The Black Page #1 // Frank Zappa (sheet music + audio)

As of 2021-11-21, this video has 56 dislikes.

Frank Zappa's "The Black Page Drum Solo/Black Page #1" (audio from Zappa In New York).

The sheet music in the video comes from two sources. The drum transcription is *not* mine; it was transcribed by Alain Tissot, in 2005. It was the highest quality of transcription that I could find.

I made the second score with the melody as a kind of facsimile of the published, official version.
The scan that I've found of the published score is not of good quality, and otherwise would have clashed with the look of the drum score, so I made my version.
There are essentially zero deviations from the official score.
(Incidentally, the text in the title card was taken from the first page of the published score.)

[drwierd]

It has a good beat, and it’s easy to dance to

[jeddak]

I want to know many people in the world would know, just by listening to it, whether this piece was performed correctly or not.

[tamed]

Ah yes

Enslaved construction sounds

[gblessbacon]

The dedication needed to play these rhythms in time as a band and there are so many members. Incredible.

[ultramurray]

This piece always reminds me of the rhythms of an animated conversation. It is a beautiful gesture to put the music to the notation, revealing the astonishing skill of both the muscians and the the composer.

[philidor]

I imagine it went something like this:


Zappa: Hey Bozio I got this new song for you to try out
Bozio: Sure...*skims over sheet music*
Uhh whats the time signature and tempo?
Zappa: Yes.

[scorpion]

I've shown this to my bird and he can't fly anymore

[goodwintrent]

Wow - thank you for posting! I an astounded by the lack of comments and thumbs up on this. Zappa fans, where are you?

[spencerleach]

sounds like when I dropped a fork into the garbage disposal on accident

[dzhellek]

Imagine that at the end of Close encounters if the Mothership communicated with a drum kit instead of keyboard notes. It would probably sound something like this.

[mcarp]

Oddly enough, it _does_ sound like Zappa.

[ExplodingWalkie-talkie]

Ladies. I know this song gets most of you in the mood.

[Peashant]

When you don't want to alert the sandworms

[ndenz]

I like listening to the faint beat in the back. It's unreal how much things get syncopated. Beats feel like they lap or loop back on themselves. It's true ordered chaos.

[faisar_azis]

I am from Indonesia. I love zappa's composition. That is like an European folks & ethnics fusion music.

[Frankincensedjb]

Accompanying music to having a heart attack, stroke, and hiccups all at the same time.

[magn]

Dude this amazing! The problem is I have NO clue on how to read nested tuplets!

[MrDXRamirez]

Awesome, a lot easier to read than I expected...now to play is another story.

[dbhDilemma]

First time listener. I used to play Orchestra in middle school. Just listening to this piece is giving me so much anxiety-

[jedidrummerjake]

My cat makes this sound in his head at 3:30 in the morning. KIDDING, DAMN IT ! This it the dreaded and feared Black Page!!!❤