# Iron Maiden Aces High



## StratoJazz (Jun 8, 2012)

So I'm working on learning Aces High by Ear. To check my self, I've looked at a few tabs on the internet and found them to be inaccurate. So far this is what I have of the intro:

Guitar 2

{F#m | D E } 

E------------------------------------------------------------
B------------------------------------------------------------
G------------------------------------------------------------
D-------6---7--6-----6----7--6-----4----7-6-----6---7-6----
A---7-9---9------7-9---9-------7-5---5------5-7---7-----7--
E------------------------------------------------------------

Rinse and Repeat

I've found that Guitar 1 is just a 3rd up from what i've tabbed out. While i'd tab it out here, I need to go to work soon.

So if anyone can vouch for or at least check for me that this is right i would appreciate it.

*DO NOT READ THIS AND SEND ME A TAB THAT YOU HAVEN'T CHECKED YOURSELF AND YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY POSITIVE IT'S RIGHT.* Chances are i've checked it and you are wasting my time. I know for a fact that the same motive doesn't repeat 15x. So don't send me that shit.

Anyway, if you are interested in helping me and are willing to take sometime to check if i'm right, feel free, it's much appreciated.


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## SirMyghin (Jun 8, 2012)

When I listen to it I hear the chords under it changing, and the one motive repeated, as a ostinato... So knowing for a fact sounds a bit off to me. I think you might be getting fooled by the background.


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## StratoJazz (Jun 9, 2012)

When the bass notes change it's hard for me to tell if it's just an ostinato since the bass is covering the guitar in the mix. It could be some overdub thing where the guitarists(yeah don't know their names, I'll look them up) played a vamp riff and when they mixed it they lowered the level of the guitar and added the bass part later. 

My thinking is that's a possibility because around the 00:23 second mark it sounds like they did a cross-fade. Do you hear this? In other words, the transition to the cadence is not as smooth as it should be. 

When i do play what i have with the recording, it doesn't sound bad or anything. So I might just go ahead and stick with it for now and just run it by my bandmates when we practice next week. See what they hear, and if it's the same as what you're hearing or not.

I might put some of the rest of what I've transcribed up as well. Run it by some of you guys.

P.S. Maybe I'm crazy, but I swear that i'm hearing the riff change on the different chords.


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## Mr. Big Noodles (Jun 9, 2012)

I spent a couple of minutes with it and this is what I got:






You could probably find a number of tab books and scores of this song, not to mention the millions of tabs that must be floating around on the internet. I realize that many of those are going to be inconsistent with the recording, but why spend the time notating it if you can at least get a rough picture and work from there?


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## Waelstrum (Jun 9, 2012)

Is that the rhythm? I thought the bass was on the second have of the first beat, and the melody was on the beat. I can see why you did it like that, but that's just how I hear it.

EDIT: I'm quite certain it's a repeating pattern.


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## Winspear (Jun 9, 2012)

Yeah I agree it repeats. And the chords are definitely on the beat to me


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## Mr. Big Noodles (Jun 9, 2012)

Waelstrum said:


> Is that the rhythm? I thought the bass was on the second have of the first beat, and the melody was on the beat. I can see why you did it like that, but that's just how I hear it.



I'm hearing it as a pickup. I'll check it a little later, but I don't spend more time with Iron Maiden than I have to.


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## SirMyghin (Jun 9, 2012)

I agree on the pickup, but at the same time, I read that last post and all I see is "I hate happiness and fun"


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## Mr. Big Noodles (Jun 9, 2012)




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## ArrowHead (Jun 10, 2012)

SchecterWhore said:


> Here's an awesome analysis, by the way I pee on your favorite band




You're a mean bastard. But I love you.


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## Mr. Big Noodles (Jun 10, 2012)

Is there an SSO elitists club? If not, can I make one?


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## Stealthdjentstic (Jun 10, 2012)

SchecterWhore said:


> Is there an SSO elitists club? If not, can I make one?



Yeah you and your partner Solodini can be in it together forever by yourselves


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## Mr. Big Noodles (Jun 10, 2012)

Now hold up. This is the elitist club we're talking about, not the music theory playpen. We only accept the greatest of dickheads to join our hallowed ranks.


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## ArrowHead (Jun 10, 2012)

Sorry guys. There IS an elitist club, 

But it's sooooo elite, you're only allowed to apply and join if you're _already _a member.

You can imagine how exclusive the membership is.


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## Mr. Big Noodles (Jun 10, 2012)

StratoJazz, please excuse us for hijacking your thread.


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## Bakerman (Jun 10, 2012)

The lower guitar does change at the D bass. There's also a 2nd (F#-G#) in measures 1/2/4:


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## StratoJazz (Jun 11, 2012)

Alright cool, i was sure it atleast changed to D for the bass note in the 2nd guitar part. I thought it changed to E in the measure after that, but i'll run it by my bandmates.

To some degree no one is going to notice the difference in a live performance, however for my sake, i'd like to get my transcription as right as possible.

By the way, I'm curious as to how both you and SW are posting your notation on the forum. Do you use a certain scorewriter or what?


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## StratoJazz (Jun 11, 2012)

Bakerman said:


> The lower guitar does change at the D bass. There's also a 2nd (F#-G#) in measures 1/2/4:



Alright cool, i was sure it atleast changed to D for the bass note in the 2nd guitar part. I thought it changed to E in the measure after that, but i'll run it by my bandmates.

To some degree no one is going to notice the difference in a live performance, however for my sake, i'd like to get my transcription as right as possible.

By the way, I'm curious as to how both you and SW are posting your notation on the forum. Do you use a certain scorewriter or what?

```

```


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## Bakerman (Jun 11, 2012)

StratoJazz said:


> Do you use a certain scorewriter or what?



Sibelius


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## Mr. Big Noodles (Jun 11, 2012)

Finale.


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## StratoJazz (Jun 11, 2012)

So do you just upload it as a pdf then?


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## Bakerman (Jun 11, 2012)

Those are image files but pdf is another option.


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## Mr. Big Noodles (Jun 11, 2012)

I can export in a number of formats with Finale: various image files (JPEG, TIFF, EPS, PICT, PNG), PDF, XML, .mus, audio (WAV), MIDI, and a few other formats that I've never used. Most notation programs give you a few options. For the most part, I use JPEGs on these forums, since PDF is not as widely supported.


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## StratoJazz (Jun 11, 2012)

sweet, didn't know you could do that


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## Winspear (Jun 12, 2012)

You can also just screenshot stuff in Guitar Pro or whatever and paste it into paint


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## Wlat (Dec 12, 2012)

I may be interpreting it completely wrong, but from what I hear on a slowed-down version of the studio recording there is no anacrusis, but an alternation between 4/4 (2 bars), 7/8 (1 bar) and 4/4 (1 bar).
I will see if I can get the guitar parts tabbed to explain.


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## Max Dread (Dec 12, 2012)

Wlat said:


> I may be interpreting it completely wrong, but from what I hear on a slowed-down version of the studio recording there is no anacrusis, but an alternation between 4/4 (2 bars), 7/8 (1 bar) and 4/4 (1 bar).
> I will see if I can get the guitar parts tabbed to explain.



I believe there is an anacrusis, but that the drums/bass/chord emphasis the leading note at the very beginning of the song (the first thing you hear). That's what makes it sound a bit odd. But from then on, it reverts to a more normal structure and the drums/bass/chord emphasis the downbeat. So if you ignore the very opening, and then tap along, you'll see it fits 4/4 normally. 

As for whether one guitar changes - I'm certain it does. I'm also certain that the second guitar does not. 

Have not got time to upload a tab now, so I'll list the changed notes instead - starting with the leading note at the end of bar 3 and following the order of the melody:

E becomes C#
F# becomes D
G# becomes E
F# becomes D
then continues as before.


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## Bakerman (Dec 12, 2012)

Max Dread said:


> Have not got time to upload a tab now, so I'll list the changed notes instead - starting with the leading note at the end of bar 3 and following the order of the melody:
> 
> E becomes C#
> F# becomes D
> ...



This matches the notation I posted earlier, BTW, except it's the end of bar 2 if calling the first full bar 1.


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## Overtone (Dec 13, 2012)

the right way to play this song is to pick up your guitar and play it. why are you guys thinking about it so much?


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## Wlat (Dec 13, 2012)

Just try this, and let me know what you make of it. The reason I fuss about it is that I want to win the argument I'm having with the other guys from the band. I put this into Guitar Pro, and to me it sounds like the real deal. Using an anacrusis simply doesn't sound right to me.


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## Bakerman (Dec 13, 2012)

Wlat said:


> Just try this, and let me know what you make of it.



You're missing an 8th note of time between the last 2 notes in the 2nd measure there. IOW the guitars are an unchanging 4/4 pattern, regardless of whether you write the first note as beat 1 or a pickup.


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## Max Dread (Dec 13, 2012)

Bakerman said:


> This matches the notation I posted earlier, BTW, except it's the end of bar 2 if calling the first full bar 1.



Yep, I agree with all that. Great minds must think alike then 



Overtone said:


> the right way to play this song is to pick up your guitar and play it. why are you guys thinking about it so much?



A strange thing to say unless I am misunderstanding you. How great it could be if you could pick up the guitar and play a song. But there's usually a little learning involved, and part of that process is knowing what the music you are learning is doing....



Bakerman said:


> You're missing an 8th note of time between the last 2 notes in the 2nd measure there. IOW the guitars are an unchanging 4/4 pattern, regardless of whether you write the first note as beat 1 or a pickup.



I agree. 

____________________________________________________________

@Wlat. If you PM me an email address I can send you my Guitar Pro version of the song to see if that would help?


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## Wlat (Dec 13, 2012)

Bakerman said:


> You're missing an 8th note of time between the last 2 notes in the 2nd measure there. IOW the guitars are an unchanging 4/4 pattern, regardless of whether you write the first note as beat 1 or a pickup.


 
My point is, the 8th note isn't there in the Powerslave recording. Hence the 7/8 bar. This is imho exactly what makes the "shifting" pattern.
When I play back both my version and the pickup version with solely 4/4 bars on Guitar Pro, I believe the 7/8 version gives a more accurate hearing (if that's correct English


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## Max Dread (Dec 13, 2012)

I've sent a tab to Wlat along with a cut and sliced version of the intro without the first measure. Helps me to hear what's going on. 

Anyhow, for the benefit of anyone else interested, here is what I wrote to Wlat in the email:

*"Hi

Please find the tab attached as discussed. Unfortunately there are no drums or bass, as I just used this for some guitar lessons.... So I don't know if it will be that helpful for understanding the timing issues of the beginning. Hopefully it will still be useful though..... Also, you will see that the song is not written in it's entirety. Instead, it is just broken down into the separate parts. 

Anyhow, take a look and see what you think. Bear in mind what I wrote in post #27. I think the riff is rhythmically consistent and in constant 4/4. I just think they emphasis the lead note ("4 and") at the very start, but then afterwards they emhpasise the down note ("1") in the remaining three measures. And this is what causes the shift in hearing. 

I've attached an mp3 of the intro but I've chopped off measure 1 and left just measures 2, 3 and 4. Hear how the sound byte starts? There's a leading note then the first note of the new bar is emphasised. Compare to the intro (the bit of chopped off) and you'll hear that the riff is exactly the same, just the note that's emphasised is different.

Cheers"
*

If, on the back of that, anyone else would like the audio file and/or tab, PM me an email address and I'll send them to you.

Cheers


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## Grimbold (Dec 15, 2012)

SchecterWhore said:


> I spent a couple of minutes with it and this is what I got:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



played through this
it sounds about right to me...

its weird playing an iron maiden song and having it not be tab though


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