.

[@ianturner1435]

tomekkobialka Ok. Thanks. That fixed it.

[@sebastienchiu3508]

any chance you can provide a midi?

[@tomekkobialka]

+Sebastien Chiu Sorry, but I do not provide MIDIs. But if people just want a MIDI visualization in MIDITrail, I can provide that.

[@gailrosen8222]

I have to know what software do you use?

[@jamesstandbridge5372]

Joe Rosen i don't kn8w, but it might be musescore

[@gailrosen8222]

James Standbridge no, it's not because I use MuseScore, and it doesn't sound as good and it definitely can't handle dynamics like that

[@jamesstandbridge5372]

Joe Rosen Oh ok, i never used musescore

[@dominicvandenberg582]

could be Sibelius?

[@Ragninsky]

Great! Can I use this in my own movie?

[@elistewart8665]

Can I also use this for a video?

[@tomekkobialka]

Yes...and The Falcon as well!

[@elistewart8665]

@@tomekkobialka dude you're the best! Thank you!

[@jmrili]

Great arrangement! The link for the "SHEET MUSIC (master): dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1..." is down though :(

[@tomekkobialka]

Fixed!

[@nikitofin]

the link is down! :( awesome job btw

[@bordeauxcolor]

How could I get the star wars main theme score reduction?

[@blahkayonaFriday]

fun fact: Williams "borrowed" the star wars theme from Debussy's Bruyeres

[@JJBerthume]

Nah, the tune is slightly similar for the first few notes, but then goes in a completely different direction. Also, it's harmonized completely differently. Star Wars sounds more like King's Row than Debussy, and even that is a stretch.

[@EcstasyJesus]

+JJay Berthume well he could have been very well inspired by Debussy. He also took inspiration from Chopin for the Imperial March.

[@JJBerthume]

+Killah841 Definitely! Just like all composers take inspiration from other composers.

[@FocusMrbjarke]

I think it sounds like the swane lake by tchakovsky especially the darth vader theme

[@rickrhee6897]

and the planets by gustav holst

[@mydogskips2]

It's amazing how he gets away with breaking all those rules, I'm referring mostly to the voice leading and chord progressions, particularly the parallels and non-harmonic chords, but I guess that's in part why his music is so different from the great classical masters. To me, John's tonal palette is richer, more varied and nuanced, but it is understandable considering when he is doing his work. Forgive me for saying this, I am a huge fan of Mr. Williams, but in spite of what I just wrote above, this is not particularly good or memorable music, the inspired themes are just not there(here) in my opinion.

[@tomekkobialka]

I don't see JW as "breaking" any rules. He's very good at setting the right tone for the occassion, and this is in large part due to his immaculate technique. His counterpoint and orchestrations are all very lucid and logical, and it all sounds very effortless (though not effortless to compose of course). His harmonic language is, let's say, complex when you compare it to vi-IV-I-V, but it's not that out there, especially when you consider his jazz beginnings. A lot of his harmonies are derived from polychords, and/or derived from modal scales. Not to get started on his classical work. A rule such as "do not use parallel fifths" only applies in specific cases, i.e. cases where you should not use parallel fifths... ;) As for your second point, I would say that the end credits is one of those pieces where the whole really does surpass the sum of its parts.

[@mydogskips2]

"A rule such as "do not use parallel fifths" only applies in specific cases, i.e. cases where you should not use parallel fifths... ; )" I generally agree, but while I cannot see the exact instrumental scoring here, based on the transcription(excellent job by the way, I'm not impugning your work in any way, it is fantastic and I greatly appreciate it) it seems he uses parallel fifths and thus overlapping chords a lot, like the sequence starting at 2:19 for example. This is absolutely breaking the rules of tradition, which do exist for a reason, to promote the independence of the individual voices. By the way, I'm not necessarily saying he does a bad job of it, he actually does it quite deftly, with great skill demonstrating his mastery, I'm just pointing out that he does do it. Off the top of my head(and based in large part on your work making it able for me to see the music), I can say he does the same in the Imperial March, the Superman prelude and March, and the Raider's March(all incredible musical works) just to name a few. Okay, I will admit to sort of liking Rey's theme, just a little bit, but it is quite simplistic and really repetitive to the point of redundancy. I will refrain from giving my thoughts on the March of the Resistance and Scherzo for X wings in respect for your channel and my reticence(or is it reluctance) to speak negatively and with profanity. Actually, I'll just call it some of the most pedestrian, uninteresting music he has ever written.

[@tomekkobialka]

Parallel voicing stretches back all the way to Medieval times (i.e. parallel organum). The "rules of tradition" you say are really just rules of promoting independent voices, and Williams certainly does focus on writing independent voices when the music calls for it. But obviously the bit at 2:19 is not written with the intent of promoting independent voices. And anyway, John Williams is far and away not the first person to play with these techniques of planing chords, "non-harmonic" chords etc...But he is one of the best at it, and that is really where my credit for him goes, not as a rule-breaker. I am glad you liked the transcription!

[@moccagriselda]

actually it's better than the movie itself.

[@kevinhuang8916]

i like it if the piano wasnt alectorniccaly played