# 'Bridge of Spies' by Thomas Newman transcription



## Kejero (Jun 7, 2016)

I'm trying to transcribe a passage from Thomas Newman's score for Bridge of Spies, but it's proving too big of a challenge for my ears. I'd happily dismiss it as clusters that are just too dense to figure out, but I'd be fooling myself. I don't think there are a ton of notes at play here... I just can't figure out which ones. Well, I can some of them, but I don't have a score sheet to check my transcription against, so I'm not sure how else to figure out what's going on in this piece than to ask my fellow composers to take a crack at it.

The part that's killing me is in track [13] Glienicke Bridge, starting from 2m47 to 3m10 (talking about the strings of course).

Anyone feel up to the challenge? If you don't have the soundtrack yourself, this is the only version I could find on youtube, pretty bad quality though.

Or, if you happen to know Thomas and could ask him for the sheets, I guess that would work too. 

​


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## Saxer (Jun 7, 2016)

Sounds 'jazzy' to me... I didn't compare to an instrument but it sounds like dominant thirteen chords (seventh below, seven in the middle, thirteen on top... i.e. like a G7/13 without root - f/b/e) moving parallel. But that's just a first impression listening to laptop speakers. Don't blame me too hard if I'm totally wrong


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## CT (Jun 7, 2016)

Sounds to me like augmented chords and minor sevenths. So the first one, for example, I hear in the "right hand" right above middle C a D, F#, and A#. This is, I think, doubled an octave below, and then under that, you've got an A#-G# dyad an octave apart. So the full pitches for the first chord would be A#, up an octave to G#, D, F#, A#, D, F#, A#. And then the following chords are just moving parallel based on the top line, A#, G#, C#, etc. But they might not be totally parallel, with some crafty voice leading instead. Hard to say if there's more to the string parts or if it's just the other stuff going on around them muddying up the tonality even more.


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## Kejero (Jun 9, 2016)

Thanks a bunch guys. I've been going back and forth between the track, my own (sort-of-half-assed) transcription and the suggestions here. The parallel movement definitely makes sense since Newman likes to do that. Doug, really cool what you did there! Parts of it definitely sound very close, but it's hard to be sure because obviously some notes in the original version are played much quieter than others. The truth is, from what I'm seeing here, each of you are hearing notes that I just can't make out. But at the same time, if I listen to my own transcription, it's definitely missing something. And I'd be surprised if this is just a sampled-vs-live thing.
It's so weird. These chords sound pretty "clear" on a first listen, until I try to actual dissect them and focus on the individual notes, then it becomes one pile of mud. Just when I thought I was getting better at this transcription thing... Thanks a lot, Newman. 

I guess we'll never be 100% sure, until someone gets their hands on the actual score sheets...


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## mc_deli (Jun 9, 2016)

Am I the only one thinking:
"don't push too far, your dreams are china in your hand"
?


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## Kejero (Jun 10, 2016)

douggibson said:


> I guess it really depends on what your goals are.



No big goal here. I find myself frequently fascinated by the kind of moods that Newman creates. They are often hard to define, very ambiguous. At the same time the chords he uses seem usually not too complex. Unconventional, by many modern hollywood composers' standards, but not complex. The way he transitions between chords is often unexpected too. So I like to take a closer look at what exactly is going on, and usually I feel pretty confident to at least get the transcription right. Not with this piece though, obviously. I like a challenge, but this one got me beat. Your version could be 100% correct and I wouldn't know.
Not that I'll be losing any sleep over this  I've got the impression that it's the kind of device that "works" in a movie context because of its cluster-like quality, and maybe less for its specific intervals. So while I couldn't tell if your transcription is 100% accurate, I'm pretty sure that if you put your version in the relevant scene, it'll be 100% equally effective.

You went way further with your transcription than I did btw. I'm usually happy with just two staves and all whole notes when I "transcribe" passages (on good old paper)  

I'm gonna take a break from this now and probably have another look at it with a clear mind some time in the future, but if you still want an mp3, feel free to pm your email address.


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## Kejero (Jun 10, 2016)

mc_deli said:


> Am I the only one thinking:
> "don't push too far, your dreams are china in your hand"
> ?



I think you are, yeah. I mean, this track doesn't sound anything like that song. And I thought I was bad and transcribing :D


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